Questions About Practices for the Dead ∑ If the family doesn’t have the resources to make offerings to high lamas or masters, what can they do to help a dying relative who has no spiritual beliefs? Can the family say prayers and aspire to help their relative themselves? Would that be enough? Yes, absolutely! All the family needs to do is make sure that the name of the dead person is spoken into the ears of a good practitioner. There is no need to make big offerings, or write fat cheques, or light candles or incense. No fees whatsoever are necessary. It is fundamentally wrong to charge a fee for any kind of compassionate activity – to do so would defeat the whole purpose. At the same time, making offerings to the buddhas, bodhisattvas, monks and nuns generates merit. Making offerings may also help you feel confident that you really are accumulating merit and good deeds on behalf of your loved one. So if you can, by all means, make offerings. And bear in mind that your offering doesn’t have to be vast. The offering of a single flower petal in the dead person’s name is enough, or a penny, or a pebble. Or you could buy dinner for a beggar. Traditionally, the Chinese offer joss paper, food and clothing, etc., for the dead. Does this kind of offering help? Yes, it does. But obviously, whichever tradition you follow, do it properly. Offerings are far more effective when accompanied by the proper ritual. What makes a ritual ‘proper’? Your motivation; motivation is the key. The proper motivation for performing rituals for the dead is the heartfelt and sincere wish to free them from suffering. Without that motivation, burning a million dollars-worth of joss paper won’t help. The Chinese have been burning joss paper for hundreds of years; it’s one of the customs that provides the framework for a large part of their lives. Today, we can adapt this tradition and make it part of a sur practice (see page ). Traditionally, Tibetans burn barley flour (tsampa) instead of joss paper, but it really doesn’t matter what you burn, just as long as your motivation is pure and you believe that the offering has been received. If a burnt offering is made with the right motivation, the bardo being will feel well-nourished and fully sustained by it. We human beings are creatures of habit. You and I are delighted when we are given money or taken out for dinner. Similarly, a bardo being is delighted when it is offered sur. Whether we are alive or dead, our habits remain the same. And our habits are usually so strong that if, for example, you are given money in a dream, even though the giver, receiver and money are all an illusion, you still feel happy. So whatever you offer to the dead, never worry or even speculate about whether it has been received or not. Just believe that the offering has reached the person for whom it was intended. You will increase the benefit of burning joss paper by making your offering within the framework of a sur ritual, which includes a specific visualization, motivated by the wish to liberate the dead person from all their suffering. What you should never do is make an offering because you don’t want the ghost of a dead person hanging around and bothering you or your family. The purpose of sur is not merely to shoo away a bardo being. QUESTIONS ABOUT PRACTICES FOR THE DEAD How important is it to train in Phowa practice? Phowa practice is important. But always remember that the pillar or spine of phowa is devotion. Ideally, for phowa to work, the dying or dead person should have unwavering trust and belief in the method and, at the very least, be familiar with the practice. For those who don’t have this kind of trust, if the motivation of the person invited to perform the phowa ritual is based on bodhichitta, they obviously have devotion for the path of phowa and their practice will help. Those with an enormous amount of merit will know a great master who can do phowa for them as they die. Best of all is to learn and practise phowa while you are alive and do it for yourself when you die. Phowa isn’t the only practice that helps after death. Any of the methods that appear in this book are of tremendous benefit. Merely showing the dying person a photo of the Buddha, or reciting the names of the Buddha helps enormously, even once the person is dead. You could also show the dying person an image from their own culture that inspires a sense of love, compassion and serenity, like the Virgin Mary. I want to help my dead partner but find it hard to decide which of the recommended practices are essential and truly beneficial, and which are cultural and based in superstition. This is a difficult question to answer because almost all rituals are influenced by national cultures and entangled in superstition. For example, people in Europe and America rarely greet each other by pressing their palms together in the Anjali mudra, whereas in India the gesture is commonplace. However rich the teachings on the origin and purpose of this mudra and however elaborate the philosophical interpretations, it can only ever be classified as an Indian cultural phenomenon. Once again, your motivation is of paramount importance. Buddhists are never content merely to offer temporary consolation or practical assistance. ‘Help’ from a Buddhist perspective means helping sentient beings attain enlightenment. As long as you are motivated by bodhichitta and the wish to help the dying person become enlightened, it really doesn’t matter what you do. For a Buddhist, the best of all possible philanthropic activities is to study and practise the Buddhadharma. If, for whatever reason, that’s not possible, you could make offerings to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, or offer to do some voluntary work for an organization or charity that aims to spread the Buddhadharma. Or you could make it possible for someone else to work for that organization. Or you could support a practitioner financially so they can study and practice. Or you could print prayer flags or pictures of the buddhas. Again, there are many options to chose from. Questions About Other Aspects of Death ∑ Grief and Loss The person I love most in the world has just died. What is the best thing I can do for him? We always want the best for the people we love. We want to give them everything they ever wished for and we are often willing to sacrifice everything we value for their benefit. But what is ‘best’? Would buying your dying father a solid gold bed prevent him from dying? Or a carved turquoise toilet seat, or a ticket from Paris to Hong Kong on the Trans-Siberian Railway, or a night in the White House? For a moment or two, you may both be thrilled by any one of these extraordinary gifts, yet not one of them has any lasting value. So why not do something in your loved one’s name that will truly help them – like sponsoring philanthropic activities that will benefit sentient beings and the environment. Ultimately, the best thing you can do for those you love is to give them the Dharma and help them understand it. The next best thing is to practise the Dharma yourself and dedicate your practice towards the happiness and wellbeing of those you love and all suffering beings. Remember, you have loved every single sentient being a billion times throughout trillions of lives. Your current love happens to be the one you know right now, but believe it or not, it won’t be long before you start forgetting about him or her, as well as everyone