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The Evolution of the Death Process (Page 56)

Those who saw many dead people—not dead by accident but by sickness—can prove this from experience, all these external signs.

I think I will stop here.

Tonight we will meditate on death—the future death evolution which will happen. Try to put yourself into that evolution and to imagine the process, the whole situations.

First think of the impermanent life, life shortage.

(Meditation)

Dedication.
First prayer : Page 156
Second prayer : Page 93, these notes.
Third prayer : Kye Wa Kun Tu Yang Dag Lama Dang
Trel Me Cho Kyi Pal La Long Cho Ching
Sa Dang Lam Gyi Yon Ten Rag Tsog Ne
Dorje Chang Gi Go Phang Nyur Thob Shog

The meaning of the last prayer is, “May I quickly attain the enlightenment of Dorje Chang (Vajradhara, the owner of all the enlightened beings) and not be separated from perfected gurus in all future lives, and enjoy the teachings and complete the whole knowledge of path and the different levels.”

This prayer is important because even if we are born in the human world where Dharma exists and we meet the wrong guru, there is the danger being led in the wrong way. Meeting perfected gurus is extremely difficult. To receive enlightenment and realizations in future lifetimes depends on receiving teachings, and this depends on the guru. So if you pray now, little by little you can create the causes. Also, we create the causes gradually by our dedication.

Day 14
Thursday November 29th
9 a.m.

From the holy teachings of the great bodhisattva, Tenzin Gyatso, “The result of bodhicitta is not just one time or two times. The result of bodhicitta increases without finishing and does not decrease; it increases until the omniscient mind is received. Even after the omniscient mind is received, it increases sentient beings’ virtues.”

This is quite difficult to understand, this last part, but it is important to know anyway. The last part holds a great meaning about the relationship between us and Buddha, God, Enlightened Being, whatever it is called—anyway, the saviors, the highest saviors who have the achievement of fully-knowing mind, and who have great power and compassion for us and all sentient beings. Once we receive omniscient mind, the holy works of our future enlightened self cannot and do not stop until all sentient beings, every and all sentient beings, are released from suffering gradually. This is the result of bodhicitta in which we are training now. It’s incredible, thinking like this, it has incredible results, such great benefits. So the result of bodhicitta still continues. So this bodhicitta has that much great knowledge; the more you use—with material things the more you use, the more you finish—but with bodhicitta the more you use, the more it increases, becomes stronger, develops, progresses. There is a big difference—and it brings us closer to enlightenment. Besides bodhicitta bringing us to enlightenment, to achieve our future enlightenment, this bodhicitta also obliges us to work for each and every sentient being.

If I repeat the quotation once more, “The result of bodhicitta is not once or twice. It increases until omniscient mind is received. After receiving omniscient mind, the rain of the teachings falling increases the sentient beings’ virtues like a crop. It increases the crops of the sentient beings’ virtues.”

Therefore, it is greatly worthwhile to practice the holy thought of bodhicitta when we have the chance. Bodhicitta, which has such incredible, extensive results, is necessary. It is foolish not to listen or practice while we have chance—we have met the teachings, obtained the perfect human rebirth, heard the Mahayana teachings, received the technique of bodhicitta—not listening, not practicing is very foolish. And it is important to train even from now. Since the actual time of death is indefinite, it is clever to start right from now.

So, try to think, try to cultivate the holy thought of bodhicitta before listening the Mahayana teachings. “The attachment that I have now, within my mind, which is attached to the happiness of this life and to higher samsaric pleasures, is only the cause of suffering. However happy a life I have now or receive in the future, since it is samsara it is in the nature of suffering; we are, in the circle of death and rebirth. However much we think from our side we are pleasant, happy, have that many material things, however much we think it is good, actually we are suffering, in the fireplace, in such a large fireplace. So therefore, we should not distract ourselves with our wrong view that is projected by our wrong conceptions. Therefore, we should not allow ourselves to be distracted by our wrong view, which is creation of the wrong conception, that causes us to see that, ‘I am having a happy life. I am not suffering,’ although we are going through the circle of death and rebirth, and old age and sickness.

“Oneself receiving ultimate peace, oneself being released from samsara is not enough. There are infinite sentient beings who are the objects from whom I received past, present, and future perfection, even enlightenment. They are extremely kind but most of them have not received the perfect human rebirth as I have; have not met the guru, the leader, who is leading us on the path to enlightenment, have not met Mahayana teachings, do not have the wisdom eye to see what is positive action and what is negative action, to understand Dharma. So they often cause suffering to themselves. Therefore, I must repay them for their kindness. The best way to repay them is to lead them to enlightenment. Also, I am responsible, as they are greatly kind and in such unbearable suffering, I am greatly responsible to release them, to guide them and to lead them from suffering. But at present I have no power. So to achieve this I must receive enlightenment. To reach enlightenment I must have the achievement of the whole graduated path. To do this, I much have the full understanding of the graduated path. Therefore, I am going to listen to the Mahayana teachings.”

So the listening subject is the graduated path. If the practice is divided it becomes three teachings—the path of the lower, middle, and higher beings—so now we are on the path of the lower being.

