CHAPTER 2: GENERAL LAW.

The decisive moment of life

Death comes to people and that is natural. 
Death is a decisive turning point for our future. 
We must deal with death by the power of meditative experiences.
In this chapter, we will look at the death process and ways of coping with death as it arrives, including the insights and experiences of the  delog who have experienced death and come back to tell. Tell us about it. 

With the onset of a terminal illness - illness, injury or other event causing death, we go to the stage of death. In the process of death, the elements that make up the body, the senses and the mind of the mind will all disintegrate. For meditators who have practiced fullness, the stage of death ends with the appearance of ultimate nature. For the average person, the dying phase ends with apnea and falling into the unconscious realm of death. 

Although most of us will experience the relative process of death as described below, the meditators who practice the fullness of perfection may not necessarily go through this process. When we are dying, with the power of meditation, we can unite our inner essence, which is the true nature of our mind, with the combination of the realm and the ultimate wisdom. is our Buddha nature. If we can perform and maintain this unity, we have achieved Buddhahood. If we can not do so then through Phowa meditation, we can turn our minds to a pure land of the Buddhas and reincarnate there. 

GENERAL PROCESS

When we go to the stage of death, consciousness slowly separates from the physical body as the components of the body begin to disintegrate. First of all the energies of our lives become disturbed and then we experience the disintegration of material elements and mental perceptions. 

The elements and energy of the human body

In view of the disintegration process described below, we should understand some of the details of the tantric Buddhism view of the human body. Every tiny particle of our body consists of four elements or a combination of four elements: earth, water, fire and wind. The soil forms the solid part of the body, such as bone and meat. Water contains fluids like blood, lymph and urine. Fire is related to body heat and metabolism. Wind is the breath and the movement of substances and energy in the body. There is also the fifth element of space, containing the other four. Physically, this fifth element corresponds to the deep recesses and holes of our bodies. 

Apart from the physical aspects of the human body, there is also a subtle energy system inside. The three main components of this delicate system are: gas, meridians and essences. 

The artery  (Tibetan:  tsa, rTsa , Sanskrit:  nadi ) is a network of innumerable arteries and blood vessels that form tiny pathways for vital energy to circulate in the body. The three meridians are the central meridians, right and left. 

The gas  (Tibetan:  lung, rLung , Sanskrit:  prana) are the forces of living energy that include movement through channels. These forces are sometimes called gas because of their different activities. There are five main types of gas that symbolize the five different activities of life energy: (a) gas, creating respiration; (b) the gas spills over, helping the body's muscular movements; (c) gas moving from the bottom up, involving speech, voice and swallowing; (d) gas accompanied by fire, providing digestive heat; (e) downward movement of gas related to urination, defecation, semen output, and menstruation. 

The  essence  (Tibetan:  thigle, Thig Le , Sanskrit:  bindu) are the essential white or red fluids that move throughout the body's meridian through the power of gas, which are described as droplets or globular spheres of living energy. we get from our parents at the time we are conceived. White essence is the energy male receives from father, while red energy is female essence from mother. In the process of dying, these two energies converge at the heart. This convergence marks the moment when we die. 

Many tantric Buddhist teachings use these physical attributes as the primary means of cultivation. Tsele, for example, teaches disciples "to target the meridians as dwellings, the gas as the movement and the essence of enlightenment as decoration." The experience of endless bliss, the accomplished meditators move their minds together with their gas energy through the meridians, spreading the essence of bliss throughout. As a result, they gather their mind and gas into the central channel and keep it there. Thus, the central meridian is no longer merely an artery of the body. It becomes a path of meditation and the goal of accomplishment, the ultimate plane, no longer subject to the limitations of concept, title and magnitude. 

Disintegration of elements

When the process of death commences, the gas, or the living energy, first becomes disturbed and begins to disperse, and we go through two stages of disintegration. In the first stage, the external decay stage, the force of the four material elements of the body dissolves, and then the senses cease to function. In the second stage, the inner disintegration phase, mental and emotional concepts stop. Each of these stages is accompanied by certain inner experiences. 

What is the nature of the inner experiences that occur during death? It is important to understand that when we withdraw within our outward awareness and focus all our attention on the changes in the body during the process of death, the whole world around us becomes it's happening. The whole universe becomes the changes that are taking place in our bodies at that moment. This is why changes in a drop of blood will feel like the earth is shattered. A hair on the head can be like a giant tree. Our fearful habits and other tendencies and emotions will appear in the form of images of many sentient beings, worlds, sounds and emotions. These are some of the experiences we will see described in the narratives delog  at the back of this chapter. 

First, the soil element of our body dissolves into the water element. At this point, we feel we are losing energy or being connected to our body's soil which has properties such as solidity, strength, stability and solidity. Our skin color is pale when the energy is drained out of the body. We may feel we are falling or sinking, and the ground below our feet sinks. We can not stand up, lose our balance, and feel like we're being pushed down. This explains why dying people often ask, "Please pull me up. I feel like I'm sinking. " We may feel sad and see illusions. 

