---
title: "17 Dying Quotes By Sogyal Rinpoche"
description: "17 Dying quotes by Sogyal Rinpoche. Plus more from Sogyal Rinpoche and more Dying sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c3/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_death_death-is-like-a-mirror-in-which-the-true_2119945.png"
---

> [Death is like a mirror in which the true meaning of life is reflected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/death-is-like-a-mirror-in-which-the-true-meaning-of-life-is-reflected/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6c3/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_death_death-is-like-a-mirror-in-which-the-true_2119945.png)

> [Whatever we have done with our lives makes us what we are when we die. And everything, absolutely everything, counts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/whatever-we-have-done-with-our-lives-makes-us-what-we-are-when-we-die/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72a/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_counts_whatever-we-have-done-with-our-lives-mak_2119146.png)

> [This dying forces you to look into yourself. And in this, compassion is the only way. Love is the only way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/this-dying-forces-you-to-look-into-yourself-and-in-this-compassion-is/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/520/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_compassion_this-dying-forces-you-to-look-into-yours_1263735.png)

> [Why exactly are we so frightened of death that we avoid looking at it altogether? Somewhere, deep down, we know we cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/why-exactly-are-we-so-frightened-of-death-that-we-avoid-looking-at-it/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5e/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_corpses_why-exactly-are-we-so-frightened-of-deat_47203.png)

> [When we finally know we are dying, and all other sentient beings are dying with us, we start to have a burning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/when-we-finally-know-we-are-dying-and-all-other-sentient-beings-are/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbb/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_burning_when-we-finally-know-we-are-dying-and-al_1721219.png)

> [At every moment in our lives we need compassion, but what more urgent moment could there be than when we are dying?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/at-every-moment-in-our-lives-we-need-compassion-but-what-more-urgent/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67a/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_compassion_at-every-moment-in-our-lives-we-need-com_103148.png)

> [Ask yourself these two questions: Do I remember at every moment that I am dying, and that everyone and everything else is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/ask-yourself-these-two-questions-do-i-remember-at-every-moment-that-i/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18f/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_all-time_ask-yourself-these-two-questions-do-i-re_1346206.jpg)

> [Death is a vast mystery, but there are two things we can say about it: It is absolutely certain that we will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/death-is-a-vast-mystery-but-there-are-two-things-we-can-say-about-it/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/208/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_certain_death-is-a-vast-mystery-but-there-are-tw_1090493.png)

> [Even if they don't know that you are practicing for them, you are helping them and in turn they are helping you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/even-if-they-don-t-know-that-you-are-practicing-for-them-you-are/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc3/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_chance_even-if-they-don-t-know-that-you-are-pra_2481337.png)

> [I remember how people would often come to see my master Jamyang Khyentse simply to ask for his guidance for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/i-remember-how-people-would-often-come-to-see-my-master-jamyang/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1d/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_advice_i-remember-how-people-would-often-come-t_1171486.jpg)

> [At the moment of death, there are two things that count: whatever we have done in our lives, and what state of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/at-the-moment-of-death-there-are-two-things-that-count-whatever-we/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb4/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_able_at-the-moment-of-death-there-are-two-thi_2620519.png)

> [There would be no chance at all of getting to know death if it happened only once. But fortunately, life is nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/there-would-be-no-chance-at-all-of-getting-to-know-death-if-it/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e26/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_birth_there-would-be-no-chance-at-all-of-getti_3099905.jpg)

> [Switch on the television or glance at the newspaper: You will see death everywhere. Yet, did the victims of those plane crashes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/switch-on-the-television-or-glance-at-the-newspaper-you-will-see/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a00/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_accidents_switch-on-the-television-or-glance-at-th_1246221.jpg)

> [If all we know of mind is the aspect of mind that dissolves when we die, we will be left with no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/if-all-we-know-of-mind-is-the-aspect-of-mind-that-dissolves-when-we/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5e5/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_able_if-all-we-know-of-mind-is-the-aspect-of_199483.png)