According to the brief outline, “Perfect Human Rebirth,” “ The Great Usefulness of the Perfect Human Rebirth,” and “How life is Fragile, Impermanent,” “Death is Definite,” “The Actual Time of Death is Indefinite.” At the death time no material possessions, not even this body that we cared for more than any other sentient being, than the Enlightened Being, can help us. What helps us to not have suffering at death or even after death--what can help? No physical things or matter help at the death because the principal cause of death is not among matter, not among relatives, not among matter. Even though the external situation can be cooperative, the principal cause, the main cause of death is within our minds. The principal cause of death is within each living being’s mind, existing in each of their minds. So without cutting off ...

Why is it that so far the scientists, who study things only on the physical level, couldn’t discover the method to stop death? Because they have not discovered the principal cause of death. Why? Because they didn’t observe the mind, only the physical level. If it was in physical matter they could have done it, even in ancient times—because stopping death is the most important thing, even for them, if not for others. One thing is not observing the mind. We are talking about the mind because the mind is the evolution of it. They say that it is because time changes—they only go round, saying some words, but they haven’t yet found any means to stop it.

So therefore, none of this matter helps at death time. What can help at this most dangerous time of life—what can help? Only the Dharma can help—Dharma is the only method. Since nothing external can help, the method has to be an inner method. In an inner method there are two things: one inner method is what we have been practicing from beginningless time until now; the other is the method we have not accomplished yet.

In regards to inner method there are two things. One is the kind that we have been practicing from beginningless previous lives up until now. That is the inner method that obliges us uncontrollably to experience and suffer the circle of death and rebirth, karma and ignorance, the principal cause, ignorance, and its action, karma. This inner method doesn’t help; developing it continually makes us continue the circle. This is what we have to discover, the principal cause of death.

The second inner method is what we should accomplish. What is missing in our action is the achievement of the second inner method, which cuts off ignorance and karma. Through this the result of death and rebirth ceases. So what is the inner method? That is only the Dharma. So like this—the practice of Dharma is generally necessary, is indefinite ... it is necessary to start now, to practice now.

(Page 58)

The purpose of why we are talking about these things—the death process, death evolution—the purpose of explaining this is as follows. The meditators and yogis, by understanding the ordinary evolution of death, the ordinary evolution of the intermediate stage, and the ordinary evolution of rebirth, use tantric techniques according to the individual deity that they practice, the different manifestations of the deity. There are hundreds and hundreds of different manifestations of the deities but actually—Guru Shakyamuni ... anyway, like this. Before death, by fully understanding the ordinary evolution of these three, they practice, they use the ordinary evolution with the tantric techniques of the individual deity, they used the ordinary evolution of these three in meditation, combining them with the special tantric techniques of the individual deity. They train well in this before the danger of death, so when the actual danger, the actual evolution arises, they use the methods at the actual time. So in these evolutions—going through the intermediate stage, birth, and death—they are in meditation instead of being scared, they are enjoying their own trips.

Like this. At the moment, when we concentrate for five minutes, we cannot control the distractions. The mind is that much full of distractions, and powerless. So checking, looking at the limited power of the mind that we have now, it seems impossible that we can control the mind at those dangerous, critical times, because at these times there are much stronger distractions, much more fearful distractions. That’s why those yogis, practitioners, and meditators train in this in their lifetimes, before the actual evolution starts.

Also, having the capability to use these tantric methods at these times depends on powers, having control, and doing much purification. Because at death time, during the actual evolution, there are thousands of times more stronger distractions, so it is extremely difficult to find the chance to use these methods. Therefore, there is the need to control the mind at those times. This control has to be arranged in the lifetime through Dharma practice, special techniques, and purification. Because the distractions are due to negative mind, so less negative mind, less negative karma, and that much less distraction.

This process, making this trip using this meditation is like consciously making the trip. For that reason, there is the need to understand this ordinary evolution of death.

(Page 58)
No.5

I’m not that definite about prana, the Sanskrit term, but the Tibetan term is lung.

(a) nangwa (vision) galampa (white).
The shape of the letters—this is to think about during the practice, to visualize in that way. During the practice, visualize this.

(c) This is when the red and white meets together, and all of a sudden there is a vision of complete darkness.

(Page 59)
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namshay—the consciousness. Because of fear, because of distraction, ordinary people don’t recognize it. This is just before the consciousness leaves, during the clear light vision.

The main place that they meditate is at the point of the clear light vision. They use the clear light vision, this basic vision, they make it practical, they use this with special tantric techniques. They use this vision with the understanding of this time, with the realization of the absolute true nature, their understanding of shunyata. They use the wisdom of understanding shunyata at this time, with this vision, one with it. They also use other techniques. They make this vision rich, beneficial. They concentrate on this mind without distraction. It is possible to reach enlightenment at this time, and also during the intermediate stage.

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Also, whenever the person goes to sleep and wakes from sleep, these visions occur, but they are very short, so quick. It goes instantly, it passes—they are much shorter than the actual death time. So the yogis train in their sleep—when they are sure with dreams, when they train with the sleeping time, then they are sure that they are capable of using the techniques at the death time.

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Due to karma, even just after the consciousness leaves the body, is separated from the body, it does not recognize the body, that it belonged to him. If the consciousness recognized this, there would be no reason to separate, it could go back. Also, it becomes very fearful looking to the consciousness that left.

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There is also much suffering during the intermediate stage, such as being chased, as being pressed by huge, great mountains, being underneath and pressed down by huge great mountains. There are all kinds of fearful situations and visions that the being suffers from.

