Monday, August 8, 2011
从前，有一座圆音寺，每天都有许多人上香拜佛，香火很旺。在圆音寺庙前的横梁上有个蜘蛛结了张网，由于每天都受到香火和虔诚的祭拜的熏托，蛛蛛便有了佛性。经过了一千多年的修炼，蛛蛛佛性增加了不少。
忽然有一天，佛主光临了圆音寺，看见这里香火甚旺，十分高兴。离开寺庙的时候，不轻易间地抬头，看见了横梁上的蛛蛛。佛主停下来，问这只蜘蛛：“你我相见总算是有缘，我来问你个问题，看你修炼了这一千多年来，有什么真知拙见。怎么样？”蜘蛛遇见佛主很是高兴，连忙答应了。佛主问到：“世间什么才是最珍贵的？”蜘蛛想了想，回答到：“世间最珍贵的是‘得不到’和‘已失去’。”佛主点了点头，离开了。
就这样又过了一千年的光景，蜘蛛依旧在圆音寺的横梁上修炼，它的佛性大增。一日，佛主又来到寺前，对蜘蛛说道：“你可还好，一千年前的那个问题，你可有什么更深的认识吗？”蜘蛛说：“我觉得世间最珍贵的是‘得不到’和‘已失去’。”佛主说：“你再好好想想，我会再来找你的。”
又过了一千年，有一天，刮起了大风，风将一滴甘露吹到了蜘蛛网上。蜘蛛望着甘露，见它晶莹透亮，很漂亮，顿生喜爱之意。蜘蛛每天看着甘露很开心，它觉得这是三千年来最开心的几天。突然，有刮起了一阵大风，将甘露吹走了。蜘蛛一下子觉得失去了什么，感到很寂寞和难过。这时佛主又来了，问蜘蛛：“蜘蛛这一千年，你可好好想过这个问题：世间什么才是最珍贵的？”蜘蛛想到了甘露，对佛主说：“世间最珍贵的是‘得不到’和‘已失去’。”佛主说：“好，既然你有这样的认识，我让你到人间走一朝吧。”
就这样，蜘蛛投胎到了一个官宦家庭，成了一个富家小姐，父母为她取了个名字叫蛛儿。一晃，蛛儿到了十六岁了，已经成了个婀娜多姿的少女，长的十分漂亮，楚楚动人。
这一日，新科状元郎甘鹿中士，皇帝决定在后花园为他举行庆功宴席。来了许多妙龄少女，包括蛛儿，还有皇帝的小公主长风公主。状元郎在席间表演诗词歌赋，大献才艺，在场的少女无一不被他折倒。但蛛儿一点也不紧张和吃醋，因为她知道，这是佛主赐予她的姻缘。
过了些日子，说来很巧，蛛儿陪同母亲上香拜佛的时候，正好甘鹿也陪同母亲而来。上完香拜过佛，二位长者在一边说上了话。蛛儿和甘鹿便来到走廊上聊天，蛛儿很开心，终于可以和喜欢的人在一起了，但是甘鹿并没有表现出对她的喜爱。蛛儿对甘鹿说：“你难道不曾记得十六年前，圆音寺的蜘蛛网上的事情了吗？”甘鹿很诧异，说：“蛛儿姑娘，你漂亮，也很讨人喜欢，但你想象力未免丰富了一点吧。”说罢，和母亲离开了。
蛛儿回到家，心想，佛主既然安排了这场姻缘，为何不让他记得那件事，甘鹿为何对我没有一点的感觉？
几天后，皇帝下召，命新科状元甘鹿和长风公主完婚；蛛儿和太子芝草完婚。这一消息对蛛儿如同晴空霹雳，她怎么也想不同，佛主竟然这样对她。几日来，她不吃不喝，穷究急思，灵魂就将出壳，生命危在旦夕。太子芝草知道了，急忙赶来，扑倒在床边，对奄奄一息的蛛儿说道：“那日，在后花园众姑娘中，我对你一见钟情，我苦求父皇，他才答应。如果你死了，那么我也就不活了。”说着就拿起了宝剑准备自刎。
就在这时，佛主来了，他对快要出壳的蛛儿灵魂说：“蜘蛛，你可曾想过，甘露（甘鹿）是由谁带到你这里来的呢？是风（长风公主）带来的，最后也是风将它带走的。甘鹿是属于长风公主的，他对你不过是生命中的一段插曲。而太子芝草是当年圆音寺门前的一棵小草，他看了你三千年，爱慕了你三千年，但你却从没有低下头看过它。蜘蛛，我再来问你，世间什么才是最珍贵的？”蜘蛛听了这些真相之后，好象一下子大彻大吾了，她对佛主说：“世间最珍贵的不是‘得不到’和‘已失去’，而是现在能把握的幸福。”刚说完，佛主就离开了，蛛儿的灵魂也回位了，睁开眼睛，看到正要自刎的太子芝草，她马上打落宝剑，和太子深深的抱着……
故事结束了，你能领会蛛儿最后一刻的所说的话吗？“世间最珍贵的不是‘得不到’和‘已失去’，而是现在能把握的幸福。”
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
多年前有个中国的学者。一天，他在某大会场向人们讲佛祖绝对不可能存在。
当听众感觉他言之有理时，他便高声向佛祖挑战说：“佛祖假如你果真有灵，请你下来，在这广大的群众面前把我杀死，我们便相信你是存在的了！”他故意静静地等候了几分钟，当然佛祖没有下来杀死他。他便左顾右盼地向听众说：“你们都看见了，佛祖根本不存在！”
怎知有一位妇人，头上裹着一条盘巾，站起来对他说：“先生，你的理论很高明，你是个饱学之士。我只是一个农村妇人，不能向你反驳，只想请你回答我心中的一个问题：我信奉佛多年以来，心中有了佛的教诲，十分快乐；我心中充满佛给我的安慰；因为信奉佛，人生有了最大的快乐。请问：假如我死时发现佛所教诲我的一切根本不存在，我这一辈子信奉佛，会损失了什么呢？”
学者想了好一会儿，全场寂静无声，听众也很同意农村妇人的推理，连学者也惊叹好单纯的逻辑，他低声回答：“女士，我想你一点儿损失也没有。”
农村妇人又向学者说道：“谢谢你这样好的回答。我心中还有一个问题：当你死的时候，假如你发现佛的教诲是千真万确的，也有六道轮回的存在和超出六道佛土的存在，我想请问，你损失了什么？”学者想了许久，竟无言以对。
转载自http://www.xuefo.net/show1_68556.htm
Saturday, July 16, 2011
每次开会，都有许多经验想向你们分享，
但因为时间关系，都忘了要怎么说。
佛学会最近出了些状况，相信大家都心里有数。
我不擅言语，但希望接下来的这些话，大家都听得懂。
有句禅语是这么说的，“烦恼即菩提”。
如何转烦恼为菩提，就看你如何运心转境，将所谓的麻烦和不幸转变成，成功的因。
比如说与其悲叹会员不足，而裹足不前，
倒不如设法积极解决眼前问题。
失败并不可怕，可怕的是害怕失败。
我们在日常生活中都讨厌麻烦，
但偏偏办活动就是少不了麻烦，
而偏偏我们也从这些麻烦中体验及学习到最多。
凡事皆有因缘，往往就是这些麻烦成就了我们。
佛教的因果，推翻了命运是注定及无法改变的说法，
因为我们知道没有一样东西是无端端地出现在那里，事出必有其因。
办活动不必太在乎成败，对我而言，只要大家真的尽力了，问心无愧，那就已经是最大的成功了。
即使是只有六个人出席又如何？与其坐在那里叹气佛学会活动难办，
倒不如认真探讨错在了哪里，到底是哪里出错了？怎么通知了会员却没人肯出席？
时间表有冲突吗？那好，下次办活动时再注意便是，
办了一个活动，即使只有一个人来，那就当作接引一个人吧。
如果你认真地对这个人讲解，他真的欢喜了，下次可能会带更多的朋友来，
这些人即使毕业了，出来社会工作了，也会把这法喜与更多人分享，惠及更多人，
这才是我们办佛学会真正的目的，弘扬佛法，利益众生。
妙赞法师曾经在我们学会筹办展览会最艰难的时期，
对我们说过这么一番话，
只要你决定了去做，就别再犹豫了，别被自己空想象的恐惧和困难给摧毁了你要做的事情，
放手去做，问题来了就解决，没什么大不了的，
往往我们的恐惧和自己想象的困难，都比现实的大得多。
执委们，别让自己心里的恐惧，折服了大家的决心，
勇敢地去做，哪怕结果如何，至少你不会给自己生命留下任何遗憾。
当你真的积极起来的时候，你会发现到前路开阔了许多，
你会发现自己之前所定义的“我已经尽力了”是多么地微不足道，
因为原来还有许多等待你去挖掘的机会和资源，都曾经被你的悲观给蒙蔽了。
我知道这些话，帮不了多少，如果它只是停留在这里，被读过就遗忘了，
也是于是无补。
因为最终还是要依赖大家的群策群力，去办好佛学会，
只有行动才可以产生结果，并解决眼前的问题。
一路走来，佛学会都面对过许多危机，但也走到今天了，
我相信佛法的慧灯还会在我们学院继续传承下去。
最后，有请那些认真读完并思考的人，给自己一个热烈的掌声！：D
祐益
Saturday, April 23, 2011
终于卸下了主席的重担，职务也总算顺利地移交了给新的执委们。
之前很开心收到Nicholas的信息说在学院图书馆遇见了新的执委团在召开会议，
而且出席人数也有超过十个人。
再看看会议报告，和淑君对这次会议的陈诉，
看见了执委们对于办活动的热诚，心里感到百般的欣慰。
感恩淑君及众新任执委们愿意接下这责任继续让佛法得以传承，
让更多年轻人可以接触佛法并从中受惠。
看到新任执委团这么强大的团队，我相信你们肯定会做得比我们之前更有声有色。
或许大家会心里嘀咕自己的佛学底子不强，在佛学会担任职位似乎会有点不适合，
但只要有心去学习，一切都不怕迟。
还记得以前工作，有个律师曾经和我们说过这么一句话，
“与其说我不懂，倒不如说这些正是我想学懂的事情”。
我本身在和Kenn创立佛学会时，对佛法可以说是一窍不通，
什么是三拜，什么是三宝，我都不懂，
一切的一切都是一路走过，学过来的。
希望大家可以籍活动为一个让大家得以快乐成长的平台，
不只在学业上有过人的成就，在心灵上也得到一定程度的成长。
愿 慧灯永续 法轮常转
祐益
之前很开心收到Nicholas的信息说在学院图书馆遇见了新的执委团在召开会议，
而且出席人数也有超过十个人。
再看看会议报告，和淑君对这次会议的陈诉，
看见了执委们对于办活动的热诚，心里感到百般的欣慰。
感恩淑君及众新任执委们愿意接下这责任继续让佛法得以传承，
让更多年轻人可以接触佛法并从中受惠。
看到新任执委团这么强大的团队，我相信你们肯定会做得比我们之前更有声有色。
或许大家会心里嘀咕自己的佛学底子不强，在佛学会担任职位似乎会有点不适合，
但只要有心去学习，一切都不怕迟。
还记得以前工作，有个律师曾经和我们说过这么一句话，
“与其说我不懂，倒不如说这些正是我想学懂的事情”。
我本身在和Kenn创立佛学会时，对佛法可以说是一窍不通，
什么是三拜，什么是三宝，我都不懂，
一切的一切都是一路走过，学过来的。
希望大家可以籍活动为一个让大家得以快乐成长的平台，
不只在学业上有过人的成就，在心灵上也得到一定程度的成长。
愿 慧灯永续 法轮常转
祐益
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Engaging with the Buddha – 1 April 2011 Q&A with Geshe Tenzin Zopa on the screening of the documentary “Decoding the Past” on the subject of Death-Bardo-Rebirth
1. After death and during the bardo (the intermeditate state between death and rebirth), does the consciousness choose its own future parents or does it depend on karma?
Ans: For most ordinary people, it will depend on their karma; but for those practitioners who can control their emotions and minds, they will be able to direct themselves towards their future parents while in the bardo.
2. How does powa work? Do we perform this when person passes away?
