Venerable Ru Jun shares this analogy:
Someone gives you a huge mansion. However, you reject the gift as there is a big hole in the wall of the living room.
(from 720min mark)
My learning from here:
my life (暇满人身) is precious but I am spending the bulk of it on trivial stuff
I am even getting badly affected over the said trivial stuff when I should be hyped up over the opportunities that my life presents
to be beware of this topsy-turvy thinking, see the positiveness and train myself to focus on my practice
Taking Advantage of Our Precious Human Life and Opportunity
The eight freedoms or the eight conditions that lack leisure
Four are freedoms from non-human states where there’s no chance to practice the Dharma, and four are freedoms from human states where there’s no chance to practice Dharma.
Life forms experiencing continual pain and fear
Life forms experiencing continual frustration and clinging
Animals
Celestial beings
Barbarian among uncivilized savages or in a country where religion was outlawed
Where Buddha’s teachings are unavailable, where a buddha hasn’t appeared and taught
Mentally retarded, deaf, dumb, blind
Having instinctive wrong views
The ten fortunes/advantages/opportunities of previous human rebirth
The 10 richnesses (of a precious human life) are similar to the eight freedoms, but it’s viewing them in another way. This meditation is done to get us to see the richness in our life, that we’re not just free from the bad circumstances, but also that we actually have very good conditions.
(5 Personal)
Born as a human
Living in central Buddhist region
Having complete and healthy sense and mental faculties
Haven’t committed any of the five heinous actions
Having instinctive belief in things worthy of respect
(5 External)
Living where and when a buddha has appeared
Living where and when the Dharma still exists
Living where and when there’s a sangha community following the Buddha’s teachings
Living where and when there are others with loving concern