As it does not have a gross body like we have, it has no resistance. And also, karmically, it is so quick to be at the place as it thinks, no matter how many miles, how far it is.

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That prana that is the cooperative cause, the subtle body, which comes with the subtle mind—I’m not that sure—I think it means the motion, which is the body.

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This means that sometimes this intermediate state being finds its place of birth right away, and sometimes, due to karma, it takes much time to take the birthplace. After each seven days the being passes from there, and again takes birth in the same state. But the being cannot keep taking birth in the same place for more than forty-nine days; after forty-nine days it definitely finds place of birth.

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For instance if you are going to be born as a formless realm being after this life, that rebirth does not depend on making the trip intermediate stage because the future rebirth doesn’t have a form or a body. The shape of the body in the intermediate stage is always similar to the shape of the future life’s body. If the future rebirth is a dog, then the body in the intermediate stage will have the shape of dog; if the future rebirth is a human, then the intermediate stage body has similar shape.

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First of all it leaves from the heart, by opening the seed. Then according to the person’s rebirth it goes in different ways, sometimes up, sometimes down. In different ways, the consciousness leaves.

If the person is definitely going to take rebirth in hell, the consciousness leaves from the anus.

Gods of the senses—samsaric gods.

There are spirits who live on smells. Also, the Tibetan monks and yogis do puja for these beings. There are also pujas in which things are burned, and prayers are said, and charity made—there are many methods like this.

There are many stories, there is much to talk of these things.

Question: For an enlightened being, from where does the consciousness leave?

Answer: All over

(Page 61)

This entire part of the meditation is to practice in the first schedule. The way it’s set up is to use when one makes retreat, and also it is set up for the course schedule. And also it is good to say these prayers at the end of the meditations.

This “Guru Puja” is not a special tantric text. It originated from the great philosophers, great yogis, and great pandits, such as Nagarjuna. It is originally from Guru Shakyamuni, and then it was handed down to those pandits, and then to their followers, the Tibetan pandits. Still the practice of the teachings and the realizations of this have been continued, has been preserved, has been whole. So these prayers are very powerful prayers to say. Also, they have much taste, according to the level of understanding that you have, and contain much meaning, and also are very powerful. It is also important to receive blessings by saying this prayer, and these prayers are set up by highly realized, experienced Tibetan lamas.

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You can visualize in this way, but if this is uncomfortable or difficult, you can visualize only Guru Shakyamuni and think that he is the total leader of all and every Buddhas. He is the guru—as we say like this—La.ma (Guru) Ton.ba (founder) (See page 19) ... “La.ma” is his name; “ Ton.ba” is his name; “Chom.den.de” is also his name; “De.shin Sheg.pa” is also his name; “Da.chom.pa” is also his name; “Yang.tak.par Dzog.pe.Sang.gye” is also his name; “Shakya Tub.pa.la” is also his name.

So to make the visualization easy, do it this way. There is the Lord Buddha Guru Shakyamuni, and he is every and all buddhas. He is also the bodhisattvas, arhats, protectors, all the tantric deities, and the Guru, and he is also the total leader of the indirect guru, the lineage of the gurus. “Indirect guru” means a guru from whom you didn’t receive the teachings directly—the different tantric deities, some who look peaceful, some who look wrathful. “Protector” is not like the police ( I’m joking )—the protector actually is Guru Shakyamuni, the Guru who is Shakyamuni. He is also the protector.

So now I say it another way. The Guru who is Shakyamuni appears and manifests in the form of the indirect gurus; and they manifest in the form of the wrathful and peaceful deities; and they manifest in the form of the Buddha; and he manifests in the form of the bodhisattvas, the arhats, and the protectors. So, like this, the whole creation is included into one, and one is manifested into many. It is all him, the creator, not like the king and police—separate. It is Guru Shakyamuni showing himself in different forms to look after practitioners and to protect them from the inner and outer distractions and hindrances. According to the different sentient beings’ needs these beings appear in different manifestations. Those who find complicated to visualize many things, just visualize Guru Shakyamuni; he is all this—all the individual gurus, all the tantric deities, buddhas, bodhisattvas, arhats, and protectors.

As you are saying the prayer, you should visualize the light absorbing, thinking about these meanings.

3 p.m.

It is definitely possible that we can make an enjoyable trip at death time, without getting late, if we practice this meditation, practice these fundamental meditations and create merits, make purification as much as possible. The most powerful and best purification is disciplining one’s body, speech, and mind with bodhicitta. This is the most powerful way of creating merits and purifying. This discipline, which also means keeping precepts—that is another way of saying it—is the most powerful method to lessen the danger at death time and even after death.

Putting yourself in the disciplines and following precepts is not only for the purpose of having less danger, having less suffering, or not having fear at death time or having a better rebirth after death, but also it helps keep the great number of future lives from suffering. It protects many future lives—this is still talking the lowest result of following precepts, keeping disciplines, the lowest result that it will bring.