Ans: In Tibetan Buddhism, there is a practice called powa, where the dying person is assisted through meditation and prayer to a higher rebirth including the Purelands. The best time to do powa is after clinical death (when the gross body ceases) and before spiritual death (when the consciousness departs the body). When a dying person is no longer breathing and all the organs have shut down but yet, there is still some warmth at the spot below middle of chest and no fluids have as yet been discharged from nose or secret parts, this indicates clinical death but not spiritual death (i.e. the consciousness has not yet left the body) – that is the best time to do powa. There are various powa practices which come from the Tantric teachings – e.g. powa in relation to Amitabha Buddha or powa in relation to a Highest Yoga Tantra Buddha-deity like Vajryogini, Yamantaka, etc.. Commissioning the recitation of texts like the Tibetan Book of the Dead (Bardo Thodol) is also a form of powa practice. If one doesn’t get the chance to perform powa at the ideal time, powa can be done during bardo period. If that’s not possible, then doing so after 49 days can still be done but it will not be as effective as when done during the period between clinical death and spiritual death. Through the dedication of merit of such powerful practices, it can benefit the dec’d in the bardo state or even if the dec’d has been reborn, the conditions of wherever the person has been reborn can be improved.
3. If there is no Buddhist master around to do powa, how can we help?
Ans: To perform powa, one requires an initiation from a master who has high realisations on such practices; one should then do retreats in relation to the practice and to be of benefit to the dec’d, the person doing the powa practice should have some level of realisation (at least stable compassion). However, just dedicating one’s prayers –Chenresig Mantra, Medicine Buddha mantra etc... can be of great benefit to the dec’d because prayer dedications influence the mental imprints of the dec’d person.
4. According to the documentary, the Bardo has several stages – from seeing peaceful deities to wrathful deities. Where does throwing karma come in?
Ans: Throwing karma refers to where one is reborn – whether in the suffering lower realms and or in the higher realms. The first stage of the bardo is where the bardo being is influenced by hallucinations based on desire (hence, that consciousness tends to see peaceful yet desirous images). If one gets attached to such images, one’s desire will be enhanced and this will create another formation of karma – so if the dead person was supposed to take rebirth as human being but during bardo was strongly distracted by attachment, it could divert his rebirth into a preta being (a grasping suffering existence). So what one should do when encountering desirous images is that one should tell oneself that these images are mere objects of illusion, so there is no reason to be attached to the images. Instead, think that those images are Guru Vajrasattva or Guru Heruka with Vajrayogini. One can see from this that if one has stable practice in Highest Yoga Tantra, that will help one to perceive the Buddha mother-father deities rather than see ordinary desirous beings – and this could change your rebirth from ordinary human rebirth but into a Pureland rebirth. As for wrathful deities, those images can be quite scary and might trigger fear and agitation in one’s consciousness, which again could affect the realm of rebirth. Through being familiar with Buddhist wrathful deities, one understands that such wrathful images are to subdue negative emotions and not to harm oneself – in this way, when one encounters such images, one’s fear and anger can be transformed into a positive mind. Further, one will see many colours in the bardo state but by understanding emptiness, one realises that all are illusions and this brings the excited or fearful mind back into a calm state and use that calm-mind as a basis for virtuous thoughts and if one is unable to do that, one will at least by hearing prayers being recited, remember the Dharma and this will be a positive influence on one’s future rebirth. This illustrates that while we are alive, we should practice Dharma ourselves and not only rely on family members to help us with that. The Bardo Thodol explains that Yama (Lord of Death) is also a mere hallucination and there is no actual being there to take your life and cause you to suffer. By hearing prayers, the hallucinated mind of the bardo-being will disappear and when that happens, Yama, fear, suffering disappears. The conclusion is that everything is dependent on one’s mind. In terms of the type of prayers to be recited, it will depend on the individual – Buddhist masters often advise to recite the prayer that the dec’d person is most familiar with – e.g. if that person was familiar with Amitabha Buddha prayers, then recite prayers related to Amitabha for him/her. Generally, what is recommended are the 8 great Prayers (which includes the King of Prayers); Prayers related to Maitreya’s Dedications; Shantideva’s Dedication Prayer from the Dedication Chapter of Bodhicaryavatara, Maitreya Buddha’s mantra. Any sutras.
5. Kyabe Lama Zopa Rinpoche advises us to teach children about death. How do we do this for other family members?
Ans: It is a very challenging task. Some people think it is inauspicious to talk about death and some people have strong grasping to death or simply deny death and are thus unwilling to listen/discuss this subject matter. Rinpoche’s teachings constantly remind us about impermanence and death; the Buddha’s first teaching was about impermanence and death and it was his last teaching as well and in-between, this subject was frequently raised. The reason for it is for us to understand well and be fully prepared to overcome death.
