The Foundation of Buddhist Practice

Looking beyond This Life

TO ATTAIN a fortunate rebirth, liberation, and full awakening, we must have heartfelt aspirations and a firm commitment to engage in the practices that bring these about. Understanding the benefits of attaining those aims and the disadvantages of not attaining them fosters a pure motivation. Contemplating the drawbacks of being born as one of the three unfortunate classes of beings and the opportunities for spiritual progress with a fortunate rebirth will motivate us to keep good ethical conduct, practice the six perfections, and dedicate the merit for a precious human life. Reflecting on the faults of cyclic existence and the difficulties of being under the power of afflictions and karma motivates us to counteract these. Contemplating the kindness of sentient beings and their duḥkha generates the aspiration for awakening.

As described above, the biggest obstacle to attaining our spiritual aims is our obsessive preoccupation with the eight worldly concerns, which lead us to engage in destructive actions and distract us from creating virtue. The most effective way to initially subdue the eight worldly concerns is to reflect on impermanence and death. The Dhammapada counsels (168–74):

This world is blind! There are so few who see things as they truly are. Come, take a good look at this world, pretty like a king’s chariot. Though fools become immersed in it, for the wise there is no attachment. See how it is like a bubble! See how it is like a mirage! The king of death does not see one who regards the world in this way. Rouse yourself and don’t be lazy! Follow the good ways of Dhamma.

Gross and Subtle Impermanence

As the first of the sixteen aspects or key points of the four truths and the first of the four seals that mark a teaching as Buddhadharma, impermanence is an essential point to contemplate on the path. Impermanence has two levels: subtle and gross. Subtle impermanence refers to the fact that every conditioned phenomenon changes and does not endure to the next moment. Its very nature is transient: the subtle particles composing an atom are in constant motion; each moment of mind ceases and gives way to the next.

Gross impermanence refers to the ceasing of the continuity of an object: a chair breaks, a human being dies. Initial-level practitioners meditate on gross impermanence to help them to evaluate their priorities in life by seeing the impermanent nature of the happiness of just this life and the eight worldly concerns. Not thinking that we will die one day, we think, “I need this and that because I’m going to live.” Focusing on the pursuit of money, fame, praise, success, and comfortable experiences — all of which do not last long — we neglect to prepare to depart this life and go on to the next. Awareness of the fleeting nature of life spurs us to engage in what is beneficial for this life as well as what is meaningful for lives to come. A lamrim text encourages us to think of impermanence in five ways.

1.The impermanence of destruction refers to the annihilation of something that existed. For example, the twin towers in New York were decimated, and death is the cessation of a person’s life force.

2.The impermanence of cultural trends and attitudes points to the changes occurring in society. One hundred years ago, women had few options in life outside of marriage and family. Now more opportunities are available to them and society benefits from their contribution. Centuries ago democracy was virtually unheard of. Now it is a value in many cultures.

3.The impermanence of separation indicates that whatever comes together must separate; it is impossible to always remain together. Relationships transform over time, and people who were close at one time later go their own ways. Organizations and companies form and dissolve, their employees going in many different directions.

4.Sudden impermanence is the fact that circumstances can change quickly and unexpectedly. We get up in the morning expecting to have certain experiences and meet particular people, but plans change on short notice. While we can easily adapt to some sudden changes, others, such as a mass shooting or the death of a dear one in a car accident, are difficult to adapt to.

5.The nature of impermanence refers to the fact that everything that arises due to causes and conditions is transitory in nature. Whether we want it to be stable and predictable or wish it to change quickly, change is its very nature.

REFLECTION

1.Review the five points above one by one and make examples of them from your life.

2.Notice the effect this has on your mind.

Learning from Our Own Mortality

Contemplating death is neither morbid nor unrealistic. To the contrary, it helps us prepare for death and live with more wisdom and kindness. This meditation has three points: death is definite, its time is uncertain, and at the time of death only the Dharma can help us. Each point has three subpoints and a conclusion; together these lead us to a realistic and beneficial perspective on what is important in life.

Death is definite.

Death is the cutting off of the life faculty; it occurs at the time that the continuities of body and mind are disjoined. The continuity of the body is a lifeless corpse; in general, the continuity of the mind enters an intermediate state, and then ordinary beings take rebirth in another coarse body. The only exceptions are meditators who have deep concentration and are reborn in the form or formless realms, a person who will be born in a pure land, a tantric practitioner who gains spiritual realizations at the time of death, or an ārya who has control over the rebirth process. Death occurs owing to four situations: (1) Exhaustion of the life span. The karma that brought about that life is exhausted, and that lifetime ceases. (2) Exhaustion of merit. Merit is required to stay alive once we are born, and when it runs out, death occurs. The karma that maintains the life span may still be intact, but the person lacks the merit to receive food, shelter, clothing, or medicine, and death occurs. (3) Both of the above occur simultaneously. (4) Ripening of destructive karma. Even though the life span and merit may not be exhausted, the seed of a strong destructive karma ripens and cuts short the life span, bringing an untimely death due to an accident or unexpected illness.

The three subpoints that help us understand the certainty of our death are:

1.Everyone who is born dies; death is a natural result of birth. Death is common to all beings; it is the great equalizing factor, for no one can avoid it. Wealth, fame, intelligence, love, or power — none of these can prevent death — and even holy beings and great leaders die.

2.When the time of death arrives, our life span cannot be extended. There is nowhere to go to avoid death; beings in every realm of cyclic existence die. Moving to another place, finding another doctor, and changing our medicine may prolong our life awhile, but cannot prevent death.