> [We often wonder: "How will I be when I die?" The answer to that is that whatever state of mind we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/we-often-wonder-how-will-i-be-when-i-die-the-answer-to-that-is-that/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ca/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_answers_we-often-wonder-how-will-i-be-when-i-die_1246662.png)

> [This is the real and urgent reason why we must prepare now to meet death wisely, to transform our karmic future, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/this-is-the-real-and-urgent-reason-why-we-must-prepare-now-to-meet/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3e/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_again-and-again_this-is-the-real-and-urgent-reason-why-w_507173.png)

> [For most of us, karma and negative emotions obscure the ability to see our own intrinsic nature, and the nature of reality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/for-most-of-us-karma-and-negative-emotions-obscure-the-ability-to-see/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/85a/sogyal-rinpoche-2963_ability_for-most-of-us-karma-and-negative-emotio_394455.png)

## Other authors on Dying

## More by Sogyal Rinpoche

> [That goodness is what survives death, a fundamental goodness that is in each and every one of us. The whole of our life is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/that-goodness-is-what-survives-death-a-fundamental-goodness-that-is/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

> [Why exactly are we so frightened of death that we avoid looking at it altogether? Somewhere, deep down, we know we cannot avoid facing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/why-exactly-are-we-so-frightened-of-death-that-we-avoid-looking-at-it/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

> [The masters say if you create an auspicious condition in your body and your environment then meditation and realization will automatically arise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/the-masters-say-if-you-create-an-auspicious-condition-in-your-body/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

> [At every moment in our lives we need compassion, but what more urgent moment could there be than when we are dying? What more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/at-every-moment-in-our-lives-we-need-compassion-but-what-more-urgent/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

> [Theories are like patches on a coat, one day they just wear off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/theories-are-like-patches-on-a-coat-one-day-they-just-wear-off/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

> [{While meditating} I sit quietly and rest in the nature of mind; I don't question or doubt whether I am in the "correct" state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/while-meditating-i-sit-quietly-and-rest-in-the-nature-of-mind-i-don-t/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

> [The most essential thing in life is to establish an unafraid, heartfelt communication with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/the-most-essential-thing-in-life-is-to-establish-an-unafraid/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

> [The definition of mantra is "that which protects the mind." That which protects the mind from negativity, or that which protects you from your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/the-definition-of-mantra-is-that-which-protects-the-mind-that-which/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

> [If all we know of mind is the aspect of mind that dissolves when we die, we will be left with no idea of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/if-all-we-know-of-mind-is-the-aspect-of-mind-that-dissolves-when-we/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

> [Western laziness consists of cramming our lives with compulsive activity, so that there is no time at all to confront the real issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/western-laziness-consists-of-cramming-our-lives-with-compulsive/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

> [The key to finding a happy balance in modern lives is simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/the-key-to-finding-a-happy-balance-in-modern-lives-is-simplicity/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

> [The purpose of meditation is to awaken in us the sky-like nature of mind, and to introduce us to that which we really are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/the-purpose-of-meditation-is-to-awaken-in-us-the-sky-like-nature-of/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

> [The real glory of meditation lies not in any method but in its continual living experience of presence, in its bliss, clarity, peace, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/the-real-glory-of-meditation-lies-not-in-any-method-but-in-its/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

> [Samsara is the mind turned outwardly, lost in its projections. Nirvana is the mind turned inwardly, recognizing its true nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/samsara-is-the-mind-turned-outwardly-lost-in-its-projections-nirvana/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

> [“The simplicity of total trust is one of the most powerful forces in the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sogyal-rinpoche/the-simplicity-of-total-trust-is-one-of-the-most-powerful-forces-in/)

[Sogyal Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sogyal-rinpoche/)