6. For people who follow other/different religions, do they experience the bardo too?
Ans: Everyone (any samsaric being) will experience the bardo and its stages but the intensity of the images will depend on the imprints in that person’s mind. If the person had more negative imprints, the fearful quality of the images will be heavier; if the person had more virtuous imprints, the fearful experiences will be lighter. For the successful practitioners, they too go through the stages but they won’t see the images as frightening nor disturbing but feel joy instead. For non-Buddhists, they might have different explanations about death, based on their own understanding and philosophy. Some don’t even believe in rebirth or the bardo. What the Buddha and the realised beings saw was the death process as what was shown here. We need to think and choose a source that is reliable – for us, we choose what the Buddha described as his experience.
7. It was mentioned in the documentary that it is good to be born human because due to the suffering experienced, we will learn from it. Is it better to be born human or in Purelands?
Ans: The best is to be enlightened before death comes; next best is to be born in the Purelands to continue/complete one’s Dharma cultivation; next is the precious human rebirth where one can also continue/complete one’s Dharma cultivation.
8. Is Pureland in 6 realms?
Ans: Pureland is above (and outside) the 6 realms but it is not necessarily an enlightened state, as there are ordinary beings of great virtue who created causes to be born there but they still need to complete their training.
9. If a deceased person is not guided by any prayers and enters into the bardo state and encounters Yama, what happens?
Ans: Even if there were no prayers recited for such a person, if that person had cultivated during his/her lifetime, that cultivation will be the best form of guidance to the consciousness in the bardo. Of course, if one did not practice at all and there are no prayers recited for him/her, then there is the danger of being born in the lower realms. It is not necessary for all deceased beings to encounter Yama. It depends on one’s karma and mental imprints. (See above Answer to Q6)
10. Bardo period is said to last for a max. of 49 days (7x of 7 days periods) . Are these bardo stages “tests”?
Ans: In the bardo, one is meeting the result (of one’s karma); the “test” was during one’s life! If one had good practice during life, the difficulties in the bardo will be overcome. All images will be seen and understood as mere hallucinations. Not everyone has to experience those images in the bardo. For the great practitioners, instead of seeing peaceful and wrathful deities, the entire bardo experience is a wonderful, grand procession of dakas and dakinis (“angel”- like beings). In terms of speeding up rebirth, if one has very heavy negative karma, the bardo experiences become very intense and there would be no need to wait for 49 days – the images can appear right after death and the bardo-being (the consciousness of the deceased person) then enters the hell realm very quickly.
11. Just before my grandmother passed away, she saw holy beings coming and music. What does this mean?
Ans: That sounds like a good sign because if at the time of death, one has images of Buddhas, holy beings, it shows the consciousness has positive imprints and will thus have a positive bardo experience and a possibility of high rebirth. Although all images at death time are hallucinations, such images helps to bring the mind into calm and virtue and thus activates past good karmic imprints and this increases the chance of a good rebirth.
12. Is it true that everyone who has the chance to come here means that they have good karma from the past and also have the chance to be enlightened. For newcomers here, what kind of practice must they do?
Ans: As long as one wishes to be free from the samsaric world and gain enlightenment, one has to practice the 3 principal aspects of the path namely renunciation, bodhicitta and wisdom realising emptiness.
13. It is said that one needs to chant Amitabha prayer 10x before dying; sometimes someone at point of dying remembers the Amitabha prayer once.
Ans: Yes but one needs a strong foundation to even remember that prayer once. Without cultivation, just reciting mantra would not be enough. Otherwise, Buddha wouldn’t have given 84k teachings, he would have just given one mantra. To be born in Pureland, also not easy. The 3 principal aspects of the path.
14. My loved ones are not Buddhists but Christians – what can I do to help them when they pass away ?
Ans: There is no need to chant Buddhist prayers at that time. As one is interdependent with sentient beings, one should engage in virtues and dedicate it to them.
15. In the documentary shown, if one has more negative karma than positive karma at death-time, can one still obtain a precious human rebirth?
Ans: Yes, on one condition – if one can strengthen one’s past virtuous imprints through your own remembrance of virtue at that time or obtain the family’s help in helping you remember virtue. Doing so, it doesn’t mean all of one’s negative karma will be purified but it will create conducive conditions for you to gain a higher rebirth.
16. How does practice of Highest Yoga Tantra (HYT) benefit us at bardo stage?
Ans: HYT has most detailed and profound teaching on the 3 bodies of the Buddha (the 3 kayas). Dharmakaya (Buddha’s wisdom) practice is the most effective in overcoming conventional/relative death; sambogakaya (Buddha’s form visible to only bodhisattvas) practice is the most elaborate practice to overcome conventional/relative intermediate state and actualise higher rebirth or even enlightenment. Nirmanakaya (Buddha’s form visible to ordinary beings) practice serves sentient beings directly. The 3 kayas practice can be used at death time. But this can only be done if one has a firm understanding of the 3 principal aspects of the path and strong guru devotion. One can engage in the causal stage of enlightenment (through self-generation practice) and by remaining in that concentration of divine pride, by focusing all thoughts on the mandala and the deities therein, there will not be even one single space for hallucination or negative emotions to attack oneself. Due to this sustained practice, one will be able to secure one’s rebirth in the higher realms or even attain the enlightened state itself. The Guruyoga practice of seeing oneself, one’s Guru and the Buddha-deity (yidam) as inseparable, is one of the most forceful powa, to transfer consciousness from this suffering state into the enlightenment state. However, many senior practitioners find the meditation on 3 kayas quite challenging as death approaches because one’s body is weakened at that time and the gross mind is declining, making it difficult to remember fine details. Hence for some practitioners, visualising the self, Guru and Yidam as one, is an easier method to use as one approaches death. Once, I met a very senior monk from Tsum - who was over 80 years old and who had a great understanding of Lam Rim and Vajrayogini practices. I visited him as he was dying and he shared his experience of the difficulty of meditating on the 3 kayas due to his physical weakness, which was somehow affecting his energy and ability to remember all aspects of the practice and thus he felt quite disappointed. So I shared with him the advice that Geshe Lama Konchog (GLK) had told a elder monk at Kopan, Geshe Kechog. This old Geshe asked GLK how to condense one’s Dharma/meditative practices when one approaches death and was physically and mentally very weak. GLK advised, “Keep your mind, your Guru’s mind and Yidam’s mind in a state of oneness”. If one is not convinced about HYT practice or that it is too difficult, then one can close one’s eyes and think that whatever light sense in the eye is in fact the fused/joined state of one’s mind with that of one’s Guru and Yidam as one; then as one gets weaker, transfer your mind with the thought that one is already in the enlightenment state. Summary - 1. Familiarise yourself with the thought that oneself, one’s Guru and Buddha-deity are in oneness (if you haven’t taken any HYT initiation, then just visualise oneself as being one with one’s Guru). 2. Think of the light as one’s fused state (oneself, Guru, Buddha as one) 3. Tell yourself that you’re already in the enlightened state (of omniscience, purity and virtue) The above practice is from the HYT tantra. Kriya tantra and Performance tantra don’t have this practice.
17. If a person dies in an accident or disasters or through sudden death or in sleep, how will that person be able to generate a virtuous thought as the last thought?
Ans: It might be difficult although still possible. Those situations are not an ideal way to die. Death in conditions of shock can sometimes cause the person to be born as a spirit (preta realm) but if the person is well-practiced, then a good rebirth is still possible e.g. some Lamas die in accidents but due to their level of practice, they still gain higher rebirths. If one dies with much pain, attachment or anger towards one’s own body or others, it will be difficult to obtain a good rebirth; if one dies without thought at all, it will be a waste because death-time can be a good opportunity to practice and use it to gain a higher rebirth. The End of Q&A **Transcripts of each Engaging with the Buddha session are available on LDC’s website www.fpmt-ldc.org
1. After death and during the bardo (the intermeditate state between death and rebirth), does the consciousness choose its own future parents or does it depend on karma?
Ans: For most ordinary people, it will depend on their karma; but for those practitioners who can control their emotions and minds, they will be able to direct themselves towards their future parents while in the bardo.