Next, the water element in our body dissolves into the element of fire. At this point, we may feel as if we are losing our water power or being connected to a water element that is damp, liquid and persistent. We may feel very thirsty. Drip pieces. Tears fall down and dry. Therefore, dying people often ask, "Please give me a drink. I'm so thirsty". We can feel choking, irritated and see images like smoke. 

Third, the fire element of our body dissolves into the gas element. At this moment, we may feel we are losing our firepower or our connection to the fire element, which is warm, mature and intense. If the dying person is a fervent meditator and has a life worthy of compassion and often helps others, the dispersion of warmth from the body begins at the bottom of the foot and moves. to the heart. If the dying person lived a negative, destructive, and selfish life, the warmth dispersion would start from the top of the body and move down toward the heart. However, in both cases, warmth finally dissipates from the heart. The dying man can no longer see things; Everything looks red on a dark background. 

Fourth, the gas element of our body dissolves into consciousness. At this point, we feel lost gas energy or the connection to the gas element that is light and mobile. We struggled to breathe. Breath of breath becomes shorter and the breath is longer. Then the "outer respiration" stopped, and the two eyes drew deep into the head. At this moment, people who have lived a negative life can see horrific miracles, while virtuous people can see the illusion of joy. We can also see the images like the lights. 

Fifth, consciousness (Tibetan:  nam-she, rNam Shes , Sanskrit:  vijnana ) dissolves into nothingness (Tibetan:  namkha, South mkha ' , Sanskrit:  akasha). At this point, the "inner respiration" stops. 

Different sources of literature have different definitions of time that relate to the cessation of external respiration and internal respiration. These events happen differently to different people because each person's nature is not the same. Basically, when the lungs stop breathing after three long breaths, it is an outflow of the respiratory system. When the mind is completely separated from the body (some other text is called the unconscious state), it is a permanent abstinence from the body. 

If we die for karma, the resurrection is very difficult. If we die of some unexpected situation, not of karma, we can be resurrected by means of medicine or spirituality. But under normal circumstances, we can not be resurrected if we have gone past the fifth stage. However, there are unusual cases, such as the  delog  has returned. They went far beyond this point (fifth stage), but they survived. 

Three dissolutions inside

Now, when our inner respiration has stopped and our mind has lost its connection to the material elements, the meridians, gases and essences of our crude body will be scattered. Our breath merges into space. As a result, three subtle stages of disintegration or retreat, the more subtle and subtle, will take place. 

1.  The consciousness dissolves into "images" . At this point, the white essence that we get from our father from the top of the head goes down through the central meridian. We see things like "white moon". It does not glow or shine like daylight, but is a white moon-like light on a cloudless night. All thoughts of anger and hatred will cease. 

2. "The images" dissolved into the "strengthening" . At this point, from the bottom of the central meridian in the navel, the red essence that we receive from the mother goes up through the central channel. Everything that looks "red" looks like sunlight in the sky without clouds. All attachment and greed ideas stop. However, some people see the first red metaphor and then the white moon phantom. According to Tsele, this is the best time to do Phowa. 

3.  "Strength" dissolves into "attainment". At this point, our inner sense of motion, driven by the force of the wind, is encircled between the two kinds of parental essence, and everything becomes "dark" like the cloudless sky of a dark autumn night. Here the ideas of our marriage are over. 

Now the qi, essence and mind converge at the heart. This is called dissolution of space into light. 

Then, the appearance of the "glow of the roots" will occur, signaling the next stage, the state of ultimate nature. This state is discussed in the next chapter. 

Following the disappearance into the light, ordinary people fall into the unconscious state, but there are different interpretations of what happens when the glowing of the roots arises. According to Karma Lingpa, between the outward and inner respiration, if we are highly qualified meditators, we will see the glow of ultimate nature when the gases of our body are absorbed. central meridian. Ordinary people become inanimate. Jigme Lingpa writes that after the gas dissolves into consciousness, we will become inanimate and the respiration inside will cease. At that time, the glowing nature will appear. Jigme Lingpa also wrote:  

"When darkness arises, you fall into the unconscious state of consciousness. 
Then the eight energies arise again and the unconscious state disappears. 
At that time, the primordial lightness of the pristine state will appear. 
It is bright and endless, like the sky without clouds. 
You remain in emptiness and clarity, no longer obstructed and obscured. " 

Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche says that when the gas dissolves into consciousness, "the mind falls into a state of unconscious oblivion. But for masters who have practiced or experienced meditators, after about two minutes, consciousness will vanish into nothingness and nothing will dissolve into light. " 

It is important to know that not all dying people have the same experiences and that the experiences occur in the same order. Tsele writes that the explanations for vaporization "are merely indicative of how people experience experiences and are not sure [people will have similar experiences]. . Each person possesses a different type of meridian, gas, and physical substance, and they will face different kinds of illnesses, negative forces or accidents [when they die]. So the disappearances can happen to people in different sequences, or they can happen at the same time. " 

How long will the experience last? Tsele writes that the timeframe of the inner and outer vanities is different. For the majority, each experience can last only for a moment, and especially the three inner dissolutions will not last longer than one moment. 

What should we do when we die?

