"Make an utterly relaxed, lucid state of consciousness the very core of your practice." - ........ Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820-1892)

 

Transference of Consciousness at the Time of Death
by Lama Yeshe
Lama Yeshe

Tonight I'm supposed to talk about the transference of consciousness according to the experience of Himalayan yogis. However, this method that I'm going to describe comes from the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha; it's not something made up by Tibetan monks. Lord Buddha gave this teaching to his disciples, they transmitted it orally to their own disciples, and in this manner the lineage of this method came down through the ages to be practiced in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

So, who needs to do this practice and what are its benefits?

First of all, from the Buddhist point of view, human life and death are equally important events. To our way of thinking there's no reason for us to consider life to be important and death to be bad, unimportant. Both are important.

Just as most people want to have a happy, joyful life, in the same way Himalayan yogis want to have a happy death. They don't want disastrous, unhappy, confused deaths.

Of course, those who attain enlightenment in their lifetime don't need transference of consciousness, but those who don't get enlightened in this life and need another in which to do so do.

However, we do have to separate from our consciousness at the time of death, but when the conditions at that time are overwhelming because of disease or simply wrong thinking, with craving, grasping and attachment—there are many different disastrous ways of dying—we need a method to help us overcome them. So what accomplished yogis do to ensure a perfect death before such terrible conditions arise is to practice transference of consciousness.

We ordinary beings seem to be stuck to our bodies because of sense gravitation attachment with no way out. You can call it karma, you can call it life force, you can give any kind of reason for this, but through training, yogis have learned to facilitate the transferring of their consciousness from their sense gravitation bodies and are therefore free from the fear of dying a disastrous death. They have a great feeling of freedom, knowing that whenever the need arises they can transfer their consciousness by using the meditation techniques they have practiced.

This is not just philosophical talk. Many Tibetan monks and meditators can do this. When the time comes they can utilize this kind of method. For example, I heard that when the Chinese conquered Tibet in 1959, many ordinary monks happily transferred their consciousness and left their lives because they felt they would no longer have the freedom to exercise their religious faith. These are true facts. It's very useful to be able to do this.

The reason why I think it's important for the Western world to know about this kind of thing is because the West has neglected the mind and the human ability to utilize the consciousness in such a way through being too preoccupied with material things. Therefore I feel it's a good thing to introduce to you the fact that human beings have the power to eliminate disastrous life situations, sense gravitation attachment and the fear of death because they have the potential to become buddha.

So we should not feel that we're stuck somewhere and cannot do anything. We're capable of freeing ourselves from any suffering or confused situation. But the important thing to realize is that the source of all our happiness, misery, fear and confusion is our mind, not our physical body. Therefore we should investigate and come to know the characteristic nature of our own consciousness. This is the way to free ourselves from all fear.

Now, when it comes to actually transferring our consciousness we have to choose the right time. It's dangerous to do it at the improper time because then we're just killing ourselves, which is definitely not allowed. So the teachings give specific times to practice transference of consciousness, which we determine by scientifically checking the signs of impending death before the actual time comes.

These signs can be internal or external and are explained in detail in the texts. However, when these signs come indicating that death is imminent, there are also things we can do to change that situation. We all know that to some extent we can change circumstances. For instance, when our life energy starts to run out, when our life force weakens, there are ways we can reactivate the energy in our nervous system. Tibetan Buddhism does contain methods for prolonging life and averting impending death but since this is an introductory talk I'm not going to go into the details here.

Anyway, when you detect the signs and reach the point where you know that death is certain, at that time you employ the techniques for transferring your consciousness.

But why do that? Death is coming and your consciousness will transfer naturally, so why employ these techniques?

It's because when we die it's usually from some kind of serious disease and at the time of death are unable to cope, so the practice of transference of consciousness allows us to handle our death constructively, before illness renders us incapable. That's the time we should use it. However, if we don't have a proper understanding of the signs of impending death and know clearly when to use the techniques of transference of consciousness we'll be in danger of using them too early and simply killing ourselves.

So how do we practice transference of consciousness? Basically it's a matter of putting our concentration and energy in the right channel to stop it going the wrong way. The teachings on this subject contain all the detailed technical information.

What's the wrong way? There are many doors through which our consciousness can exit the body-eyes, ears, nose, mouth, navel, lower orifices and so forth-and the teachings explain which realm we're born into according to which door our consciousness takes.

To be born in a pure land, our consciousness has to leave through the crown of our head; therefore we have to learn how to open this door and bring our consciousness to it. This is the point of practicing transference of consciousness. Since we can consciously, deliberately, mindfully separate our mind from our body, we should take this opportunity to make sure that we're reborn in the best possible way, make sure that from now on we go from happiness to happiness, from happy life to happy life.

One important thing is this. You might be a good person and live your entire life with loving kindness, but if something goes wrong when you die, if you can't cope and get angry, you basically destroy the whole thing because you're reborn under the influence of that final negative mind.

Therefore we call transference of consciousness a super-method. Even somebody like Hitler, who was incredibly evil, killed numberless human beings and created terrible karma, can use this method, die with a clean-clear mind and say goodbye to all his or her negativities.

Death is a kind of final destination, our last chance to make our mind clean-clear; if we can be conscious at the time of death this is insurance to make our next life perfect.

Of course, before they can practice transference of consciousness, Himalayan yogis prepare. They rehearse the techniques and also make sure that they're completely free of attachment to even an atom of matter. That's the most important issue at the time of death-to not grasp at a single thing. The grasping mind is the greatest interference to a peaceful death, the greatest cause of fear. Grasping at anything at the time of death is the source of confusion and ensures a bad rebirth.

Some people don't like to hear about rebirth but whether you call what happens after death rebirth or something else, most people feel that something happens after death, and that's good enough. If you feel from your heart or at least intellectually that there's something after death, that's good enough to be open to these teachings.

The Tibetan tradition is to give all your possessions away before you die so that you can die without thinking that anything belongs to you. That's fantastic. When I was a young, inexperienced monk, seeing old monks dying perfectly in this way was a great help to me; it gave me a lot of confidence. Of course, we can understand these things intellectually, but to see actual people give their things away and die without attachment makes you feel, "I can do this, too." That's very important.

Then, we also have explanations of how to transfer our consciousness to a pure land. However, I hope you understand what a pure land is.

From the Buddhist point of view, there's not some pure place out there waiting for you. Pure means it's a reflection of your own pure thought, your own pure, clean-clear mind. That's what we call a pure land. Any manifest environment, good or bad, comes from the mind; nothing exists externally "out there."

Normally we like to project nice, pleasant appearances but somehow, without control, negative appearances arise. So it's important that we know how to project only happy, positive appearances. But when I say to project good, positive things I don't mean in our usual exaggerated way. We can project positively in a realistic way.

If we want to see other people in a certain way-good or bad-that's the way they appear. It somehow depends on the mental decision we make. Our view of another person as good or bad actually comes from our own mind, not the external object, the other person.

Therefore we have a choice as to what we see, and whether it's positive or negative, we can make our view more so. We have that ability. And since we can choose, we should choose the positive.

Normally energy escapes from our various bodily orifices, but there are various meditation techniques we can employ to conserve it. Since our life depends on the movement of our breath, we can increase our life span by bringing the energy of our breath inside and keeping it there.

How many breaths are there in a life? Buddhism has an estimate of that number. I'm sure the West does too. Anyway, you can examine the pattern of your breath to see if it's stronger from the right nostril or the left. If you are aware, signs such as these can indicate what's happening with your life, and there are techniques you can employ to change the rhythm of your breath and thereby affect your life.

Also, transference of consciousness does not depend only upon our powers of concentration. When we train in its techniques we also use the energy of the movement of our breath and our heart and navel chakras, or psychic energy centers. By focusing on these points we have different experiences and can gain different realizations.

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Transference of Consciousness at the Time of Death (conclusion)

 

Even though it focuses on the mind, Tibetan Buddhism says that the physical body is also a source of pleasure and pain. And just as modern science now talks about pleasure and pain centers in the brain and chemicals associated with pleasure, Tibetan Buddhist tantra also describes a happiness, or bliss, center. If we concentrate on that center we activate its energy, which creates the conditions that energize the mind to experience peace and bliss. Therefore, when we meditate on transference of consciousness we use certain techniques that focus on or activate the various chakras.

Signs of success in this practice include the generation of inner heat, which itself has beneficial effects, such as improved digestion. But there are many good results. For example, we no longer feel stuck in the world of sense gravitation attachment; we somehow feel that we have gone beyond, or transcended, worldly life.

I'm not saying we should not enjoy our life; we should. But if we feel trapped and find we have access to a means of escape, we should definitely utilize whatever skills we have to do so.

Of course, many people are afraid of death because first, they think it's going to be a disastrous experience with much difficulty and suffering, and second, they think that after death they're going to find themselves in a miserable situation; they project or presume that something like that is going to happen.

In order to stop that kind of worry, even if we can't do transference of consciousness, we can at least try to diminish our self-cherishing and attachment to our body and possessions and generate loving kindness for others. That's good enough, absolutely good enough, to eradicate fear of death and the next life; it guarantees a good rebirth because the dedicated attitude itself is peaceful in nature. So that's the way those who have not mastered transference of consciousness can eliminate fear of the next life and have a good death.

Once you have gained control over your mind there are many things you can do. Not only can you transfer your consciousness from your body but you can also direct it into another body. Meditation and concentration are extremely powerful-using the mind alone you can move objects, heat them up and so forth.

However, the main point is that through the power of mind you can eradicate negative and emotionally disturbed minds. That's what practice is for. In other words, you can change your mind-from misery into happiness.

The question is-do you want to or not? Are you truly seeking happiness or not? If you're a true seeker you'll know intuitively that somehow you can do something yourself. That's the power of the human mind. Don't make limited judgments of yourself. We all have good, positive thoughts. These can be developed limitlessly. That's the beauty of the human mind; it has limitless potential.

For example, we all have a certain degree of loving kindness. That small loving kindness can be developed infinitely. The nature of loving kindness itself is peace and happiness; the nature of self-cherishing is misery and confusion.

To have an easy, happy life you have to be willing to correct your behavior and attitude and then make the effort to do so. That means you have to have some mental fortitude based on the conviction that you can do it. A weak mind eliminates all potential.

The reason we feel trapped is because we're so attached to our body. We pretty much identify with our body: "This is me." The truth is that your body is not you; your bones are not you. The true essence of the human being is consciousness and it possesses neither shape nor color.

Thinking "I'm my body" is totally materialistic. It's a fundamentally wrong thought. What comes next is, "My body is nice, I'm nice"; "My body is horrible, I'm horrible”; "My body is happy, I'm happy." Those attitudes are wrong. Your body can be hacked to pieces while your mind remains blissful and tranquilly peaceful. It's possible. That's the point. Your body can be sick but your mind can be completely radiant and blissful. It's possible.

So don't think, "My body is me." That's my point. Western people often can't tell the difference between the consciousness and the physical body. You should understand it well.