2. How does powa work? Do we perform this when person passes away?
Ans: In Tibetan Buddhism, there is a practice called powa, where the dying person is assisted through meditation and prayer to a higher rebirth including the Purelands. The best time to do powa is after clinical death (when the gross body ceases) and before spiritual death (when the consciousness departs the body). When a dying person is no longer breathing and all the organs have shut down but yet, there is still some warmth at the spot below middle of chest and no fluids have as yet been discharged from nose or secret parts, this indicates clinical death but not spiritual death (i.e. the consciousness has not yet left the body) – that is the best time to do powa. There are various powa practices which come from the Tantric teachings – e.g. powa in relation to Amitabha Buddha or powa in relation to a Highest Yoga Tantra Buddha-deity like Vajryogini, Yamantaka, etc.. Commissioning the recitation of texts like the Tibetan Book of the Dead (Bardo Thodol) is also a form of powa practice. If one doesn’t get the chance to perform powa at the ideal time, powa can be done during bardo period. If that’s not possible, then doing so after 49 days can still be done but it will not be as effective as when done during the period between clinical death and spiritual death. Through the dedication of merit of such powerful practices, it can benefit the dec’d in the bardo state or even if the dec’d has been reborn, the conditions of wherever the person has been reborn can be improved.
3. If there is no Buddhist master around to do powa, how can we help?
Ans: To perform powa, one requires an initiation from a master who has high realisations on such practices; one should then do retreats in relation to the practice and to be of benefit to the dec’d, the person doing the powa practice should have some level of realisation (at least stable compassion). However, just dedicating one’s prayers –Chenresig Mantra, Medicine Buddha mantra etc... can be of great benefit to the dec’d because prayer dedications influence the mental imprints of the dec’d person.
4. According to the documentary, the Bardo has several stages – from seeing peaceful deities to wrathful deities. Where does throwing karma come in?
Ans: Throwing karma refers to where one is reborn – whether in the suffering lower realms and or in the higher realms. The first stage of the bardo is where the bardo being is influenced by hallucinations based on desire (hence, that consciousness tends to see peaceful yet desirous images). If one gets attached to such images, one’s desire will be enhanced and this will create another formation of karma – so if the dead person was supposed to take rebirth as human being but during bardo was strongly distracted by attachment, it could divert his rebirth into a preta being (a grasping suffering existence). So what one should do when encountering desirous images is that one should tell oneself that these images are mere objects of illusion, so there is no reason to be attached to the images. Instead, think that those images are Guru Vajrasattva or Guru Heruka with Vajrayogini. One can see from this that if one has stable practice in Highest Yoga Tantra, that will help one to perceive the Buddha mother-father deities rather than see ordinary desirous beings – and this could change your rebirth from ordinary human rebirth but into a Pureland rebirth. As for wrathful deities, those images can be quite scary and might trigger fear and agitation in one’s consciousness, which again could affect the realm of rebirth. Through being familiar with Buddhist wrathful deities, one understands that such wrathful images are to subdue negative emotions and not to harm oneself – in this way, when one encounters such images, one’s fear and anger can be transformed into a positive mind. Further, one will see many colours in the bardo state but by understanding emptiness, one realises that all are illusions and this brings the excited or fearful mind back into a calm state and use that calm-mind as a basis for virtuous thoughts and if one is unable to do that, one will at least by hearing prayers being recited, remember the Dharma and this will be a positive influence on one’s future rebirth. This illustrates that while we are alive, we should practice Dharma ourselves and not only rely on family members to help us with that. The Bardo Thodol explains that Yama (Lord of Death) is also a mere hallucination and there is no actual being there to take your life and cause you to suffer. By hearing prayers, the hallucinated mind of the bardo-being will disappear and when that happens, Yama, fear, suffering disappears. The conclusion is that everything is dependent on one’s mind. In terms of the type of prayers to be recited, it will depend on the individual – Buddhist masters often advise to recite the prayer that the dec’d person is most familiar with – e.g. if that person was familiar with Amitabha Buddha prayers, then recite prayers related to Amitabha for him/her. Generally, what is recommended are the 8 great Prayers (which includes the King of Prayers); Prayers related to Maitreya’s Dedications; Shantideva’s Dedication Prayer from the Dedication Chapter of Bodhicaryavatara, Maitreya Buddha’s mantra. Any sutras.
5. Kyabe Lama Zopa Rinpoche advises us to teach children about death. How do we do this for other family members?
Ans: It is a very challenging task. Some people think it is inauspicious to talk about death and some people have strong grasping to death or simply deny death and are thus unwilling to listen/discuss this subject matter. Rinpoche’s teachings constantly remind us about impermanence and death; the Buddha’s first teaching was about impermanence and death and it was his last teaching as well and in-between, this subject was frequently raised. The reason for it is for us to understand well and be fully prepared to overcome death.
6. For people who follow other/different religions, do they experience the bardo too?
Ans: Everyone (any samsaric being) will experience the bardo and its stages but the intensity of the images will depend on the imprints in that person’s mind. If the person had more negative imprints, the fearful quality of the images will be heavier; if the person had more virtuous imprints, the fearful experiences will be lighter. For the successful practitioners, they too go through the stages but they won’t see the images as frightening nor disturbing but feel joy instead. For non-Buddhists, they might have different explanations about death, based on their own understanding and philosophy. Some don’t even believe in rebirth or the bardo. What the Buddha and the realised beings saw was the death process as what was shown here. We need to think and choose a source that is reliable – for us, we choose what the Buddha described as his experience.
7. It was mentioned in the documentary that it is good to be born human because due to the suffering experienced, we will learn from it. Is it better to be born human or in Purelands?
Ans: The best is to be enlightened before death comes; next best is to be born in the Purelands to continue/complete one’s Dharma cultivation; next is the precious human rebirth where one can also continue/complete one’s Dharma cultivation.
8. Is Pureland in 6 realms?
Ans: Pureland is above (and outside) the 6 realms but it is not necessarily an enlightened state, as there are ordinary beings of great virtue who created causes to be born there but they still need to complete their training.
9. If a deceased person is not guided by any prayers and enters into the bardo state and encounters Yama, what happens?
Ans: Even if there were no prayers recited for such a person, if that person had cultivated during his/her lifetime, that cultivation will be the best form of guidance to the consciousness in the bardo. Of course, if one did not practice at all and there are no prayers recited for him/her, then there is the danger of being born in the lower realms. It is not necessary for all deceased beings to encounter Yama. It depends on one’s karma and mental imprints. (See above Answer to Q6)
10. Bardo period is said to last for a max. of 49 days (7x of 7 days periods) . Are these bardo stages “tests”?
Ans: In the bardo, one is meeting the result (of one’s karma); the “test” was during one’s life! If one had good practice during life, the difficulties in the bardo will be overcome. All images will be seen and understood as mere hallucinations. Not everyone has to experience those images in the bardo. For the great practitioners, instead of seeing peaceful and wrathful deities, the entire bardo experience is a wonderful, grand procession of dakas and dakinis (“angel”- like beings). In terms of speeding up rebirth, if one has very heavy negative karma, the bardo experiences become very intense and there would be no need to wait for 49 days – the images can appear right after death and the bardo-being (the consciousness of the deceased person) then enters the hell realm very quickly.
11. Just before my grandmother passed away, she saw holy beings coming and music. What does this mean?
Ans: That sounds like a good sign because if at the time of death, one has images of Buddhas, holy beings, it shows the consciousness has positive imprints and will thus have a positive bardo experience and a possibility of high rebirth. Although all images at death time are hallucinations, such images helps to bring the mind into calm and virtue and thus activates past good karmic imprints and this increases the chance of a good rebirth.
12. Is it true that everyone who has the chance to come here means that they have good karma from the past and also have the chance to be enlightened. For newcomers here, what kind of practice must they do?
Ans: As long as one wishes to be free from the samsaric world and gain enlightenment, one has to practice the 3 principal aspects of the path namely renunciation, bodhicitta and wisdom realising emptiness.
13. It is said that one needs to chant Amitabha prayer 10x before dying; sometimes someone at point of dying remembers the Amitabha prayer once.
Ans: Yes but one needs a strong foundation to even remember that prayer once. Without cultivation, just reciting mantra would not be enough. Otherwise, Buddha wouldn’t have given 84k teachings, he would have just given one mantra. To be born in Pureland, also not easy. The 3 principal aspects of the path.
14. My loved ones are not Buddhists but Christians – what can I do to help them when they pass away ?
Ans: There is no need to chant Buddhist prayers at that time. As one is interdependent with sentient beings, one should engage in virtues and dedicate it to them.
15. In the documentary shown, if one has more negative karma than positive karma at death-time, can one still obtain a precious human rebirth?