3.We will die even if we have not had the time to practice the Dharma. As each moment passes, we approach the end of our life, and the time available for Dharma practice is brief and consumed with other activities. When we’re young we go to school and play, in our adult years we have a family and work, in our senior years we spend time caring for our health.

While most of us intellectually know that we will die, our inner feeling is that death will not come to us: “Others will die, but not me.” How wrong that is! Śāntideva cautions us (BCA 2.39):

Remaining neither day nor night,

this life is always slipping by

and never lengthening.

Why will death not come to one like me?

Given that there is no way to avoid death, wouldn’t it be beneficial to prepare for death so that we will not be caught unawares when it happens? The best way to prepare for death is to practice the Dharma — to transform our mind by pacifying afflictions and cultivating good qualities. Doing this, we will be more peaceful at the time of death and our future rebirth will be better.

The conclusion to reach from this meditation is: Since death is definite and practicing the Dharma will benefit us in this life, at the time of death, and in future lives, we resolve to definitely transform our minds through putting the Buddha’s teachings into practice.

The time of death is uncertain.

Although we feel we will not die anytime soon, in fact we do not know when death will come. Although we plan for our old age, we may not live that long; there is no guarantee that we will be alive tomorrow. Contemplate:

1.The life span of human beings in our world is indefinite, and people die at all ages. We may believe that death will come only after we have accomplished certain career goals or after we’ve enjoyed watching our children grow up or traveling to faraway places, but in fact we don’t know when we will die. Whenever it is, we will surely be in the middle of doing something that will be left unfinished. Some people die on the way to work, others while eating, some simply between one breath and the next.

2.Many circumstances lead to death and fewer lead to survival. Great effort is required to stay alive: we must feed our body and protect it from heat, cold, disease, and injury. It takes a lot of planning and effort to keep this body alive, whereas if we did nothing, our body would simply die of dehydration or starvation.

3.Even things meant to protect life, such as medicine, food, shelter, and transportation, can inadvertently cause death. Microscopic viruses and bacteria may cause death, small pieces of metal can kill us. Our physiological systems are delicate and easily become unbalanced, leading to illness and death. While medical science has made tremendous advancements, it has not been able to stop death, and sometimes the treatment we take for illness has side effects that hasten death.

It is to our advantage to prepare ourselves for death, whenever it will come. The way to do this is by developing a stable spiritual practice now so that we will accumulate as much virtue and Dharma understanding as possible while alive. This also makes it more likely that we will have a virtuous mental state should death come suddenly. Āryaśūra warns us:

Between the two — tomorrow and the next life —

which will come first is uncertain.

Therefore, do not make effort in the means for tomorrow;

it is right to make effort for the welfare of the next life.49

Conclusion: Seeing that the time of death is uncertain let’s start transforming our minds today. Since death may come at any time, we cannot afford to postpone our Dharma practice until conditions are more suitable. The only time we will ever have for practice is now.

Only Dharma helps at the time of death.

At the time of death, our wealth, fame, friends, relatives, social status, awards, and even our body cannot help us. None of them can come with us into our future lives; they are all left behind as we separate from everything that is familiar. However, the karmic seeds of destructive actions that we have done to procure and protect our wealth, dear ones, and body follow the mindstream (cittasaṃtāna) as it goes on to the next life. Only the positive mental qualities we have built up during our lives and the karmic seeds of constructive actions are able to ease our mind at the time of death and ensure fortunate future lives. To understand this, reflect:

1.Money and possessions are of no help at the time of death. We may work very hard while alive to amass money and material goods, but all of them remain behind. We may have created great destructive karma to procure and protect our money and possessions, but our wealth in this life is useless in the next. We go to the next life with only the karmic seeds and habitual tendencies we have built up while alive.

2.Friends and relatives cannot prevent our death no matter how much they love and respect us. We may have been constant companions for decades, but separation is guaranteed because everything that comes together must separate. Separation at the time of death can be excruciating when we are very attached to others.

3.Not even our body is of benefit. We have spent so much of our lives taking care of this body, but at the time of death it abandons us, becoming a corpse that remains here while the mindstream goes on alone to future lives. All the pleasures this body enjoyed are last night’s dream, but the karma we created to secure them goes with us.

Śri Jagan-mitrananda’s Letter to King Moon (Candrarājalekha) says (LC 1:158):

Divine one, no matter what fortunes you have gained,

when you depart to another rebirth,

as though conquered by an enemy in the desert,

you are alone without children or queen,

without clothing, without servants,

without kingdom, and without palace.

Though you have limitless power and armies,

you will not see or hear them.

Eventually not even one being or thing

will follow you in an everlasting way.

In brief, if you lack even a name at that time,

what need is there to speak about anything else?

Śāntideva counsels (BCA 2.33, 34, 36, 38):

The untrustworthy lord of death without waiting

whether or not something has been done;50

whether one is sick or otherwise, suddenly comes;

do not be complacent about life.

Leaving all behind, I must depart alone.

Through not having understood this

I committed various kinds of negativities

for the sake of my friends and foes . . .

Just like an experience in a dream,

whatever things I enjoy

will become a memory.

Whatever has passed will not be seen [again].

Thereby, through not having realized

that I will suddenly vanish,

I committed many negativities

through ignorance, attachment, and hatred.