How should normal people deal with these dissipated phases? First of all, we must try to realize that we are in the process of dying. We should try to experience the experience of vanish as calmly as possible, without panic. We should try to recall that all images and experiences in the transition period are reflections of our minds and our own emotions, like dreams. We should not be tempted or exasperated or scared. It is better to see and feel things as the path of spiritual journey. With stability, we should be calm so that every situation comes and goes. 

Remember to use any method or spiritual experience we are familiar with in your life. We rely on the spiritual methods that we are familiar with, which will be more effective and easier. 

We should recall our sources of blessings, such as the Buddhas, the gurus, the active objects of the mind, the teachings and the meditation experiences and the use of those experiences and memories. To support us spiritually. Try to remember your practice, all your spiritual experience, and then integrate with them. To be united with them means to feel that the Buddhas, teachers, and gods are by your side, protecting and guiding you. Let the light of tranquility, tranquility, strength and bliss from them come to you, overwhelm you, and transform your body into a body of light like the seven rainbow shades radiating blessings. bliss and power. Then, try to relax in that spiritual body several times during the death. 

We must constantly remind ourselves: "I must dwell with my spiritual experience." Such a message will have a great impact and will actually help us to recall experiences even in the difficult process of dying. If we stay with our own experience, our journey on the road to death will be more smooth and will lead us to a pure land or a peaceful, happy and healthy regeneration. strong. 

If we have experienced the essence of mind while alive, we must try to remember in the awareness of that essence. Whatever happens, try to see that everything is just a manifestation of that essence, instead of following and accepting ideas and experiences with attachment or hatred. 

If we have been instructed and trained to see the ultimate nature of the mind and its illuminating illusions, then this is the moment to remain in that experience. This is also the time for the meditators to remind us of the experiences we are experiencing. Longchen Rabjam advised:  

"In the course of death, material elements will dissolve. 
You will see illusions tilted, faint.  
Then the earth, water, fire, wind and space of the body will disintegrate. 

The action of your senses will stop. " 

At that moment, you should remind yourself:  

"Now I'm going to die, but do not need to worry."  
And then observe: "What is death?" "Who is dying?" "Where is death? " 
Death is just a [sign of] the return of the four elements of your soulless debt. 
The inner essence of [your mind] is not born without destroying. 
In the state of original purity, death is the unity of emptiness and the inner essence, the natural way of the ultimate body. 
Let's observe: "What is death?" "Who is dying?" "Where is death?"  
Because death is not anywhere, it is completely illusory. Be courageous and trust in this [knowing] thing.

Jigme Lingpa writes that in the process of dying, the best thing to do is to loose naturally in the ultimate nature. Next, transfer your consciousness to a pure land. At least you should also seek refuge in the Three Jewels: Buddha, the embodiment of enlightenment; France, the truth he preached; and the Sangha, the community of followers of the Fa. Pray for your spiritual teacher, and unite your mind with His enlightened mind. 

Guru Rinpoche advised us to practice, praying not to cling to anything at the time of death, remembering catechetical teachings, and should meditate on integrating the ultimate nature of their mind. I with the ultimate scene:  

When the stage of death begins with me. 
To give up no clinging and clinging to anything, 
I will focus on clear instructions that do not oscillate,  
and transform my inborn essence of mind into the state of the ultimate realm. 

The instructions of the great masters of the process of death and death are key points to remember and apply not only during the mortal stage but also during the four transitional stages of life, including the present. . 

THE STORY OF THE DELOGS ON THE EXPERIENCE OF DEATH

To illustrate what happens when we walk through the door of death, I summarize here the 10 stories of the  delog. Of course, these stories are the experiences of special individuals. Remember that people have different kinds of experiences in the process of dying because of differences in one's mental and physical nature, karmic effects, cultural influences, habitual habits , and their dead circumstances. 

As we have seen, the  delogs  are very devout and many of them are accomplished masters. They come back to life because they have to do the work still unfinished. Some of their experiences may differ from what you or I may encounter at the time of death, but there may be similarities to those with similar mental, emotional, and cultural characteristics. 

In these stories, we will focus our attention on the dying stage. We will return to most of these  deloges  in chapters 3 and 5, to see how their post mortem experiences continue during the ultimate nature and intermediate stages. 

Disintegrated energy:  
Experience of Karma Wangdzin

Karma Wangdzin died for seven days. Born in Lhotrag, South Tibet, she is an educated and devout man. Her husband is Depa'i Drung, head of the Okra tribe. She went to Traphu ascetic school to study Buddhism with the lama Norbu Trashi, and she saw the pure visions of both the Medicine Buddha and Guru Rinpoche. 

Karma had a year of hermitage for prayer and meditation. One day, she suddenly felt sick, did not want to eat, and almost did not recognize her friends anymore. The next day, a friend of hers cried and said to her, "Sister, your eyes have sunk and your nose has not straighten [signs of death]. You better call your husband? " 

Karma thought in his mind: "If I can not tolerate a little sickness, I practice religious devotion is not what?" She told her friend: "Please wait until tomorrow." But that afternoon, she began to feel cold. She felt very thirsty, but when trying to drink water, the water flowed to the nostrils. 