Because of their strong identification with their body many people find it difficult to conceive of life after death. They think that because they are their body, when their body burns out, so do they. "If my body has finished, where could I possibly be?"

The thing is that Buddhism doesn't say that you're permanently existent, nor does it say that you go to your next life the way you are now. From the Buddhist point of view, rebirth is the mind's changing bodies, leaving one and taking another.

This happens because we're always grasping at something. So when we die and are leaving this body we automatically grasp for another one, which creates the conditions for our mind to leave our present body for that of our next life. Taking a new body is what Buddhism calls rebirth. We don't go into our next life in this body or as the person we are now.

Sometimes it can even seem that in this life itself we take many different bodies, different manifestations. Even in just this life. Check out in detail your experiences of your body at different stages of your life.

After death, your consciousness continues and carries with it all your past experiences. If you understand that this is what happens you'll feel much more relaxed and less pressured to squeeze as much as you possibly can into this life, making yourself all busy and exhausted, thinking that this is the only life you get. There's no need to rush.

If you understand the power of the mind you'll find a way to satisfy yourself. It's very important for all of us to find a way to make our lives satisfied and content rather than thinking that they're empty and worthless. We should feel that our life is more precious than all the wealth in the world.

Knowing the characteristic nature of your own consciousness is the way to bring peace to yourself and the world at large because peace is your own inner experience, not something derived from outside of you. The beauty of peace is something that has to be experienced. With peace comes satisfaction. You have to generate all this within you. Once you have you have had this experience you can share it with others. That's the way to bring true peace to the world-first get it yourself, then share it with others.

Grasping is the opposite of peace. You can see this in yourself and in the world as well. Everything destructive comes from grasping.

Lama Yeshe gave this teaching at St. John's Church, London, 18 September 1982. It was excerpted and edited from the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive by Nicholas Ribush. Listen to this teaching at recordings.LamaYeshe.com. We are in the process of producing a DVD of this teaching.

 

An Introduction to pho-wa: Transference of Consciousness

The teachings on transference of consciousness (Tib: pho-wa) come from Shakyamuni Buddha. They weren't made up by Tibetan monks. These teachings passed down from the Buddha through the Indian oral transmission lineage and eventually reached Tibet. That's how come the Tibetan tradition contains the practice of pho-wa.

Who does this practice and what are its benefits?

First of all, from the Buddhist point of view, human life and death are equally important events. There's no reason to think that life is important and death is bad, unimportant. Both are important.

Now, in the same way that we want to have happy, joyful lives, Himalayan yogis want to have happy, joyful deaths. They certainly don't want unhappy, confused, disaster deaths.

Of course, those who attain enlightenment in their lifetime don't need transference of consciousness. It's a practice for those who don't reach enlightenment in this life and need another in which to do so.

At the time of death, everybody's consciousness has to leave the body, but sometimes the conditions at that time are disastrous: overwhelming disease, grasping, attachment, wrong thinking and so forth. Therefore, yogis like to have at their disposal a method that will allow them to die perfectly, before such disadvantageous conditions arise. The practice of pho-wa is one such method.

At present, it seems that we're completely stuck in this body of sense-gravitation attachment, with no way out. Call it karma, life-force or whatever, but yogis who are fully trained in pho-wa are able to transfer their consciousness out of their sense-gravitation body and are therefore free from dying a disastrous death. Whenever they feel like it, they're free to employ the meditation techniques they've accomplished and transfer their consciousness out of their body.

I'm not just talking philosophy here. Many Tibetan monks and meditators have really been able to use these methods at the appropriate time.

For example, I heard that in 1959, when China overran Tibet, many ordinary monks employed the techniques of pho-wa because they felt that under occupation they would no longer be able to exercise their religious faith. So they were glad to have a method whereby they could happily leave this life.

Why is it helpful to know about this kind of thing in the West? It seems to me that the modern world has become so preoccupied with material things that it has neglected the potential of the human mind. Therefore, I feel it's a good thing to make known the fact that people have the power to eliminate the fears of life, death and sense-gravitation attachment and disastrous situations. In fact, everybody does have the potential to eliminate such fears because all beings' minds have buddha-nature. It really exists.

So you should not feel stuck and incapable of doing anything. We have the capacity to free ourselves from all suffering and confusion. However, the important thing to realize is that the actual source of all happiness, misery and confusion is the mind, not the body. Thus, by investigating and coming to know the nature of our own consciousness, we can free ourselves from all fear.

When should we choose to transfer our consciousness? We're not allowed to do it at just any time. The time has to be chosen carefully; otherwise we're in danger of simply killing ourselves. We choose the right time by scientifically checking the signs that warn us that the time of death is approaching. These signs can be internal or external…there are detailed explanations.

However, the appearance of these signs doesn't necessarily mean that death is imminent. There are things we can do to postpone it, such as reactivating the energy in our nervous system. Because this is just an introduction, I'm not going to go into more detail here.

Since death is definite and at that time our consciousness will transfer naturally, why should we practice pho-wa? Because usually we die from some kind of disease, and at the end we are totally ravaged by it and unable to do anything. So, before we're reduced to a situation with which we can't cope, the methods of transference of consciousness allow us to leave our body with control, before that final devastation. That's the right time to use it. But, to reiterate, before doing pho-wa we need to be able to recognize the signs of death and know clean clear when we've reached the right point to transfer our consciousness.

What do we do in the practice of pho-wa? Basically, through concentration we put our energy into the right channel and stop it from going the wrong way. Again, the technical details are in the commentaries and I'm not going to describe them here.

For example, at the time of death the consciousness can leave the body from one of its many orifices, such as the nose, mouth, navel and lower orifices, and the one from which it leaves indicates the realm of rebirth. However, the best point from which the consciousness can leave the body is the crown of the head and that's what we try to ensure by practicing pho-wa. If we consciously, mindfully separate our consciousness from our body through the crown we give ourselves the ability to select our next rebirth in the best way and thus put ourselves on the path that leads from happiness to happiness. That's the main point.

The thing is, in this life you can be a good, kind, loving person but still be unable to cope and get angry at the time of death. If that happens you've basically ruined any positive energy you might have generated during your lifetime.

Why do we sometimes call transference of consciousness a super method? Because even incredibly negative people like Hitler-who killed millions of human beings and created unbelievably bad karma-can kiss all their negativity goodbye if they're able to practice pho-wa perfectly at the time of death and die with a clean clear mind. We also say that death is a kind of final destination in the sense that it's a chance to make a clean break with the past and make the next life perfect.

Before Himalayan practitioners transfer their consciousness they prepare-they practice the special techniques, of course, but they also eliminate every last atom of attachment; they make sure they do not have a single object to grasp at. This is the most important thing.

What interferes with a peaceful death, what causes fear, is the grasping mind. Grasping attachment to any object at the time of death is the source of confusion and a bad rebirth.

I don't know if you like to hear about rebirth or not; you may not believe in the existence of future lives; still, I think that most people feel something's going to happen after death. If you feel from your heart or intellectually that something continues, that's good enough.

The way Tibetans prepare for death is by giving away all their possessions. Seeing old monks die perfectly not owning a single object when I was a young, inexperienced monk was very helpful and gave me a lot of confidence. Of course, anybody can understand this intellectually, but to see it actually happen makes you feel that it's something you can do yourself. That's very important.

Usually we talk about transferring our consciousness to the pure land but what is that? From the Buddhist point of view, it's not like there's some pure place out there waiting for you. "Pure" means it's a reflection of your own pure thought, your own pure, clean mind. Actually, we say that any good or bad environment is a manifestation of the mind rather than really existing externally out there.

Normally we like to project good things but without control, bad projections appear. However, it's important to know how good, positive, happy projections arise.

When I talk about good projections, I don't mean good in our usual over-estimated, or exaggerated, way. It's possible for good projections on other people to be realistic.

The thing is that people appear the way you want them to. If you want to see others as negative, once your mind has made that decision, that's how they'll appear to you. In other words, your view of good or bad comes more from you than from the object you're looking at.

So we do have a choice in how things appear to us…in our views and concepts. And we also have the capacity to amplify such views, both positively and negatively. Since we have a choice, we should choose the good.

As I mentioned before, at the time of death energy leaves the body through different orifices. In order to prevent that from happening and to increase the energy of our life force, there are meditation techniques that help us keep this energy inside and thus extend our life, because life depends on the breath.

How many breaths are there in a twenty-four hour period? Buddhism does have a number, as I'm sure the West does, too. Anyway, in terms of signs of impending death, changes in the pattern of respiration are very important and can be detected, if you know what to look for. Sometimes exhalation gets stronger from the right nostril, sometimes from the left-this is the kind of thing we look for. We examine our breath and if we detect any of the signs of approaching death we can avert it through the special meditation techniques given for this purpose.

Also, when we practice transference of consciousness, it's not only a matter of concentration. In training we also use the physical energy force that moves the breath. In addition, we meditate on the chakras as well, and this brings different experiences and realizations.

In other words, Tibetan Buddhist practice involves not only the mind but also the physical elements of our existence. I've heard that medical science has recently described pain and pleasure centers and chemicals in the brain. Buddhist tantra has always done so. Furthermore, tantra teaches us how to concentrate on our pleasure center on order to activate it, releasing peace and bliss. Therefore, when we practice pho-wa, we do focus on the chakra energy centers.

What are some of the signs of success in this practice? There are many, but one is the generation of inner heat, which is indicated by improved digestion of food. Also, you get the feeling that you are no longer stuck in the mire of sense-gravitation; you feel that you have somehow gone beyond mundane experience.

We should develop our life; we should enjoy it. But if we feel somehow bound and stuck yet at the same time realize that we have the ability to transcend such feelings, we should definitely utilize the skills we have to do so.

Many people are scared of death. First, they feel that it's disastrous and that they're going to experience difficulty and suffering. Second, some of them are also afraid of what comes after; they assume something terrible awaits them.

In order to avert such worries, even if you can't practice transference of consciousness, you can decrease your self-cherishing mind and attachment to body and possessions and generate loving kindness for others. That's absolutely good enough to eradicate fear of death and what comes after. The dedicated attitude kind of guarantees a good rebirth and itself makes you peaceful. So, if you can't do pho-wa, cultivating the mind that cherishes others is a good way of ensuring a good death and eliminating fear of a bad rebirth.

Besides learning to transfer your consciousness [to a pure land] you can also send it into another body. Concentration and meditation are really that powerful. You can even move or heat objects with your mind. I'm sure you've heard of that.

Through power of mind you can also eliminate your disturbing emotions, your attachment and confusion. That's actually the main point of practicing Dharma. In other words, you can change your mind from misery to happiness.

The question, however, is whether you really want to or not; are you truly seeking liberation or not? If you are, you should know intuitively that you can really do something. That's the power of the human consciousness. Don't place limited judgments on yourself.

All of us do have good thoughts and a positive mind that has the potential for limitless development. That's the beauty of the human consciousness. For example, we all possess a certain degree of loving kindness-that can be developed limitlessly. The nature of loving kindness is such that it brings peace and happiness; the nature of the self-cherishing thought and attachment is such that it brings misery and confusion.