else you love – if not while you are still alive, certainly once you are in the bardos. By the time you are reborn into your next life, you will have forgotten about everyone. How can I help and support someone whose grief is so intense that they can’t move on? It depends on how serious their condition is. If their grief is making them ill you may need to bring in professional help. Once their condition has stabilized, tell them about the truth of impermanence, the unwavering refuge of the Dharma, Buddha and Sangha, and that, now more than ever, they should work for for the benefit of all sentient beings. Suggest that they make a promise to take on that great task. What should I tell my kids about death? How do I prepare them for the death of their mother? The advice Buddhists give children about death is pretty much the same as the advice that is given to adults. It is important to be honest with your children about what happens at death, unless that kind of honesty goes against what is culturally acceptable in your society. Young minds are able to accept difficult truths that many adults cannot bear to think about. But always take the child’s individual character into consideration and explain what will happen gently and simply. Think long-term, especially when it comes to children. If you don’t tell your children the truth, they may think their mother willingly abandoned them when she died. Of course, once they grow up, they will realize she had no choice. But strong emotions implanted in a young mind are difficult to shake in adulthood, so make it clear to your children that their mother had absolutely no choice about dying. My young son died of a drug overdose. This is usually considered negative karma for both of us. But if the shock and heartbreak is a catalyst for deepening my faith, practice and insight, could the socalled ‘negative karma’ become positive? And might his negative karma eventually be exhausted if I were to dedicate my spiritual path to him? Or at least, could that be a way of purifying his karma? Whether a karma is good or bad is entirely subjective. There is a story told in Tibet about a bandit whose life changed completely the moment he slashed open the belly of a pregnant horse, killing both mother and foal. As the unborn foal slipped from its mother’s body, even though the mother herself was in terrible pain and moments from death, her immediate reaction was to lick her foal and comfort it. The bandit was unexpectedly moved by the sight of the dying mother’s love and concern for her newborn and he deeply regretted having murdered her. So much so that he instantly broke his sword, turned away from his violent way of life forever, started practising the Dharma and then quickly became realized. Yes, of course your Dharma practice will exhaust your son’s negative karma – in fact, that alone will do it. And I rejoice at your decision to view his death in this way and to use it as your path. What kind of support should I give to a child who has lost her parents? It depends on the situation. Many, many children lose their parents. From the Buddhist point of view, children and parents share a very strong karma. Obviously, you should give the child unconditional love, care and guidance. But most important of all is that everything you offer and do for the child springs from the good motivation of bodhichitta. When you take care of children who have lost their parents, constantly ask the buddhas and bodhisattvas to help you to help them, and pray that everything you offer makes a positive impact on the children’s lives. Apart from that, it’s not an easy task. If you have the time and the resources, try to be a good friend to orphaned children. Taking on a formal role of mentor, advisor or carer role in the child’s life is good, but even more important is to be a good friend and companion – someone the child can always count on. Try to dedicate as much time to them as you can. How can I make sure my baby will be a Buddhist? Is there anything I can do to ensure that my baby will be the reincarnation of a person who can benefit all sentient beings? Asanga and his half-brother Vasubhandu – two of the most famous and celebrated Buddhist authorities in fourth-century India – were said to have been born as a result of the extraordinarily pure aspirations of their mother, Prasannishila. Although Prasannashila was born into the Brahmin cast, she became so distressed by the rapid decline of Buddhism and lack of qualified teachers that she resolved to remedy the situation by giving birth to sons. After making many pure and powerful aspiration prayers she conceived twice: once with a Brahmin man, who fathered Vasubandhu; and once with a royal prince, who fathered Asanga. When the boys were old enough to ask about their fathers’ castes, Prasannashila replied: “You weren’t born to follow in your fathers’ footsteps! You were born to train your minds as Buddha taught, then spread his Dharma far and wide.” So they did, all as a result of their mother’s powerful aspirations. Why not follow Prasannashila’s example? Make prayers of aspiration that your children will have the ability to truly help others. You could even aspire to attract and date men who also have the ability and wish to help others. While you are having sex, remember that your motivation is to give birth to a person who can be of real benefit. To be of benefit, a person doesn’t have to be a Rinpoche or a Buddhist guru or monk or nun. Your child may be able to benefit sentient beings most effectively by becoming the scientist who discovers the cure for Ebola or dengue fever, or a compassionate president with a gift for solving their country’s problems, or a very wealthy businessperson who endows many university chairs in subjects that promote methods for countering insatiable greed, selfishness and cruelty. Abortion What is the Buddhist view of abortion? How can I help women who have had abortions and the aborted beings? Aborting a living being is murder. Imagine what it must be like for a baby to be aborted. Bardo beings are desperate to find a new body and to live in the material world. How would you feel if, having struggled for goodness knows how long to enter a body, your own mother consciously kicked you out and had your precious, new body flushed away? It is an exceptionally painful experience. Having said that, women who have had abortions or who have encouraged others to have abortions and now feel guilt and regret about what they have done must always remember that we ignorant beings are responsible for perpetrating millions of hideous actions over countless lifetimes. Don’t allow this single negative action to discourage you or weigh you down so heavily that you end up depressed and helpless. We must all remember all our misdeeds and confess them. At the same time, you now have the opportunity to do some good. Seize that opportunity! Dedicate all your good actions to the enlightenment of the baby you aborted and to all the beings you mistreated, murdered, robbed and raped in the past. You can help women who have had abortions and the aborted beings through Buddhist practice. Start by taking refuge and arousing bodhichitta. In Japan and China, Kshitigarbha is an extremely popular bodhisattva. In Japan, Kshitigarbha is known as Jizo Bosatsu, and in China as ‘Dizang’ or ‘Ti-tsang’. This great bodhisattva famously vowed not to become a buddha himself until all the hell realms were completely