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                        "text": "Ask yourself these two questions: Do I remember at every moment that I am dying, and that everyone and everything else is, and so treat all beings at all times with compassion? Has my understanding of death and impermanence become so keen and so urgent that I am devoting every second to the pursuit of enlightenment? If you can answer \"yes\" to both of these, then you really understand impermanence.",
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                        "text": "Death is a vast mystery, but there are two things we can say about it: It is absolutely certain that we will die, and it is uncertain when or how we will die. The only surety we have, then, is this uncertainty about the hour of our death, which we seize on as the excuse to postpone facing death directly. We are like children who cover their eyes in a game of hide and seek and think that no one can see them.",
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                        "text": "Even if they don't know that you are practicing for them, you are helping them and in turn they are helping you. They are actively helping you to develop your compassion, and so to purify and heal yourself. For me, all dying people are teachers, giving to all those who help them a chance to transform themselves through developing their compassion.",
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                        "text": "I remember how people would often come to see my master Jamyang Khyentse simply to ask for his guidance for the moment of death. He was so loved and revered throughout Tibet, especially in the eastern province of Kham, that some would travel for months on end to meet him and get his blessing just once before they died. All my masters would give this as their advice, for this is the essence of what is needed as you come to die: \"Be free of attachment and aversion. Keep your mind pure. And unite your mind with Buddha.\"",
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                        "text": "At the moment of death, there are two things that count: whatever we have done in our lives, and what state of mind we are in at that very moment. Even if we have accumulated a lot of negative karma, if we are able to make a real change of heart at the moment of death, it can decisively influence our future, and transform our karma, for the moment of death is an exceptionally powerful opportunity to purify karma.",
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                        "text": "There would be no chance at all of getting to know death if it happened only once. But fortunately, life is nothing but a continuing dance of birth and death, a dance of change. Every time I hear the rush of a mountain stream, or the waves crashing on the shore, or my own heartbeat, I hear the sound of impermanence. These changes, these small deaths, are our living links with death. They are death's pulses, death's heartbeat, prompting us to let go of all the things we cling to.",
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                        "text": "Switch on the television or glance at the newspaper: You will see death everywhere. Yet, did the victims of those plane crashes and car accidents expect to die? They took life for granted, as we do. How often do we hear stories of people whom we know, or even friends, who died unexpectedly? We don't even have to be ill to die: Our bodies can suddenly break down and go out of order, just like our cars. We can be quite well one day, then fall sick and die the next.",
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                        "text": "If all we know of mind is the aspect of mind that dissolves when we die, we will be left with no idea of what continues, no knowledge of the new dimension of the deeper reality of the nature of mind. So it is vital for us all to familiarize ourselves with the nature of mind while we are still alive. Only then will we be prepared for the time when it reveals itself spontaneously and powerfully at the moment of death; be able to recognize it \"as naturally,\" the teachings say, \"as a child running into its mother's lap\"; and by remaining in that state, finally be liberated.",
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                        "text": "We often wonder: \"How will I be when I die?\" The answer to that is that whatever state of mind we are in now, whatever kind of person we are now, that's what we will be like at the moment of death, if we do not change. This is why it is so absolutely important to use this lifetime to purify our mindstream, and so our basic being and character, while we can.",
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                        "text": "This is the real and urgent reason why we must prepare now to meet death wisely, to transform our karmic future, and to avoid the tragedy of falling into delusion again and again and repeating the painful round of birth and death. This life is the only time and place we can prepare in, and we can only truly prepare through spiritual practice: This is the inescapable message of the natural bardo of this life.",
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                        "text": "For most of us, karma and negative emotions obscure the ability to see our own intrinsic nature, and the nature of reality. As a result we clutch on to happiness and suffering as real, and in our unskillful and ignorant actions go on sowing the seeds of our next birth. Our actions keep us bound to the continuous cycle of worldly existence, to the endless round of birth and death. So everything is at risk in how we live now at this very moment: How we live now can cost us our entire future.",
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