Signs show that the energy of her material elements is disintegrating. She felt that her body was sinking, though her friends tried to pull her up. This is a sign that the energy of meat is dissolving into the soil element. Her mouth and nose dried out due to dehydration, but although she was extremely thirsty, she could not drink either. This is the sign of the blood's energy dissolving into the water element. She trembled from the cold even though she was covered with warm blankets. It was a sign of the warmth in her body dissolving into the element of fire. She tried to breathe, she breathed in and kept breathing very hard. That is the sign of her breathing dissolving into the gas element. 

When the light starts to fade, she can not see and recognize the people around her. As her hearing began to weaken, she could no longer hear what her friends were trying to tell her. When she could no longer control her nervous system, she could not speak another word. She was about to lose contact with this world and was ready to see the world she was going to come to. 

However, during the time that these events took place, Karma's mind was still clear, like a fish in clear water. She clearly remembers her loved ones but is aware that they can not do anything for each other anymore. For her, it was time to go alone. Karma does not believe he has achieved any credible experience with the Fa. The memory of all the bad things she had done continued to flow through her mind, and this made her cry. 

Next, there is a huge chuckle. With that, her breath stopped. She sank into the darkness completely, as the candle suddenly blown out. All of her mental energy retreated into her heart, and she fell into an inanimate state. She was in this state for some time, and did not know she was clinging to the pain of death or the desire to live. 

Create merit for me:  
Lingza Chokyi's experience

Lingza Chokyi was born in Kham, Eastern Tibet. She had severe illness for 16 days, religious ceremonies or medications did not help. She thought, "Maybe I'm going to die now. When I was young, I wanted to become a nun but was prevented from leaving home by my family. I have learned a little Dhamma, but have very little experience in meditation. I do not work charitable donation. Dear, I have wasted a lifetime of precious people that are full of potential and hard to obtain. Now I will leave this world with empty hands. It is too late to regret it. " 

Then she thought: "In the past, our family killed 20 to 30 yaks and sheep every year." This causes Chokyi to fear that killing is one of the ten major unwholesome actions in Buddhism, creating negative karmas that are the cause of suffering and rebirth in hell for the sinner. She added, "Now my family will not pay for the law. So I will face the consequences of unwholesome activities, not enjoy any good behavior and merit. My children only love material things. My children are stingy and have very little faith. But I have to ask my husband to see if they can afford to do the Dharma for themselves. " 

Chokyi called out to the family and told her husband, "I can not go anywhere. Now I have some last words to tell myself. In life, I have not accumulated any merit. On the contrary, I have committed many unwholesome things here and there. Please take one third of your family assets to work for me. " According to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the members of the deceased's family spend a large portion of their fortune to fund sacrifices, prayers, meditation, giving to the poor, giving birth (eg buying and dropping animals, birds, fish), building religious buildings, or offering monks and nuns. They believe that such deeds will create merit, or that these karmic and active kamma will become the source of the journey and bring peace to the dead. 

"Half of my jewelry should be left for my daughter," she said, "and the other half should do something for me. What sacrifices you spend to make me then please follow the pure Dharma. Everyone in the family should practice the Fa if possible. Otherwise, when he dies, he will be crushed by regret. At least let my two sons practice the Dharma. Please do not let my three children suffer from another woman when you remarry. Please promise me these things! " 

Hearing this, her husband replied: "If we spend a third of her property, what do we eat? The number of jewelry for girls is their own. After my death, I will have to marry another to take care of the house. The children are too young to care for themselves. I will spend some money on her, but I can not promise how much I will spend. " 

Chokyi thought: "Now my husband will not spend money to do anything big for him. Why did not I ever create my own merit when I have the opportunity and ability? Your husband will marry another and your children will suffer. Poor them too! " 

This conversation made Mrs. Chokyi even more sad. This sadness made her dizzy. Then she felt as if she was dragged to the ground, and she began to experience some horrible experiences. She felt very pushed down, leaning over the side in a large space and trembling from the cold. Then she felt miserable with the feeling that her body was being burned in a crematorium and saw sparks and heard the rumbling of the flames. When that feeling subsided, she was struck by a strong thunderstorm. Then she felt that her body was being used by many people with different kinds of tools cut into pieces. All these feelings are just the result of the elements of her body disintegrating. 

After all that, she saw red, white and dark. It follows that there is no sense of remembrance or consciousness and that this is a long ecstasy. Later on, when she relives, she can not remember how long the experience lasted. 

Death came to me? 
The experience of Denma Sangye Seng-ge

Sangye was born near Chabbo in Kham province of Eastern Tibet. He studied with many teachers, including the 14th Karmapa (1798 - 1868). 

One day, at age 55, Sangye suffered a heart attack like he was hit by a bullet. He began to have strange hallucinations. He did not want to eat and sometimes felt like his body was about to throw out all the internal organs. 

Sangye is afraid that he is about to die. But he could not do anything to save himself. He becomes sensitive to everything, so whatever happens, he is very worried. His breath was shorter. He was miserable and felt as nervous as a bird being squeezed in a man's hand or a fish thrown on dry land. The light from his eyes quickly dimmed. Then suddenly all the images became dark. 