empty. One of the forms he takes is guardian and protector of dead babies and fetuses. If you wish, offer lights, incense and prostrations to Jizo Bosatsu, recite his mantra and dedicate the merit to all aborted babies everywhere, and their mothers and fathers. If you have received the appropriate empowerments, you could also recite sadhanas of Avalokiteshvara, Akshobhya and Kshitigarbha. Otherwise, you could recite the Kshitigarbha sutra in whichever language you prefer. • Chinese and English translations of the Kshitigarbhasutra can be found at ksitigarbhasutra.com/ One of the tiny Jizo statues in the Ohara nenbutsu-ji, Kyoto Jizo Mantra in Sanskrit om ha ha ha vismaye svaha Jizo Mantra in Japanese on kakaka bisanmaei sowaka Jizo Mantra in Chinese (pinyin) námó dìzàng wáng púsà Jizo Bosatsu Suicide Physician-assisted death is now legal in a number of western countries. Despite receiving the best care, a few chronically ill Buddhists have indicated that they would like to have this option open to them. How should a Buddhist hospice respond to someone who seeks an assisted death? And how can we best participate in the public conversation about this sensitive topic? The spiritual opportunities available in the natural bardo of this life make being alive very precious. While you are alive, you can choose to practise being aware, conscious, mindful, loving, compassionate and virtuous. But you will be taking a huge risk if you opt for an assisted death in order to die painlessly. If your hair caught fire you would immediately try to put it out. Similarly, the moment a Buddhist realizes they are picking up a new bad habit, their immediate response should be to break the habit. Buddhists actively discourage all habits, good and bad, because habits are dangerous, especially the bad habits that cause pain and suffering for ourselves and others. Suicide is a habit we pick up very quickly and is extremely difficult to break. It’s a little like being addicted to alcohol and incapable of saying no to a drink. Habit plays a huge role in defining future rebirths. Once you have formed the habit of ending your life when things get tough, you will resort to suicide more and more quickly in your future lives. Buddhists who have studied the teachings on karma and reincarnation should know this. Of course, this argument will not work if you are not a Buddhist and have no belief in reincarnation. Neither will it work if you think that death is the end of everything. For Tantrikas, purposefully ending your own life is simply unthinkable. Tantra sees the five aggregates as the five buddha mandalas and to deliberately destroy those mandalas goes directly against Tantric law. As a Buddhist, even though you are in constant, unremitting pain and have no hope of recovery or relief, it is important that you do everything you can to take advantage of your situation. You could, for example, practice for all sentient beings by doing tonglen. Think to yourself: By going through this terrible pain, May the karma that causes pain for all sentient beings Be exhausted. Mature practitioners often find that acute pain brings their awareness alive. Many great masters have said that pain is like a broom that sweeps away all your karma. Suffering also has its worth. Through sorrow, pride is driven out And pity felt for those who wander in samsara; Evil is avoided; goodness seems delightful. What is the difference between euthanasia, assisted suicide and assisted dying? From the Buddhist point of view, all these methods fall into the same category. I completely understand the motivation behind wanting to end a person’s pain and suffering, but to purposefully end a life is not an option. Maybe what Buddhist hospices and care centres could do is teach the dying how to offer the remainder of their life force to all sentient beings through dedication. This is a far better long-term solution than letting people end their lives with an overdose of pills. Advice for Those Suffering Unbearable Pain What can you do if you suffer from unremitting, incurable, chronic pain but your doctors tell you that you could live for months, or even years? Try to accumulate as much merit as possible. Pray that the pain you are suffering and the pain of dying will not be prolonged. You could even pray to die as soon as possible and offer the months and years you have left in this life to the great bodhisattvas so that they have more time to help sentient beings. Make strong aspirations to be reborn quickly in a better rebirth, where you can also continue helping and enlightening countless sentient beings. Buddhas and bodhisattvas, let me die right now! May the months and years that remain of this life Be added to the lives of great bodhisattvas Who can truly help all sentient beings. Make this prayer joyfully, wholeheartedly and with the right motivation. By praying in this way, you will continue to accumulate merit during your final days and hours. Motivated by the wish to start afresh and with renewed energy, arouse the strong determination to be reborn as someone who can genuinely help others. Pray that what is left of your present lifeforce goes with you into your next rebirth. Buddhas and bodhisattvas, let me die right now! May the months and years that remain of this life, Be added to my next life. May I instantly be reborn With the energy, determination and ability To help sentient beings, Selflessly and lovingly. May I then continue to work to bring All sentient beings to the perfect happiness of enlightenment. If you have received the appropriate empowerment, you could also do an Amitayus long-life puja or sponsor someone else to do it for you. What is the Buddhist view of modern attempts to live forever – for example, cryopreservation. If the method maintains the continuation of an individual mind and doesn’t require others to suffer, then it is acceptable. A longing for immortality is nothing new. But none of the attempts human beings make to live forever will ever devalue the Buddha’s mind instructions. Why? Because Buddha consistently describes the realms sentient beings inhabit as ‘infinite’ and ‘boundless’. It’s a bit like this: from the Buddhist point of view, if you were to faint or fall into a coma, it would make no difference whether you fainted for one second or one thousand years. No one yet knows if removing your head and freezing it really will preserve your mind. Nevertheless, a surprising number of people are taking that gamble for the sake of a possible new body in the future. But to make the attempt, they have to take their lives this lifetime. Is this suicide? Does life end during this procedure? If it does, you will have committed suicide. If the head is still alive once it has been separated from the body and remains alive while frozen, then you won’t. But if you are not certain whether the head is still alive or not, I cannot answer this question. According to Buddhism, death is the separation of body and mind. However, I am ready to accept that it is possible to be alive without a whole body. There is nothing in any of the Buddhist sutras and shastras to suggest that you are only alive if your body is whole. If science were able to prove that a mere lock of hair could retain a life force and consciousness, I would have to agree that it is a living being. From the Buddhist point of view, though, your attempt at achieving immortality could end up creating a hell realm. Do you really want to live forever? Wouldn’t