Our worldly actions are like ripples in water, one leading to the next. Our mind distracted by the endless worldly activities in our lives, we have little time for Dharma practice before death arrives. At that time regret overwhelms us as we realize that time could have been spent cultivating wisdom and cutting the root of saṃsāra.

In addition, many of our constructive actions are polluted by the eight worldly concerns; creating the image of being an excellent practitioner, we hunger for praise, offerings, and reputation. Unaware, we miss the chance to prepare for death. There is a story about a man who slipped while walking on the edge of a cliff. He broke his fall by catching hold of a root. Looking up, he saw a strawberry, and yearning for the pleasure of its taste overwhelmed him. Meanwhile a rat was busy gnawing the root. Distracted by desire for the strawberry, he did not protect himself and fell to his death as the root broke.

Oblivious of the effects our actions have on others and ourselves, we often act impulsively and grasp whatever will fulfill our needs and wants in the present moment. But when we arrive at the end of our lives and look back — or even if we look back now at what we did for the last ten years — which of our actions were really valuable? I have never heard of a dying person regretting that they did not work more overtime. Remembering this, let’s be mindful and make wise decisions now, steering our energy toward Dharma practice, an activity that will bring ourselves and others benefit for a long time to come.

Although many great masters may recite prayers for our good rebirth, perform powa (transference of consciousness) after our death, or give us instructions to recognize the bardo (intermediate state between one life and the next) after the breath has stopped, it is far more effective to have studied and practiced the Dharma we learned while alive. If we don’t pay attention to these masters’ instructions while we are alive, what makes us think that we will listen to them when we’re dying?

We can pay people to do many things for us — to mow the lawn or to prepare a report. But we cannot hire someone who will eat for us so that we feel nourished. As with eating and sleeping, creating virtue and abandoning nonvirtue are activities we must do ourselves. Knowing that only the Dharma benefits us at death, generate the determination to practice it purely, free from the influence of the eight worldly concerns.

Whereas death arrives effortlessly, spiritual development requires effort. We cannot wait and hope that with the passage of time we become more disciplined, loving, and compassionate. Only through careful training can we develop these qualities. Although our body may get old, weak, and eventually stop functioning, our afflictions will not decline and disappear with time. In fact sometimes they grow stronger, and some people become more bitter, angry, or emotionally dependent as they age. The afflictions remain fresh and energetic unless we make an effort to counteract them.

Years ago I visited Thailand, where many monasteries have a skeleton near the meditation hall. One monastery had a display with photographs of the stages of a rotting corpse. Seeing these reminded me that I too will die, and keeping that vividly in mind spurs me to transform my mind.

Other Life Forms

After death, the continuity of our consciousness does not stop. Although the coarse sense consciousnesses cease as we go through the death process, the extremely subtle mind continues to the next life. What kind of life will we have in our next rebirth? We don’t need to ask a fortune teller; the Buddha explained that according to the law of karma and its effects, virtuous actions bring fortunate rebirths as human or celestial beings (devas), whereas nonvirtuous ones lead to unfortunate ones as an animal, hungry ghost, or hell being. Since none of us wants an unfortunate rebirth, it behooves us to create the causes for a good rebirth now.

We may wonder: We know that humans and animals exist, but do the other classes of beings actually exist? Is the description of the unfortunate states to be taken literally? Neither reasoning nor direct experience is able to establish the nonexistence of these realms. Using reasoning to establish their existence is difficult, and we ordinary beings do not have the clairvoyance to determine whether such rebirths exist. In this case, we can rely on reliable scriptural quotations.

Sūtras in all three Buddhist canons — Pāli, Chinese, and Tibetan — speak of other life forms in the universe: in the Jewel Sutta (Ratana Sutta Sn 2.1), one of the most well-known sūtras in the Pāli canon, the Buddha addresses spirits who are making trouble for the Licchavi clan. The Sutta of Fools and Wise Men (Bālapaṇḍita Sutta MN 129) speaks of rebirth as hell, animal, and deva or celestial beings, and the Sutta of the Divine Messengers (Devadūta Sutta MN 130) describes the hell beings in detail.

If you have difficulty accepting scriptural quotations, I recommend remaining undecided yet open-minded. Continue to study and practice the Buddha’s teachings, implementing what is useful in your life and leaving the rest aside for the time being. However, if you say, “I don’t believe that other realms exist,” consider the I that states this. Is that I omniscient? Is whatever that I thinks always accurate?

Personally speaking, although I do not take the descriptions of the hellish states in the Treasury of Knowledge literally, I believe the possibility that such states exist is real. From my own experience, I know that when the mind is disciplined and its positive qualities enhanced, having special experiences is possible. Similarly, when the mind is undisciplined and obscured by negative tendencies, suffering and problems occur. By seeing the interrelationship of the mind and our experiences, I have an inkling that other life forms — those in both pure lands and hellish states — exist.

In some cultures, people accept the existence of spirits and hungry ghosts, and some people even report seeing them. Although this is not generally the case in the West, some Westerners talk about UFOs and report being visited by beings from outer space. In other cultures, people who have similar experiences describe them as encountering spirits or hungry ghosts. In Tibet some people had a special capacity to see some of these spirits that are not normally seen by people. One of my childhood bodyguards could do this.

We may not believe in the existence of other classes of beings because we do not see them; but once we see them, we will have already been born there and it will be too late. Therefore, although we may not be convinced that hell beings and hungry ghosts exist, I recommend provisionally accepting their existence because doing so will make us more mindful of the consequences of our actions before doing them. Should such rebirths exist, we do not want to create the causes leading to them. On the other hand, if such rebirths do not exist, we have not lost anything by refraining from destructive actions!