Therefore, to have an easy-going, happy life, you have to be willing to correct yourself, to change your attitude. By exerting right effort you can definitely do it, so encourage yourself. Allowing your weak mind to take over eliminates your human potential.

The reason we feel trapped is because we're so attached to our body. We identify with it so strongly: "This is me." The true fact, however, is that your body is not you. The real essence of the human being is the consciousness, which has neither shape nor color.

The materialistic attitude makes you think, "I'm my body; I'm my body." That's the fundamental wrong thinking: "I'm my body." Then what follows is, "My body is nice, so I'm nice," "My body is awful, so I'm awful," "My body is happy, so I'm happy." It's totally the wrong attitude. Your body can be cut to pieces while your mind remains tranquilly peaceful and blissful. It's possible. That's the point. Your body can be sick but your mind can be completely radiant and blissful. Therefore, you should abandon all concepts of "I am this body."

My point is that Western people can't understand the difference between the physical body and the mind. You must understand the distinction otherwise you'll continue finding it difficult to conceive of life after death. Believing that your body is you, you'll think that when your body breaks or burns out, where can you be?

The thing is, however, that Buddhism doesn't hold that you're permanently existent or that you go to the next life as the you that you are now. When we talk about rebirth we're talking about the consciousness taking another body, a different shape.

Anyway, you're always grasping at something, aren't you? So when your relationship with this body finishes, you're going to grasp at something else. And at that point your consciousness takes another form, another life. That's what Buddhism calls rebirth. It's not that you go into the next life with this body.

It sometimes seems that even in this one life we take many different bodies, different manifestations. Check out the details of your life's experiences in this body; you'll see.

Anyway, the basic thing to understand is that after you die your mind continues and carries your life experiences with you. If you understand it in this way your mind will relax. Otherwise you'll have the underlying thought, "Twentieth century life offers so much. I have to do it all." This keeps you so busy. I mean, check out how many things on this Earth there are to do. You can't do them all in one life. However, there's no need to rush.

If you understand the power of your mind, you'll find a way to satisfy yourself. I think it's very important that you find a way to make your life content. Otherwise you'll just feel that your life is empty and worthless. You should feel that your life is more precious than the entire wealth of the world.

Knowing the characteristic nature of your own mind is the way to bring peace to both yourself and the whole world. Peace is an inner, personal experience, not something external. The beauty of peace is that it's something to be experienced, and with it comes great satisfaction. First you generate this within yourself and then you share it with others. That's the way to truly bring peace to others and the world.

The opposite of peace is grasping; the grasping mind is the opposite of peace. You can see this within yourself and in the external world as well. Everything destructive comes from grasping.

Lama Yeshe gave this teaching at St. John's Church, London, on 18 September 1982. It was edited from the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive by Nicholas Ribush.

 


Po-wa: Transference of Consciousness at the Time of Death
Lama Thubten Yeshe

First Discourse: 2nd March 1981 Tushita Meditation Centre, Dharamsala HP India

Tonight we shall have a short introduction to the transference of consciousness, known in Tibetan as po-wa. For the practice at this time we shall use Amitabha Buddha as our Refuge object. In fact, po-wa meditation can be performed with many different meditational deities, such as Vajra Yogini, Yamantaka and so forth, and all such meditations derive not from Tibetan lamas but from the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha himself. To be precise, po-wa instructions derive from the Guhyasamaja tantra, which contains a description of this technical method even though it does not spell out the instructions in the exact form in which they are practiced. Although this subject matter belongs to the highest level of tantra, many skillful Tibetan lamas have extracted it from this context and have presented it in terms of the deities of the lower levels of tantra. I myself received these instructions in terms of Vajra Yogini, but I feel that it will be good for Westerners, and myself as well, to have them explained here in terms of Amitabha Buddha. My reasoning is that Amitabha Buddha is less complex than other deities. Even more important than this is the fact that most Westerners easily relate to and understand Avalokiteshvara, and many of our students have received his initiation. As you have great devotion to this Lord of Compassion and as there is a close connection, or agreement, between him and Amitabha, I thought it would be beneficial to take advantage of these close connections and present a practice that might prove useful to many interested Westerners.

Although different po-wa instructions are given in terms of different deities, the actual technical methods explained in all of them are the same. There is really not much difference between the actual method of po-wa as explained in terms of Vajra Yogini and the method to be explained here in terms of Amitabha. What is essential, however, is that we practice with the right attitude. This is extremely important. For example, some people may have heard that with po-wa instructions it makes no difference if you commit heavy negativities, such as killing your parents and so forth; you will still be able to achieve a fortunate rebirth. But this is a mistaken attitude; it does not work this way. Without depending on the creation of virtuous karma and establishing the proper connection with Amitabha Buddha, it is very difficult to achieve his pure land. It is not some place you can fly to by jet. So we must create the appropriate karma. This matter of karma is actually quite simple. We do have devotion to Avalokiteshvara; we do have confidence in the essence of Avalokiteshvara and Amitabha Buddha, and to some extent we have a fairly good intellectual notion of what Amitabha's pure land is. What we need, however, is devotion. We need to maintain the correct attitude towards these practices.

We know that our present situation—where we are now—is dependent on karmic causation, and in our everyday life we are constantly dealing with cause and effect. At the moment we have enough good fortune not to have been born in one of the three lower realms. We have certain powers and abilities of mind, a certain strength of intellect and a certain freedom of movement. Everything we are able to engage in comes from the mind; this is karma as well. However, even though we now have the human freedom to move about as we like, to avoid unpleasant situations, and to pursue our desires and so forth, no matter where we go we end up with miserable disappointment. It does not matter where we go; unexpectedly we end up with problems. All of us experience this. We are always experiencing dissatisfaction and confusion, not to mention sickness, old age, death and other worries. Thus, although we may have a great wish to benefit others greatly as did Shakyamuni Buddha, Padmasambhava, Je Tsong Khapa, Milarepa and many other great teachers, our present circumstances makes this difficult, if not impossible. Life in this desire realm is so difficult that even our altruistic wishes remain unfulfilled. Therefore it is extremely worthwhile to gain rebirth in Amitabha's pure land.

Furthermore, by checking up on our own experience we discover how slow we are. For instance, think of the time we have wasted today. We have spent a great deal of our day in sleep and other fruitless activities. The circumstances of our life-style are overwhelming; it is not easy to transcend the nonsense of our existence. This is also due to our karma. The paradise of Amitabha's pure land, however, does not contain such difficulties and hindrances. Even the name of mundane suffering does not exist there. There is no illness, dying or suffering of birth. Everyone reborn into this pure realm just appears there instantly and receives teachings directly from Amitabha Buddha himself. Merely by being in this pure realm one possesses the five telepathic powers. All of these conducive conditions have come about because of the prayers Amitabha Buddha sent forth during the five hundred great aeons he traveled the bodhisattva path. Therefore, anyone who is born in Amitabha's actual pure land possesses extrasensory powers and experiences no confusion of mind whatsoever. Furthermore, unlike the experience of being in other higher realms, beings born into Amitabha's pure land never fall down to a lower state.

Therefore, concerning the right attitude we mentioned earlier, we should be interested in discovering the quickest method to benefit all mother sentient beings: you should be motivated to be born in Amitabha's pure land solely because you feel that this is the quickest way of accomplishing this aim. In such a realm we can become enlightened in but one lifetime and therefore benefit all beings. Thus you should adopt the great enlightened attitude of bodhicitta. With this attitude our meditation will be worthwhile. Otherwise, if we are interested only in enhancing our reputation or building our ego, our attitude is incorrect.

Although we should have such a strong bodhicitta attitude, we should also be relaxed. This is very important. True bodhicitta itself is a relaxed attitude. This is practical; if we are uptight and someone comes to us with a problem, we will become so nervous that we cannot offer help. But with a properly relaxed bodhicitta attitude, we have the space to handle any problem we may encounter. This is an essential point.

So all of us should approach these po-wa instructions with the proper attitude. Yet it is important to realize that anyone who has achieved enlightenment in this lifetime already has no need whatsoever for these instructions on the transference of consciousness. These teachings are not necessary for everyone. For someone who has achieved enlightenment in this lifetime with this body, these present teachings are useless. Po-wa teachings are only for those people who feel that it is impossible for them to gain enlightenment in this lifetime. They are for someone who thinks, "I have received teachings on the three principal paths; I have meditated on them; I have received Vajrayana instructions and tried to practice the generation stage, but I have discovered that it is not possible for me to attain enlightenment in this lifetime. I can see that according to my circumstances this would be impossible. Therefore, I cannot stand to wait and have to go through the suffering of confusion again; instead I must go to Amitabha's pure land." (Therefore I cannot believe that so many people have come to attend these teachings; does that mean that none of you think that you can achieve enlightenment in this lifetime?)

Also, you should recall the line in the guru puja: Lam-na ma-zin chi-way du-je-na, which means, "Should we not have completed the points of the path at the time of death." This means that if you have practiced the bodhisattva path but still have not attained the destination (enlightenment), then you should practice po-wa. So it is only if you cannot achieve your destination in this lifetime that the practice of po-wa becomes necessary. In other words, if you feel that it is utterly impossible for you to attain enlightenment without going through the experience of yet another lifetime—and you can be almost certain about this—then you need to follow these po-wa practices. This matter completely depends upon one's individual experience. Philosophically, however, it is said that these practices are for those who will not attain enlightenment in this lifetime and definitely need another life to reach their goal. Such people need to practice po-wa. We all know that the samsaric realms are full of obstacles to the completion of our practices. This is the logic to explain why one would want to transfer one's consciousness to a pure land.

Yet for the Western mind these po-wa instructions can present a problem. We Tibetans generally have no difficulty believing that it is possible to be reborn from a lotus, without depending on a father and mother. Can the Western mind accept this? Do you believe that it is possible to be reborn in a pure land with either a human or a psychic body without a father or a mother? According to the po-wa instructions this is what happens—one is reborn instantly from a lotus flower. With Amitabha's activity as a co-operative cause, your consciousness is thrown like a seed into a lotus and it is from such a situation that you are born immediately in his pure land. Furthermore, once we are reborn in such a land we have no need to work for a living, prepare food or engage in any other mundane tasks. Everything that we might desire or need comes to us intuitively and instantly.

I think it is very helpful to visualize these excellent qualities of Amitabha's pure land; it is very helpful for eliminating the lower, baser concepts we have about our environment. We do in fact have such low conceptions. We always feel that our environment is complicated. It does not matter where we go; every environment we meet is complicated. For example, when I go to America, everything seems to be polluted; when I go to Italy, everything seems to be dirty; when I go to Spain, neurotic energy seems to be coming in my ears; when I go to England, the English uptight mind seems to come at me; and when I go to France, their samsaric technology seems to come after me. Thus we do need to develop a pure vision. You know from the practice of tantra that it is important to visualize yourself as a buddha and your surroundings as a mandala; this is the pure land visualization. Thus it is very good to bring to mind these excellent qualities of a pure land.