you get bored? Is trying to extend your life really worthwhile? For Buddhists, life is only considered valuable because it provides us with a vessel in which to work towards understanding the truth. To live for billions of years while constantly retreating further and further from the truth is what Buddhists would describe as a god realm. Can I help someone who is already dead but whose ghost or spirit is still around? Yes, definitely! Do a sur ritual yourself, or sponsor someone else to do it. Sur makes ghosts very happy (see page ). Once the consciousness has separated from the body, we no longer filter what we experience through our senses. Yet the bardo texts say we will experience dazzling lights (visual phenomena) and thunderous sounds (audible phenomena). Does a bardo being believe it has these visual and audible experiences because it still has the habit of experiencing energy in this way and therefore projects a mental body? Or are these experiences described in language we can relate to for the sake of communication, even though the actual experience is impossible for us to imagine while we have bodies? Both are true. For Tantrikas Preparation for Death ∑ For Practitioners with Superior Faculties Remember the Guru, the View and the Deity If you follow the Vajrayana path, there are three crucial things to think about and remember as you prepare for death: The guru, the person who introduced you to the nature of the mind; The view of emptiness, shunyata, where your mind should dwell; and The deity with whom you became acquainted in life through practice, who acts as a point of reference and reminds you about the union of emptiness and clarity. Of these three, the guru is probably the easiest to remember because you will have met your guru during your life and therefore know what the guru looks and sounds like. As a Tantrika, you will also have trained your mind in Vajrayana visualization and accomplishment practices. These practices help you get used to the appearance of the guru and the deity, and also to become familiar with their names, activities and manifestations. This kind of practice is called ‘sadhana’. Practising a sadhana isn’t just about reading a text out loud, you also think about the physical characteristics of the deity and the guru, and you recite the mantras. As you experience the process of dying, the best thing you can do is hold the images of the deity and the guru in your mind and remember as many of their attributes, colours and activities as you can – for instance the emanation and reconvergence of rainbow-coloured rays of light. As you invoke the deity, it is extremely important that you feel absolutely confident that you are the deity; this is what the Vajrayana calls ‘vajra pride’. Most important of all is that you receive the abhishekas (self-empowerment) from the guru and mix your mind with the guru’s mind, again and again. This is what a good Tantrika will do – the kind of practitioner the sacred texts describe as having ‘superior faculties’. If you have prepared yourself for death by practising phowa in life, then by all means, once the process of death has begun, do a phowa practice for yourself. If you know a good lama, yogi, yogini, monk or nun, you could ask them to do phowa for you. And don’t worry if the practitioner isn’t at your bedside as they do the practice because phowa can be done at a distance. I must stress, though, that the path of phowa is for practitioners with superior faculties. This has nothing to do with being highly educated or clever. Practitioners are not said to have superior faculties because they have finished the Ngöndro or spent decades studying Buddhism. The only faculty that is absolutely indispensible is devotion. Without devotion and a wholehearted belief in the path of phowa, this practice simply won’t work. And these days it is very difficult to find anyone with this kind of devotion. Practitioners with Middling Faculties Remember the Guru The chances of an inexperienced, mediocre practitioner being able to remember the view as they die, or the details of the deity’s appearance and attributes, or even the name of the deity, are slim. Rely instead on the most trustworthy of all paths, which is to pray to your guru. The ‘guru’, in this case, is the guru or teacher you have met during this lifetime and with whom you have talked and interacted. As you die, pray to your guru, receive the four abhishekas, and mix your mind with the mind of your guru, and so on. How to Assist a Tantrika through the Process of Dying Vajra brothers and sisters who have a close relationship with the dying Tantrika can help by reminding them of all the important points of the practice. Remember that life is an illusion, a dream Surrender to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha Arouse bodhichitta Remember the appearance and activities of the deity and the sound of the mantra Dwell in whichever view is most familiar, Madhyamika, Mahamudra or Mahasandhi Remember the view of the union of emptiness and clarity Remember your guru and intensify your feelings of devotion For a dying Tantrika, the most important object of practice to remember and think about is the guru, so recite the name of the dying person’s guru loudly and clearly. From time to time you could sing the name or even shout it. Remind the dying Tantrika about the process of dissolution. The detailed description appears on page . But if time is short, the following may be more appropriate: As the earth element dissolves And you experience the secret sign of shimmering mirages, Visualize your guru in your heart and generate devotion. As the water element dissolves And you experience the secret sign of wisps of mist or smoke, Visualize your guru at your navel and pray to him. As the fire element dissolves And you experience the secret sign of sparks of light like fireflies, Visualize your guru at your forehead. As the air element dissolves And you see a dazzlingly bright light close up, Try to transfer your mind into the mind of your guru, Again and again. Remind the dying Tantrika that everything they see, particularly the secret signs, is a manifestation of mind – also known as the display of their wisdom mind, their rigpa, luminosity, dharmadhatu, dharmata, dharmakaya, or tathagatagarbha, and so on. The term you use will depend on the lineage and tradition the person follows. During the process of dying and at the moment of death, every one of us will be afraid. We will probably also be in physical pain and experience all the other sufferings that accompany death. But as Dharma practitioners, we must take advantage of everything that happens to us. So try simply to look at and watch any pain you feel, without getting caught up in your hopes and fears. In fact, try to watch everything that happens to you without getting entangled in any of it. This is what tantric practitioners can do for one another. Bury me when I die beneath a wine barrel in a tavern. With luck the cask will leak. Tonglen section deleted by Pema Chutor: Water Offering Chokgyur Lingpa Within a fine unbroken vessel of ceramic or precious material, Which is perfectly clean and untainted by poison, Pour water and visualize yourself as Avalokiteshvara. Ring the tingshag bells and imagine that the pretas assemble. I and all beings equal to the sky Take refuge in you, Avalokiteshvara, The protector who embodies all objects of refuge. Just as you formed the resolve towards