We know the animals exist and can observe animals’ lives. They are clouded by ignorance, and many are exploited by human beings or killed for food or hides. Domestic pets may have comfortable lives, but they are incapable of studying, thinking about, and meditating on the Dharma. If we try to teach our pet cats the value of abandoning killing, they cannot understand at all!

We also see people and events right now that resemble life in these other states. Some human beings act worse than animals, inflicting harm and suffering on others far beyond what any animal could do. Consider those who ran concentration camps during World War II, those behind the Cultural Revolution, and those conducting terrorist activities internationally. That human beings inflict such harm on other human beings leaves us stunned; we cannot find any suitable explanation for such horror. Yet we know that it is a reality. Likewise, we may not easily believe in the existence of unfortunate states and the suffering experienced in them, but these exist. Since powerful destructive actions produce strong suffering in future lives, it makes sense that human beings who inflict great pain on others would be born in unfortunate states.

In the Sutta to the Dog-Duty Ascetic (Kukkuravatika Sutta MN 57), the Buddha speaks in a compassionate yet matter-of-fact way about the possibility of rebirth in unfortunate states as a result of our destructive actions and shows that this can be prevented. As did many others, two ascetics in ancient India acted like animals, thinking that it would bring them fortunate rebirths. Approaching the Buddha, Seniya, acting like a dog, and Puṇṇa, behaving like an ox, asked him what their future lives would be. The Buddha did not want to answer, but when pressed he explained (MN 57.5):

Here, someone develops the ox-duty . . . the ox-habit . . . the ox-mind . . . the ox-behavior fully and uninterruptedly. Having done so, on the dissolution of the body, after death, he reappears in the company of oxen. But if he has such a view as this: “By this virtue or observance or asceticism or holy life I shall become a [great] god or some [lesser] god,” that is a wrong view in his case. Now there are two destinations for one with wrong view, I say: hell or the animal state. So if his ox-duty succeeds, it will lead him to the company of oxen; if it fails, it will lead him to the hellish state.

These ascetics had faith in karma and its results, and by hearing that their practice was based on wrong views that would lead them to horrible rebirths, they sobbed and had deep regret for their actions. The Buddha then taught them about karma and concluded, “Thus I say beings are the heirs of their actions.” Both of them became the Buddha’s disciples, and by meditating with strong determination Seniya became an arhat in that life.

The purpose of contemplating the suffering of these migrations and the possibility of being reborn there is not to fill us with irrational panic, emotional fear, and immobilizing dread. Rather, it impels us to practice so that we will not create the causes for such births and will direct our energy in a positive direction instead.

If we are reborn as a hell being, hungry ghost, or animal, will we be able to endure the sufferings? Unpleasant as it may be, contemplating such topics is essential because we can act to prevent these types of rebirth. If we do not think about them and consequently do nothing to prevent them, once we are born in those unfortunate states very little can be done to ease the suffering.

Thinking that unfortunate migrations are in some faraway place and have nothing to do with us is unwise. None of us knows when we will die, and as ordinary beings without spiritual realizations, we have no guarantee that we will not take birth in one of these unfortunate states. Looking carefully at the actions we have done throughout our lives, we see there is a real possibility that we will face an unfortunate rebirth, one where there is not only great misery but also no opportunity to meet the Dharma. We have the opportunity now with our precious human lives to engage in abundant constructive actions that will lead to future happiness in cyclic existence and the ultimate happiness of liberation and awakening. Please keep this in mind and let it motivate you to live with wisdom and compassion now. Reflect on impermanence and death and make a strong determination to overcome the eight worldly concerns that could impede you from doing this.

The Buddha once asked his disciples, “Which is greater, the little bit of soil under my fingernail or the great earth?” They responded that the soil under his fingernail is trifling, whereas the earth is huge. The Buddha then advised them (SN 20.2):

So too, those beings who are reborn among human beings are few. But those beings who are reborn elsewhere than among human beings are more numerous. Therefore you should train yourselves thus: “We shall dwell diligently.”

Fear or Hope at Death?

If our lives have centered primarily around the eight worldly concerns, our mind becomes familiar with nonvirtue. While dying, attachment to self arises, and wanting security and not suffering, we cling to what is familiar — our body, mind, and so forth. Then fearing that we will cease to exist at death, we crave another body.

In contrast to this panicked fear, if while we are alive we generate a “wise fear” of death, we will be able to set our priorities wisely and make our lives meaningful. The wise fear is aware of the danger of destructive karma ripening at the time of death and propelling us to an unfortunate rebirth. It sharpens our mindfulness, motivates us to practice virtue, and enables us to prevent that danger. This “fear” is similar to the mental state when we merge our car into highway traffic: aware of the possibility of having an accident, we are cautious, which prevents an accident. Wise fear inspires us to set clear priorities, so that we make our life meaningful and do not waste it on unimportant activities. Our life becomes very vibrant and vital as we live each moment fully, aware that the only time we can practice the Dharma is now. Due to practicing diligently, we will be free of fear and regret at the time of death. As the great yogi Milarepa said:

In horror of death, I took to the mountains —

again and again I meditated on the uncertainty of the hour of death.

Capturing the fortress of the deathless unending nature of mind;

now all fear of death is over and done.