The importance of this can be explained by example. When I come to the Tushita Retreat Center in Dharamsala, I automatically feel relaxed. Whenever I return from a tour to the West, I always stop at Tushita, where I feel so comfortable. In my small, quiet room there I experience release from the problems people bombard me with. For me it is such a conducive environment. This example demonstrates the possibility that Amitabha's pure land, created by his prayers over five hundred great aeons, is a place where the mind can experience total and unceasing awakening. It is a place where the mind never falls asleep from this awakening, where there is no hatred, no aggression and so forth. This is definitely possible.

As I said before, those who have no possibility of attaining enlightenment in this lifetime and definitely need another one should follow these po-wa instructions. What about ourselves? In this case there is no certainty: maybe we shall become enlightened in this lifetime, maybe not. This depends on many co-operative circumstances. Thus it is very hard to say with complete assurance that one either will or will not become enlightened in this very lifetime. So the best thing to do in either case is to make preparations now. It is never too late to make such preparations. I heard that some monks at Sera, when they heard that the Chinese were coming in 1959, decided that it was no longer worthwhile to stay around, so they practiced po-wa and left. In fact, many monks and geshes have been successful in this practice.

It is very good to be able to have this ability and gaining it is totally a matter of the human will. Bodhicitta, for example, is a very powerful mind, both subjectively and objectively. In the same way, when one has the proper will and the necessary technical skill, it is definitely possible to transfer one's consciousness to a pure land. Therefore, it is good to master these technical methods, even if we do not feel we actually need them. At the moment we may be healthy and think that death won't come for a long time, but we cannot be sure about this; we are never certain what will actually happen to us. Therefore, it is wise to master these techniques now, so that even if death comes sooner than we expect, we shall be prepared. If we do not prepare ourselves beforehand, then it will be impossible to practice the transference of consciousness when death actually comes. There's a Tibetan proverb that says that without training, a horse won't run correctly. Similarly, if we are to perform po-wa successfully at the time of death, we must train ourselves beforehand. Furthermore, even if we don't need to practice po-wa ourselves, we can use it to help others to transfer their consciousness.

Furthermore, if we possess such a technique, we can live our lives without fear: we shall know that even if a disastrous situation arises, there is something we can do. If we find ourselves in a bad situation, we have the confidence of knowing that we can go to a better place whenever we want. This allows us to be relaxed instead of uptight.

It should also be understood that practicing po-wa and achieving the pure land is not easy. Why? Because we are tied to the desire realm by the iron chain of our grasping. As long as we don't break this chain of attachment it will be impossible for us to achieve Amitabha's pure land. Therefore, the necessary preparation for this practice is developing the mind that is unattached to possessions, friends and so forth. This is the real preparation for this practice. The true obstacle that prevents us from reaching Amitabha's pure land is our grasping attitude. That is why in Tibet, when a monk knew he was going to die, he would completely dispose of all his material possessions, indicating precisely how they should be distributed. Therefore, at the time of death there would be nothing left for him to hold on to. In the West there is the system of making one's will.

The point is that to be able to go to Amitabha's pure land, you cannot be hung up with objects of temporal pleasure. This is our usual problem, so of course it also interferes with achieving Amitabha's pure land. In this regard there is the story of the dying monk who had great difficulty transferring his consciousness to the pure land of Tushita because he was so attached to the butter in his butter tea. His guru realized that his hangup was his attachment to the butter tea so he told him, "There's better butter tea in Tushita." This put the monk's mind at ease and he was then able to transfer his consciousness easily.

Now let us turn from philosophical considerations to practical ones. To accomplish po-wa we need a certain amount of concentration. We also have a special need for preparing our central channel (shushuma). We have to be able to visualize this channel clearly, seeing it smaller on its lower end than it is on its upper. This channel begins four finger widths below the navel and goes straight up until it ends at the crown of our head, eight finger widths behind our hairline. It is of a clear crystal-like nature, not in any way heavy or solid. It is very smooth and soft. It is necessary to visualize this well, but that does not mean we should squeeze our mind.

According to tantra there are gross, subtle and very subtle levels of the mind. While practicing the po-wa visualizations in preparation for death we utilize the gross levels of mind; however, when the time comes for us actually to transfer our consciousness, it is the very subtle level of mind that is activated. At the time of our conception, when the germ cells of our mother and father came together, they contained certain delicate, clear, essential drops of energy. That subtle, essential energy, present at the time of conception, still exists at our heart center sitting within the central channel. This very subtle drop of energy at our heart is known in Tibetan as tig-le (Skt: bindu) and it is within this tig-le that our very subtle mind is located. When the time comes to transfer our consciousness it is this very subtle energy together with our very subtle mind that is propelled up our central channel, out of the crown of our head and into Amitabha's pure land.


Tonight's practice will be to visualize the central channel, which should be seen as closer to our back, a little bit in front of our spine, closed at the bottom for the time being and open at the crown of our head. Then see the fundamental energy of the tig-le, or seed-syllable, as sitting like a small pea within this channel at the level of the heart. After focussing your attention on this seed syllable, if you can you should try to bring it up to the throat level and then to the crown. From this vantage point look down the central channel and try to see its interior as clearly as possible. Then have the seed syllable descend until it reaches the throat center, the heart center and then all the way down to the navel. This way of exploring the central channel is an excellent preparation for the actual practice of po-wa.

Before doing the meditation thus described it is helpful to visualize Amitabha Buddha seated in space in front of you at the level of your forehead. He is ruby red in color and his entire body is made out of transparent, radiant light. In the actual po-wa practices he will be visualized above the crown of your head, but now at the preliminary stage it is permissible to see him in front of yourself facing you. You should begin your practice by taking Refuge in Amitabha and then visualize that radiant light energy comes from him down into your central channel and completely purifies you of all hindrances to the practice. This light especially purifies your indecisive mind and the grasping attitude with which you are attached to objects of the desire realm. Such purification is very useful and should be done extensively. By means of such purification visualization you slowly transform your gross physical body into one of radiant light. Once you have accomplished this transformation in your meditation it is much easier to visualize the central channel within your body. Meditating on the body as being transparent makes it easier to visualize the central channel and the blissful seed-syllable at your heart. This seed-syllable, or tig-le, should be seen as white in color, clear as crystal and with a slight reddish tint. This seed-syllable is a small radiant point of light, like a tiny star vibrating with a white radiance and having a reddish glow. Focus your concentration on this seed-syllable and then move it to the various centers as described above. As you move the seed-syllable up and down the central channel you should pause for a while in each of the centers. For example, when you reach the throat center you should stop there and send forth radiant light. Visualize that this light removes whatever blockages might be obstructing the throat center, thereby allowing energy to flow smoothly through the many minor channels that make up the throat chakra. This same type of purification visualization should be done at the other chakras as well.

In order to strengthen your visualization of the central channel and the seed-syllable, you can do this visualization in conjunction with holding the vase breath. This technique will be discussed and practiced in more detail later. In brief, it entails bringing a long, slow breath down into the abdomen and then tightening the lower muscles of the pelvic floor (those involved in retaining urine, feces, etc.), and then, while holding this breath, focussing your attention on the seed-syllable at your heart. At the point where it is just becoming difficult to hold your breath any longer, you can breath out a long, slow exhalation through either your nostrils or your mouth. Holding the vase breath in this way helps your mind experience bliss and enhances your concentration. Breathing in deeply and tightening your lower muscles slightly causes the upper and lower energies to meet, and this meeting in turn produces a blissful feeling. If and when this experience arises you should let go of it; you need to learn to give up grasping at pleasure and not pay emotional attention to it. This is the true training of the mind and something we all need.

Concerning the visualization of the central channel, you should choose a dimension that is comfortable for you. At this point in the practice, whether you visualize it as narrow as a pencil or as wide as your arm does not matter, but you should see it as wider at the top than the bottom. This practice of po-wa is not easy; it is not something completely unrelated to your individual karma. On the contrary, it has a lot to do with your karma. Therefore you should do the practice in a way that is most comfortable for you as an individual.

In addition to the technical methods mentioned so far, there are other things you can do to enhance your practice. For instance, when you go to sleep tonight, feel that you are going to Amitabha's pure land. When you lie in your bed, think that your head is resting in Amitabha Buddha's lap. When you wake up in the morning you should feel that you are being roused from sleep by the sound of Amitabha's wisdom bell telling you it is time to arise. Then visualize that Amitabha himself sinks into you, and when you come to the next meditation session feel that you are again on your way to Amitabha's pure land. This way of thinking and practicing is very good—much better than our ordinary confused and nonsensical way of thinking and acting.

So that is enough for this lecture. As always, we should finish with an attitude of dedication, dedicating all our energy to rebirth in the pure land of Amitabha's buddha field in order to benefit all mother sentient beings most quickly. Thank you.

 

 

Second Discourse: 3rd March

Yesterday we said that in order to transfer our consciousness to Amitabha's pure land we have to create the proper causes, or karma. What is the actual cause for such a rebirth? It is strong refuge in Amitabha, actualizing bodhicitta and dedicating all virtuous activities to rebirth in Amitabha's pure land, while continuously remembering the good qualities of his pure land. If we accumulate all these causes, it is definite that we shall attain the desired pure land rebirth.

Tibetan prayers often emphasize the request to be saved from rebirth in one of the three lower realms. But there is no way for anyone who has realized the three principal paths (renunciation, bodhicitta and the correct view of emptiness) to be reborn in these unfortunate states of existence. Even if during your lifetime you are responsible for the death of millions of people, you can be saved from lower rebirth by developing the compassionate thought of bodhicitta for all others. Thus bodhicitta is the real po-wa. If you have bodhicitta there is absolutely no way that you will find yourself born in a lower realm. Therefore, although it is a very good idea to learn the technical method of transference of consciousness, it is enough to have generated the mind of bodhicitta; with such a mind at death, you will definitely obtain an upper state of rebirth. For those of us who find it difficult to generate the three principal paths to enlightenment, there are the technical methods of po-wa being explained here.

It is stated in the Abhidharma texts that once the third section of the second path—the patience section of the path of preparation—has been reached, it is impossible to fall to any of the lower realms ever again. What this means is that at such a state a bodhisattva gains a special, complete confidence that he or she will never fall again. If, however, even before this stage is reached, the three principal paths have been developed, the door to the three lower realms is closed.

One technical method being presented here is referred to in the text as "The forceful method for evil beings to escape from lower rebirth." It is possible that beings like us are worse than Hitler; we don't know what we have done in our past lives. But it makes no difference what even the cruelest person in the world has done. If, when the signs of death appear, such a person develops a greatly compassionate mind, invokes the four remedies that oppose the power of negative karma, and practices the forceful technique of po-wa, he or she will definitely escape from rebirth in one of the lower realms. Therefore, you should never let yourself become obsessed with your negativities, but realize that they are interdependent phenomena and can be altered through the practice of appropriate methods. Knowing these techniques of po-wa can release your mind from its obsessive vision and allow you to use the pure land vision instead.