enlightenment For the sake of liberating beings filling all of space, I will quickly attain buddhahood. May all beings without exception be happy. May they be free from all pain And thus never part from sublime joy. May they remain impartial and without bias. om ah hrih hung The milky stream of nectar flowing from the hand Of Avalokiteshvara Khasarpani Satisfies all hungry ghosts without exception. Imagining this, recite om ah hrih hung and imagine that they attain happy existence (in the higher realms). om jvalamidan sarva pretebhya svaha Imagine that the pretas with restricted ingestion depart. Discard the used water and pour fresh water. Imagine that all pretas with outer and inner obscurations assemble. Contemplate compassionate emptiness and recite this mantra: nama sarva tathagata avalokite om sambhara sambhara hung Imagine that they obtain boundless sense pleasures. Snap your fingers and imagine that they depart elsewhere. Alternatively, in a wide vessel made of precious material Arrange clean water with foodstuff. In the sky before me is Avalokiteshvara, The noble Vajragarbha, Encircled by a host of buddhas, bodhisattvas, Yidam deities, dakinis and Dharma protectors. Below him are evil forces, obstructors, the six classes of beings, And especially all guests of karmic debt. om ah hung Within emptiness, a vast jewel vessel appears From the letter dhrung, Within which my body melts into light And becomes an ocean of tormas and nectar. Consecrate by om ah hung My mind in the form of Khasarpani, Serves all guests with offerings and alms. Tsatsas Imagining this, offer with the sambhara mantra. namah sarva tathagata avalokite om sambhara sambhara hung om Noble Vajragarbha, Who vanquishes all misdeeds and obscurations, And the ocean-like host of venerable objects of refuge, Accept this nectar torma of my body. Grant your blessings, purify misdeeds and obscurations, Bestow the accomplishments and dispel all obstacles. Evil forces, obstructors, spirits, the six classes of beings, And especially all guests of karmic debt, Enjoy this undefiled nectar And clear all karmic debts and obligations. May all your hostility, ill-will and viciousness be pacified, And may you be endowed with the awakened mind. At the end no longer behold the guests for offering and alms, But rest in the continuity of emptiness. Through this you will perfect the accumulations, cheat death, And, in general, purify misdeeds and obscurations And, in particular, clear unwholesome kordrib and karmic debts. For these reasons exert yourself in this every day. This was the liberating offering and giving of the noble Vajragarbha. Following the oral
teachings of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, this was extracted from the Pema Garwang Chöchö, Chokling Tersar, Volume , translated by Erik Pema Kunsang and edited by Michael Tweed, Nagi Gompa, © Rangjung Yeshe Translations & Publications, Reproduced with kind permission of Erik Pema Kunsang.
Increasing Life and Prosperity A Method for Freeing Lives Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo Homage to the Guru and Transcendent Free Conqueror, Lord Boundless Life (Buddha Amitayus). The accomplished master Ngagi Wangchuk Drakpa said: By saving the lives of birds, fish and deer, Or thieves, snakes and others to be killed, Your present life will be extended, Even though it would otherwise be short. As indicated by the above statement, all the sutras and tantras teach that freeing the lives of sentient beings who are certain to be killed is supreme among all types of longevity practices. For this reason and because freeing lives brings immeasurable benefits, all sensible people should increase their efforts to free lives. Generally speaking, this means, with noble frame of mind, to primarily free the lives of the animals in your own possession. Additionally, refrain from killing them yourself or selling them to others. Instead nurture them in peace. By merely doing so, while dedicating the roots of virtue and making aspirations for their benefit, you will have fulfilled this present purpose and it is therefore permissible not to perform any other specific ceremony. If you prefer to perform a slightly more elaborate version in accordance with place, occasion, and degree of detail, then you can do so as found in several instructions from the Early Translations, such as making the [animal] a support for a Dharma protector and so forth. Or, if you wish to perform more detailed versions of the utterance of auspiciousness, dedication and aspirations, it would be excellent if you combine this with a special time such as the Miracle Month (the st month), the eighth day, or the new or full moon. If the primary purpose is to extend someone’s lifespan, then perform this at sunrise at the conducive time of the ‘ascending life-planet’. In any case, place those whose lives are to be freed in front of you and say three times: In the Buddha, the Dharma and the supreme Assembly, I take refuge until enlightenment. By the merit of generosity and so forth, May I attain buddhahood for the welfare of all beings. May all beings have happiness and the cause of happiness. May they be free of suffering and the cause of suffering. May they not be apart from the sublime happiness that is free of suffering. May they remain in the great equanimity free from bias and partiality. Thus contemplate the four immeasurables. If you like, you can chant the names of the Buddhas and their particular dharani mantras. To repeat these many times will bring immense benefit, such as sowing the seed of liberation in the mind-stream of the animals. If you are unable to do that much, then say: Transcendent Free Conqueror, Thus Gone, Foe Destroyer, Truly and Perfectly Awakened Buddha Boundless Light, I salute you. Transcendent Free Conqueror, Thus Gone, Foe Destroyer, Truly and Perfectly Awakened Buddha Unshakeable, I salute you. Transcendent Free Conqueror, Thus Gone, Foe Destroyer, Truly and Perfectly Awakened Buddha Jewel Crest, I salute you. Transcendent Free Conqueror, Thus Gone, Foe Destroyer, Truly and Perfectly Awakened Buddha Renowned King of Splendour, I salute you. Transcendent Free Conqueror, Thus Gone, Foe Destroyer, Truly and Perfectly Awakened Buddha Jewel, Moon and Lotus Adorned King of Knowledge, Brilliance and Eloquence, I salute you. Transcendent Free Conqueror, Thus Gone, Foe Destroyer, Truly and Perfectly Awakened Buddha Flawless Pure Gold, Jewel Light, Master of Courageous Conduct, I salute you. Transcendent Free Conqueror, Thus Gone, Foe Destroyer, Truly and Perfectly Awakened Buddha Sorrowless Eminent Splendour, I salute you. Transcendent Free Conqueror, Thus Gone, Foe Destroyer, Truly and Perfectly Awakened Buddha Dharma Expounding Melodious Ocean, I salute you. Transcendent Free Conqueror, Thus Gone, Foe Destroyer, Truly and Perfectly Awakened Buddha Dharma Ocean Higher Knowledge Displayed through Eminent Insight, I salute you. Transcendent Free Conqueror, Thus Gone, Foe Destroyer, Truly and Perfectly Awakened Buddha Supreme Healer King of Lapis Light, I salute you. Transcendent Free Conqueror, Thus Gone, Foe Destroyer, Truly and Perfectly Awakened Buddha Shakyamuni, I salute you. om mani peme hung hrih, namo ratna trayaya, namo bhagavate akshoyobhyaya, tathāgataya, arhate samyak sambuddhāya, tadyatha, om kamkani kamkani, rotsani rotsani, trotani trotani, trasani trasani, pratihana pratihana, sarve karma parampara, nime sarva satva nañtsa soha, nama ratna