有些人平时听到别人死了，自己无动于衷，好像没有什么感觉。

Usually, people are indifferent when they hear about the deaths of other people. Nothing seems to bother them at all.

但实际上，任何一个人的死，都是在向你发出警告：“注意了！你也快变成这样了。”

However, the news of any death should be a red flag warning to you, “Watch out! You’ll be in the same place very soon!”

但可惜的是，大多数人根本看不明白。

However, it’s a shame that most people just don’t see this point.

以前在藏地，有个人修行不懈，最后与护法神之间达到了人与人交谈般的境界。

In Tibet, there was a hermit who became so adept in his practice that he could converse with the protector deity as if with another person.

有一次，他给护法神请求：“我快死的时候，请提前给我表示一下。”

Once, he asked the protector, “When you see that my life is coming to an end, please warn me beforehand.”

护法神应允了。

The protector said he would grant him his wish.

一天，护法神说：“山那边死了一个男人，他是这样死的……”

One day, the protector told the hermit, “Over the hills a man passed away; this was how he died...”

“哦，死了是吧？”他没有特别在意。

The hermit replied casually, “Really, so he’s dead?” He did not seem to care or be upset.

几天后，护法神又说：“山下死了一个女人，是如何如何死的……”他仍没有放在心上。

A few days later, the protector told him again, “Down the hill a woman died, this was how it happened...” Still the man paid no heed.

过了不久，护法神告诉他：“你的寿命已尽，马上要死了。”

Not long after, the protector told him, “Your life is ending, and you will die momentarily.”

修行人一听，急得不得了，拼命地抱怨：“怎么不提前给我表示一下呢？您不是早就答应了吗？”

Hearing this, the hermit panicked and complained vehemently, “Why didn’t you give me some indications earlier? Didn’t you promise to do so?”

护法神说：“我早已表示过了——山那边的男人死了，给你讲过；山下的女人死了，也给你讲过。

The protector said, “I did. I told you that over the hill a man passed away, and that down the hill a woman died.

这些，不就是一种表示吗？”

Now, don’t you think this was enough of a warning to you?”

死亡对我们来说，真的并不遥远。

Death really is not too far away from us.

尽管每个人都贪生怕死，但也没办法，无常的本性就是这样。

Even though we all want to live and not die, we have no choice. That’s the way impermanence is.

它并不是对谁不公平，而是一种自然规律；它并不是倒霉的人才会遇到，而是人人都需要面对的。

The law of nature has no favorites or exemptions; everyone must encounter death, not just those down on their luck.