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Overview
Buddhism teaches that death can be a springboard to enlightenment—yet for all but the most advanced meditators, it will be the gateway to countless future lives of suffering in samsara. Tulku Thondup wrote this guide to help us heal our fear and confusion about death and strengthen our practice in anticipation of this transition, and to help us realize the enlightened goal of ultimate peace and joy—not only for death and rebirth, but for this very lifetime. In simple language, he distills a vast range of sources, including scriptures, classic commentaries, oral teachings, and firsthand accounts. The book includes:
• An overview of the dying process, the after-death bardo states, and teachings on why, where, and how we take rebirth
• Accounts by Tibetan "near-death experiencers" (delogs), who returned from death with amazing reports of their visions
• Ways to train our minds during life, so that at death, all the phenomena before us will arise as a world of peace, joy, and enlightenment
• Simple meditations, prayers, and rituals to benefit the dead and dying
• Advice for caregivers, helpers, and survivors of the dying
By becoming intimate with this practice while we're alive, we can alleviate our fear of death, improve our appreciation of this life, and prepare for death in a very practical way, while planting the seeds for rebirth in the Pure Land.
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9780834824980 |
---|---|
Publisher: | Shambhala |
Publication date: | 12/12/2006 |
Sold by: | Penguin Random House Publisher Services |
Format: | eBook |
Pages: | 352 |
File size: | 2 MB |
About the Author
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
xv
About
This Book
xvii
INTRODUCTION:
DEATH IS NOT THE END 1
What
Happens at Death? 2
Karma,
the Natural Law of Causality 3
The
Cycle of Life, Death, and Afterdeath 5
Glimpses
of the Bardo 6
Taking
Rebirth 8
Transforming
Our Future 9
Ceremonies
for the Dead and Dying 12
The
Death of a Great Teacher 14
1.
HUMAN LIFE: OUR PRECIOUS DAYS 17
What
Is Our Real Nature? 18
Why
Meditate? 19
Precious
Human Life Is Rare 21
Life
Is Impermanent 24
Using
Impermanence to Dissolve Negative Emotions 25
Life
Is Created by Karmic Causality 28
The
Root of Karma Is Grasping at "Self" 30
How
Does Karma Form? 30
Going
Beyond Karmic Causality 34
Is
Life an Illusion? 34
The
Importance of Understanding Karma 35
Life
Is Full of Miseries 36
Suffering:
The First Noble Truth 37
The
Great Potential of Life 41
2.
DYING: THE CRUCIAL HOUR OF LIFE 45
The
Process of Dying 46
The
Elements and Energies of the Human Body 46
The
Dissolution of the Elements 47
Three
Inner Dissolutions 49
What
Should We Do When Dying? 51
Delog
Accounts of the Experiences of Dying 53
Dissolving
Energies: The Experience of Karma Wangdzin 54
Make
Merits for Me: The Experience of Lingza Chokyi 55
Have
the Lords of Death Come to Fetch Me?: The Experience of Denma Sangye Seng-ge 56
Cloudless
Sky-Like Luminosity: The Experience of Dagpo Trashi Namgyal 58
Perceptions
of Dying: The Experience of Samten Chotso 59
Unique
Among Delogs: The Experience of Dawa Drolma 59
Mind
Traveling without Hindrance: The Experience of Gyalwa Yungtrung 61
Intrinsic
Awareness: The Experience of Tsophu Dorlo 62
Her
Wisdom-Mind Became Clear: The Experience of Shugseb Jetsun Lochen 63
The
Dark Demon Departs: The Experience of Tagla Konchog Gyaltsen 63
Don't
Panic!: The Experience of Changchub Seng-ge 65
Don't
Be Afraid—Be Prepared 67
3.
THE ULTIMATE NATURE: GLIMPSES OF THE LUMINOSITY 69
The
Ultimate Nature Experienced at Death 69
Delog
Accounts of the Passage of Ultimate Nature 78
Spontaneously
Present Light: The Experience of Lingza Chokyi 78
A
Bodiless Body of Light: The Experience of Dagpo Trashi Namgyal 79
Visions
of Ultimate Nature: The Experience of Tsophu Dorlo 79
In
the Womb of a Body of Light: The Experience of Samten Chotso 80
Instructions
to Helpers: The Experience of Changchub Seng-ge 81
A
Supremely Blissful State: The Experience of Dawa Drolma 82
A
Feeling of Sadness: The Experience of Karma Wangdzin 83
Our
Sublime Potential 84
4.
THE BARDO: THE MOMENTOUS TRANSITIONAL PASSAGE 85
Experiences
of the Bardo 86
The
Court of Judgment and Verdict 88
Hints
of the Rebirth Awaiting Us 90
What
Should We Do in the Bardo? 91
Our
Future Journey 94
5.