Also, the most important thing that can help a great deal at death time is the practice of these meditations, especially the meditation on impermanence, the remembrance of death, and the practice of avoiding the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas. That is one of the most powerful methods—because these meditations on impermanence, the remembrance of death, avoiding the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas, the checking meditation on the hundreds and hundreds of shortcomings (dangers) of the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas helps us not to be attached to objects—to one’s own body and to relatives, and to non-living objects. The most danger, the greatest hindrance at death time is greed and attachment—that is what makes you continue in samsara, what keeps you from being born in samsara, from uncontrollably taking a samsaric body.

Even for a person who has created much bad karma in his lifetime, it depends on his skill—even if he has created much bad karma in his lifetime, it is possible that he can have a better rebirth, such as being born in a pure land, or a paradise. Generally the pure lands come into existence for living beings. That specific buddha prayed to relieve sentient beings more quickly from suffering. But when we are born in the paradise, the paradise that we see in our view is our creation, and the objects of enjoyment that we see are a creation of our mind. That exists due to the person’s prayer and devotion and purification, mainly purification, collection of merits. Being born here is one of the quickest ways to receive enlightenment. Anyway, there’s too much to explain about the existence there. Anyway, by being born there, one receives realizations more quickly, and also there is the chance to receive teachings from the buddha in his manifestation according to the different paradise. Also, these holy beings who are born there also take earthly rebirth as humans, but they are free, with a choice to work for and benefit other living beings, as living being perceives them that way. Also, they can receive enlightenment in their lifetime, take human rebirth and become free in their lifetime—they are also like this. If one can’t receive enlightenment in this lifetime, the quickest way is to try to be reborn in a pure land. Why is it called pure? Because the delusions are not strong as they are in the beings who are in the other realms, like us. To make such a trip, to take birth in such a pure land, is also possible at death time—even before the death it is possible. But it is necessary to make arrangements. There are many methods.

The last way is to have a better human rebirth—not to be reborn in those lower suffering realms. Actually, to the different deities or the buddhas of the paradise, there are different methods to practice to be born there, specific techniques, based on the practices of these meditations. The practice of these basic meditations makes the technique practical, just like a lamp depending on fuel—even though there’s a wick and everything else, if there’s no fuel, it cannot light. So these basic meditations are like fuel.

One example—in Tibet there was an old monk, the disciple of one lama. It was about time to die. He practiced, he received the special meditation, the technique to be born in the pure land. He practiced in his lifetime, but at death he had a difficult time leaving the body. The hindrance that made it difficult for him to leave his body was that his mind was attached to the butter used for Tibetan tea—so at that time his mind couldn’t renounce the tea, the butter that was in his wooden bowl. Because his mind was attached to that, he couldn’t leave the body easily—because of this hindrance, the attachment to the butter tea in the wooden bowl, despite having practiced the technique in his lifetime. The object doesn’t have to be huge, large to hinder you. He was finding it very hard, very difficult to transfer his consciousness—this was something that he had to do freely through the special technique—even though he trained in these techniques as shown by his guru, he could not easily transfer his consciousness, and he got stuck because of the attachment. His guru, who was not near, but far away, with his power to foretell realized that the monk was having trouble—so he sent a message that there was better butter tea in Tushita, the pure land of Maitreya, the future Buddha. As soon as the monk received the message from his guru he was suddenly able to transfer his consciousness there. The main thing is to emphasize that the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas, the attachment causes so much hindrance. All of a sudden his mind was attached to the butter tea in the pure land, so he could renounce. The reason he had hard time before was that even though he knew the technique well, without the realization of the basic meditations, his thought was involved in the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas, attached to the enjoyments of Tibetan tea. That’s what I mean—the basic meditations are like fuel, like kerosene for the lamp.

Even if the person doesn’t receive the special techniques and spends his life only in the practice of these basic meditations, always fighting attachment, realizing the suffering nature, meditating on impermanence, and has renounced the mind of attachment, even though there’s no special technique, this can help him greatly to go on a better path, to have less suffering. But it is not enough to train in these methods once or twice. You have to be trained well, so that it works when the critical time comes.

Anyway, there are many other stories about how Tibetan meditators left and made the trip at death time, and about how they prepared. These are not ancient, there are also many recent meditators and practitioners who took rebirth in a pure land, in recent times. And they don’t have to be a monk or nun—even laypeople. There was one lady in recent times in Tibet who usually created much good karma, meditated very much, created much merit and had much devotion to the guru from whom she received teachings. She was just a laywoman, not a nun. Just before death she did puja, she made a big preparation of offerings to the deity that practiced, in oneness with the guru. She did puja in her room. Then, she cleaned and fixed everything very well. She asked the servants not to come in at that time. After some time, when they finally came in, she had passed away—she was in meditation, in concentration at the point we were talking about, the clear light vision—she was in meditation. This is very recent. Also there are many other stories. The thing is this—she was preparing to be reborn, to be born in the pure land of that specific deity.

So also, one or two years ago, during last year, while I was on the mountain—just below our center there is a Tibetan monastery. There was a nun there who was living in the disciplines, creating much merit, making much purification, and who had received many teachings in Tibet. She didn’t have any sickness or dangers at death time—she died with happiness. Just before death she lay down in Guru Shakyamuni’s position; she properly prepared the whole thing. She lay down in Guru Shakyamuni position—when Guru Shakyamuni was passing away he lay down in a certain way called “sleeping in the form of lion”—the lion is the white snow lion. Anyway—the form is this—putting the right hand under your temple with the fourth finger stopping the right nostril. This is to stop the motion of greed, of attachment, to signify this. Then the left hand is on the thigh, and the two legs are straight. Anyway, there are many benefits to taking that position. If one sleeps in this way, even if one sleeps in this position the sleep doesn’t become very deep, the sleep is very light, not very deep. Also it protects one from bad dreams, from dangers, from fear, from hindrances. Just as this example, the way the lion sleeps—the lion does not sleep like other animals, it is light sleep, so if anything happens it hears. Also, it looks pompous, glorious. This nun took this position, as Guru Shakyamuni took, and then she passed away without any troubles or worries.