Ans: Yes, on one condition – if one can strengthen one’s past virtuous imprints through your own remembrance of virtue at that time or obtain the family’s help in helping you remember virtue. Doing so, it doesn’t mean all of one’s negative karma will be purified but it will create conducive conditions for you to gain a higher rebirth.
16. How does practice of Highest Yoga Tantra (HYT) benefit us at bardo stage?
Ans: HYT has most detailed and profound teaching on the 3 bodies of the Buddha (the 3 kayas). Dharmakaya (Buddha’s wisdom) practice is the most effective in overcoming conventional/relative death; sambogakaya (Buddha’s form visible to only bodhisattvas) practice is the most elaborate practice to overcome conventional/relative intermediate state and actualise higher rebirth or even enlightenment. Nirmanakaya (Buddha’s form visible to ordinary beings) practice serves sentient beings directly. The 3 kayas practice can be used at death time. But this can only be done if one has a firm understanding of the 3 principal aspects of the path and strong guru devotion. One can engage in the causal stage of enlightenment (through self-generation practice) and by remaining in that concentration of divine pride, by focusing all thoughts on the mandala and the deities therein, there will not be even one single space for hallucination or negative emotions to attack oneself. Due to this sustained practice, one will be able to secure one’s rebirth in the higher realms or even attain the enlightened state itself. The Guruyoga practice of seeing oneself, one’s Guru and the Buddha-deity (yidam) as inseparable, is one of the most forceful powa, to transfer consciousness from this suffering state into the enlightenment state. However, many senior practitioners find the meditation on 3 kayas quite challenging as death approaches because one’s body is weakened at that time and the gross mind is declining, making it difficult to remember fine details. Hence for some practitioners, visualising the self, Guru and Yidam as one, is an easier method to use as one approaches death. Once, I met a very senior monk from Tsum - who was over 80 years old and who had a great understanding of Lam Rim and Vajrayogini practices. I visited him as he was dying and he shared his experience of the difficulty of meditating on the 3 kayas due to his physical weakness, which was somehow affecting his energy and ability to remember all aspects of the practice and thus he felt quite disappointed. So I shared with him the advice that Geshe Lama Konchog (GLK) had told a elder monk at Kopan, Geshe Kechog. This old Geshe asked GLK how to condense one’s Dharma/meditative practices when one approaches death and was physically and mentally very weak. GLK advised, “Keep your mind, your Guru’s mind and Yidam’s mind in a state of oneness”. If one is not convinced about HYT practice or that it is too difficult, then one can close one’s eyes and think that whatever light sense in the eye is in fact the fused/joined state of one’s mind with that of one’s Guru and Yidam as one; then as one gets weaker, transfer your mind with the thought that one is already in the enlightenment state. Summary - 1. Familiarise yourself with the thought that oneself, one’s Guru and Buddha-deity are in oneness (if you haven’t taken any HYT initiation, then just visualise oneself as being one with one’s Guru). 2. Think of the light as one’s fused state (oneself, Guru, Buddha as one) 3. Tell yourself that you’re already in the enlightened state (of omniscience, purity and virtue) The above practice is from the HYT tantra. Kriya tantra and Performance tantra don’t have this practice.
17. If a person dies in an accident or disasters or through sudden death or in sleep, how will that person be able to generate a virtuous thought as the last thought?
Ans: It might be difficult although still possible. Those situations are not an ideal way to die. Death in conditions of shock can sometimes cause the person to be born as a spirit (preta realm) but if the person is well-practiced, then a good rebirth is still possible e.g. some Lamas die in accidents but due to their level of practice, they still gain higher rebirths. If one dies with much pain, attachment or anger towards one’s own body or others, it will be difficult to obtain a good rebirth; if one dies without thought at all, it will be a waste because death-time can be a good opportunity to practice and use it to gain a higher rebirth. The End of Q&A **Transcripts of each Engaging with the Buddha session are available on LDC’s website www.fpmt-ldc.org
Saturday, April 9, 2011
The meaning of life is to develop the compassionate heart. The best gift to oneself, parents, to loved ones, to enemies, is compassion. The most beneficial is the great compassion that is un-biased and wanting all sentient beings to be free from suffering and the causes of suffering (which are the delusions – anger, attachment and ignorance). If one can live in compassion for one minute, it becomes so meaningful; if one can live with this attitude for one year, that whole year is meaningful; if one can do so for the rest of your life, one’s whole life is meaningful. People are difficult sentient beings.
We understand that compassion is good, attractive, brilliant and brings much happiness but we don’t put effort to become compassionate persons. So, we need some kind of alarm, a reminder and that reminder is today’s subject of death and impermanence. This is regarded as part of the supreme Dharma. Buddha taught many teachings and gave 84k teachings after he actualised enlightenment – amongst the key teachings was on death and impermanence; at the end when he passed away, he taught again on death and impermanence. His teachings on compassion and high wisdom all revolved around death and impermanence.
Death is the loudest alarm bell to us to practice Dharma. Why? Because Dharma is the only solution to free us from the entire aspect of suffering. V3 Foundation of All Good Qualities: The verse begins with “ This life is as impermanent as a water bubble”. The example given is the water bubble – you see it and almost immediately, it disappears. The nature of our life and our whole environment is in the nature of impermanence. Remember how quickly it decays and death comes – not just outer objects and surroundings but our own lives are likewise short and impermanent; we believe that we will live up to tomorrow; up to the end of this session, don’t we? In fact, all lie in the nature of impermanence – maybe there is no chance of life beyond this moment or beyond this night. We conclude life, with death.
After death, like a shadow following the body, only our karmic imprints will follow us on our journey from the present life to the next life. Even though there are people who do not believe that there is a next life, the fact remains that consciousness continues from this life to the next. As long as consciousness continues, karma will follow us, just like there is no separation between a body and it shadow. What is meant by the karma will follow? Negative and positive karma, good karma and bad karma; action which is the cause for suffering or the cause for happiness, will follow us through our consciousness. That way it determines our destination/the realm of rebirth. What karma brings happy rebirth? Good karma or merit. Bad karma refers to harmful actions, thoughts, harmful speech bring negative results of suffering rebirth in the lower realms.
Why is the subject of death and impermanence important and urgent for us to understand? The thing is, whether we follow a religion or not, Buddhist or not, the plain fact is that everyone fears death. When we hear about someone dying, we feel uneasy. When we encounter any form of heavy sickness, we have some sense of fear that this might cause death. This is because we know we are no different from them. We start to think “This might happen to me”. Our fear may be obvious or hidden. There are those of us who have no understanding of impermanence or momentary transitions and so, we cling to the permanence of life. Due to this mistaken idea of permanence, we establish many activities on the basis that one will live long life; we enter into relationships with the idea of it being forever; we start a business with the hope it will last and bring in only profit and no loss; we focus on our bodies and engage in activities with the idea that we can make this body always youthful and strong. We grasp onto these ideas which contain some concept of permanence.
On top of that, we have the permanent idea that death is something distant, never thinking that death can come in the very next moment. Even if we don’t think we will live forever, we do think that one will live a long time. Again, a kind of clinging to “permanence”. These are all completely mistaken thoughts. When changes come, then our suffering begins. We have a strong belief in health, so when even small sicknesses come, we suffer. Whereas if we think of impermanence and death as part of life, when those things happen, it doesn’t injure our minds so much. When relationships fall apart, we suffer. We suffer because we have the idea of permanence. Hence, the teaching on impermanence is such a valuable instruction to free us from the frequent tortures of ordinary life and allows us to meet each day with appreciation and happiness.
For non believers or those who have no idea of karma, they are scared of death because when death approaches, it brings the fear of separation from those “permanent” ideas and expectations; it brings the exhaustion of all that is familiar. So even non-believers fear death. Yet, they fear death in a meaningless, superstitious way. For Dharma practitioners, their fear of death is based on understanding how cause and effect works and this makes them practice harder. For non believers who don’t have practice, they fear because they cannot face the separation from life, from relationships and from the world which they perceive with their gross senses and which is dependent on their physical body. So they cannot accept that after death, there is no longer any bodily-sensation nor living in a mansion nor driving a nice car nor eating nasi lemak anymore. Non believers suffer the most when thinking about death. And when actual death comes, it brings intense suffering for them.
Without knowledge about death, their minds becomes blank at death, as if entering into total darkness and hopelessness. That’s a fact. For Buddhists and those followers of faiths who believe in next rebirth, in numberless rebirths, either in samsara or beyond samsara, they know that rebirth will occur. But you might say that spiritual practitioners also fear death. Yes, it’s a natural feeling but the main difference is that there is a belief in the continuation of consciousness; that life goes on and on, which in turn is dependent on imprints from actions we commit.