Upon seeing a stray horse and an empty chariot, the Buddha’s disciple Mahānāma noted that his mindfulness of the Three Jewels became muddled. He remembered that he too would die, and although he was a stream-enterer and had no reason to fear death, he became concerned about his future rebirth. The Buddha assuaged his fear by reminding him that the virtue he had created will propel his mind upward on the path (SN 55.21):

Don’t be afraid, Mahānāma! Your death will not be a bad one, your demise will not be a bad one. When a person’s mind has been fortified over a long time by faith, ethical conduct, learning, generosity, and wisdom, right here . . . [his body may be destroyed]. But his mind, which has been fortified over a long time by faith, ethical conduct, learning, generosity, and wisdom — that goes upward, goes to distinction.

Death is a normal part of life, something that we must face as long as we are in cyclic existence. To me, leaving this body and going to the next life resembles shedding old clothes and putting on new ones. For practitioners who have trained their minds well while alive, the experience of death can be profound and transformative. Our present body feels solid, heavy, and burdensome. In addition, our gross consciousnesses are dependent on the brain, which limits our mental functions. When our mind separates from the body, it is freer and can be utilized more effectively if we are well trained. Practitioners with very deep meditative experience can control their death and the process of rebirth. Although these people are rare, they show us the potential of the mind. As mentioned before, my teacher, Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, meditated sitting upright for thirteen days after his bodily functions had ceased. Death was joyful and spiritually satisfying for him.

Highest yoga tantra includes a meditation in which death, bardo, and rebirth are taken as the path to the truth body, enjoyment body, and emanation body of a buddha. In the generation stage this is done by imagination; by working with the subtlest wind and mind during the completion stage, these three buddha bodies can be actualized. In my daily practice, I do this meditation at least six times a day to prepare for death, making my mind very familiar with the natural process of death. However, if I was in an airplane that is going down, I don’t know how I would feel! I am curious to discover how much of what I am currently practicing I will be able to implement at the time of death. I have no doubt that the force of serious training during life, complemented by pure ethical conduct, bodhicitta, and some understanding of emptiness, will be beneficial at that time.

The Death Process

Highest yoga tantra explains the death process in great detail. Eight steps occur as the body gradually loses its ability to support coarse levels of consciousness and as the mind becomes increasingly subtler until the subtlest mind, the fundamental, innate clear light mind, dawns. That is the actual moment of death. In the next moment, the mind leaves the body and enters the bardo; at that time, the person is dead.

As each element dissolves — that is, as it loses its ability to support consciousness — our aggregates weaken and we have an inner appearance to the mind.

1.When the earth element dissolves into the water element, the body becomes thinner, the form aggregate — the body — weakens, and the person has an inner shimmering appearance like a mirage.

2.When the water element dissolves into fire, the mouth becomes dry and the skin puckers. The feeling aggregate loses the ability to experience pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral feelings, and the person has an inner appearance of smoke.

3.When the fire element dissolves into the wind element, the heat in the body diminishes. Sometimes the heat leaves beginning with the feet and going upward, other times from the head down. The aggregate of discrimination subsides, and the inner appearance is of sparks of light, like fireflies.

4.When the wind element dissolves into space or consciousness, the external breath stops. The aggregate of miscellaneous factors loses power, and there is an appearance of a small, dim candle flame about to go out. At this point, breathing has stopped completely, the body grows cold, and the coarse consciousness has been absorbed. Doctors pronounce the person dead, but from a Buddhist viewpoint, the consciousness has not yet left the body.

5–7. Now the coarser winds — inner energies that serve as the mount of consciousness — begin to dissolve. As with the previous stages of dissolution, the time it takes to pass through the next three phases varies with the person, the cause of death, and the person’s spiritual training. These three phases are inner appearances to the mind, named: (5) the vivid white appearance, which resembles the bright light of the full moon; (6) the red increase appearance, like the orange-red color of the sky at sunset; (7) the black near attainment of complete darkness.

8.Now the subtlest mind, the fundamental, innate clear light mind, manifests — this is the actual moment of death, although the subtlest wind-mind is still present in the body — and a well-trained practitioner will meditate on emptiness. There is no rigor mortis and there may be a slight sense of heat if we hold our hand above the person’s heart cakra at the center of her chest. During this time, the relationship between the body and mind has not been severed, and the body does not decay. It is better to avoid touching or moving the body at this time.

Most sentient beings do not recognize the clear light of death and this phase passes quickly. When the mind leaves the body, small traces of a white or red substance at the nostrils or sexual organ may be seen. The body begins to decay and can safely be moved. For ordinary beings, this usually occurs within three days after the breath has stopped. If a person dies in an accident, the consciousness generally leaves the body quickly.

Some practitioners, especially those who have practiced highest yoga tantra, may meditate in the clear light for several days. I heard of some Tibetans monks who, after being tortured in Chinese prisons, sat cross-legged in their cells and remained meditating in the clear light of death for some time. Thinking that Buddhism was just blind faith and superstition, the Chinese Communist guards were surprised and speechless. For people who practice the Dharma sincerely and continuously, dying is not a frightening event but a joyful experience and an optimal time for meditation.

After separating from the body, the eight signs occur in the reverse order as a slightly coarser mind arises in the bardo. If we will be born in a fortunate birth, it will seem like we are walking on a luminous path surrounded by beauty. If we are headed toward an unfortunate birth, we will have the vision of walking in a gloomy place with fearful images and will experience fear and suffering. It is said that butchers who have not purified their acts of killing will see the images of animals they have slaughtered running toward them.