Also, there is one lama who was the head of that monastery. I met this great lama twice. He was a very old lama, a real ascetic lama, with no attachment to anything. Also, he wore very old clothes—anything he received he gave to his followers, the monks; so the monks lived on that. He heard the news that I was going to build a monastery there. So he told us before one year, I will die, I have only one year to live, and he told us that the place where I was going to build the monastery would be very beneficial to the beings, and he suggested that I shouldn’t have a little mind, that I should build it as big as possible. At that time I didn’t have any idea that I could build such a thing. Then he passed away after one year exactly. Before that he used to get sick, pots of blood coming out. When he heard good Dharma news he got better. Then, as people believe he is getting better, again he got sick, and so on, always either sick or getting better. But when he died there was no problem, he was not sick. Also, before he died he gave instructions to his followers about what to do with the monastery and possessions. They have a little collection of money from the villagers that they used for pujas, so he instructed that they use it right away or there would be problems. He talked all night, then at dawn he had the servants fill his bowl with tea, then he sent the servants out, and then he passed away. He was in meditation about a week, seven days—I can’t remember exactly the number of days.

Anyway, the whole thing is just a matter of a decision to be made by us. The whole thing depends on a decision made by us. The future good results depend on the present decision.

The Three Lower Realms of Suffering: (1) The Hells (Page 63)

The difference is—the fearful states that come in a dream, such as burning in the fire, in the dream there is nothing that really burns the body. It is not something that can be experienced this way. This is like a dream, but can really be experienced—as regards experience, is different from a dream.

These are only a few examples. The explanation that is written here was explained by Guru Shakyamuni and is just to give an idea—it does not mean that this is all the narak suffering. This is for the ignorant people to have some idea of what the suffering looks like. By meditating on this, by understanding this, by experiencing this in meditation, the person does not become lazy in the practice—even if there’s a problem that arises, he doesn’t care. His Dharma practice always continues, without caring about any problem that arises. Even if there’s no other problem, even for the people who practice Dharma, it is very easy for the mind to be under the control of distractions, and under the control of greed, ignorance, and hatred, to be always busy following the objects of the senses.

Having the strong experience meditation on the narak sufferings, and also on the sufferings of pretas and animals—as the person receives a stronger experience, the person builds stronger fear, and that much more the person gets stronger energy, which causes the person not to follow the negative minds, the attachments, and to destroy the cause of suffering that causes the person to suffer in such states, these realms. By meditating on this, one discovers that there are such greater sufferings to be experienced. We think, “Even if I die here, on this place, Earth, there’s no suffering like this; there’s no greater suffering or problem than this.” So the person doesn’t have the strong fear of creating bad karma, and not that much fear of following the negative mind. Then the person finds very hard, and cannot easily renounce the negative mind. The person doesn’t try to renounce the negative mind in that way because he doesn’t see it is that important to renounce the negative mind. The reason he doesn’t see it as that important is because he doesn’t discover the greater suffering that is in these realms. So through this, besides not receiving ultimate peace, the cessation of suffering, the cessation of samsara, he always follows his negative mind, keeps himself in the circle of birth in the six realms, and keeps suffering in these three realms. Even though he is born in the upper realms, he creates bad karma by following the negative mind, and again he falls into the three lower realms and suffers for eons. Even when that result finishes and he is born in the upper realms, again he creates bad karma. And so on like this, he goes round and round.

For instance we have been experiencing sufferings such as this since beginningless times, but because of death and rebirth—this intervention, this interruption—and ignorance, we do not remember our past experiences. As much as we suffered, we don’t remember. Besides not perceiving, not realizing the future life experiences, we forget what we experienced in past lives. Even the time when we were in the mother’s womb, how the mind came to take place in the mother’s womb, what sufferings we had in the mother’s womb, how we came out—we forget all these things. Just because of our not remembering, we cannot say, “There’s no existence of past and future lives, there’s no existence of these states.” The mere reasoning, “I don’t remember,” is illogical, because we don’t remember the experiences we had inside the mother’s womb—when she walked, sat down. But nobody can say that the baby, our early life, didn’t exist in mother’s womb, because this was the mother’s experience and the experience of others. Before we came out it was our parents’ experience, so how can we negate and contradict, just reasoning, “I don’t remember, I didn’t see.” No one can say they weren’t born from their mother’s womb, even though they don’t remember.

Death is the same thing. We don’t even remember this lifetime’s evolution, so how could we remember our past lives? If you reason by saying that, “I don’t know that,” that these things cannot exist because you don’t know, they cannot be said, because we don’t know ourselves, we don’t know own nature. We don’t even clearly understand our own minds that we use to see objects and make plans. We still do not fully discover this, so we cannot say that our mind does not exist. Same thing to this.