Sangye experiences a series of painful experiences when the energy of the elements of the body begins to disintegrate. At times he felt very thirsty, like the intestines inside the fire, and he craved a drop of water to drink. At other times, he felt like being crushed under something as heavy as a mountain. Moments later, he felt himself being blown away violently like a feather in a storm. Sometimes he feels the sun and the moon are falling to the ground. He listens to loud noises like thousands of simultaneous thunderous explosions and constantly sees thousands of lightning strike the Earth at the same time. Then he felt an old house, in fact his body, collapsed. But those sightings and feelings that have just emerged disappear as an illusion. 

Then Sangye saw the light like fireflies in the dark sky. Sometimes these rays look very good, sometimes not. 

Sangye realizes that "these images are probably the experiences of the energy of the elements that disintegrate in the process of death." Then, with a human instinct that was afraid of death, he panicked. Many questions began to flock to: "Are you experiencing the disintegration of the energy of the four elements of your body? Like in my previous life, was the time of death so important to me again? Death has come to take me? Will not live anymore? " 

He felt trapped in a very dark place, which was actually his body, since his body could no longer reach the light. There, he saw nine openings that could give him a way out of this darkness - the mouth, the eyes, the ears, the nostrils, the anus, and the genitals. He looked through the openings and straight up, and he shouted the HIK syllable three times because he'd been taught that way before when he was practicing Phowa. In doing so he helped him through the tenth openings - the opening in the skull on the top of his head. 

According to Buddhism, at the moment of death consciousness will exit through one of the ten "doors" or openings of the body (anus, genitalia, mouth, nostrils, two ears, eyes and openings in the skull). ). If your mind escapes through the gates of your upper body, this will help you to reincarnate into the higher realms. 

The meditators were instructed to block the lower nine, especially the lowest door, with images of the sacred syllables HUM. Then they move upward through the central meridian with the power of meditative energy and escape through the openings on the skull at the top of the head. 

Light as the sky without clouds:  
Experience of Dagpo Trashi Namgyal

Dagpo Trashi Namgyal is Central Tibetan. He died in five days. Before that, he had pain in his head and upper body. Recognizing that he may be dying, he wants to hear the teachings of the average body. 

As the material elements of his body began to slowly dissolve, his outward awareness began to move inward. He saw the image of a five-color light. This is not a form of light outside; With the eyes of the mind, he is observing a block of light inside. 

First, he lost consciousness of the objects of the five senses: form, bar, incense, taste and contact. As his vision became blurred, he could not recognize the acquaintance. Ear can not hear the sound. Nose can not smell. Tongue can not taste anything. His body did not feel any contact. 

The soil element of his body dissolved into water and his body became heavy. When the water element dissolved into fire, his mouth and eyes felt dry and he felt very thirsty. It seems that his arteries roll like a roll. Then, the fire element dissolved into gas and the warmth of his body was dissipated by the gas. 

Because the gas element is the essence of intrinsic sense, when the external respiration stops, his consciousness dissolves into light. As his outer breath merged into the inner respiration, the first experience of the three experiences appeared. 

At first he saw "the statues". As the sign is inside, his senses become clear. The outer images became white like moonlight. His senses were no longer affected by transient changes, and he felt strong and alert. 

Then the "image" merged into the "enhancement". As an internal sign, he saw the light like fireflies. As a sign of the outside, he saw the light reddened like sunlight. 

Then "strengthen" to integrate into "attain". In a moment, his senses are still clear. He saw flames and lights like lights. Ignorance of the nature of reality ceases. Then, the light in the sky like clouds appear. In other words, he begins to experience glowing meditations, which are as clear as the cloudless autumn sky, a state without the gross perception or duality of the subject (senses) and object (the object of sense). 

Perception of death: 
Samten Chotso's experience

At the age of 19, Samten Chotso, a native of Kham in Eastern Tibet, had a  delog  for seven days. Suddenly the elements in her body became agitated and she lay dead. Illusions come continuously. She realizes that she is really dying and she starts to have hallucinogens as follows: 

First, the material elements and senses of her body begin to disintegrate: when the arteries of her heart stop working, she feels like a mountain that has been overturned. Next, the blood vessels in her eyes stopped working and she felt like the sun and the moon fell from the sky. Next, the capillaries in her tongue stopped working and the space was lit up by the lightning bolts. Then the capillaries in her ear stopped working and she heard thousands of thunderous sounds at the same time. 

Unique among the delog: 
The experience of Dawa Drolma

Dawa Drolma (1910-1941) was born in Washul Thromtha, Kham Province, Eastern Tibet. One of her sons, the late Chagdud Rinpoche (1930-2002), lived and taught in the United States and Brazil for decades. Dawa Drolma is unusual among  delogs  because she knows in advance she will experience the experience of a  delog . So she prepared herself and for those around her. The journey  of her delogical experience  lasted five days. 