The various commentarial texts list the good qualities found in Amitabha's pure land. First of all, as already indicated, if you are reborn in this pure land there is no longer any danger of falling to a lower rebirth. Furthermore, rebirth in this pure land frees one from the eight states of no leisure, which usually prevent beings from practicing Dharma. In other words, all the situations encountered in Amitabha's pure land are conducive for the practice of the spiritual path. There is also complete freedom from the indecisive mind; once you have achieved this pure land it is definite that you follow the Mahayana path to full enlightenment. There will be no longer any danger that you will give up the Mahayana aspiration and work only for the self-liberation that is the goal of the Hinayana path. Also, beings reborn in this pure land always do so intuitively via a lotus and, once reborn there, never experience untimely death. All enjoyments come effortlessly and instantly; merely thinking of something pleasurable brings the experience. One's body has the thirty-two characteristic marks of a buddha and one's mind automatically possesses the five types of telepathic power. These include (1) being able to travel to countless buddha fields within one second of time, (2) being able to remember all of one's own and others' previous lives, (3) having unobstructed vision of the pure lands and the environments of sentient beings, (4) being able to hear the teachings of countless buddhas and (5) being able to know the mind and attitude of other beings.

It is not only extremely worthwhile for a disciple to have these extraordinary qualities of mind, it is essential that a teacher possesses them as well. When Shakyamuni Buddha was on this earth, by merely saying a few words he was able to lead thousands of disciples to states of realization. This was the result of his ability to know the minds of his disciples directly and intuitively.

In summary, when you gain Amitabha's pure land you have the uninterrupted ability of meeting with fully-enlightened beings and receiving teachings from them. Thus it is obvious how powerful such a pure land mind is. Think how powerful your mind would be if it remained focussed on bodhicitta twenty-four hours a day. For such a mind, enlightenment is certainly not far away. At present, however, our minds are occupied with mundane thoughts, and thus we waste most of our time. In Amitabha's pure land the mind is uninterruptedly focussed upon method and wisdom. It is for this reason that enlightenment is attained very quickly. Through understanding all of these outstanding qualities of Amitabha's pure land we should develop the strong wish to be born there.

To some extent we all understand our present situation in life and have some faith in our ability to improve our mind. Such sincere faith in the Mahayana path is necessary if we are to avoid the negative results of misusing these transference techniques. Therefore, at this time visualize that Amitabha Buddha is purifying you of all obscurations and hindrances, thereby ensuring that your practice of po-wa will indeed lead to rebirth in his pure land, and meditate with great compassion on the technical methods for transferring your consciousness to Amitabha's pure land.

[Recitation of the prayer for the development of refuge, bodhicitta and the four boundless thoughts.]

As we visualize Amitabha Buddha upon the crown of our heads, light descends from his heart, enters our crown and becomes one with our central channel. Thus there is one uninterrupted passageway connecting Amitabha Buddha's heart with our own. This passageway is completely sealed and has no cracks or flaws. As the great mahasiddha Naropa said, "There are nine doors to our body and eight of them are samsaric. It is the ninth, the entrance at the crown of our head, that is the door to mahamudra, the great liberation." The other doors lead to rebirth in the various samsaric realms, and are therefore not appropriate gateways through which our consciousness should depart. It is for this reason that Amitabha sends down the tube of white light through our crown and into our central channel forming an indestructible passageway through which our consciousness can travel. Thus, from four finger widths below our navel straight up to Amitabha Buddha's heart there is one indestructible, uninterrupted tube of radiant white light.

In our own heart center, within our central channel, resides the essential seed-syllable of our mind, the size and shape of a tiny pea. It is white in color and vibrates with a reddish glow. This white drop is extremely light, so light that it is almost ready to fly upwards by itself. It is extremely delicate, clean, clear and radiant: it is as if there were a small star in our heart, shining with a rainbow light.

This radiant drop signifies our very subtle consciousness. Normally this subtle consciousness only functions at the time of death. At the appropriate place in the technical method you should focus your mind single-pointedly on this drop with the strong wish of becoming one with the mind of Amitabha Buddha. It is very important to develop this strong desire, to overcome the dualistic gap between your mind and that of Amitabha. You should try to become one with this Buddha as much as possible. At the same time your mind, in the form of this tiny seed-syllable, or drop, should look upwards through the central channel and directly into the heart of Amitabha. Then listen, as Amitabha's voice comes down the central channel from his heart and invites you to go up and join him. Then Amitabha Buddha sends down from his heart, a shaft of radiant red light which, like a hook, attaches itself to our mind, which is in the aspect of the seed-syllable. This red, radiant hook of light comes down through the white tube of light and hooks our mind, exerting an upward force upon it.

[Recitation of the prayers.]

Then breathe in through your nostrils and press down at the area of your navel. Then tighten your lower pelvic muscles, thereby bringing the lower energies upwards. Feel that the seed-syllable, full of devotion towards Amitabha Buddha, is ready to fly upwards. At the same time that the lower energies are pushing the seed-syllable upwards from below, the red hook of light from above is also drawing the mind upwards. Empowered in this way, the very subtle mind travels up through the throat and crown chakras, passes through the lotus and moon bed and finally reaches the center of Amitabha Buddha's heart. There it becomes one with Amitabha's omnipresent wisdom of non-duality, seen as a blissful radiance in his heart.

With the utterance of the first sound—the mantra HIC—your subtle consciousness in the form of the seed-syllable flies upwards into Amitabha Buddha's heart. Recognize his heart as the main destination for your mind. Recognize the white radiant tube of light as the path to your destination. Finally, recognize your very subtle consciousness in the form of the seed-syllable as the traveler following this path to its destination. It is very important to keep these three recognitions clear while doing this practice. Then, with the recitation of KAAH, see your mind as returning back down the tube of light into your own heart.

To repeat, while reciting the first sound you should feel that your mind is going upwards until it becomes inseparable from Amitabha Buddha's omnipresent and blissful wisdom. Then, when the second syllable is recited, you should feel that your mind is descending from this state back into your own heart. This entire process is divided into the following steps:

(1) contemplate your very subtle consciousness in your heart, radiant and very light;
(2) with this mind develop the wish to become united with Amitabha Buddha's mind;
(3) take a long and deep inhalation without letting your concentration degenerate;
(4) hold the breath at your navel and tighten your lower muscles, bringing the lower energies upwards;
(5) as this energy pushes from below and the red hook pulls from above, recite HIC;
(6) contemplate the unity of your very subtle consciousness and Amitabha Buddha's mind;
(7) then send your consciousness downward while reciting KAAH.

After practicing these steps a number of times, focus your attention on Amitabha Buddha's begging bowl. The nectar within this bowl overflows and flows down your central channel, thereby filling your entire nervous system with white, blissful, light-nectar energy. This renews all the energy you may have lost through this practice. Then, as explained in the practice, Guru Amitabha Buddha melts into light, descends the central channel and also becomes one with your heart. In this way he becomes unified with your very subtle consciousness. Then perform the dedication.

 

Third Discourse: 3rd March

When you practice, it is most important to have strong concentration. Transference is accomplished mainly through concentration and is helped by the breathing technique already explained. As most people know through other meditation practices, the breath comes in through the right and left channels, which hook into the central channel, or shushuma, below the level of the navel. Then it is time to tighten the lower muscles, specifically the muscles governing the anus and the sex organ, but it can also be helpful to tighten the muscles of your feet and hands. You can feel how this tightening forces energy into the central channel from below—it is not merely imagination.

It is very important to practice these techniques now. If we do not, even though we know what to do, we won't be able to employ them at the time of death. This is like our ordinary Dharma practices: we may feel that we have learned everything there is to know about a particular antidote, but when a delusion actually arises in our mind we are completely helpless. We miss being able to apply this antidote correctly. Therefore, we should put a lot of effort into practicing these techniques of po-wa right now.

In actuality, these techniques are very easy; they are simple, scientific and very practical. There is no reason why you should not be successful in such a practice. The spiritual masters claim that our concentration on the practice should be so strong that even the attack of seven vicious dogs would not disturb us. It is important to practice now, because at the time of death, when these teachings are actually going to be put in use, many hindrances and interferences are likely to arise. Thus we should prepare ourselves now, while we are free from such problems.

In some teachings it is explained that in order to prevent our consciousness from leaving through one of the eight samsaric doors, each one should be sealed with a HUNG. However, it is not strictly necessary to visualize these letters. Why not? Because we have already visualized that our central channel has only one opening—that in the crown of our head. Therefore, if we visualize our central channel well, there is no danger of our consciousness leaving through any of the other doors. However, if you are uncomfortable because you have so many holes in your body, you can seal these samsaric doors as described. Even if you don't need to do this now, you might find it helpful at the time of death, when your concentration is much weaker than at present.

It is important to recognize that the clear light drop in our heart is our very subtle consciousness. We should realize that this is both the consciousness that came from our previous lives and the one that will go into our future lives. Feel it to be as light as a feather, very delicate and clear. All it needs is one small cause and it is ready to fly upwards. From Amitabha Buddha's heart, radiant red light flashes down as quick as lightning and hooks this very subtle consciousness at your heart. Therefore, when we recite HIC, this red light energy from Amitabha's heart is pulling our mind upwards at the same time that the lower air energy is pushing it from below. The movement of the mind upwards, therefore, does not need a great deal of effort; it is simple and automatic because according to the visualization, there is only one path it can take.

There are certain signs that come with success in this practice, and these will be discussed in greater detail later, but one thing that happens is an itching sensation at the top of the head. Some people may even gain telepathic powers and the ability to see another reality. This is possible. In ancient times the gurus tested their disciples' proficiency in this meditation by sticking a flower stem in the hole at their crown. If their meditations were successful and this hole grew wider, the flower would actually stand up. At the end of this course I'm going to test you like that!

As mentioned before, while Amitabha is generally a deity of the lowest class of tantra, this particular technical method has been taken from the highest level of tantra. This practice is extremely worthwhile for Westerners because it demonstrates, within a short period of time, a completely different aspect of reality. This is very helpful in breaking down our strong preconceptions concerning reality.

There are many different ways of doing this practice. The method explained here uses one long HIC to propel the consciousness upward. There is another method whereby three HICs are used: the first brings the mind up to the throat level, the second up to the crown and the third propels it into Amitabha's heart. These methods are equally effective and it is up to you to choose the one that suits you best. Furthermore, the use of prayers should be adopted to your individual needs. They are helpful because they aid in the generation of the necessary feeling. However, if you find them too long you may shorten them to your liking.

One last word before we practice these techniques once again. It is a very good idea to practice po-wa meditation in a group rather than doing it completely alone. In this way we keep an eye on one another and thereby prevent anything dangerous from happening. If a person practices alone there is a chance, though not a very big one, of getting into trouble.