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It is not only at death time, but also in our lifetimes the imprints, the seeds are collected gradually. There are different desires that come at the time of death that correspond to where we will be reborn. These occur at the death time just before the mind leaves. If you are going to be reborn in the hot narak stages, no matter how many blankets you have you will feel cold, and you will experience the craving for heat

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For instance, if you compare the suffering that is caused by 360 spears going inside the flesh, inside the body, sticking to the body—this is for one day—if you compare this suffering that is experienced in the human realm to a tiny suffering from the narak stage of a being that is killed again and again, they cannot be compared. This tiny suffering is far greater than the suffering of putting 360 spears in the body. Also, when you meditate, sometimes there is difficulty in getting the idea of the great suffering feeling of that stage; so try to remember this experience and to feel it—as if someone is shooting that many spears into your body in one day, how great the suffering is. Remembering the experience of this, try to check up how great sufferings there are. Compare this to the tiniest suffering of that stage when you are killed again and again with different weapons. Try to check up the different sufferings by visualizing this.

INTRODUCTION TO MAHAYANA ORDINATION

In last years’ courses we tried to take the Mahayana ordination, which has only eight precepts, in the last part of the fifteen days. In the first course, which was only for fifteen days, we took the Mahayana ordination only on the last day. But in the other courses we took it in the last part. So also thinking, trying to experience the Mahayana ordination, which has eight precepts in this time, also in this course, for the rest of the fifteen days, thinking that it will be fortunate and be the cause of enlightenment, to create some cause of enlightenment in this life. To take the precious Mahayana ordination, the most precious, powerful ordination, to keep the precepts, one has to know the number of the precepts, and also, the benefits with a little detail. Of course, we already knew the benefits of taking ordination, and we may have already understood the purpose of taking precepts, of disciplining—not to create the cause of samsara, but to attain enlightenment, to attain the ultimate peace.

This Mahayana ordination is something that was followed by many people in ancient times. Also, before Guru Shakyamuni there was a founder of Buddhadharma, another Buddha, and even in that time there was ordination taken by other people.

From this ordination, by keeping these precepts, many of those ancient beings who followed them were born after their deaths into the human realms, or in the realms of the gods; and so many of them were released from samsara and achieved the ultimate peace; and so many of then achieved enlightenment by following the path.

So I will, together with this little details of the benefits, and the number of the precepts together.

The Eight Mahayana Precepts

The First Precept is avoiding taking other’s lives. This means taking life with willingness and with the thought of killing, especially with the thought of killing.

The benefits of practicing this is that it causes you to have a longer life in many other future lifetimes, and also not to have sickness and to have a happy life. These are small details.

The second precept is avoiding stealing. In each precept there is also much detail. Killing, I think we discussed before—direct and indirect killing. Stealing, robbing, doesn’t have to be only an action like thieving, taking without other’s knowing, but also includes a robbery that the other person sees, taking something by force. This is also stealing.

I think robbing is also stealing. Things taken away without the permission of the other person, things not possessed by you that belong to another person, and taken by force—it doesn’t have to be an unknown action by another person.

The benefits of practicing this is that it causes you to receive perfect material enjoyments and possessions, and never to be disturbed by other people—this means other people stealing your possessions—in many future lives.

I didn’t finish one thing, there are some examples, but first I will finish these other two precepts.

The third precept is avoiding sexual intercourse. Because these are Mahayana precepts they are much concerned with other beings. Besides not killing other living beings, harming other beings has to be taken care of and avoided. Besides killing other beings, this also has to be avoided as much as possible. So avoiding sexual intercourse—this does not mean only within couples. Generally, one also has to observe, has to avoid sexual happiness, the general sexual happiness. So totally one has to observe the sexual actions.

The benefits of keeping this precept is that causes you in many other future lives to have a beautiful body, with a good shape, and beautiful color and having perfect organs.

The fourth precept is avoiding telling lies. There are all kinds of different telling lies; this doesn’t have to be only lies through speech. There are physical actions of telling lies—if someone asks and you just move your head or hands—that is also a lie. If someone asks you if you are out of samsara and the person smiles, not saying that, “I am out of samsara.” but pretending as he is out of samsara, even though there’s no action of speech, that is also telling lies.

The benefits of keeping this precept are that you will not be betrayed by other people in many other future lives, and you will not be cheated. Also, in many other future lifetimes, whatever you say will be respected by other people and other people will believe it.

If I tell you one example—in ancient times one of the families in one village lost a cow. The king of that country pointed out an innocent person and punished him. After the death of the king, in his next life, the king was born as a monk. One day he was dyeing clothes, robes, in a put. It happened that one of the families of that village had lost a cow. So people came to look around for the cow, and one of the people who came pointed out the monk as the one who had stolen and killed the cow. He said, “No, no, this is cloth.” They said, “This is the meat of the cow,” but he said, “No this is cloth.” But they saw meat, they really saw that he was cooking meat in the pot. From the side of the monk he told the truth as best he could, but the others didn’t believe him. This is the result of the karma of the king who pointed out the wrong thief. This often happens in our life—we tell the truth as best we can, but other people find it very difficult to believe. Also, some people, no matter how much they tell lies, people always believe them. Those are results of karma.