In 1924, at the age of 15 or 16, Dawa Drolma often had profound meditation experiences. One day she was seen in the face of Mr. Bach's medical and received this prophetic advice: "Soon, you will be sick and will die. However, if you obey certain instructions, after five days you will live as a  delog and will benefit many sentient beings. " Dawa's teacher, Chogtul Rinpoche, reluctantly agrees with her desire to prepare and experience such a special experience. He blessed her and reminded her, "Relax in the nature of your mind, as it is, without falling into silence. Maintain a clear awareness and devotion to your spiritual masters and Dharma gurus. Keep love and compassion for sentient beings who used to be my mother. " 

Then Dawa Drolma became very sick. She asked Lord Chogtul Rinpoche and the others there to abide by the following conditions: "Bring all the food and water out of my room. After I die, wash my body with artichokes that have been blessed in the presence of a girl named Drolma. To symbolize my Buddhist family, my head must be covered with a blue cloth. Should lock my door. Then, wrap the padlock with a blue cloth and seal it with a scorpion symbol. There must be a blue man sitting outside to watch my house. And then, for five days, while I was dying, no one was allowed to go into my room or make noise around the house. When I come back, I will need a blue fur coat. I will need water that has been blessed to wash my mouth. " 

She and her teachers held a feast for Yumka for the 25th day of the Tibetan lunar calendar. Her teachers reminded her once again: "Let your mind calm down and do not let wild thoughts distract you. Let your mind integrate with its ultimate nature, as the mind is usually at the moment of death. " 

When the time comes, Dawa Drolma lets her mind relax in its natural state. She senses it as a pure and pure state of nothingness and bliss. Every thought is settled down. She did not sleep in a wake, where there is no thought rampant. She is not trapped in the senses' network of bliss, innocence or mindlessness. She did not float in hallucinations. Rather, she is in the infinite space of the natural consciousness, as it is. Thus, she is in a state of consciousness that has changed, though she can hear all the sounds and voices surrounding her. 

On the 26th, she saw vigorously the presence of her guardian angel, Mrs Tara, in front of her in a strange light sphere. 

Then she saw that from the Pure Land of Guru Rinpoche, a rainbow of rainbow colors of five parallel rays entered her room. In the midst of those rays, four da-ki-ni, in the form of young women dressed in beautiful clothes and costumes, appeared as Mrs. Dawa's escorts. They put her in a palanquin covered with colorful silk. Dawa  

Drolma and the four da-ni-ni are sung in seven lines of the Vajrayana and Guru Rinpoche's mantra. They constantly chant with great devotion. She saw all these images in her mind. 

Mind Travel Without Obstruction:  
Gyalwa Yungtrung's Experience

Gyalwa Yungtrung of Kham Province in East Tibet and a follower of Bon religion, a native Tibetan religion. 

When he was 49 years old, his mother died. He invited many lamas to celebrate the feast in 49 days, because it was believed that almost no one stayed in the center for more than seven weeks. He spent all his money on sponsoring the ceremony. He always remembered the love and kindness of his mother and never ceased to regret the lost mother. Then one day, as he contemplated the nature of his mind, he found that his mind was unborn from the root and naturally existed. 

One day, he felt that "The world and the body are empty. Our mind can go anywhere without any obstacles. I have to contact my soul no matter where she goes. Suddenly he felt himself free from the body. 

Gyalwa experiences more experiences, as we will read in Chapter 5, about experience in the middle of the  delog . At this stage, he did not write about whether he experienced the disintegration of the elements. His story of the death process once again shows that different individuals experience this stage in different ways. 

Internal Consciousness:  
The Experience of Tsophu Dorlo

Dorlo is a master who has practiced fullness. His real name is Dorje Duddul in Khrozur, but many people know him as Tsophu Dorlo. He experienced the experience of a  delog  in an ascetic monastery named Pema Sheltrag in Nyag-rong in Eastern Tibet. 

It happened in 1923 when Dorlo, then 61, suddenly became ill and no one expected him to recover. In order to ease the pain of the disciples, he gave them instructions and told them that he would return in the next reincarnation. With his pure mind, Zhingkyong Rinpoche blessed him and told him, "This is not the time for me to enter the Pure Land. You have to go into the realms of hell and serve beings there. " The lama gave him a large prayer wheel to carry with him. 

On the evening of Wednesday, his dying signs began to appear. Dorlo repeatedly tried to recall the teachings and instructions he had received from his teachers. He specially kept his mind merged with the mind of his lama and stayed there in unity without hesitation. For a long time, he dwelt in the inner essence, the pure nature of his mind. It is the natural presence and the non-vibrational state of the unity of the clearness and the emptiness of the mind. 

Soon after, the disintegration of the elements of his body began. The sign of the flesh disintegrating into the earth is when he feels himself fell and sank into the ground. When the blood dissolves into water, he loses energy from the body. His nose and mouth began to drip out and his tongue dried. As the heat dissolved into the fire element, his body was no longer warm. His mind is bright at times not. His eyes began to roll up. You can not recognize people around. As his breath dissolved into gas, he began to breathe heavily and his limbs began to weaken. His mind was stifling and he saw faint images like hallucinations. 

After the disintegration of raw elements, he begins to experience the disintegration of his subtle energies. When the essence of fire, the red essence moves upward, the "images" dissolve into "booster", and everything becomes reddish. When the essence of water, white essence moves downwards, and "enhancement" dissolves into "attainable", everything becomes white. And then, when the subtlest vitality stops, the "attainment" dissolves into "light," everything becomes shadows. 