TALES OF THE BARDO: AFTERDEATH EXPERIENCES OF TIBETAN DELOGS 96
Let
Her Remember All That She Sees: The Experience of Lingza Chokyi 97
What
Judgments Await Me?: The Experience of Karma Wangdzin 111
No
Fear of the Foes: The Experience of Denma Sangye Seng-ge 128
Visits
to the Eighteen Hell Realms: The Experience of Tagla Konchog Gyaltsen 133
Distracted
into Delusion: The Experience of Dagpo Trashi Namgyal 137
Crossing
the Field of the Dead: The Experiences of Gyalwa Yungtrung 139
Purified
by Streams of Nectar: The Experience of Samten Chotso 143
Don't
Be Discouraged: The Experience of Changchub Seng-ge 145
Hell
Is the Unexcelled Pure Land: The Experience of Tsophu Dorlo 147
Form
Inseparable from Wisdom: The Experience of Dawa Drolma 151
Let
Everyone Be Liberated: The Experience of Shugseb Jetsun Lochen 155
Nothing
to Accept or Reject: The Experience of Do Khyentse Yeshe Dorje 163
6.
REBIRTH: THE INELUCTABLE KARMIC CYCLE 168
Liberation
or Rebirth? 170
The
Causes of Rebirth 171
The
Six Realms of Worldly Existence 174
Six
Emotions: The Seeds of Rebirth in the Six Realms 175
Choosing
Your Next Rebirth Could Be in Your Hands 178
Blocking
the Wrong Birthplaces 178
Choosing
the Right Birthplace 181
7.
THE BUDDHA OF INFINITE LIGHT AND HIS BLISSFUL PURE LAND 184
Sources
of the Pure Land Tradition 185
The
Three Aspects of the Pure Land 185
The
Power of the Buddha's Vows 186
The
Power of the Buddha's Name 188
What
Is the Pure Land Like? 189
The
Buddha of Infinite Light and His Disciples 191
Rebirth
in the Blissful Pure Land 194
8.
HOW TO HELP THE DYING AND THE DEAD 196
Maintaining
Positive Thoughts and Behavior 196
Performing
Prayers and Rituals 198
Making
Merits 198
Buddhist
Rituals for Non-Buddhists 200
Universal
Meditation for All 201
Instructions
for Buddhists and Those Open to Buddhism 202
Meditations
for Buddhists and Other Meditators 204
Meditation
for Highly Trained Helpers 205
Instruction
for Helpers of Dying Meditators 206
In
Helping
Others, We Help Ourselves 207
Some
Important Observances 207
9.
RITUAL SERVICES FOR THE DYING AND THE DEAD 211
The
Tradition of Death Rituals 212
Religious
Services for the Dying 212
Purification
212
Merit
Making 213
Empowerments
215
Dedication
and Aspiration Prayers 215
Religious
Services at the Time of Death 217
Instructions
for Ordinary People 217
Instructions
and Death Services for Accomplished Meditators 219
Religious
Services after Death 220
A
Summary of the Thirteen-Step Death Ritual 221
Other
Ceremonies 224
10.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS 226
APPENDIXES:
SOME SIMPLE BUDDHIST DEATH RITUALS 229
APPENDIX
A. MEDITATIONS ON THE FOUR CAUSES OF TAKING REBIRTH IN THE BLISSFUL PURE LAND
231
Preliminary
Practices 235
Going
for Refuge 235
Developing
Enlightened Attitude (Bodhichitta) 236
The
Four Causes of Taking Rebirth in the Blissful Pure Land 236
The
First Cause: Remembering the Pure Land 236
The
Second Cause: Accumulation of Merits 238
The
Third Cause: Developing Enlightened Attitude 239
The
Fourth Cause: Dedication and Aspiration 239
The
Liturgies of the Four Causes 240
The
Mantra and the Name-Prayers 242
The
Mantra of the Buddha of Infinite Light 242
Name-Prayers
to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas 243
Concluding
Practice: Dedication and Aspiration Prayer 244
APPENDIX
B. EIGHT ESOTERIC BUDDHIST RITUALS FOR THE DYING AND THE DEAD 248
Introduction
to the Eight Rituals 248
The
Performance of the Eight Rituals 251
Preliminary
Practices 252
Going
for Refuge 252
Developing
Enlightened Attitude (Bodhichitta) 252
Visualization
and Contemplation of Oneself as the Buddha of Compassion 253
The
Mantra of the Buddha of Compassion 255
Making
Offerings to the Buddha of Compassion 255
Offering
of Praise to the Buddha of Compassion 256
Aspiration
Prayer 256
Summoning
the Consciousness of the Deceased and Giving Teachings 257
The
Sur Offering to the Deceased 259
Dharma
Instructions to the Deceased 263
The
Meditation and Prayers of Phowa:
Transference
of Consciousness to the Blissful Pure Land 265
Meditation
267
Prayers
270
Chanting
the Name-Prayers to the Buddha and Bodhisattva 272
The
Main Meditation of Phowa 273
Prayer
and Meditation on the Buddha of Infinite Life 275
Cremation
of the Effigy 276
Dedication
and Aspiration Prayer 278
Notes
281
Glossary
291
References:
Sources Cited and Key to Abbreviations
303
Index
311