The Beginning
Take refuge and arouse bodhichitta.
The Main Part
Meditate on the suffering of the gods: The gods in the desire realm enjoy immense pleasure and longevity. However, they are so distracted by their enjoyments that they never think of practicing the Dharma. When their life span is almost exhausted, they experience the “five signs of impending death”: their clothes become soiled, their flower garlands wither, their armpits sweat, their bodies smell bad, and they feel unhappy on their seats.
Knowing that they are about to die and see, through their clairvoyance, that they will be reborn in the lower realms due to their exhausted merit, they experience intense mental agony that is far greater than the physical pain humans feel. Gods in the higher realms also suffer from the realization that their state of concentration is not permanent and they will eventually fall back into lower states of existence.
Even the highest state in samsara is not free from suffering. Therefore, resolve: I will not aspire for rebirth in the god realms, but will aim for the irreversible state of enlightenment.
The Ending
Dedicate all the merit of your practice to all sentient beings.