Bardo beings can travel uninterruptedly from one place to another. Those who will be born in similar realms can see one another, and people with clairvoyant powers can also see bardo beings. For ignorant sentient beings, the bardo can be a frightening and confusing time.

Helping Ourselves and Others at the Time of Death

Our attitudes shape our experiences. Some people avoid thinking about difficulties such as illness, aging, and death. But these are bound to happen, and accepting and preparing for them in advance enables our mind to be calmer when they occur.

There are different levels of preparation for death. While some rare and exceptional practitioners with deep meditative experience can control the process of death and rebirth, ordinary people like me prepare for death as part of our daily meditation practice. If death comes in the next few months or years, I am not afraid and even have some confidence. According to reasoning and some unusual experiences I’ve had, I have a 95 percent belief in future lives. But there’s still a little doubt about the various experiences at the time of death.

As creatures of habit, we tend to die in the way we live. If we are not in the habit of acting kindly during our life, it will be unlikely that we will think to hold virtuous thoughts in mind or engage in virtuous actions as we are approaching death. For that reason, leading a good life by not harming others and helping them as much as possible is the best preparation for our death and future lives and enables us to die without regrets. In our daily life, and especially as we approach death, we should forgive people who have harmed us, engage in purification practice, recollect the Buddha, and meditate on love, compassion, and wisdom.

The best way to help friends and family prepare for death is to encourage them while they are alive to abandon nonvirtue and engage in purification to avoid unfortunate rebirths, and to create virtue to ensure that they have causes for a good rebirth. Encourage them to be generous and kind to others and to forgive others and not hold grudges. Avoid involving them in divisive speech, harsh speech, or idle talk. In this way, they will create merit and will have no regrets when they die.

The most prominent thought while we are actively dying yet still conscious stimulates the ripening of a karmic seed that will project us into a specific rebirth. If we die with strong attachment for our loved ones, possessions, or reputation, or with great anger toward our enemies, seeds of destructive karma will ripen. If our mind is virtuous owing to having trust in the Three Jewels, cultivating compassion for sentient beings, or contemplating the nature of reality, constructive karma is activated, and we will take a fortunate rebirth. Once the dying person has passed through the first four stages of the death process, the mind is in a neutral state and the karma projecting the next life is already beginning to ripen.

Vasubandhu said that consciousness can be virtuous, nonvirtuous, or neutral at the moment of death, depending on the person’s thought at that time. His half-brother Asaṅga explained that whereas the coarser states of mind can be virtuous, nonvirtuous, or neutral, the subtle consciousness present at the time of death is neutral. In tantric texts, the Buddha explains that whereas the coarse consciousnesses can be virtuous, nonvirtuous, or neutral, the subtlest consciousness can never be nonvirtuous. This is because the eighty conceptual thoughts — most of which are nonvirtuous — function only in coarse states of mind, which cease before the subtlest mind arises at the actual moment of death. Through profound yogic methods, the subtlest consciousness, also called the fundamental, innate mind of clear light, which is ordinarily neutral, can be transformed into a virtuous state.

The best procedure to follow at the time of death depends on the person. In general, as someone approaches death, avoid disturbing her mind with unnecessary emotional outpourings, spiritual ideas that will confuse her, or idle talk. Help her to recall something virtuous — the Three Jewels, compassion, generosity, and so on — with which she is already familiar. Encourage her to rejoice in her own and others’ virtues. If she has no religion, gently speak to her about forgiveness, love, compassion, and hope — qualities that everyone appreciates and that will make her mind virtuous.

No matter what religion a dying person follows, encourage her to do the practices with which she is familiar. Encourage a Christian to forgive others, develop a kind heart, pray to God, and think of Jesus’s benevolent qualities. Speak to a Jew, Hindu, or Muslim according to the beliefs and concepts of his religion. These are more familiar and comforting to the dying person, and will facilitate his leaving this life peacefully. Never try to convert another person on his deathbed.

Some people have heard of the Tibetan Book of the Dead (Bar do thos grol chen mo), which describes a specific meditation done in the Nyingma tradition for those who have received empowerment into that practice and practiced it while alive. It is not the case that the visions of peaceful and wrathful deities and maṇḍalas described in this text occur to everyone at the time of death or in the intermediate state. Practitioners familiar with the practice described in the Tibetan Book of the Dead may have those appearances after death and use them in meditation. Hearing this text could possibly confuse a dying person who is unfamiliar with that practice. Therefore I recommend encouraging dying people to think of the religious figures and the qualities of the holy beings that inspire them personally and to develop a kind heart toward all sentient beings. It is not appropriate to introduce a complex meditation with unfamiliar and often fierce-looking figures to a dying person.

Buddhists can do a variety of practices, depending on their level of practice. Remind a dying Dharma friend of a practice she has trained in and guide her through it if she wishes. When it is our turn to die, we should likewise focus on a familiar practice. Since our mental power and alertness decrease at the time of death, forcing ourselves or others to do a new practice at that time will be confusing. Beneficial practices for Buddhists to do while dying include taking refuge in the Three Jewels, which enables our mind to relax and rest in a virtuous state, which is conducive for the ripening of constructive karma, which in turn will propel our mindstream to take a good rebirth. Developing a kind heart, generating bodhicitta, and doing the taking and giving meditation at the time of death also places our mind in a positive and fearless state. Reflecting on emptiness calms grasping and fear, enabling us to peacefully let go of this life.