The mind becomes clear:  
The experience of Shugseb Jetsun Lochen

Shugseb Jetsun Lochen (1865-1953), also known as Jetsun Rigdzin Chonyi Zangmo, was one of the greatest Tibetan female teachers of the twentieth century. She was born in India but studied in Tibet and lived in Shugseb for the last several years near Kangri Thokar, the ascetic monastery of Longchen Rabjam, the great teacher of the great tenet of the fourteenth century. 

Jetsun experienced the state of a  delog for several days while following a retreat retreat at Zangyak Trag in the Drigung valley in central Tibet. She attained miraculous meditation experiences and experiences. She can go through the wall without any obstacle, and there are times when she becomes invisible, causing her to not see her. Sometimes you can go to this place with only thoughts. You can see the gods as well as many beings that others do not see. 

One day, Jetsun's energetic energy entered the central meridian. As a result, she kept running into the meditation room and uttered a variety of sounds and dances. Then she collapsed to the ground like a rock falling and lying motionless. 

Thinking that she was dead, her friends mourned and began discussing her funeral. But her mother noticed that her face was still holding the skin of a survivor so her mother asked her friends to check it carefully. They found a bit of warmth, like the temperature of a bird, in her heart. Due to the extraordinary capacity of her life in general, her friends concluded that she might not have left. So, they started celebrating the offerings. 

For Jetsun himself, although her body was not moving, her mind was clear many times before. She could clearly hear all the conversations of her friends and the others around her. 

Black Darkness Departure:  
The Experience of Tagla Konchog Gyaltsen

Tagla Konchog Gyaltsen (1856-1946) was born in the Ma valley, in the Akyong Ponmotsang tribe in the Eastern Golok province. He became a famous teacher. He experienced a  delog  for several days at the age of 88. 

In 1932, he was in the Ma valley, a wonderfully beautiful valley at the foot of the mighty mountain range Amnye Machen. One day he had a severe illness. He suddenly saw clouds in the sky with bright lights. In the midst of those clouds, he saw Guru Rinpoche surrounded by many enlightened ones in peaceful and angry form along with the great masters of the catechesis. He heard the Buddha of Compassion said to him, "Son." Do not be distracted. Please focus on the top. With devotion, please recite the six syllables (OMMI PADME HUNG). I'm going to witness the experience of the [bardo] transition. " 

Soon afterwards, from the south, the god of medicine with white skin and youthful appearance on the white clouds drifted to the Tagla. He wore white silk, hair tied at the top of his head. He wore a white silk bag on his shoulders. From his belt is dangling a cone with dice (one of a pair of dice, a Tibetan divination tool). 

Then the Black Devil in black leather riding the whirlwind came. He wears a dark robe and lets his hair down. He wore a black bag on his shoulder, and dangling from his waist was a black charcoal dice. 

Patroness of Medicine said to Tagla: "I am the God of Medicine Bao. I care for good beings. I come from the court of the King of the Dead to take you away. What confidence do you have to deal with the intermediate stage, ie the transition period? I keep a record of the good deeds people accumulate. " 

With full confidence, Tagla recounts all of his meditative experiences, his perceptions, the number of prayers he reads and the things he has done to serve others. He expressed his great joy to go to the middle of the journey and meet the Dharma King. Then Tagla prays to those whom he will take refuge in, buddhas and lamas, for blessings. At that time, all the benefactors appeared in heaven before his eyes. All together with Tagla chanting verse Six sacred spirits with chanting tone and melodious, echoing throughout space. 

After giving the teachings of the transition, Tagla's principal teacher, Pema Dechen Zangpo, said: "Now go away. Your innate goodness is manifested as the god of medicine and he will take you away. " Tagla sees a rainbow of colors flowing westward like the path leading to the Pure Land of the Infinite Buddha. But his master added: "The time when I went to the Pureland Pure Land has not arrived yet." 

Black Dark anger is approaching Tagla. He denies the good deeds of Tagla, considers them impure and accuses him of doing bad deeds. He tries to intimidate Tagla by describing the horrifying middle course that he is facing. Subsequently, the true messengers of the king's court appeared. They include Awa Bo's Head, Snake Head Snake, and Monkey's Nest. 

At first Tagla felt dreaded, but soon after he regained his confidence and said: "Dark Black! To protect the honor of good deeds, we must reject your accusations. " After telling all the moral work he had done in his life, Tagla concluded: "I have no reason to be threatened by you. Dark Black! Please shut up! " Hearing this, the Black Devil disappeared in a storm. 

Then, momentarily, Tagla finds her true body lying dead on her bed at home, surrounded by mournful friends. 

Thinking: "Now there is no way I can live again," Tagla heartless sadness. At that time, the Patroness of the Buddha approached and said, "You will die for a short time. I will rise again soon. Then Tagla started his journey through the transition, with the god of the Guardian Medical Dharma along with him. 

Do not panic:  
Changchub Seng-ge's experience

Changchub was born in Lho Gyalwa. His father was Kham, and Tagla used to call him Nyatrug. So, he must have been in the Nyag-rung area of ​​Kham, East Tibet. 

