Precious nature of human life = opportunity
(Blind turtle and golden yoke)
Capacity to practice given by humanity
Fortunate circumstances (environment to practice)
These eighteen opportune conditions are divided into eight freedoms and ten positive conditions or endowments.
The first is the freedom from the birth among hell beings.
The second is the freedom from the birth among hungry ghosts.
The third freedom is the freedom from birth among animals.
The fourth is the freedom from birth among gods.
The fifth is the birth among barbarians, that is to say, where there is no learning, no eduction or culture.
The sixth is the freedom from the birth among inimical people for the practice of the Dharma.
The seventh is freedom from committing unwholesome actions of very great weight in the past. This includes killing of ones own parents or an Arhat.
The eighth is the freedom from being born with defective senses.
They are divided into the five internal conditions:
The first of the five internal ones is to be born as a human being.
The second internal positive endowment is to be born in the central realm.
The third is having sound mind as opposed to having defective senses or unsound mind.
The fourth is to have faith or confidence in the Dharma.
The fifth is to have accumulated merit by doing wholesome actions in the past to practice the Dharma.
Then we have five external conditions:
The first one is to be born in the right place and time.
Secondly, the teaching has to be established. The Buddha has to teach.
Thirdly, the teaching has to be still in existence.
The fourth is, there have to be followers of the teaching.
And lastly there has to be support for the practice of the teaching.
Recognizing the reality of impermanence
Contemplating on Death