trayaya, namah arya jnana sagara bairotsana bhyuha rajaya, Tathāgataya, arhate samyak sambhuddhya, namah sarva tathagatebhya arhatabhya samyak sambuddhebhya, namah arya avalokiteshvaraya bodhisatvaya mahasatvaya mahakarunikaya, namah arya avalokiteshvaraya bodhisatvaya mahasataya mahakarunikaya, tadyata om dhara dhara dhiri dhiri dhuru dhuru itte bitte tsale tsale pratsale pratsale kusuke kusuka bare ilimili tsiti jvala mapanaya soha. Repeat this with a clear and loud voice. Then, hold flowers in your hand, and say: In the sky before me is the Guru indivisible from the Transcendent Free Conqueror Buddha Boundless Light encircled by an ocean-like assembly of the precious objects of refuge, including the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions, and the devas and rishis accomplished in truthful speech. They are vividly present and their melodious voices utter auspicious wishes. The immense rain of flowers they shower down increases and extends further and further the life-span and merit, splendour and prosperity, wisdom and virtues, of myself and all sentient beings headed by the benefactor. All those who are reborn as animals are presently freed from the fear of untimely death and live peacefully under the protection of the Three Jewels. Ultimately, when the seed of liberation ripens within their stream of being, they are invested with the fortune of quickly attaining enlightenment. Then, while imagining this, say: Like the mighty royal crest of the victory banner, Sublime deity adorning these practitioners’ heads, Bestowing upon them the supreme accomplishment, Glorious and eminent guru, may your auspiciousness be present! Unexcelled teacher, precious Buddha, Unexcelled protector, precious sacred Dharma, Unexcelled guide, precious Sangha; May the auspiciousness of the refuge objects, the Three Jewels, be present! Boundless Life, the primary guide of this world, Who overcomes all types of untimely death, Protector of all unprotected and suffering beings, May the auspiciousness of the Buddha Amitayus be present! After you have chanted whatever verses of auspiciousness you know, then say: The strength of giving truly exalts the Buddha. The Lion of Men has realized the strength of giving. When entering the city of compassion, May the life-span of perfect giving also increase! The strength of ethics truly exalts the Buddha. The Lion of Men has realized the strength of ethics. When entering the city of compassion, May the life-span of perfect ethics also increase! The strength of patience truly exalts the Buddha. The Lion of Men has realized the strength of patience. When entering the city of compassion, May the life-span of perfect patience also increase! The strength of perseverance truly exalts the Buddha. The Lion of Men has realized the strength of perseverance. When entering the city of compassion, May the life-span of perfect perseverance also increase! The strength of concentration truly exalts the Buddha. The Lion of Men has realized the strength of concentration. When entering the city of compassion, May the life-span of perfect concentration also increase! The strength of insight truly exalts the Buddha. The Lion of Men has realized the strength of insight. When entering the city of compassion, May the life-span of perfect insight also increase! om namo bhagavate aparimita ayurjnana subinishchai tatejo rajaya tathāgataya arhate samyak sambuddhaya tadyata om punye punye mahapunye aparirmita punye aprimita punye jñana sambharo pachite om sarva samskara pari shuddha dharma tegagana samudgate svabhava vishuddhe mahanaya parivare svaha. Utter this as many times as you can while scattering flowers. Then say: As implied by the virtuous roots of doing this, may the virtuous roots gathered throughout the three times make the Buddha’s teachings prosper and bring forth immense virtuous goodness in the world. May all sublime people upholding the Dharma live long and steadfast and may their activities flourish. May I and all sentient beings, headed by this benefactor, have increased life-span and merit, splendour, prosperity, and wisdom. May these animals too be freed from the fears of samsara and the lower realms, and soon attain the precious state of enlightenment. Having formed these thoughts, with one-pointed resolve then say: By this virtue may all beings Perfect the accumulations of merit and wisdom, And may they attain the sacred two kayas Resulting from this merit and wisdom. By this virtue may all attain omniscience. Having defeated the enemy, wrongdoing, From the stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death, From the ocean of samsara, may I free all beings. In all our lives, wherever we take rebirth, May we never be separate from the Three Jewels. May we always venerate them, And receive their blessings. May the precious mind of enlightenment Arise in those it has not arisen. Where it has arisen, may it not wane, But increase further and further. As the single source of benefit and well-being, May the teachings remain for a long time, And may the life-span of the people who uphold these teachings, Be steadfast like the banner of victory! May the world have peace and delightful years, May crops be bountiful and cattle increase, May the source of every peace and goodness be present, And may all wishes be fulfilled. In this very life as well May all types of unfavourable conditions subside, May we have long life, good health, and prosperity. And attain enduring happiness. By the strength of this powerful merit In this life may the benefactors, Along with their following accomplish their aims, Be free of obstacles, have the best of luck, And fulfill their spiritual wishes. In this way make dedication and aspirations. Then say: By the blessings of the supreme Buddha, eminent and unexcelled, The victorious sun of truth, May the harmful foes of maras and obstructors subside So that the auspiciousness of constant splendour is present day and night. By the blessings of the Dharma of the unconditioned nature, eminent and unexcelled, The sacred Dharma’s nectar of truth, May the painful foes of the five poisonous emotions subside, So that the auspiciousness of constant splendour is present day and night. By the blessings of the Sangha’s qualities blazing in precious brilliance, The truly beneficial deeds of the conqueror’s offspring, May the flaws of misdeeds be removed and may goodness increase, So that the auspiciousness of constant splendour is present day and night. Having uttered these and other suitable verses of auspiciousness, say: Enjoyment of the splendour of immortal life, Intelligence and discerning insight, Whatever splendour and wealth of samsara and nirvana there may be, May their auspiciousness be spontaneously present. May merit increase and flourish like the lofty king of mountains, May great fame spread throughout the sky, May there be long life, good health and spontaneous benefit for others, And may the auspiciousness of an ocean of eminent qualities be present. May this place have peace and happiness morning and night, May the midday as well be peaceful and happy, May there be peace and happiness every day and night, And the auspiciousness of the Three Jewels be present. om ye dharma hetu prabhava hetun teken tathagato haya wadet tekeñchayo nirodha ewam vadi maha shramana svaha Uttering this, make peace and goodness by strewing flowers. If you prefer, some other texts for longevity practice mention that one can “make the sun