 

Fourth Discourse: 4th March

Question and answer session

Student: When I clench my hands and feet during this practice I develop rlung. Is it alright to practice without clenching these muscles?
Lama: Yes, you do not have to clench them if it is uncomfortable. In fact, if your concentration is good enough, you can do away with even the breathing techniques. But people who find it helpful should hold their breath and tighten their lower muscles as described. As mentioned before, it is very possible that our concentration will not be good when death actually arrives; if that happens, the forceful breathing and muscle-clenching techniques can prove very helpful.

Student: You have said that yogis in the past have used po-wa to escape from difficult situations. How can we tell when it is appropriate to use these techniques in such a way?
Lama: Well, take the example of the monk who knew the Chinese were coming. He was over fifty years old and knew that there was very little that he could do if he stayed around. Knowing this clearly, he decided to leave. Similarly, if you know with certainty that you're in the same situation and that it would be completely useless for you to retain your present form, then it is possible for you to use these techniques as well. However, you need to use wisdom.

Student: I asked this question because in West many people believe that life is given to us by God and therefore should not be given it up before He takes it back.
Lama: Having your consciousness enter Amitabha's heart and having it taken back by God are the same thing. For me there is no difference between God and Amitabha. Therefore, if your consciousness is taken by Amitabha it is alright. What is important is to break the iron chain that binds us to worldly pleasure. If this is not broken there is no way to be successful. There is the story of the rich businessman who at death was extremely attached to his many possessions. He was reborn as a snake who lived in the same house and would attack anyone who even touched his belongings. There is also the story of the monk who was so attached to his begging bowl that after he died he was reborn as a preta who followed that begging bowl around from owner to owner. Therefore, even if we are familiar with these techniques at the time of death, if our mind is too involved with concrete ego-grasping it will be impossible to transfer our consciousness successfully. This is why we need forceful techniques.

Student: Please comment upon the absorption into Amitabha Buddha's heart. Should one visualize his pure land at that time?
Lama: At that time it is not necessary to visualize Amitabha's pure land. Merely feel that when you reach Amitabha's heart you have become unified with the omnipresent, non-dualistic wisdom. It is better to place more emphasis upon becoming one with this wisdom than it is on visualizing the pure land itself.

Student: If we gain the ability to transfer our consciousness, why should we not do it right away?
Lama: It is considered a mistake for one who has received an empowerment into the highest class of tantra to give up his or her body and life before the correct time. This would be similar to taking the life of a tathagata or committing suicide.

Student: But isn't it true that by reaching Amitabha's pure land you will be able to become enlightened very quickly and thereby be able to help others even sooner?
Lama: Yes, because in the pure land we do not have the hassles of looking for a job, raising children and so forth; your practice of the path is nonstop.
Student: If you had the motivation of benefiting others, therefore, leaving your body would not be suicide.
Lama: If the time is right and you decide to go, then this is okay.

Student: Isn't it true that if our karma to remain alive does not run out, the quickest way to achieve enlightenment is with through our present human form?
Lama: This is definitely possible, but it depends on how you put your life together. What frightens me is the way so many Westerners live their life. In America, for example, from the moment they wake up most people are running, running, and it is very hard to live there without being sucked into that way of life. If you are, it is virtually impossible to make the best use of your human life.

Student: If we have the appropriate empowerment, is it permissible or advisable to visualize ourselves as a meditational deity while performing the po-wa practices?
Lama: Yes, this is alright. In fact, some people find it easier to see themselves as Chenrezig, for instance, and thereby remove the concrete conceptions of themselves in general and their physical bodies in particular. This can be very beneficial.

Student: I have heard that there are animals in the pure land. Is this true?
Lama: Yes, in the pure land you find birds, deer and many other types of animals. However, they all serve to energize and enhance one's own practice; they never give negative vibrations, they serve only to help one's practice.

Student: So are these animals in reality bodhisattvas, or are they unfortunate beings who somehow made a mistake during their practice of po-wa?
Lama: They are bodhisattvas. (Laughter)
Student: While in the pure land is it possible to perceive the suffering of sentient beings?
Lama: In the pure lands themselves there are no suffering beings.

Student: How then does one develop compassion?
Lama: There are many other states of existence, many other solar systems. Though there is no suffering in the pure lands themselves, a bodhisattva can easily see beings residing in other realms and develop compassion for them.

Student: Is it possible to enter in the states of absorption through this practice?
Lama: Yes. If you have strong concentration on the clear drop in your heart, all the winds will dissolve into your central channel. Whenever this happens you experience the signs of absorption. All that is required is perfect concentration. In fact, if you are aware enough, you can observe these same absorptions during the bliss of sexual orgasm.

Student: Are there certain signs that tell us we are going to die soon so that we can prepare for the practice of po-wa?
Lama: Yes, there are many such signs. We can detect them in our dreams, in changes in our breathing pattern, in our bodily aura and so forth. Many old people know they are about to die. Detailed explanations of these signs of death will be given later.

Student: Is it possible to reach Amitabha's pure land solely through devotion?
Lama: Yes, that is definitely possible. The texts say that rebirth in a pure land is not the result of creating a specific karmic action. Rather, it comes about through the force of strong prayer and concentration.

Student: If after reciting HIC you completely dissolve into Amitabha Buddha's heart, who is it that recites KAAH to bring your consciousness back down again?
Lama: It is the subtle level of mind that goes up and down; the gross level of mind is the one that recites HIC and KAAH. During the actual practice, however, you should not concern yourself with such questions as who is doing the reciting. Merely recite these sounds and take them as the signal to send your mind up and bring it back down again.

Student: Is there a way for us to use this practice to assist Christian friends who are dying?
Lama: Yes. For example, you can help that person visualize going into Christ's heart, or remind him of a pure and holy environment.

Student: Is it necessary to sit up when you are dying?
Lama: No. Many practitioners die while lying down in the posture of Buddha's passing away, and po-wa can be practiced this way too.

Student: Some of us may be faced with the situation of seeing people die in very disturbing circumstances: there are no highly realized beings around, the dying person's body will be moved before the consciousness has had a chance to leave the body, and so forth. In such cases, should we stimulate the person's crown center before someone else disturbs them?
Lama: That's a good idea: you should do that if you can. Also, if you are skilled you can even perform the transference of consciousness for that person. Concentration is the main point: if yours is strong, you can visualize the person's mind in his heart and then visualize it being sent up his central channel, out the crown of his head and into Amitabha Buddha's pure land.

Student: You said that it is dangerous to practice these techniques alone. If we are practicing together with someone else, what can we do to help if trouble arises?
Lama: First of all, if someone does not have good concentration there is very little danger in the practice. However, it can happen that someone begins to space out; his or her consciousness may be accidentally departing through the force of the practice. If you see someone spacing out like this, you can help by striking him sharply in the area around their knees: this helps bring his consciousness back down into his body. You can also shout KAAH very loudly.

Student: At the time of death, how can you decide whether to practice po-wa or to follow instead other tantric techniques and take the clear light of death as the path to the Dharmakaya?
Lama: If you are confident that you can catch the clear light experience and unify it with emptiness, then definitely this is what you should do: in this case there is no need to practice po-wa. However, if you have not developed complete confidence in that practice, you should do po-wa instead. A real practitioner will be able to judge correctly which technique he or she is best prepared to use. Also, you should remember the great protective power of the three principal paths. For example, if you have developed the actual mind of bodhicitta, it doesn't matter what you do at the time of death: you no longer have anything to worry about. Merely pray, "May I be reborn in whatever place is most beneficial for other sentient beings. Oh, buddhas and bodhisattvas, please take me to wherever I can be most useful. Should that be even the hell realms, I do not mind."

Student: How should we practice once this retreat is over?
Lama: You should practice every day until you receive the signs that your practice has been successful. Then it is necessary to review the practice only occasionally, say once a month, just to remind yourself of it.

Student: It is said in the practice that the seed syllable in the heart should be seen as very radiant. I can visualize the syllable but it does not radiate light. Is this a mistake?
Lama: No, as long as with good concentration you can visualize your very subtle mind as a drop in your heart, it does not matter whether it radiates light or not. The purpose of the meditation is served if you can visualize and concentrate on this drop well; it is not essential for it to emit light. What is really important is to make contact with the object of meditation, which can be seen even as a tiny drop of blood or a clear drop of dew. If you can concentrate on such a drop in your heart you needn't worry whether it is shining or not.

Student: You have said that it is dangerous to practice alone because it is possible to leave the body accidentally. Why is this dangerous?
Lama: It is one thing to leave your body after making a strong decision to do so, but quite another to do so accidentally. In the latter case, you do not intend to go, but the force of your meditation accidentally sends your mind out of your body; because you are not prepared for this you may still be bound by the chains of your attachment to samsaric pleasures, and as a result be reborn as a hungry ghost instead of in a pure land.
Student: Does that mean it is possible for the consciousness to leave through the crown chakra and still be reborn in a lower realm?
Lama: Yes, this can happen simply because your consciousness leaves accidentally as a result of the force of your meditation. Therefore, to avoid mishaps like this, it is good to meditate with someone else when you are experimenting.

Student: Why did you say that it is better to catch the experience of clear light at the time of death than to practice po-wa?
Lama: If through training in tantric practices you can use the experience of the clear light of death to gain an intuitive realization of emptiness, you will be able to attain the first bodhisattva bhumi. This is much better than simply being reborn in a pure land. Once you have attained this first bhumi you are not only more advanced than an ordinary bodhisattva in a pure land, who still has to practice from the beginning of the path, but you also have the ability to visit pure lands at will. Thus at the time of death, using such tantric techniques is better than practicing po-wa. However, if you are not fully confident that you can use these techniques, then the practice of po-wa is better. The technical methods of po-wa meditation are very beneficial even if they are not combined with the special breathing techniques. In general, our problems arise because our energy is flowing in the wrong direction and in the wrong places; this is the source of both our mental and our physical diseases. However, if we concentrate upon our central channel and the seed syllable in our heart, we can help improve the energy flow within our body and thereby cure many of our problems. Keeping our concentration focussed inside the central channel removes the distractions that cause our difficulties. Focussing upon a meditation object inside the central channel is much more powerful than focussing upon one that is outside. Merely contemplating upon the central channel at the level of the heart is a very easy, powerful and beneficial meditation.

Student: Could you explain more about the hook of red light that comes from Amitabha's heart?
Lama: It is not absolutely necessary to visualize this red light. It is included simply as an extra aid in moving your consciousness up through the central channel—you can leave it out if you are not comfortable with it. Also, it need not be visualized as a hook. Rather, you can think that red light shoots down from Amitabha's heart like lightning and that this light exerts a magnetic attraction upon your mind. This is another way of visualizing and you might find it more comfortable.

Student: You have advised us to visualize the very subtle mind at the level of the heart. Is this the best place to visualize it?
Lama: Yes, there are many advantages of concentrating upon the heart center. The heart chakra is a very special place and opening it up through meditation is very helpful. Also, if you are worried about the possible dangers of po-wa meditation, when you recite HIC you need bring the seed syllable up from the heart chakra only as far as the crown itself, and not have it fly out of your body. Here there is no danger, and the practice is still very beneficial.