The fifth precept is avoiding intoxicants which makes the mind unconscious, undisciplined, that cause change from the usual behavior. Within intoxicants there are many things. This is important not only for the meditator but even for the ordinary people, because the intoxicated mind causes a lot of danger, so it is something that has to be observed, not only by meditators but by ordinary people who don’t want complications.

It is simple to understand, we saw many times how other people do and we also did it many times ourselves. When people are intoxicated they do many uncontrolled things—break things, fight other people, say all kinds of words, words that they usually hide in their minds—everything comes out, exposed—they have no discipline in the body, no discipline in the speech, and of course, no discipline in the mind. The mind becomes like dirty water. It causes a lot of problems like this—also it makes the person sick, with a headache. These are simple, but there are many other results that we don’t see.

Before taking intoxicants: wine, alcohol, whatever it is, this person looks as if he has discipline, as if he is clever, as if he has dignity. First of all he looks like this, but after taking that, his mind becomes intoxicated and everything changes, He is completely different from the person he was before.

Also, if they are taken much they cause danger to life. According to the element, the intoxicant, there are many ways of not remembering things easily. It interrupts perfect wisdom. The wisdom becomes perfect.

The benefits of avoiding this are that in many other future lives one will be conscious and have firm remembrance. Also having clear senses and perfect wisdom.

The sixth precept is avoiding sitting on very expensive, large, and high beds (like me) and on expensive thrones, thrones which have jewel decorations. If the person sits on an expensive large bed, it causes attachment to it to arise. It is the same thing sitting on a high, rich throne. Also there’s the danger of pride arising. So keeping the precept is to keep these negative minds from arising, to stop these negative minds.

The benefits of keeping the precept are that in many other future lives you will be respected and admired by other people, and in future lives you will receive better enjoyments, even richer beds.

The seventh precept is fasting. This fasting is having one meal in a day, that is before 12.00, but not twice, taking one at 6.00 and at 10.00 o’clock another meal, not like this. The meal can be taken at any time before 12.00. The whole purpose is this—we are not out of attachment, we all have attachment, the problem is attachment, so this is to fight, not to follow attachment. This stops the attachment from arising or it stops working for attachment.

But the question comes, “Why does the person takes one meal—if that is so, why shouldn’t the person shouldn’t avoid meal?” One meal is necessary; that is necessary because you can’t receive enlightenment in one second like this—you take LSD and get out of samsara and again come back—not like this. Anyway you see, there’s the necessity, there’s so much negative karma, negative mind, such a great collection—if it was in form it would be something incredible—not only created in this life, but in so many previous lifetimes. The reason we are not scared is because it is not in form, in matter, not in any shape. It is formless, and therefore difficult to recognize. So it is necessary to purify. Therefore, it is necessary to practice Dharma in this life, that has so much opportunity to bring advantage. For that aim, that reason, you need a long life; so that has to depend on temporal needs; so for that reason, one meal is necessary—it is like medicine, like temporal medicine. It’s like this—medicine is taken until you recover from the sickness, and then you don’t need it. Food is like this, food is taken like a medicine, to get out of samsara, to achieve enlightenment, and in that way it is used for Dharma, used in a Dharma way. The action of eating food, thinking like that, is a Dharma action, because you are not eating it with the thought of the worldly Dharmas. And this one meal makes the person exist.

The benefits of that, the temporal benefits of fasting are that in many other future lifetimes you spontaneously receive food enjoyments, without working for it yourself, without being too concerned about it yourself. And also in many other future lives you will receive good crops.

The eighth precept is avoiding putting smells such as perfumes on the body, and other things such as ornaments, with greed. And avoiding songs and dances.

Just as with the food—for example, food can be taken in a Dharma way, being opposed to the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas—there are exceptions. For the practice of Dharma without evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas, it is exceptional to dance and sing, for a Dharma reason, for the practice of Dharma, without the evil thought of the worldly Dharmas. Basically, the reason that it’s forbidden—the reason that many of these are forbidden, such as enjoying the large, high, and expensive throne, smells, ornaments, all these things, these actions are forbidden when they are done with the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas. Precepts are not just to forbid the action, but mainly to stop the negative mind from arising, to finish all the negative mind. Because the negative mind is the creator of the problems, the sufferings, so the precepts are to fight its action. The forbidden actions are the actions done with this evil thought. For the Dharma, with pure thought, that which is opposite to the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas, such as music, such as sitting on the throne, such as putting on smells, singing, dancing—they can be done, these are exceptions.

(i) The benefits of avoiding putting on smells and ornaments, such as rosaries, with attachment, and also other ornaments are that it causes many other future lives to have a beautiful body with many good physical signs such as Guru Shakyamuni has, many holy, perfect signs, such as having chakras and wheels under the feet. There are many other things, so many other knowledges. Those are also caused by keeping these precepts.

Also, it causes you to have intuitive good smells, very sweet smells that come from the body that are not prepared purposely by you. In Tibet, there are many lamas like this. It is not a smell that is purposely put on, but they have intuitive good smells that come from their body. That is the result of previous good karma, keeping these precepts. The Tibetan term for that is “the smell of morality.” It is not expensive.

(ii) The benefits of keeping the precept of not singing and dancing with attachment is that it causes you to have a well subdued mind in many other future. Also, the actions of the body are well subdued, like a bodhisattva. Because his mind is well-subdued, so also his body’s actions are well subdued, very peaceful—or such as the monks who are strictly living in the rules, in the precepts.

