Transference of Consciousness at the Time of
Death
Lama Thubten Yeshe |
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Second Discourse: 3rd March
Yesterday we said that in order to transfer our consciousness
to Amitabha's pure land we have to create the proper causes,
or karma. What is the actual cause for such a rebirth? It
is strong refuge in Amitabha, actualizing bodhicitta and dedicating
all virtuous activities to rebirth in Amitabha's pure land,
while continuously remembering the good qualities of his pure
land. If we accumulate all these causes, it is definite that
we shall attain the desired pure land rebirth.
Tibetan prayers often emphasize the request to be saved
from rebirth in one of the three lower realms. But there is
no way for anyone who has realized the three principal paths
(renunciation, bodhicitta and the correct view of emptiness)
to be reborn in these unfortunate states of existence. Even
if during your lifetime you are responsible for the death
of millions of people, you can be saved from lower rebirth
by developing the compassionate thought of bodhicitta for
all others. Thus bodhicitta is the real po-wa. If
you have bodhicitta there is absolutely no way that you will
find yourself born in a lower realm. Therefore, although it
is a very good idea to learn the technical method of transference
of consciousness, it is enough to have generated the mind
of bodhicitta; with such a mind at death, you will definitely
obtain an upper state of rebirth. For those of us who find
it difficult to generate the three principal paths to enlightenment,
there are the technical methods of po-wa being explained
here.
It is stated in the Abhidharma texts that once
the third section of the second path—the patience section
of the path of preparation—has been reached, it is impossible
to fall to any of the lower realms ever again. What this means
is that at such a state a bodhisattva gains a special, complete
confidence that he or she will never fall again. If, however,
even before this stage is reached, the three principal paths
have been developed, the door to the three lower realms is
closed.
One technical method being presented here is referred to
in the text as "The forceful method for evil beings to
escape from lower rebirth." It is possible that beings
like us are worse than Hitler; we don't know what we have
done in our past lives. But it makes no difference what even
the cruelest person in the world has done. If, when the signs
of death appear, such a person develops a greatly compassionate
mind, invokes the four remedies that oppose the power of negative
karma, and practices the forceful technique of po-wa,
he or she will definitely escape from rebirth in one of the
lower realms. Therefore, you should never let yourself become
obsessed with your negativities, but realize that they are
interdependent phenomena and can be altered through the practice
of appropriate methods. Knowing these techniques of po-wa
can release your mind from its obsessive vision and allow
you to use the pure land vision instead.
The various commentarial texts list the good qualities found
in Amitabha's pure land. First of all, as already indicated,
if you are reborn in this pure land there is no longer any
danger of falling to a lower rebirth. Furthermore, rebirth
in this pure land frees one from the eight states of no leisure,
which usually prevent beings from practicing Dharma. In other
words, all the situations encountered in Amitabha's pure land
are conducive for the practice of the spiritual path. There
is also complete freedom from the indecisive mind; once you
have achieved this pure land it is definite that
you follow the Mahayana path to full enlightenment. There
will be no longer any danger that you will give up the Mahayana
aspiration and work only for the self-liberation that is the
goal of the Hinayana path. Also, beings reborn in this pure
land always do so intuitively via a lotus and, once reborn
there, never experience untimely death. All enjoyments come
effortlessly and instantly; merely thinking of something pleasurable
brings the experience. One's body has the thirty-two characteristic
marks of a buddha and one's mind automatically possesses the
five types of telepathic power. These include (1) being able
to travel to countless buddha fields within one second of
time, (2) being able to remember all of one's own and others'
previous lives, (3) having unobstructed vision of the pure
lands and the environments of sentient beings, (4) being able
to hear the teachings of countless buddhas and (5) being able
to know the mind and attitude of other beings.
It is not only extremely worthwhile for a disciple to have
these extraordinary qualities of mind, it is essential that
a teacher possesses them as well. When Shakyamuni Buddha was
on this earth, by merely saying a few words he was able to
lead thousands of disciples to states of realization. This
was the result of his ability to know the minds of his disciples
directly and intuitively.
In summary, when you gain Amitabha's pure land you have
the uninterrupted ability of meeting with fully-enlightened
beings and receiving teachings from them. Thus it is obvious
how powerful such a pure land mind is. Think how powerful
your mind would be if it remained focussed on bodhicitta twenty-four
hours a day. For such a mind, enlightenment is certainly not
far away. At present, however, our minds are occupied with
mundane thoughts, and thus we waste most of our time. In Amitabha's
pure land the mind is uninterruptedly focussed upon method
and wisdom. It is for this reason that enlightenment is attained
very quickly. Through understanding all of these outstanding
qualities of Amitabha's pure land we should develop the strong
wish to be born there.
To some extent we all understand our present situation in
life and have some faith in our ability to improve our mind.