The practitioner fears death because he simply does not know where he will be reborn. This type of fear of death is useful because it helps us to prepare for death, which in turn means preparing for next rebirth. If we are well-prepared for death, we will be well-prepared for next rebirth. “Well-prepared” means accumulating all the good causes to ensure that death is a happy death, one without regret, a journey to be looked forward to and not dreaded. This happens when one has a lot of merit and virtuous imprints. However, that depends on the present and what we do. If we cultivate or engage in virtue, non-harmful actions and compassion, for sure our death will be a happy one because we know that we have created the causes for a better future rebirth and because of that we are so excited!
Therefore, for Buddhist practitioner, fearing death based on reasons and logic, is good. We need to teach students to gain a sense of fear of death in order to encourage the student to cultivate virtue so as to ensure that death is a happy journey and next life is a happy rebirth. z In order for us to appreciate that, in this moment, right now, we need to understand the impermanent nature of life, as illustrated by the process of life and death. The Buddha and Lama Tsongkhapa taught that death is certain, time of death is uncertain and at the time of death, nothing can help us except Dharma.
When we first came into this world, we came alone and when we leave, we leave alone. What accompanies us is karma/imprints of actions of body, speech and mind. Some people study well but end up with bad jobs; some didn’t study well at all but end up having good jobs; some put effort to being healthy and yet fall sick and the like. This is because karma follows us. It is all due to individual karma one commits and is not due to parents. If there were no karma operating, then 3 children from the same parents should be similar in many ways but we know this is not true. This is because of the karma committed by each one in the past. As we are responsible for our own karma, likewise our enlightenment is also dependent on ourselves; lower realm rebirth or higher realm rebirth is also dependent on ourselves. Human beings can be very difficult.
Even though there are many examples of impermanence out there – e.g. we know that Buddha came, Jesus came and many great saints came to this world – all of them have passed away. This illustrates impermanence. Rich and powerful people with many guards, have all perished without any ability to sustain their lives. We will not be an exception, to be able to live forever. Death is certain. By knowing this, we need to put effort into cultivating Dharma and compassion to secure our future. Time of death is uncertain. A healthy person can suddenly pass away, whilst a very sick person continues to struggle and survive. Some ICU patients recover, whilst those on holiday can pass away suddenly.
We believe that old age is nearer to death than the young ones. This is not the case. Many young people die before the old. Some babies die in the womb. There is no certainty in life. Being healthy today is not a guarantee of being alive tomorrow. Thinking that “ I’m a Buddhist practitioner and protected, so I won’t die tomorrow”, that too is not a valid reason. “Malaysia is safe, not like in Japan with earthquakes and tsunamis” - that too is not valid reason to think that one will live till tomorrow. Rich people living in good houses might die before the beggar on the street. Some people while walking, just pass away; even while sleeping, some pass away. There is no valid basis to prove that one will live beyond the next moment. This shows that the nature of life is one of impermanence.
We don’t see the subtle degeneration occurring within us. We don’t even notice how morning has become night. We are simply not aware of momentary changes. These are all examples of impermanence. We don’t have such awareness and as such, our minds give rise to our assumptions of permanence, which will lead us to disappointment. Thus, it is more beneficial to cultivate the understanding of impermanence, rather than numb ourselves to the mistaken concept of permanence. As there is no certainty about life, health nor wealth, we should resolve to live meaningfully this present moment, every single moment. Then, even if one lives only 1 hour more, that 1 hour is rich with meaning. Perfect. Live every single present moment cultivating compassion, then when death comes, there is no regret and one will have peaceful death and a happy rebirth.
By making every moment meaningful, even if we happen to pass away 100 years later, that would be even better because we would have accumulated virtue over a long period of time. At the time of death, only Dharma can help. This statement is very true because no matter how much one may have accumulated in terms of possessions, without any training of mind, when sickness comes (not to mention death), one cannot accept it well and one suffers so much. Instead, when we are sick, we can make use of sickness to practice e.g. generating compassion for sentient beings or generate the thought that “May my sickness be sufficient to exhaust all the suffering of sentient beings”. When your mind is transformed that way, one suffers less.
If you happen to live your life cultivating compassion, then when death comes, you won’t mind death because you have the conviction that one’s consciousness will continue and that as you have lived a meaningful life, you have the causes and confidence that you will have higher rebirth and born into good family, have good conditions to continue living in virtue. You will even have a smile on your face at death time. Good practitioners gain excitement as they approach death and face death with a sense of confidence and joy. As a minimum, one should aim to die without regret. If you live a life with compassion, there will definitely be no regrets at the end of one’s life.
Such confidence and contentment is very needed at the time of death. Otherwise, the suffering will be intense and one’s mind filled with confusion and delusion – there are many types - first will be the fear of separation from one’s family or wealth. Some dying people don’t worry about themselves but worry for their spouses like whether they will remarry and such irrelevant thoughts at death-time. It is not good to have such clinging – when dying with attachment to wealth or people, the mind is in danger of coming back as a wandering spirit (they are one of the categories of preta beings). When a person dies, his consciousness enters the intermediate state (bardo) before taking rebirth. If a consciousness is destined for a preta rebirth and dies with strong clinging to a person or possessions, they can be swayed and become wandering spirits which return to once again be attached to the object of attachment. Sometimes, such spirits enter into animals.
In Tibet, there was a master who was attached to the small collection of money that he had and had buried it in a hole near his retreat hut, fearing his attendant would steal it. He attendant didn’t know about the hidden money in the hole behind the retreat hut. When this master died, the attendant went to check with another master about where his deceased master had been reborn. He thought his master would be reborn as a high reincarnation.
However, it was revealed that his master was hanging around the retreat hut as a wandering spirit, which had entered into a frog to guard the small pouch of money buried there. The attendant wanted to find out more, so he went to check the area near the retreat hut and true enough, he saw a small dug-out hole that had been covered up. When he cleared this hole of soil, he saw a frog perched on the pouch of money inside this hole, guarding it. That frog was the deceased master’s reincarnation. This was due to that master’s clinging to his money at the time of death, so his consciousness went into a frog who proceeded to return to the pouch of money, as that was his object of attachment. I also remember that in my village, there was an old man who lived in a local temple. We used to see him chanting on his own.
The moment he saw anyone, he would scold. He always recited the mantra but without compassion. He had lent a brass pot to my father. My father forgot to return it. The old man passed away. After that my father started to get sick and there was no cure. The sickness seemed unusual as his sickness would manifest after sunset. He even went to Tibet to see a doctor but couldn’t find the cause for the sickness. One day, he was so sick that he almost died and when his spiritual condition was declining, he would see images of people coming in through the door, calling him to join them. He was very weak but he could identify the names of those people, who were spirit forms wanting his life.
Later, someone noticed the brass pot that belonged to the deceased old man. Because the old man didn’t let go of the brass pot, came back to interfere with my father’s life. While he was alive, the old man liked my father a lot but it is said that wandering spirits don’t realise that by merely thinking about the living-person can cause them to fall ill. They don’t realise the harmful effect they have on the living. When the puja was done, some calm returned and father improved but the cow died. In the end my father died. The point is that if one doesn’t let go of attachments, if one doesn’t detach the mind from them, one can become a wandering spirit. So it is very important for us to accept impermanence; accepting death and letting go. See how strong the mind is – if you think of the pot, you become wandering spirit; if you think of Amitabha, you go to the Pureland.
Hence it is so important to have a virtuous mind at death. When facing death, think of Dharma, think of Buddha, it will help so much. Even when we are sick, think of Buddha. When people are dying, likewise, think of Buddha, everything else will be taken care of. The mind can be so powerful. In my family, there were 6 children. My mother was a simple woman. My father was a trader. He even sold sewing needles to exchange for rice etc.. When he died, the youngest brother was born the same day and father died the day that baby was born. Father couldn’t let go and would have died worrying about the family but from a spiritual point of view, it is harmful to cling in that manner.
Even though the thoughts had concern, care and conventional love, that kind of love was mixed with attachment and thus, father became a spirit and returned home. All the children started to fall ill. The spirit doesn’t know that he is harming them and returned to help in some way but instead, caused their illness. So there is a practice called Jangwa to purify the consciousness of a deceased by showing Dharma to it. My late master Geshe Lama Konchog knew all this was happening and came to my village, despite it being many days’ walk. I was then at the monastery but still very young. All my other siblings were likewise young. Geshe Lama Konchog walked day and night to reach my family home.
