Sogyal Rinpoche is the spiritual heir of an ancient lineage of teachers reaching back several centuries. But he has lived for many years amidst modern society, which is rich in material assets, but whose people are confused and perplexed. In his eyes, most people misuse life and misunderstand death: "Death in fact is a great opportunity. Only when we understand death can we know how to live."
索甲仁波切在精神上繼承了流傳數個世紀的古老法脈，而生活上則長年處身物質發達、人心卻迷茫的現代社會；在他眼中，大部分人誤用了生命，更誤解了死亡，「死亡其實是生命的大轉機，瞭解死，才能知道怎麼活。」