Such sincere faith in the Mahayana path is necessary if we
are to avoid the negative results of misusing these transference
techniques. Therefore, at this time visualize that Amitabha
Buddha is purifying you of all obscurations and hindrances,
thereby ensuring that your practice of po-wa will
indeed lead to rebirth in his pure land, and meditate with
great compassion on the technical methods for transferring
your consciousness to Amitabha's pure land.
[Recitation of the prayer for the development of refuge,
bodhicitta and the four boundless thoughts.]
As we visualize Amitabha Buddha upon the crown of our heads,
light descends from his heart, enters our crown and becomes
one with our central channel. Thus there is one uninterrupted
passageway connecting Amitabha Buddha's heart with our own.
This passageway is completely sealed and has no cracks or
flaws. As the great mahasiddha Naropa said, "There are
nine doors to our body and eight of them are samsaric. It
is the ninth, the entrance at the crown of our head, that
is the door to mahamudra, the great liberation." The
other doors lead to rebirth in the various samsaric realms,
and are therefore not appropriate gateways through which our
consciousness should depart. It is for this reason that Amitabha
sends down the tube of white light through our crown and into
our central channel forming an indestructible passageway through
which our consciousness can travel. Thus, from four finger
widths below our navel straight up to Amitabha Buddha's heart
there is one indestructible, uninterrupted tube of radiant
white light.
In our own heart center, within our central channel, resides
the essential seed-syllable of our mind, the size and shape
of a tiny pea. It is white in color and vibrates with a reddish
glow. This white drop is extremely light, so light that it
is almost ready to fly upwards by itself. It is extremely
delicate, clean, clear and radiant: it is as if there were
a small star in our heart, shining with a rainbow light.
This radiant drop signifies our very subtle consciousness.
Normally this subtle consciousness only functions at the time
of death. At the appropriate place in the technical method
you should focus your mind single-pointedly on this drop with
the strong wish of becoming one with the mind of Amitabha
Buddha. It is very important to develop this strong desire,
to overcome the dualistic gap between your mind and that of
Amitabha. You should try to become one with this Buddha as
much as possible. At the same time your mind, in the form
of this tiny seed-syllable, or drop, should look upwards through
the central channel and directly into the heart of Amitabha.
Then listen, as Amitabha's voice comes down the central channel
from his heart and invites you to go up and join him. Then
Amitabha Buddha sends down from his heart, a shaft of radiant
red light which, like a hook, attaches itself to our mind,
which is in the aspect of the seed-syllable. This red, radiant
hook of light comes down through the white tube of light and
hooks our mind, exerting an upward force upon it.
[Recitation of the prayers.]
Then breathe in through your nostrils and press down at the
area of your navel. Then tighten your lower pelvic muscles,
thereby bringing the lower energies upwards. Feel that the
seed-syllable, full of devotion towards Amitabha Buddha, is
ready to fly upwards. At the same time that the lower energies
are pushing the seed-syllable upwards from below, the red
hook of light from above is also drawing the mind upwards.
Empowered in this way, the very subtle mind travels up through
the throat and crown chakras, passes through the lotus and
moon bed and finally reaches the center of Amitabha Buddha's
heart. There it becomes one with Amitabha's omnipresent wisdom
of non-duality, seen as a blissful radiance in his heart.
With the utterance of the first sound—the mantra HIC—your
subtle consciousness in the form of the seed-syllable flies
upwards into Amitabha Buddha's heart. Recognize his heart
as the main destination for your mind. Recognize the white
radiant tube of light as the path to your destination. Finally,
recognize your very subtle consciousness in the form of the
seed-syllable as the traveler following this path to its destination.
It is very important to keep these three recognitions clear
while doing this practice. Then, with the recitation of KAAH,
see your mind as returning back down the tube of light into
your own heart.
To repeat, while reciting the first sound you should feel
that your mind is going upwards until it becomes inseparable
from Amitabha Buddha's omnipresent and blissful wisdom. Then,
when the second syllable is recited, you should feel that
your mind is descending from this state back into your own
heart. This entire process is divided into the following steps:
(1) contemplate your very subtle consciousness in your
heart, radiant and very light;
(2) with this mind develop the wish to become united with
Amitabha Buddha's mind;
(3) take a long and deep inhalation without letting your
concentration degenerate;
(4) hold the breath at your navel and tighten your lower
muscles, bringing the lower energies upwards;
(5) as this energy pushes from below and the red hook pulls
from above, recite HIC;
(6) contemplate the unity of your very subtle consciousness
and Amitabha Buddha's mind;
(7) then send your consciousness downward while reciting
KAAH.
After practicing these steps a number of times, focus your
attention on Amitabha Buddha's begging bowl. The nectar within
this bowl overflows and flows down your central channel, thereby
filling your entire nervous system with white, blissful, light-nectar
energy. This renews all the energy you may have lost through
this practice. Then, as explained in the practice, Guru Amitabha
Buddha melts into light, descends the central channel and
also becomes one with your heart. In this way he becomes unified
with your very subtle consciousness. Then perform the dedication.
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