He later revealed that he was able to see many spirits attached to their loved ones in the village or attached to their possessions and all the dogs in the village were barking and howling and seemingly wanting to bite invisible forms. Geshe Lama Konchog saw so many suffering dead people who couldn’t let go and had mixed up true love with samsaric love and causing harm to their families. Next day, Geshe Lama Konchog asked whole village to bring the names of all the deceased and he performed Jangwa, based on compassion and gave Refuge and showing them the Dharma path. That night itself, the whole village went quiet. Geshe Lama Konchog then started to teach about the faults of attachment and encouraged everyone to to focus on Buddha. After that puja, mother recovered the very next morning. The conclusion is that at the time of death, it is most crucial to be mindful of virtue and never cling to loved ones or one’s millions of dollars or beautiful possessions. All have to be let go.
1) Q: How to prepare for death ? Ans: We have to make our life meaningful. Right now, our negative imprints are stronger than our virtues. If at the time of death, our virtuous imprints are weak, that will make death difficult and a good rebirth also difficult. Hence every day, one should cultivate good heart, emptiness mind, deity yoga mind.
2) Q: Recently, someone below my condo unit committed suicide. I am now afraid and don’t know what to do. Ans: Be like me, very stubborn. Go back home forget everything and only think of Buddha. First, I would make myself realise that there is no benefit of having fearful thoughts and resolve to set up a powerful positive mind (thinking of Buddha, Dharma etc). Regard the person who died as your object of your compassion by thinking, “May all suffering beings be free from harmful thoughts and sufferings.”
By having this mind in you, no being can harm you. If you have karmic link with that deceased person, then even if you are far away like beyond the ocean, there may be karmic impact on you. But if you don’t have any karmic relationship with that person, that person cannot cause any harm to you. So not much reason to be scared. Karmically, there is long distance between you and the person who passed away. Think of the person in this way “ You are object of compassion; I’m not the object to receive any harm from you”. Then you can chant some mantras, prayers. Think of the teachings – since I’ve not harmed that person, there is no cause for that person to harm me. Think “May all living beings be free from sufferings and harmful thoughts”.
We understand that compassion is good, attractive, brilliant and brings much happiness but we don’t put effort to become compassionate persons. So, we need some kind of alarm, a reminder and that reminder is today’s subject of death and impermanence. This is regarded as part of the supreme Dharma. Buddha taught many teachings and gave 84k teachings after he actualised enlightenment – amongst the key teachings was on death and impermanence; at the end when he passed away, he taught again on death and impermanence. His teachings on compassion and high wisdom all revolved around death and impermanence.
Death is the loudest alarm bell to us to practice Dharma. Why? Because Dharma is the only solution to free us from the entire aspect of suffering. V3 Foundation of All Good Qualities: The verse begins with “ This life is as impermanent as a water bubble”. The example given is the water bubble – you see it and almost immediately, it disappears. The nature of our life and our whole environment is in the nature of impermanence. Remember how quickly it decays and death comes – not just outer objects and surroundings but our own lives are likewise short and impermanent; we believe that we will live up to tomorrow; up to the end of this session, don’t we? In fact, all lie in the nature of impermanence – maybe there is no chance of life beyond this moment or beyond this night. We conclude life, with death.
After death, like a shadow following the body, only our karmic imprints will follow us on our journey from the present life to the next life. Even though there are people who do not believe that there is a next life, the fact remains that consciousness continues from this life to the next. As long as consciousness continues, karma will follow us, just like there is no separation between a body and it shadow. What is meant by the karma will follow? Negative and positive karma, good karma and bad karma; action which is the cause for suffering or the cause for happiness, will follow us through our consciousness. That way it determines our destination/the realm of rebirth. What karma brings happy rebirth? Good karma or merit. Bad karma refers to harmful actions, thoughts, harmful speech bring negative results of suffering rebirth in the lower realms.
Why is the subject of death and impermanence important and urgent for us to understand? The thing is, whether we follow a religion or not, Buddhist or not, the plain fact is that everyone fears death. When we hear about someone dying, we feel uneasy. When we encounter any form of heavy sickness, we have some sense of fear that this might cause death. This is because we know we are no different from them. We start to think “This might happen to me”. Our fear may be obvious or hidden. There are those of us who have no understanding of impermanence or momentary transitions and so, we cling to the permanence of life. Due to this mistaken idea of permanence, we establish many activities on the basis that one will live long life; we enter into relationships with the idea of it being forever; we start a business with the hope it will last and bring in only profit and no loss; we focus on our bodies and engage in activities with the idea that we can make this body always youthful and strong. We grasp onto these ideas which contain some concept of permanence.
On top of that, we have the permanent idea that death is something distant, never thinking that death can come in the very next moment. Even if we don’t think we will live forever, we do think that one will live a long time. Again, a kind of clinging to “permanence”. These are all completely mistaken thoughts. When changes come, then our suffering begins. We have a strong belief in health, so when even small sicknesses come, we suffer. Whereas if we think of impermanence and death as part of life, when those things happen, it doesn’t injure our minds so much. When relationships fall apart, we suffer. We suffer because we have the idea of permanence. Hence, the teaching on impermanence is such a valuable instruction to free us from the frequent tortures of ordinary life and allows us to meet each day with appreciation and happiness.
For non believers or those who have no idea of karma, they are scared of death because when death approaches, it brings the fear of separation from those “permanent” ideas and expectations; it brings the exhaustion of all that is familiar. So even non-believers fear death. Yet, they fear death in a meaningless, superstitious way. For Dharma practitioners, their fear of death is based on understanding how cause and effect works and this makes them practice harder. For non believers who don’t have practice, they fear because they cannot face the separation from life, from relationships and from the world which they perceive with their gross senses and which is dependent on their physical body. So they cannot accept that after death, there is no longer any bodily-sensation nor living in a mansion nor driving a nice car nor eating nasi lemak anymore. Non believers suffer the most when thinking about death. And when actual death comes, it brings intense suffering for them.
Without knowledge about death, their minds becomes blank at death, as if entering into total darkness and hopelessness. That’s a fact. For Buddhists and those followers of faiths who believe in next rebirth, in numberless rebirths, either in samsara or beyond samsara, they know that rebirth will occur. But you might say that spiritual practitioners also fear death. Yes, it’s a natural feeling but the main difference is that there is a belief in the continuation of consciousness; that life goes on and on, which in turn is dependent on imprints from actions we commit.
The practitioner fears death because he simply does not know where he will be reborn. This type of fear of death is useful because it helps us to prepare for death, which in turn means preparing for next rebirth. If we are well-prepared for death, we will be well-prepared for next rebirth. “Well-prepared” means accumulating all the good causes to ensure that death is a happy death, one without regret, a journey to be looked forward to and not dreaded. This happens when one has a lot of merit and virtuous imprints. However, that depends on the present and what we do. If we cultivate or engage in virtue, non-harmful actions and compassion, for sure our death will be a happy one because we know that we have created the causes for a better future rebirth and because of that we are so excited!
Therefore, for Buddhist practitioner, fearing death based on reasons and logic, is good. We need to teach students to gain a sense of fear of death in order to encourage the student to cultivate virtue so as to ensure that death is a happy journey and next life is a happy rebirth. z In order for us to appreciate that, in this moment, right now, we need to understand the impermanent nature of life, as illustrated by the process of life and death. The Buddha and Lama Tsongkhapa taught that death is certain, time of death is uncertain and at the time of death, nothing can help us except Dharma.
When we first came into this world, we came alone and when we leave, we leave alone. What accompanies us is karma/imprints of actions of body, speech and mind. Some people study well but end up with bad jobs; some didn’t study well at all but end up having good jobs; some put effort to being healthy and yet fall sick and the like. This is because karma follows us. It is all due to individual karma one commits and is not due to parents. If there were no karma operating, then 3 children from the same parents should be similar in many ways but we know this is not true. This is because of the karma committed by each one in the past. As we are responsible for our own karma, likewise our enlightenment is also dependent on ourselves; lower realm rebirth or higher realm rebirth is also dependent on ourselves. Human beings can be very difficult.
Even though there are many examples of impermanence out there – e.g. we know that Buddha came, Jesus came and many great saints came to this world – all of them have passed away. This illustrates impermanence. Rich and powerful people with many guards, have all perished without any ability to sustain their lives. We will not be an exception, to be able to live forever. Death is certain. By knowing this, we need to put effort into cultivating Dharma and compassion to secure our future. Time of death is uncertain. A healthy person can suddenly pass away, whilst a very sick person continues to struggle and survive. Some ICU patients recover, whilst those on holiday can pass away suddenly.