We may also think of the Buddha or our meditational deity and imagine light and nectar flowing from that Buddha into us, purifying our destructive karma and inspiring our mind with realizations. Advanced practitioners, who have the proper empowerments and have practiced tantra during their lifetimes, should reaffirm the bodhisattva and tantric ethical codes and then do deity yoga, meditate with the wisdom of inseparable bliss and emptiness, or meditate to take death, bardo, and rebirth into the path to the three buddha bodies.

We should dedicate all the merit we have created during our lifetime for the awakening of ourselves and all sentient beings. We should pray to be born in a body and environment where we can meet and properly rely on fully qualified Fundamental Vehicle, Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna spiritual mentors, learn under their guidance, and practice without obstacles. In short, we must do what is suitable to our level of mind and to the circumstances we are in. Whatever we do, we should be content and focus on that practice as best as we can without having doubts that perhaps we should be doing another, more effective practice.

In the Sutta on Reappearance by Aspiration (Sankhārupapatti Sutta), the Buddha offers advice on how to direct the mind toward the type of rebirth we seek (MN 120.2–3). He begins:

Monastics, I shall teach you reappearance in accordance with your aspiration . . . A monastic possesses faith, virtue, learning, generosity, and wisdom. He thinks, “Oh, that on the dissolution of the body, after death, I might reappear in the company of well-to-do nobles!” He fixes his mind on that, establishes it, develops it. These aspirations and this abiding of his, thus developed and cultivated, lead to his reappearance there.

This is an example for someone who wishes to be born in an upper socioeconomic class as a human being. The Buddha says the same for those who want to be reborn as various gods in the desire realm. In all these cases, to intentionally direct our mind toward a specific rebirth, it is necessary to cultivate five qualities — faith, virtue, learning, generosity, and wisdom — during our life. Faith is confidence in the Three Jewels and the law of actions and their result. Virtue is the collection of merit created by keeping precepts, making offerings, sharing our wealth, cultivating fortitude, and so forth. Learning is gained by listening to teachings, reading Dharma books, reflecting on their meaning, and discussing the Dharma with others. Generosity is based on lack of attachment to material goods and distancing ourselves from the eight worldly concerns. Wisdom is the wisdom understanding karma and its effects and the emptiness of inherent existence. Having cultivated these qualities and become familiar with them when alive, at the time of death we generate a strong aspiration for a particular type of rebirth.

To be reborn in any of the four dhyānas or four formless absorptions, we must attain that specific level of dhyāna or meditative absorption as a human being. If we wish to be born in one of the pure abodes where nonreturners dwell, we must develop the union of serenity and insight on selflessness and attain the fruit of a nonreturner before death. If we complete the path to arhatship, we will attain the elimination of all pollutants at the time of death. Those wishing to be reborn in the pure land of Amitābha or another buddha will generate that aspiration at the time of death, thus directing their minds to that rebirth. Lower-level bodhisattvas will direct their aspirations toward whatever rebirth seems most conducive for accomplishing the bodhisattva path, while ārya bodhisattvas will be able to voluntarily choose their reappearance for the benefit of sentient beings.

Having these precious instructions, we should do our best to implement them now in order to prepare for death. Since death is certain, but its time uncertain, let’s be prepared.

During the death process and for seven weeks afterward, meditations and prayers done for the deceased can positively influence their consciousness so that the virtuous karma the person had previously created will ripen. This is most effective when the people have a good karmic connection — for example, spiritual mentor and disciple, parent and child, relatives or friends. It is also helpful to donate the person’s belongings to his or her spiritual mentors, charities, monasteries, or Dharma centers, and dedicate the merit of this generosity for the person to take a fortunate rebirth with all conducive circumstances to practice the Dharma.

Powa, Transference of Consciousness

Powa is a practice for transferring the consciousness at the time of death so that it will take a precious human life or be reborn in the pure lands. Pure lands are places created by the unshakable resolve and merit of buddhas where all external conditions are conducive for Dharma practice. There are two forms of powa, one found in the mind-training teachings, the other in tantra.

In the Seven-Point Thought Transformation, the fourth point, “elucidating a lifetime’s practice,” describes a practice of transference of consciousness based on bodhicitta called the five forces. Familiarizing ourselves with the five forces while alive will make practicing them at the time of death much easier and give us a sense of joy at the time we die. Bodhicitta gives us courage to work for sentient beings; it makes our life meaningful and dispels all despair. Who wouldn’t want to have this mental state when dying?

The first of the five forces, the white seed, is done before actively dying when the mind is clear and can make decisions. Create merit and free your mind from attachment to possessions by giving them away. Forgive all those who have harmed you intentionally or unintentionally and apologize to all those whom you have harmed. If it is not possible to apologize directly to a person, reconciling with them in your mind is more important. Also recall that there is no sense worrying about what happens to your body after death; it is simply a lump of organic matter. Accept death as a natural part of life.

Second is the force of aspiration. Do the seven limbs: visualize prostrating and making offerings to your spiritual mentors and the Three Jewels, confess and restore all broken precepts and degenerated ethical restraints, and dedicate all your merit by aspiring, “During death, bardo, and rebirth, may I never be separated from the practice of bodhicitta. May I always be guided by qualified spiritual mentors who lead me to cultivate bodhicitta.”

Third is the force of destruction. Seeing that grasping the self, possessions, friends, and relatives as inherently existent is the chief cause of cyclic existence, try to eradicate it by contemplating impermanence and emptiness. Make a strong determination not to let your mind fall under the influence of ignorance, animosity, and attachment.