Changchub is sick. He could barely get out of bed to drink water. Suddenly he found himself floating in the sky. His house is collapsing. Each leg, hair, pores are like a sharp object pierced him. Mountains and houses collapsed on him. The flow of a huge river is rolling him away. He was burning in a mountain of flames. A strong storm is blowing him away. Thousands of suns are rising and burning him, screams threatening thunder. It seems every experience lasts for thousands of years. They are signs that the elements of his body are disintegrating and his inner respiration stops. When the inner respiration is stopped, five light sources appear. Suddenly Changchub saw the light, like the sun rising at midnight. 

The consciousness is so clear that it is like a lamp, but it is unstable, like a flickering light in a storm. He can also see the passage of his reincarnation in the past and in the future. 

Then the attachment to the objects of consciousness arises in him and he suddenly feels like being crushed under a large rock. He had a thought: "Oh, I have to go into a castle." Suddenly he felt himself flooded with red light. This made him frightened, as he thought his face could be hurt. At that moment, two distinctively colored beams of light spread out. The beams of light above are very clear, bright, bright and flexible. The beam is pale. So far, Changchub has given instructions to others: "At this time, do not be afraid of light beams above. That is the light of the original wisdom. The light beam below is the light of the year of toxic emotions. Do not be seduced by the light source below. " 

Changchub is often famous for such instructions. His story is a treasure trove of advice on what helpers should tell dying meditators as a reminder or a reminder of their meditations. And so, when the light sources described above appear, Changchub advises us:  

This is the time for ordinary people to perform Phowa and for those who have attained enlightenment to perform the manifestation. 

About disclosure: If a person [is dying] rolls his eyes upward, and if there is no respiratory movement through the nostril, it is a sign of an external respiratory arrest. At that time [the helpers] should call that person by name. Slowly pull the hair on the top of the head slightly. Do not let loved ones close to dying if they are mourning. 

Give the dying person the following instructions about the signs of disappearance of the physical elements: "You may feel like your house is falling down, but it is not. It is a sign of your external respiration stopping. Do not let your mind wobble! You can feel the sharp objects piercing each leg of your hair, the pores on your body, but not so. This is a sign that your arteries have stopped functioning. Do not be afraid. 

When you see a yellowish skin, say, "Now you can feel like the house is falling down on you, but it's not. This is the sign of the energy of meat dissolved into the soil element outside. Do not worry!". 

When the skin becomes slightly red, say: "Now you can feel you are burning in a mountain of flames, but not so. This is a sign of the warmth inside which dissolves into the element of external fire. " 

When the skin becomes white, say, "Now you can feel like a huge river washed away, but not so. This is the sign that the inner blood element is dissolved into the external water element. Do not be afraid. 

When the skin becomes light green, say, "Now you may feel like a big storm, but not so. That is the sign of your inner breath dissolving into the outer gas element. " 

When the skin becomes light blue, say: "Now you can feel like sinking into the ocean, but not so. It is a sign that your inner elements are melting into space. Do not panic! "

Changchub's description of his pathway between the end of the disappearance and the emergence of the ultimate nature as well as the beginning of the middle period are very special. Often people go through the stages of dissipation, then glimpses the glowing nature, and then goes into the intermediate stage. But in this case, even after seeing the glowing nature, Changchub once again goes through a phase of disappearing. Thus, it is clear that there are some dying people going back and forth before they leave permanently because of their karmic, emotional, and mental qualities. Or perhaps they are struggling to sustain life. 

DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING

You may be worried after reading this chapter. A Tibetan woman once said to her teacher, a lama, "When I hear about the rewards for good deeds, I have much hope for liberation - right now. both for me. But when I heard about the consequences of bad deeds, I was skeptical of liberation - even for the master. " 

While it is not good to fear what will come to us after death, we should be caring and careful before it is too late. Karma has something we can improve on. If we are going the wrong way, we can turn our lives on the right path. If we are on the right path, we can improve further. We control our destiny. There are hundreds of different teachings and hundreds of compassionate people are willing to help us to help ourselves. 

But the first step is to know and accept the inevitability of death and the consequences that await us - while there is still time. By doing so, we can make all the necessary preparations while we are living. We need to develop positive attitudes and serve others through useful actions. If we are not prepared in this way, death will be a sad affair, not only marking the end of the days of life, but also the risk of a distressed future or even a place of death. prison. 

However, if we live well, death will certainly be the time of celebration. It will mark the end of old age and illness and is a happy time. Some of us are able to meet the enlightened beings with infinite compassion and omniscient wisdom that guide us to heavenly realms of bliss such as the Pure Land of the Buddha of Infinite Light which they In addition, if we are highly attained Tantric meditators, we can attain even enlightenment at death in the so-called period of maturity. the ultimate, will be discussed in the next chapter 

But the important thing is that we need to prepare for death and die right now, without delay. If we breathe out without inhaling, then death has come. We are very close to the day we celebrate or we will mourn. END=NAM MO SAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=THICH CHAN TANH.VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN AMITABHA MONASTERY=AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.7/11/2018.