This website is the home of The Four Noble Truths on the web.

Rare And Precious Human Body

• Human birth is not accidental. It comes from causes. It will be difficult to find again.
• Know the value of precious human life. If you have something expensive and don’t know its value, it is useless.
• To attain enlightenment in one lifetime, it is necessary to be born a human being on Jambudvipa. Humans born on other continents cannot ripen their karma in one lifetime.
• Human life is the boundary between liberation and samsara. Don’t be defeated. At least leave a strong imprint.
• What is the use of this body? It is a tool to free from the prison of samsara.
• Preciousness – we can free from self-grasping.
• The opportunity to practice virtue is rare. This is what we have.
• Human birth is not god’s gift. There are gods who would want to be born human.
• It is a great loss [suffering] if not used.
• Human body can hold the three vows. Animals cannot. Gods cannot.
• Even the most ordinary situation in our life, most beings have it worse. Count your blessings. We are in an extraordinary situation.
• Humans and gods are as few as particles of dust on a fingernail.
• This is obtained with great effort over many lifetimes.
• Very few beings have opportunity to practice virtue.
• Feel happy about what you have.
• Human life is of great consequence. We can liberate.
• Death is a loss because the same potential for virtue is not available in other realms.
• Rare and precious birth comes from discipline.
• Precious body arises through interdependence.
• Have conviction that other than human rebirth, we will not have time to practice dharma.
• Animals cannot pursue virtue the way we can.
• This is a changing, passing situation.
• Human life is hard to get, but easy to lose.
• God realm is a place to exhaust positive karma. Human realm is a place to accumulate positive karma.
• It is not enough to wish. You have to have causes.
• The opportunity to practice dharma is as fragile as balancing a pile of peas on the tip of a needle.