and moon marks on the forehead of those whose lives you have freed so that they will henceforth not be killed.” In this way, it is taught that drawing the design of the sun and moon with butter on their foreheads creates the auspicious coincidence for luck and good fortune. Do so accordingly. Furthermore, if you refrain from using traps, fishing nets or the like, in order to save the lives of birds, fish and deer, do so while including the above-mentioned bodhichitta resolve as well as the dedications and aspirations. By combining this with a smoke offering (lhasang) and so forth, the benefits will be immeasurable, as exemplified by freeing lives. In particular, in the area where you do this practice many auspicious signs will appear, such as seasonal rainfall, and prosperous crops and cattle. In his Jewel Garland, the noble Nagarjuna says: Sensible people should always place food, water and plant oil Or heaps of grains at the entrance to an ant nest. Accordingly, giving food to ants, clean food to fish, or medicine to the sick, throwing a feast for children, or giving food and drink to birds and the destitute, all these should be embraced with the skillful means of the bodhichitta resolve and sincere dedications and aspirations. If you do so, it will become a cause for averting death, increasing prosperity and, ultimately, great enlightenment. Since this is easy to do, involves minor hardship and brings immense benefit, all intelligent people should, in various ways, persevere in these skillful means for gathering the accumulations. In order to benefit both myself and others, this was written by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, someone who is devoted to the Bodhisattva Pitaka, motivated by pure intentions. May this be a cause for the lives of the sublime upholders of the teachings to last for a hundred eons, for all sentient beings to be liberated from the fears of untimely death, and for their imminent attainment of the state of the Buddha of Boundless Life. Sarva Mangalam. At the command of Chadral Rinpoche, a great bodhisattva who truly embodies the virtues mentioned here, this was translated by Erik Pema Kunsang and edited by Marcia Binder Schmidt and Michael Tweed. Proofread and reprinted by Idan in . © Rangjung Yeshe Translations & Publications, Printed by Editions Padmakara with kind permission of Rangjung Yeshe Translations & Publications. Reproduced with the kind permission of Erik Pema Kunsang. Tagdrol: ‘Liberation Through Wearing’ Chakra of Padma Shitro – The Peaceful and Wrathful Deities of the Padma Family Khenpo Sonam Tashi translation Khenpo Sonam Phuntsok The name of the ‘liberation through wearing’ chakra that appears on page is ‘Padma Shitro Tagdrol’. It is a treasure that was originally revealed by Tertön Nyima Senge, then rediscovered by Pema Ösel Dongak Lingpa (Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo). Whether the dead person was a Buddhist or not, if their family wants to help them by placing a tagdrol on their corpse, they will need a Padma Shitro chakra. You can usually get a consecrated tagdrol from a practising Buddhist or a Buddhist Dharma centre, alternatively you could photocopy the chakra, then consecrate it by following the instructions Khyentse Rinpoche gave in response to the question below. The chakra should be folded into a square, wrapped in a clean piece of cloth and properly consecrated, then placed over the heart centre of the corpse and fixed in place. It should remain on the corpse for the cremation. This kind of tagdrol is not just for the dead; while you are alive you can also wear it, either on the crown of your head or around your neck. The benefits of wearing a tagdrol are that in this life, sickness, negative energies and the defilements of bad actions are pacified, and life-span, merit, prosperity and wisdom are increased. And in the next life, you will be reborn in Sukhavati, the buddhafield of Buddha Amitabha. Anyone who wears this tagdrol will also benefit from ‘liberation through touching’ by which the seed of enlightenment is planted. There are also many other benefits. When a person dies, what should be done with the chakra they wore? If the dead person was a yogi or a yogini, place the chakra at the heart centre and burn it with the body. The dissolution of the elements will not be completely finished until hours after death, during which time the dead person’s consciousness will remain at the heart. This is why it is best not to move or burn the body for at least hours after death, and why it is so important to: do the practices that purify negative actions; introduce the peaceful and wrathful manifestations, sounds and lights in the bardo state as none other than the projections of one’s mind; and do phowa practice (transference of consciousness). How to Make a Tagdrol If a Dharma centre, a lama or a Dharma practitioner wishes to help others by making a Pema Shitro Tagdrol, they should print or photocopy many thousands of the chakra (page ) and fully anoint the the image on the paper with blessed amrita pills soaked in saffron water. Then fold the chakra correctly, without creasing its centre. . Fold the right side of the paper vertically from right to left. . Fold the left side vertically from left to right. . Fold the bottom part of the paper horizontally upwards. . Fold the top of the paper downwards. All the folds should result in a square, which is then wrapped with cloth or threads of five colours. Consecrate the chakras and keep them in a substance box, to be taken out when needed. As this book was being made, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche was asked: is it possible to consecrate the chakra without the help of a lama? Rinpoche replied: “If you can get a tagdrol that has been blessed and consecrated by an accomplished and qualified lama, please do. If not, ask a Tantrika – a Vajrayana practitioner – to bless photocopies of the chakra by practising a complete sadhana – any sadhana will do. Sadhanas usually include a prayer to request that all the deities invoked through the practice remain in the practice supports – for example, buddha statues or paintings. In this case, the Tantrika should request that the deities remain in the photocopied chakras, which you can then use to make tagdrol. How to Fold a Tagdrol Folding lines Tsatsas How to Make Tsatsas Thangtong Tulku Many traditions and methods for making tsatsas have evolved over the centuries, but the following is one of the simplest and easiest. . Buy or Make a Tsatsa Mould Ready-made silicone tsatsa moulds are easy to buy and a number of options are available online – for example, from the Nalanda Monastery website nalanda-monastery.eu/files/workshop/ Catalog.pdf. If you wish to make a specific form of tsatsa you could have a silicone mould custom-made by a professional. The silicone mould-maker will need an example tsatsa from which to create your mould, which traditionally would be commissioned from an experienced sculptor who would work with metal, wood or clay. Alternatively, if you would like to copy a tsatsa or statue, or make a bigger or smaller version, you could have a D print of the image made by a D printing company. A D printer can scan your tsatsa or statue then ‘print’ the exact size you require. Just ask the printer to make sure that the printing definition is high enough – or microns resin SLA printing is good. Once you have the D print you can ask a professional silicone