Agitation
2026, July, Issue 212
Agitation of mind,
not knowing, not knowing,
not knowing why these waves,
these unpleasant thoughts,
this unwelcome disquiet,
these emotions bombard us,
our every moment
agitated,
taking away this calm, that
peace we had so enjoyed,
we become distracted
by emotions,
by appearances,
by thought after thought,
after thought,
by that which is not real;
Remaining at ease
when death approaches,
this is most crucial,
so why have we not prepared,
why have we not increased virtue,
why have we ignored
this great transmigration into a new lifetime?
Our deluded mind,
clinging to thoughts,
to emotions,
to figments of our imagination,
allowing this inexplicable
agitation to remain, to increase,
powerless to do anything about it,
why have we given that so much
importance?
Remain at ease!
Remain at ease, you fool!
Know how to remain at ease!
Death is upon us!
Know how to navigate
this great gap, this death bardo,
this inexplicable existence!
Empower yourself,
Empower your mind
to remove the great demon of agitation!
Know that this mastery
over any agitation
is obtainable;
Create the conditions
for agitation to instantly dwindle;
Gaining power over death
requires us
to disperse all agitation
into emptiness, instantly,
instantly,
as we remain completely at ease
no matter what comes our way,
as it is.
A poem by Robert Aho © 2026
When death approaches, we might find ourselves agitated and angry for no apparent reason. Our mind becomes entangled inexplicably with energetic forces, as our physical body decreases. Finding it impossible to sleep or to feel at ease, our agitation compounds. For those who are unprepared for death, it may be too late to do anything about it. The karmic winds are about to send you into another inexplicable lifetime, something entirely out of your control.
So, I propose to you, might it be the right time to start gaining some mastery over your mind? If we postpone meditation until we are sick and dying, we won’t have the slightest ability that is necessary for a beneficial transmigration. I’ve seen this with my own eyes—and it is heartbreaking. It is too late if we are already on the way, at that time when the signs of death are becoming more and more obvious.
It seems to me that learning how to remain at ease when we become agitated might be one of the most useful skills that we can learn. Such a skill requires much more than simply reading books or seeking out advice from great masters. It requires us to meditate every chance we get, even in dreams. Without a strong unbreakable Aspiration to Awaken, it is unlikely that we will develop a sufficient amount of practice time for this one simple easy to learn skill.
Sometimes people laugh at those who spend a lot of time practicing peaceful abiding meditation, or Shamatha, saying that it is just for beginners. They then opt for very advanced Spiritual Practices that they are not ready to do. This is a tragic mistake, because remaining at ease is necessary for all Spiritual Practices, or they simply won’t be effective. Taking the time to master Shamatha will help you to construct a strong foundation that is essential for the time when you die.
As you may recall when I explained my death experience, I instantly became Source, then remained at ease for a hundred years while pulling strands of my old long-forgotten life back together, while I chanted mantras and engaged in many other Spiritual Practices. This could not have been possible if I had been cavalier about my overall knowledge, understanding and implementation of that. Genuinely practicing over many lifetimes, along with rediscovering my Spiritual Practices, made it very likely that I would have the most extraordinary death experience possible. This should not be a surprise to hear about that. With Spiritual Practice comes empowerment, an almost supernatural ability to deal with every single situation that comes our way.
The key point is that we can do anything possible, if we have a strong foundation of remaining at ease. If we are constantly prone to agitation, we lose our power, we lose the ability to navigate from one moment to the next. Agitation takes away our power. Agitation means that we are allowing our karmic winds to propel us into unacceptable nightmares of our own creation.
When we accumulate virtue, we have created an important attribute that will allow us to remain at ease. We create a situation where we can tell ourselves that we are worthy of Awakening. The agitation diminishes within this knowledge.
When we accumulate a lifetime of unwholesome activities and battles, we diminish our own sense of being worthy, the agitation only increases. Agitation springs from disturbing emotions, from anger, fear and hate. If we are embroiled in the world, we are cultivating these emotions, which means we are increasing our agitation. This takes away our inherent power. Agitation creates causes and conditions for our continued demise.
In these next few moments, make the commitment to removing agitation from your life, to remaining at ease in all circumstances. If you combine this with the Aspiration to Awaken, you will have the spiritual foundation necessary to get you through all that life and death throw your way.
Blessings of Source,
Rigdzin Robert Aho
Robert Aho is the author of Timeless Luminosity and The Frog: A Spiritual Autobiography, Spanning Many Lifetimes. Both books, written after his death experience, give advanced spiritual advice regarding the complete Spiritual Path, inspiration for living each day and words of encouragement, with the intention of helping people to stay committed to their Spiritual Path, as well as preparing for death. This ultimately leads to discovering your own power within, which leads to Awakening. Both books are available on Amazon, Zenith Bookstore, as well as various other sources.