Student: In the practice we send our mind into Amitabha Buddha's heart in the form of a seed syllable. Does that mean that we will be reborn in Amitabha's pure land as a seed syllable?
Lama: No. From Amitabha's heart our mind is sent into the center of a lotus, whence we emerge with a completely purified body of light. But you do not have to visualize this: it happens automatically once you reach Amitabha's heart. Many practitioners like to face west when they are about to die. This is probably a sign that they are going to practice the transference of consciousness to Amitabha's pure land. When meditating, I myself find it more comfortable facing either west or east than north or south _ perhaps this is just my own superstition. In any event, many people have trained their mind through these po-wa teachings and have died successfully, and there is no reason why we should not succeed in this practice as well. All we have to do is train ourselves properly.

 

Fifth Discourse: 5th March

In order to transfer your consciousness into a particular deity's pure land it is generally necessary to receive an initiation, or empowerment, into that particular deity. But what does receiving an initiation actually mean? Receiving the realization of the four great initiations is a rather special matter. For instance, Naropa practiced under Tilopa's guidance for many years until he was eventually able to be initiated by him. Because he was so well prepared and qualified he received the realizations of those initiations immediately, in an instant. This was the traditional way that disciples were lead on the path to enlightenment. But nowadays the situation is much different. Initiations are given publicly and it is very doubtful whether more than a handful of us are actually receiving them.

The point is that actually receiving an initiation is a rare and special event. When asked if we have a certain initiation, most of us will reply, "Yes. This lama gave that initiation and I was there." But just because we attended a particular the ceremony does not mean that we received anything. After all, there were also many insects, spiders, dogs, cats and so forth at that ceremony. Did they receive the initiation as well?

However, while I believe that merely by attending an initiation ceremony we do receive something, I don't think this is the same as receiving the realizations of the four great initiations. For most of us, the best we can say is that we manufactured an artificial imitation of the actual experience. But this is good enough! We have still received great inspiration and blessings and should not be discouraged. Even if we are not highly qualified, something beneficial can still happen to us.

One of my teachers once said that if we take an initiation and are later born as an animal there still is some benefit; we shall be born as a very powerful animal! But, of course, the greatest benefit of an initiation is that we receive a seed that under the appropriate conditions can ripen instantly into the experience of enlightenment. The point I want to make is that receiving an initiation is not a simple matter; there is absolutely no reason to become arrogant or think we have done something outstanding simply because we were at an initiation ceremony. Most of the time it is doubtful that we received the initiation at all, but this is not to deny that we have received something worthwhile.

In terms of benefiting others, we ourselves should have had some small experience before attempting to teach these methods. This does not mean that we should have had complete success but that we should have received some level of realization from the practice. If we then teach it to others they will be benefited—it is doubtful that there is any benefit to be gained if one teaches from the basis of knowing only the words, not having had any real experience.

It has already been mentioned that one of the hindrances preventing our being reborn in Amitabha Buddha's pure land comes from breaking the pledges (samaya) between guru and disciple. Grasping at pleasures, relatives and companions is also a great hindrance to the successful transference of consciousness. All relationships are transitory, even the rather special relationships between Dharma brothers and sisters, and grasping at such relationships is obviously a great hindrance to our practice. We must understand that as soon as we have met someone, the cause for our eventually splitting up has been created. Meeting always leads to separation; if we investigate our own experiences we shall see that this is true. No matter how much pleasure we receive from someone or from something, the time will come when our connection with that person or thing will be no more. It does not require too much reflection to see that this is true. Everything is momentary, and when the actual time of death comes none of the people or things we have met with can help us at all. Worse than that, not only do they fail to help us but, because of our attachment to them, also create great problems for us.

If we think about it we can see how our closest companions can easily become our worst enemies. Take the example of a couple who have lived together for forty or fifty years. When one of them dies, the other is often so heartbroken that he or she cannot go on living. In some places in India, when the husband has died, his wife throws herself on his funeral pyre. This is nothing but ignorance and, to some extent, we all behave in similar manner. That is why it is important to prepare ourselves now. By practicing po-wa we should at least realize that there is no reason for hanging on to things the way we do. At the very least, we should gain this realization. By training in po-wa and preparing ourselves for death we become more easy-going. We can learn to accept the impermanent nature of our lives, our relationships and so forth. Therefore I am not really concerned whether or not you become experts in po-wa but rather that your attitude towards life and death becomes more easy-going and realistic. If you can learn to accept the death of your loved ones as something natural, then these teachings will have been successful, whether you have mastered the actual po-wa techniques or not.

Many people in the world worry a lot about death. The Lam-rim specifies the particular human sufferings of worrying about birth, sickness, old age and eventually death itself. These po-wa teachings are extremely beneficial because they present a way of overcoming this fear of death. Furthermore, they give us an alternative to other Dharma practices whose difficulties, together with our own shortcomings, may have been the cause for our creating the negative karma of breaking vows and so forth. For all these reasons, then, these po-wa teachings are very valuable.

A certain scriptural quotation uses the analogy of a lotus to explain our present situation. Although a lotus grows in a muddy environment, the lotus flower itself is always immaculately clean. Similarly, although our present very subtle consciousness finds itself inside our contaminated body, by practicing po-wa we can be completely released from this contaminated situation. Even if we have committed one of the very heavy negative actions, such as killing our mother or father, it is still possible to achieve the transference of consciousness and send our very subtle mind to Amitabha's pure land. Even if you were to kill a buddha for breakfast, a bodhisattva for lunch and an arhat for dinner every day for many years, if you are skillful enough you can still transfer your consciousness to a pure land. Everything can be purified with skill. One of the Panchen Lamas, whom we consider to be Amitabha Buddha himself, once wrote, "The method for becoming enlightened without meditation is po-wa." Therefore it is completely wrong to be hung up about your negativities or to think that you are the worst person in the world. Instead, you should feel fortunate that having been born human you have the possibility of both living your life and dying successfully.

You should not choose the wrong time to practice po-wa. Merely getting sick, for example, does not mean you are about to die; instead of practicing po-wa, there are many other things you can do, such as long-life pujas to counteract the exhaustion of life energy, or engaging in charity and so forth to counteract exhaustion of your fortune. As a way of increasing their life-span, some people in Tibet would buy animals that were marked for slaughter and set them free. There are many other things you can do to extend your life too.

As I mentioned in the question and answer session, there are many signs that occur before one is actually going to die: changes can be observed in your dreams, your personal vibrations or your pattern of breathing. Of these, the most accurate indication that death is approaching is a change in your breathing pattern. If you are observant, you can notice such signs up to six months before you are going to die. This gives you time to prepare for the practice of po-wa. It is said that the best time to practice is seven days before your life energy is exhausted. Note again: do not engage in the actual practice of po-wa, sending your consciousness into the next life, until you have received the definite signs of approaching death.

Practicing the transference of consciousness on behalf of someone else is another subject. According to Jetsun Milarepa, you should not attempt to transfer someone else's consciousness until you have achieved the path of seeing. He also said that to lead another person's consciousness it is necessary to have telepathic powers and other realizations. Without such realizations it is difficult to be truly effective. If the person summoned to perform po-wa for someone else does not have a controlled mind and good motivation, it will be very hard for the dying person to receive any benefit. For example, if someone has already died and become a bardo being, he will naturally attain certain powers of clairvoyance. When this bardo being sees that the mind of the person called to transfer his consciousness is filled with greed or other delusions, disgust will arise in him and he will turn off to the other's influence. As a result the bardo being will receive no benefit from the other's practice of po-wa on his behalf. Because the negative mind cannot be hidden from the clairvoyance of a bardo being, it is important that the person summoned to practice po-wa for his sake be free from such negativities.

The way that dying people are usually handled in the West presents great hindrances to the successful practice of po-wa. Ideally, until a dying person's very subtle consciousness has left his or her body, you should never touch them anywhere, but certainly not the lower parts of their body. The only place you should ever touch a dying person is on the crown of the head. There is also a tradition of putting Je Tsong Khapa's Lam-rim Chen-mo at the head of a dying person. This can be very beneficial. It can also be helpful to stimulate the top of the head by pulling on the hairs growing above the crown chakra. But to repeat, you should definitely avoid touching the lower parts of the body. Sometimes well-meaning people rearrange the body of a person they think is dead so that it looks nicer to others. This is okay and makes no difference if the very subtle consciousness has already left the body, but if the consciousness has not yet left the body, then rearranging the dying person's limbs will actually be destroying his or her chance to die successfully. Therefore, if you ever need to touch the body of a dead person you should always touch the crown of the head first.

If you want to help a dying person by reminding him of his past meditational practices, you should do so at the proper time. During the process of a natural death a dying person's exhalation gets longer and longer while his inhalation gets shorter and more labored. While he is breathing like this there is no danger in touching the various parts of his body. In fact, you can touch his legs to see how they are growing colder as his heat energy recedes upwards into his heart. The time to remind him of whatever practice he did during his lifetime is while his heart center is still warm. For instance, if his main training was in po-wa, you would remind him that Amitabha Buddha is sitting above the crown of his head and so forth. This is also a good time to play whatever religious instruments the dying person might have been familiar with. For example, if he is a Christian and you have a bell that would remind him of church services, you can ring it at this time, thereby helping him enter a prayerful state of mind. Since even normally irreligious people often look for refuge at the time of death, it is possible to benefit even them, by skillfully reminding them of spiritual matters.

According to the scriptural texts, you can also help a dying person by placing a piece of magnetized iron above the crown of his head. This helps to draw his consciousness up and out through the mahamudra door. How is this possible? Remember that even the very subtle energy that supports the mind of clear light contains within it the vibration of the various elements. Thus it does have some small quality of iron energy, and it is upon this that the magnet can exert its power of attraction. Once the subtle consciousness has been induced to leave through the crown center in this way, there is little danger of the person falling to a lower realm.

Now we should practice some meditation. As long as your minds develop some concentration through these techniques, it is not so important whether or not you actually master the methods of po-wa. It is very beneficial simply to develop concentration.

 

Sixth Discourse: 6th March

As we recite the preliminary prayers of this po-wa practice we should try to be very mindful of their meaning. For example, you should think deeply about what is meant by the prayer of refuge and bodhicitta. Taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha is completely different from the worldly kind of refuge we take in our regular daily lives. Looking for satisfaction in hamburgers and pizza and taking ultimate refuge in them is an obvious source of great disappointment, yet people who are not fortunate enough to find true objects of refuge act like this all the time. Therefore, it is very important to remember the characteristics of the Three Jewels of refuge and generate strong devotion towards them. We already have a certain degree of confidence in the Three Jewels and some understanding of how they can truly lead us to liberation, and thus we are very fortunate.