Fourth is the force of motivation. This is a strong intention to practice bodhicitta during death, bardo, and rebirth. Develop a strong motivation to practice the two bodhicittas: conventional bodhicitta (the altruistic intention), and ultimate bodhicitta (the wisdom realizing emptiness). Aspire never to be separated from the mind-training practice and the two bodhicittas in any of your lives.

Fifth is the force of acquaintance or familiarity. At the time of death, do the taking and giving practice to increase your love and compassion. Especially think of taking on the pain of others who are dying and transforming your body and merit into whatever others need and giving it to them. Meditate on emptiness, especially the absence of an inherently existent person who is dying. Meditation on the empty nature of mind is also helpful, so recognize all that appears as simply appearance to the mind, not as things to react to or grasp onto.

The King of Concentration Sūtra says:

Migrators in cyclic existence are like dreams;

no one is [inherently] born here and no one [inherently] dies;

no [inherently existent] sentient being, human, or living being is found.

These things are like bubbles, plantain trees,

illusions, flashes of lightning,

[reflections of] the moon in water, and mirages.

In this world, no one [inherently] dies and passes,

or transmigrates to another life.

If possible, lie in the lion position — the position the Buddha rested in when he passed away: Lie on your right side with your right hand under your cheek. Extend your legs and place your left hand on your left thigh. Then relax the mind and practice as outlined above.

The tantric powa practice involves a practitioner ejecting his or her consciousness out of the body through the top of the head and transferring it to a pure land. Among the different levels of powa, the supreme is when a realized yogi on the completion stage of tantra actualizes the clear light and then arises in the impure illusory body instead of the bardo. This is a rare occurrence.

Powa enables a skilled practitioner to take a rebirth with excellent conditions for Dharma practice. After 1959, some Tibetans who were to be imprisoned by the Chinese communists made their consciousnesses leave their body through powa rather than be subjected to imprisonment. By means of meditation and visualization techniques, they severed the connection between their body and subtlest mind and projected the subtlest mind into a pure land where they could continue practicing the path.

As taught in the tantric texts, powa is to be done by the practitioner himself when he is about to die. To be able to meditate in this way at the time of death, one must receive empowerment and train in powa while one is healthy and alive. While training in powa, it is also essential to do the practice of a long-life deity. A person who has not practiced powa consistently while alive will not be able to perform it when dying.

When a practitioner, through meditation, has attained some control over the wind-energy in the body and mastery over his mind and feels that death is imminent and cannot be avoided, he transfers his consciousness to a pure land. He does this while he still has enough physical energy and mental concentration to properly perform the practice. If he waits until the body is weak, transferring the consciousness could be difficult. But doing it too soon resembles suicide, so great skill is required to perform powa at the proper time. If the powa practice is done irresponsibly or without the proper motivation, there is danger of inadvertently shortening one’s life. Although the person does not go through the eight dissolutions in a prolonged manner, they do occur in the proper sequence.

Powa is not a substitute for practicing the Dharma daily. Tantric practitioners should continue practicing taking death, bardo, and rebirth into the three buddha bodies. If, at the time of death, they are not able to actualize the path itself, they do powa in order to carry on Dharma practice continuously in their future life. Powa is specifically for those who have engaged in serious tantric practice during their lives. If you neglect to purify negativities, accumulate merit, and meditate on renunciation, bodhicitta, and emptiness while alive, and at the time of death ask a lama to do powa for you, it is difficult. Without your own effort to practice the Dharma, if you want someone to miraculously transfer your consciousness to a pure land when you die, you will be disappointed. You should be very careful.

Many Tibetan families, and now some non-Tibetan ones, ask a practitioner to perform this ritual at the time of their loved one’s death. Although it is customary to do this in the Tibetan community, realistically speaking it has little value if the dying person lacks familiarity with the powa practice and the person doing it lacks a deeper experience of it. Under these circumstances, doing powa becomes a dry ritual. Of course it still has some value because people repeat mantras and recite holy scriptures, which creates a peaceful feeling in the room of the dying person and can help him or her let go of this life more easily.

Although powa is principally meant for a practitioner to transfer his own mind at the time of death, an experienced powa practitioner may be able to help a dying person transfer his consciousness. Powa is done just before the person dies or at the time he is dying. As a result of the expert powa practitioner’s influence, the dying person may develop some determination or inspiration, or may have a new spiritual experience. If the dying person has trained in powa when he was alive and healthy, it is easier for the expert powa practitioner to help him at the time of death. This is a proper way to practice powa.

Some people become excited at the prospect of powa, especially because the physical signs such as fluid or swelling at the crown can appear when they practice. This is due to the impact of the winds in the body. It is not indicative of high realization. The real determination of our future rebirth is the karma we create. Observing proper ethical discipline, applying the antidotes to the afflictions, purifying destructive karma, and practicing the six perfections are guaranteed methods for having a good rebirth. If we do not do these, even if a very high lama does powa at our bedside as we die, he can do very little to help us. He can say hic and phey to transfer our mind to a pure land many times during the ritual, but if we have not created merit and purified destructive karma while alive, these just become the cries of a miserable dying person.

In short, depending on the person, different meditations could be practiced at the time of death. People who are more familiar with the five forces will do that. Others who have trained well in taking death, intermediate state, and rebirth into the path to the three buddha bodies will practice that. Those who are well-trained in powa can rely on that method. The main point is that whatever practice we do should be done with bodhicitta. It should transform our mind and place it in a virtuous state at the time of death.