mould-maker to make your moulds for you. Ask the mould-maker to use high-quality silicone rubber. . Make Zung or Mantra Roll Tsatsas contain a ‘zung’ or mantra roll. To make these mantra rolls, first print or write the mantras associated with the shape of the tsatsas on a piece or many pieces of paper – the quickest method is to print many mantras on an A sheet which you can then cut into strips. Paint the mantra paper with saffron soaked in warm water then leave it to dry. Make sure that each individual mantra will be small enough to fit into a tsatsa mould. Roll the mantra paper tightly and mark the end that is the top of the mantra so that you can insert it into the tsatsa the right way up. (Traditionally, red paint is used, but you could use a red felttip pen, biro, or pencil.) If the tsatsa represents a deity, the mantra should be placed at the level of the heart; if the tsatsa is in the shape of a stupa, the mantra should be placed at its centre. . Gather the Materials and Tools Synthetic plaster or dental plaster It is best to use high quality plaster. The kind of plaster that is used in construction is cheaper but it cracks and breaks very easily and is not recommended. A weighing machine A weighing machine will help make sure that the correct quantities of plaster and water are used, which vary depending on the quality of the plaster. The instructions will appear on the plaster packaging or instruction sheet. Plaster mixing machine A plaster mixer is a specialist machine for mixing together the dry plaster and water. If you prefer, you could use a power drill if you can get the right attachment. Bio-ethanol or acetone Bio-ethanol or acetone is often sprayed onto the mould before it is filled with plaster because it helps release the tension between the plaster and the silicone, thereby avoiding bubbles. Spray bottle You will need a spray bottle to spray the bio-ethanol or acetone onto the mould. Paint brushes A small, soft paint brush is needed to brush the bubbles out of the mould once the plaster has been poured. Mendrup (amrita pills) Soak some mendrup (amrita pills) in warm water, then add a little to the dry plaster before you mix it with water. Take care not to add too much, just a little will do. Paint We recommend using acrylic paint for painting the tsatsas because it is water soluble and easy to use. A dehumidifier If you have a garden or a terrace, you could put the tsatsas outside to dry in the sun. But if that is not possible, a dehumidifier in the room where you leave the tsatsas to dry will ensure that they dry all the way through. An air compressor, air gun or paint gun An air gun is used to make sure the silicone moulds are absolutely clean before you make the next tsatsa. If you use a paint gun, you could also use it to paint the tsatsas once the plaster is dry. Wood glue (Fevicol in India) Damaged tsatsas can be mended by mixing a drop or two of this wood glue with a tiny amount of water and plaster. . The Tsatsa Making Process Once the tools and ingredients have been gathered, the tsatsa making process can begin. If you wish, you can recite mantras as you work – for example Vajrasattva’s one hundred-syllable mantra, om mani padme hum, and/or the mantra of dependent origination. One Hundred-Syllable Mantra of Vajrasattva om vajrasattva samaya manupalaya vajrasattva tenopa tishtha dridho me bhawa sutokhayo me bhawa supokhayo me bhawa anurakto me bhawa sarwa siddhi me prayaccha sarwa karma su tsa me tsittam shreyang kuru hung ha ha ha ha ho bhagawan sarwa tathagata vajra ma me munca vajri bhawa maha samaya sattva ah Mantra of Dependent Origination om ye dharma hetu prabhava hetun tesam tathagato hyavadat tesam ca yo nirodha evam vadi mahasramanah soha Spray the inside of the mould with bio-ethanol or acetone Make sure the entire surface is covered with the bio-ethanol or acetone by gently brushing it onto the inside of the mould with a paint brush – the surface should be shiny, but not soaked. Measure the correct amounts of plaster and water and, if you wish, add a loved one’s ashes Follow the instructions on the dry plaster packet and measure out the correct quantity of dry plaster and water. Make sure that you add a little of the water that soaked the mendrup. If you wish, as you combine a loved one’s ashes with the dry plaster then add the water, recite Vajrasattva’s one hundred syllable mantra, om mani padme hum, or the mantra of dependent origination. Mix the ingredients thoroughly Combine the water, dry plaster and ashes and mix thoroughly for about seconds. Tip: You must now work quickly because it only takes a few minutes for the plaster to set. Pour the plaster into the tsatsa mould and remove any bubbles Use a small paintbrush to brush any air bubbles out of the plaster. Insert zung or mantra roll Insert the mantra roll into the plaster before it starts to set. Remember: If the tsatsa represents a deity, the mantra should be placed at the level of the heart; if the tsatsa is in the shape of a stupa, the mantra should be placed at its centre. Tip: After the mantra roll has been pressed down into the tsatsa, make sure it doesn’t float back up to the surface. Remove the tsatsa from the mould You may need to leave the tsatsa in the mould for as long as minutes, but keep an eye on it because it could be ready in as little minutes. How long the plaster takes to dry will depend on the quality you use. Make sure you remove the tsatsa from the mould gently. Leave the tsatsa to dry Let the tsatsa dry for about minutes before you mend any damage. Mend any bubble damage If bubbles have spoiled the surface of the tsatsa, mix a drop of wood glue with a tiny amount of water and plaster, and using a small, soft paint brush, repair the damage. Work fast because the mixture will set quickly. This is why it’s best not to mix too much plaster at a time. Continue to make more tsatsas as the first batch dries Before you use the silicone mould again, clean the inside of the mould with the air gun and spray it with bio-ethanol or acetone, then repeat the steps above. Make sure the tsatsas are completely dry The tsatsas must be absolutely dry before they are painted or placed in a stupa – a damp tsatsa can easily develop mould. The easiest way to dry tsatsas is to leave them in the sun for a few days. If that isn’t possible, leave them in a room with the doors and windows shut and a dehumidifier switched on until they dry. This method also takes a few days. Paint the tsatsas (optional) Once the tsatsas are completely dry, you can paint them if you wish. If you only make a few, you could paint them by hand; but if you make many, consider painting them with a paint gun, which is much quicker. It’s difficult to predict how long acrylic paint will take to dry because it depends on the ambient temperature and weather conditions. It will take a lot longer if the weather where you live is wet and cold. Finally, a Few Tips The number of moulds you need will depend on how much time you have to make your tsatsas, how many you wish to make, how many people will be involved in the process and how much room you have to store them in, etc. Silicone does not stick to anything, even to itself, so there is no need to wash a mould after you remove the tsatsa. The silicone rubber mould will be damaged if it comes into contact with hydrocarbon (petrol, oil, gasoil, etc.) or strong acids or chemicals. If plaster sticks to the inside of the mould, use the air gun to clean it out.