The verses for the generation of bodhicitta tell us to dedicate all our merits to the attainment of enlightenment for the sake of others. This includes the merit of any virtuous action we perform—speaking soothingly to others, listening sympathetically in silence while they tell us their troubles, or meditating together with Dharma brothers and sisters in order to give them clear, compassionate energy—and the merit we generate can be dedicated towards the enlightenment of all sentient beings. Thus there are many different ways in which merit can be created, and an essential aspect of all Mahayana practice is to dedicate whatever positive activity we have done to the ultimate benefit of others. To be totally dedicated to others in this way is not easy, but despite its being difficult it is the most meaningful way to live your life. The more you become familiar with this altruistic attitude, the deeper it becomes. Thus it is extremely worthwhile. You should feel very happy that you have had the extreme fortune of meeting with such a comfortable and practical path as the Mahayana—deep, profound and limitless.

Anything you do with a big mind to benefit others is itself a solution to the problems of your narrow mind. In addition it is important to generate the Mahayana prayer, `For the rest of my life I shall dedicate the energy of my body, speech and mind to benefit other beings as much as possible. It makes no difference to me where or in what circumstances I shall live; may I benefit others as much as possible wherever I am; and may I especially use my energies to show the three principal paths to others."

One of Je Tsong Khapa's disciples praised him by saying that even the movement of his breath was beneficial to others, not to mention the obvious benefit of his teachings and so forth. In the same way, we can pray that any movement of our own mental and physical energy may also prove ultimately beneficial to others. It is by praying in this way that the actual ability to help others comes about. By putting our minds in this direction through dedication, we come to experience the desired result naturally. All the beneficial deeds of Shakyamuni Buddha—coming to this Earth, giving teachings, leading his disciples to arhatship and enlightenment and so forth—were done completely effortlessly and spontaneously as the result of his previous dedication.

For all of these reasons, then, we should send forth sincere prayers constantly. Some people, however, have the wrong idea about praying. They think prayers must be made in a very formal manner with great seriousness and heaviness. But this is not true. Prayer can be and should be done in a completely relaxed state of mind. The thought that is prepared to go anywhere or do anything, as long as it is of benefit to others, is the true mind of prayer. Repeating such thoughts in your mind over and over again under all circumstances is extremely powerful. Therefore, you should always ask yourself, "What does it matter what time it is or where I am, what is the best way I can help as many beings as possible?"

Some people may have doubts about these po-wa practices. They may wonder, "I don't know who Amitabha Buddha is; I don't know whether his pure land really exists or not; and I don't understand how these practices are beneficial." In fact, these practices are highly beneficial. Even if you are not successful in transferring your consciousness, at least you have developed a strongly positive attitude. This attitude itself counteracts the power of negativity. At the time of death, whatever karma is the strongest—either positive or negative—propels us into our next rebirth. Therefore, if we can reduce our negativity, die with a calm mind and induce our consciousness to leave through the mahamudra door, at the very least we can avoid rebirth in one of the three lower, miserable realms. That is good enough.

We have briefly mentioned that there are certain signs indicating the approach of death and others indicating that the po-wa practices have been successful. The explanations that follow have been extracted from a text written by the great mahasiddha Pabongka Rinpoche, in which these signs are discussed in detail.

First, what are the signs that your po-wa training has been successful? The first is that your body becomes light, because your mind, which controls your body, has been gathered together through the force of concentration. The greater the control you have over your mind the more you can do with your body anything you want. Ordinarily, the heaviness of body we experience is the direct result of having a heavy mind. Therefore, it is obvious that when we train our mind through these po-wa practices that our body will also feel lighter and more manageable.

The next sign is that your digestion improves. There is an obvious connection between your mind and your stomach—even Western psychologists say that when your mind is upset your stomach also feels tight and cramped. Ulcers, cancer and the like are all the result of a stressed mind. Merely sitting in the proper meditation posture and relaxing can help cure you of many of the diseases that trouble your body.

Other signs include an increase of heat energy in the body, moisture coming from the head, the appearance of an aperture at the crown, increased headaches and dizziness, itching or swelling at the top of the head and so forth. These are some of the signs indicating successful practice.

As for the signs of approaching death, there are many, and they are observed in various ways, such as checking your shadow by the light of the sun or the moon, noting signs in your dreams and spotting changes in your pattern of breathing. To employ the first method, stand with the sun or moon at your back and look at the heart region of your shadow. After contemplating this for a while, look up into space and see what kind of after-image you see. If your body image is complete, you are in no danger of dying soon. However, if your head is missing it means that you will die in a month. Also, your right hand missing indicates that your son will die, and your left missing means that perhaps your wife will die. If it looks as though a dagger is stuck into your body, it also means that you will die in a month's time.

If the discharge from your sexual organ is blackish or reversed that is, if blood comes from a man and sperm from a woman—it also means that death will come in one month. If you press against your eye and do not see light, cup your hand over your ear and do not hear a whirring sound, or put your arm vertically in front of your face and it seems to disappear, these are all further signs that you will die in a month. If your feet and eyes hurt simultaneously, you may die in three months. If you cannot see the tip of your tongue when you stick it out as far as you can, death will come in half a month. If the sound in your nostrils disappears, death will come in three months. If there is pain coming from your feet up to your navel, death will come in six months. If your he nostrils flatten, you will die in a week. If black spots appear on your tongue, you will die that night. If your nails lose their pink color, or your teeth dry, death will come in six months. Death will come after three days if your feet and heart area remain dry after bathing. If your stream of urine turns to the left, death will come in six months. If your navel suddenly protrudes, death will come after five days. If you can no longer see the tip of your nose, death will come after five months. If someone looks into your eyes and fails to see a reflection, you will die within two weeks.

Some of the signs just mentioned deal with rather long periods of time. In such cases death can be averted or postponed through meditation. Therefore, the signs just given are not certain, and changes in your pattern of breathing give a much more accurate indication of when you will die. Depending upon the month and the day, if your breath leaves your body mainly through one nostril it is a sign that death will come in a specific number of years.

It is also said that if a piece of dirt suddenly comes out of the center of your eye, death will come in six months. Other dangerous signs include seeing a rainbow at night, seeing shooting stars in the daytime, seeing lightning in the south when there are no clouds in the sky, seeing water-fowl and crows and peacocks uncharacteristically sharing the same space, seeing two moons or two suns, and seeing houses appear miraculously at the tops of trees or mountains. Other such signs include suddenly encountering creatures with terrifying forms, experiencing sudden shivers, repeatedly falling down, vomiting, seeing your feces as gold or silver-colored, inexplicably being unable to see stars at night or the light of the sun or the moon, seeing your body a different color, feeling moonlight to be hot and sunlight to be cold, involuntarily shaking and so forth.

There are other signs of death that are quite commonly seen. Sometimes a person who has been sick for a very long time suddenly appears to be vibrant and even youthful. Though we may say to him, "Now it looks as though you'll live forever," in fact the sudden change in his appearance probably means it is time for him to go. This happens to many people. It is also said that if your uvula remains insensitive for five days, the signs of death will come in fifteen nights, and if your shadow moves but your body doesn't, you will die in four months' time.

Signs of death may appear in your dreams as well. In general, dreams can be intuitive, in response to momentary influences or some other cause, and we should realize that they cannot be trusted. It is often hard to figure out just what, if anything, they mean. Just as our everyday moods fluctuate uncontrollably, so do our dreams, and in meditation retreat this can be especially true. For all these reasons, then, it is not easy to give an accurate interpretation of the signs of death as they appear in dreams, but here are a couple, just to give you an idea of the many signs that are listed in the scriptural texts: it is said that seeing red flowers in your dreams or riding a donkey while facing backwards are both inauspicious signs.

So although dreams are generally untrustworthy, I still think it is possible for us to interpret them skillfully. If, for instance, you have a particular question to ask, it is possible to receive the answer in a dream: before going to sleep, make strong requests to your guru or the meditational deity to whom you feel closest, praying for them to answer your question that night. If you do this sincerely and with great devotion, you may be surprised by what you find; I think you will definitely receive a sign in your dreams, but you need very strong dedication and determination. If you have faith in Chenrezig, for example, you should meditate upon him very strongly, remembering his characteristic quality of enlightened compassion. Then pose the question and pray for an answer in your dreams. If your sincerity is clear and powerful the answer will come, but unfortunately our faith is often too weak for the necessary connection to be made.

I am very happy to have met all you people, all you Dharma brothers and sisters. Although I am not a qualified teacher or a great practitioner, at least I have some devotion. Furthermore, I am not expecting that you will be able to go to Amitabha's pure land as a result of this short course; my only wish is that you Westerners become convinced of the value of the Buddhadharma. If you become convinced that through the power of your mind and meditation you can achieve anything, then I will be satisfied; I am not a buddha, so I certainly do not expect you to become buddhas after only a few days' practice. Or, if before coming to this course you felt inadequate but now believe that you can do something positive with your life, then I think this course will have been successful. If these po-wa teachings have lessened your fear of dying or the guilt you had from committing negative actions, that is good enough. At least there you have some control over going to the three lower realms. Then you can enjoy your life.

My whole point is that you should enjoy your life. If you do, then your Dharma practices are better; but if you don't, there is no way to practice anything worthwhile. Shakyamuni Buddha's method of teaching the path to enlightenment leads from one state of happiness to another. Thus the point is to become happier, gain more control and become more liberated day by day.

As for the future, you can continue this practice by doing an occasional retreat and you can also practice every day. If you are doing po-wa as part of your daily practice, it is not always necessary to recite the mantras HIC and KAAH; you can do this meditation silently, simply employing the power of concentration and visualization.

My conclusion is that we should all be very happy. We are so fortunate; there is no reason to worry. Just keep in mind, "My main practice is the three principal paths to enlightenment. In particular, I should develop renunciation and not remain stuck to any sense object or to any idea." Be blissful and enjoy your life; do not let yourself become obsessed with anything. Determine to use the rest of your life to benefit others as much as possible. It is not necessary to subject yourself to suffering, but you should have the attitude that you will happily bear any experience, as long as it benefits others. As for meditation on emptiness, just keep an eye on your everyday life and observe how you surround yourself with incredible projections. Also remember that whether you do po-wa or not, if you have compassion in general and the three principal paths in particular, you already have the best method of transferring your consciousness. The best way to lead your life and to be happy is by giving the best possible vibrations to others. Instead of being angry, uptight, guilty or upset with yourself you should try to be happy with both yourself and others.

So now let us practice a little bit and then do the dedication. Thank you.


A lightly edited transcript of teachings given in March 1981 at Tushita Retreat Centre, Dharamsala, India. Originally published as a transcript by Wisdom Publications.

  • Second Discourse: 3rd March http://www.lamayeshe.com/lamayeshe/toc/toc_2.shtml
  • Third Discourse: 3rd March http://www.lamayeshe.com/lamayeshe/toc/toc_3.shtml
  • Fourth Discourse: 4th March http://www.lamayeshe.com/lamayeshe/toc/toc_4.shtml
  • Fifth Discourse: 5th March http://www.lamayeshe.com/lamayeshe/toc/toc_5.shtml
  • Sixth Discourse: 6th March http://www.lamayeshe.com/lamayeshe/toc/toc_6.shtml
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