We believe that old age is nearer to death than the young ones. This is not the case. Many young people die before the old. Some babies die in the womb. There is no certainty in life. Being healthy today is not a guarantee of being alive tomorrow. Thinking that “ I’m a Buddhist practitioner and protected, so I won’t die tomorrow”, that too is not a valid reason. “Malaysia is safe, not like in Japan with earthquakes and tsunamis” - that too is not valid reason to think that one will live till tomorrow. Rich people living in good houses might die before the beggar on the street. Some people while walking, just pass away; even while sleeping, some pass away. There is no valid basis to prove that one will live beyond the next moment. This shows that the nature of life is one of impermanence.
We don’t see the subtle degeneration occurring within us. We don’t even notice how morning has become night. We are simply not aware of momentary changes. These are all examples of impermanence. We don’t have such awareness and as such, our minds give rise to our assumptions of permanence, which will lead us to disappointment. Thus, it is more beneficial to cultivate the understanding of impermanence, rather than numb ourselves to the mistaken concept of permanence. As there is no certainty about life, health nor wealth, we should resolve to live meaningfully this present moment, every single moment. Then, even if one lives only 1 hour more, that 1 hour is rich with meaning. Perfect. Live every single present moment cultivating compassion, then when death comes, there is no regret and one will have peaceful death and a happy rebirth.
By making every moment meaningful, even if we happen to pass away 100 years later, that would be even better because we would have accumulated virtue over a long period of time. At the time of death, only Dharma can help. This statement is very true because no matter how much one may have accumulated in terms of possessions, without any training of mind, when sickness comes (not to mention death), one cannot accept it well and one suffers so much. Instead, when we are sick, we can make use of sickness to practice e.g. generating compassion for sentient beings or generate the thought that “May my sickness be sufficient to exhaust all the suffering of sentient beings”. When your mind is transformed that way, one suffers less.
If you happen to live your life cultivating compassion, then when death comes, you won’t mind death because you have the conviction that one’s consciousness will continue and that as you have lived a meaningful life, you have the causes and confidence that you will have higher rebirth and born into good family, have good conditions to continue living in virtue. You will even have a smile on your face at death time. Good practitioners gain excitement as they approach death and face death with a sense of confidence and joy. As a minimum, one should aim to die without regret. If you live a life with compassion, there will definitely be no regrets at the end of one’s life.
Such confidence and contentment is very needed at the time of death. Otherwise, the suffering will be intense and one’s mind filled with confusion and delusion – there are many types - first will be the fear of separation from one’s family or wealth. Some dying people don’t worry about themselves but worry for their spouses like whether they will remarry and such irrelevant thoughts at death-time. It is not good to have such clinging – when dying with attachment to wealth or people, the mind is in danger of coming back as a wandering spirit (they are one of the categories of preta beings). When a person dies, his consciousness enters the intermediate state (bardo) before taking rebirth. If a consciousness is destined for a preta rebirth and dies with strong clinging to a person or possessions, they can be swayed and become wandering spirits which return to once again be attached to the object of attachment. Sometimes, such spirits enter into animals.
In Tibet, there was a master who was attached to the small collection of money that he had and had buried it in a hole near his retreat hut, fearing his attendant would steal it. He attendant didn’t know about the hidden money in the hole behind the retreat hut. When this master died, the attendant went to check with another master about where his deceased master had been reborn. He thought his master would be reborn as a high reincarnation.
However, it was revealed that his master was hanging around the retreat hut as a wandering spirit, which had entered into a frog to guard the small pouch of money buried there. The attendant wanted to find out more, so he went to check the area near the retreat hut and true enough, he saw a small dug-out hole that had been covered up. When he cleared this hole of soil, he saw a frog perched on the pouch of money inside this hole, guarding it. That frog was the deceased master’s reincarnation. This was due to that master’s clinging to his money at the time of death, so his consciousness went into a frog who proceeded to return to the pouch of money, as that was his object of attachment. I also remember that in my village, there was an old man who lived in a local temple. We used to see him chanting on his own.
The moment he saw anyone, he would scold. He always recited the mantra but without compassion. He had lent a brass pot to my father. My father forgot to return it. The old man passed away. After that my father started to get sick and there was no cure. The sickness seemed unusual as his sickness would manifest after sunset. He even went to Tibet to see a doctor but couldn’t find the cause for the sickness. One day, he was so sick that he almost died and when his spiritual condition was declining, he would see images of people coming in through the door, calling him to join them. He was very weak but he could identify the names of those people, who were spirit forms wanting his life.
Later, someone noticed the brass pot that belonged to the deceased old man. Because the old man didn’t let go of the brass pot, came back to interfere with my father’s life. While he was alive, the old man liked my father a lot but it is said that wandering spirits don’t realise that by merely thinking about the living-person can cause them to fall ill. They don’t realise the harmful effect they have on the living. When the puja was done, some calm returned and father improved but the cow died. In the end my father died. The point is that if one doesn’t let go of attachments, if one doesn’t detach the mind from them, one can become a wandering spirit. So it is very important for us to accept impermanence; accepting death and letting go. See how strong the mind is – if you think of the pot, you become wandering spirit; if you think of Amitabha, you go to the Pureland.
Hence it is so important to have a virtuous mind at death. When facing death, think of Dharma, think of Buddha, it will help so much. Even when we are sick, think of Buddha. When people are dying, likewise, think of Buddha, everything else will be taken care of. The mind can be so powerful. In my family, there were 6 children. My mother was a simple woman. My father was a trader. He even sold sewing needles to exchange for rice etc.. When he died, the youngest brother was born the same day and father died the day that baby was born. Father couldn’t let go and would have died worrying about the family but from a spiritual point of view, it is harmful to cling in that manner.
Even though the thoughts had concern, care and conventional love, that kind of love was mixed with attachment and thus, father became a spirit and returned home. All the children started to fall ill. The spirit doesn’t know that he is harming them and returned to help in some way but instead, caused their illness. So there is a practice called Jangwa to purify the consciousness of a deceased by showing Dharma to it. My late master Geshe Lama Konchog knew all this was happening and came to my village, despite it being many days’ walk. I was then at the monastery but still very young. All my other siblings were likewise young. Geshe Lama Konchog walked day and night to reach my family home.
He later revealed that he was able to see many spirits attached to their loved ones in the village or attached to their possessions and all the dogs in the village were barking and howling and seemingly wanting to bite invisible forms. Geshe Lama Konchog saw so many suffering dead people who couldn’t let go and had mixed up true love with samsaric love and causing harm to their families. Next day, Geshe Lama Konchog asked whole village to bring the names of all the deceased and he performed Jangwa, based on compassion and gave Refuge and showing them the Dharma path. That night itself, the whole village went quiet. Geshe Lama Konchog then started to teach about the faults of attachment and encouraged everyone to to focus on Buddha. After that puja, mother recovered the very next morning. The conclusion is that at the time of death, it is most crucial to be mindful of virtue and never cling to loved ones or one’s millions of dollars or beautiful possessions. All have to be let go.
1) Q: How to prepare for death ? Ans: We have to make our life meaningful. Right now, our negative imprints are stronger than our virtues. If at the time of death, our virtuous imprints are weak, that will make death difficult and a good rebirth also difficult. Hence every day, one should cultivate good heart, emptiness mind, deity yoga mind.
2) Q: Recently, someone below my condo unit committed suicide. I am now afraid and don’t know what to do. Ans: Be like me, very stubborn. Go back home forget everything and only think of Buddha. First, I would make myself realise that there is no benefit of having fearful thoughts and resolve to set up a powerful positive mind (thinking of Buddha, Dharma etc). Regard the person who died as your object of your compassion by thinking, “May all suffering beings be free from harmful thoughts and sufferings.”
By having this mind in you, no being can harm you. If you have karmic link with that deceased person, then even if you are far away like beyond the ocean, there may be karmic impact on you. But if you don’t have any karmic relationship with that person, that person cannot cause any harm to you. So not much reason to be scared. Karmically, there is long distance between you and the person who passed away. Think of the person in this way “ You are object of compassion; I’m not the object to receive any harm from you”. Then you can chant some mantras, prayers. Think of the teachings – since I’ve not harmed that person, there is no cause for that person to harm me. Think “May all living beings be free from sufferings and harmful thoughts”.
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