The first four are the root, and there are four roots and four branches, making one of these last two—avoiding ornaments and putting on scents, singing and dance, that is one, and second, fasting—then avoiding sitting on high or large thrones or beds; and fourth, avoiding intoxicants.

These are just temporal benefits. There are many other benefits, each of these precepts being a cause and the result being the knowledge of the Buddha’s holy body, the perfection of Buddha’s holy body. Relating to the holy signs of Buddha’s holy body, relating to the knowledge of Buddha’s holy body, speech, and mind, there is also very much to explain. These are just temporal results that can be achieved by keeping these precepts. But also, by keeping these precepts it causes you to receive the perfect knowledge of Buddha’s holy body, speech, and mind.

Anyway, even keeping these precepts for one day has much benefit because these Mahayana precepts are not observed only for oneself, but for the sake of other sentient beings. So keeping the precepts, if I say totally, keeping the precepts is the most practical, quickest method to escape from samsara and achieve enlightenment, and helps a great deal to receive the realization of the meditations. Keeping these precepts stops the hindrance of the meditations, outside hindrance, inside hindrance—the inside hindrance of the negative mind or following, working for the negative mind—keeping precepts stops these things. So the person’s negative mind does not arise and instead it diminishes and the negative karma becomes less. Keeping precepts does not allow the person to create extra negative karma, so besides not creating and increasing the negative karma and negative mind, it diminishes the negative karma that was created in many previous lives. So it’s very practical, very useful.

Following the precepts helps you at the same time as you take the precepts. It protects you, it guides you, it doesn’t allow you to create extra negative karma and build negative mind. In that way, your keeping precepts protects you. Also, it is of great use, and beneficial for purifying the negative karma that was created in many previous lives. So keeping precepts is very powerful and practical, and helps your mind right away. At the same time you made the vow, it helps a great deal to bring peace to your mind, if you can discover.

So a person who actually keep the precepts is doing a practical action, like the soldiers who are in the war really fighting in the war, the practical soldiers. The ordinary example of the soldier who gives harm to other beings, even though he is practical and he has energy and courage, he is used to destroy others’ perfection. He is that strong, practical, and has that much courage—for the worldly beings it is like this. So he, that soldier, is the practical person who tries to get control over the enemy by going into action, trying to get control over the enemy. So like that example, the person keeping the precepts goes into action, trying to destroy the enemy of the negative mind in order to get control over the negative mind. But in the ordinary example of the soldier, however much strength, will, and courage he has—it is all to destroy other beings. In the same way he is destroying other beings, he is destroying himself, his own peace. How much he destroys his own peace. Peace has to be received by disciplining one’s body, speech, and mind, and by not giving harm to other being. Mental peace, inner peace, has to be received in this way. This is one of the reasons why in Dharma practice we are much concerned about not harming other sentient beings, especially in the Mahayana teachings. Why are we so concerned about other beings and not harming them ? That is because every ordinary happiness, perfection, enjoyment, even the ultimate goal, enlightenment, everything has to be received by depending on sentient beings, from sentient beings.

So from the Dharma point of view, from the Mahayana point of view, harming other beings is like destroying the field from which you will receive your peace, destroying the holy object from whom you receive all your happiness and your ultimate peace. So this man, however much power, strength, and will he has, he has used it in a meaningless way, used it only for achievement of the suffering result, only to create the cause of suffering. So the will, the strength that is used for keeping the precepts, fighting to negative mind, is much more worthwhile, it is priceless. Anyway, it is inexpressible, the benefits, the knowledge that can be achieved by doing this practical action of keeping precepts.

Tomorrow morning the ordination has to be taken just before the sunrise, otherwise it doesn’t count as taking the precepts for the full day. Usually it is taken at dawn time when you don’t see the figure of the hands clearly, as you see in the day.

Tomorrow morning we start 5 a.m. Before that, if it is possible, clean your mouth and face. Actually like this—the body that is taking the precepts is a new body, a precious body, so it’s worthwhile to take the ordination with a clean body. This is more important, this new body. So anyway, taking this ordination tomorrow morning is like having a birthday fro the cause of the enlightenment.

Also, when you get up tomorrow morning, try to remember impermanence and death. It is horrible for the people who are in the West to remember such a thing so early in the morning, before doing anything, but for people who seek inner peace it is useful, practical, and it is needed. Getting up early is difficult, like having a heavy job, heavy luggage on your back; for keeping these precepts, there would be this feeling, as if one is punished, tortured. If you really think it is torture, punishing, then there’s no need to take them.

Anyway, think like this as you wake up, “Since I was born until now my whole life has finished so quickly, like last night’s dream. I am sure that the time that I have to exist is shorter than the time I have lived. My mind does not perceive when death will occur. I am not sure whether death will happen tonight or tomorrow. As there was mind, as the previous mind created the present rebirth, in the same way the mind will continue even after death. So it is more definite that I will be reborn in the lower suffering realms, as I created more negative than positive karma in this life and in numberless previous lives. Therefore today, right now, I must do something to stop the future suffering, and release sentient beings from suffering by being enlightened. Therefore, I am going to take the precepts and meditate today.” By thinking this there will be pleasure in your mind, so you are going to take the precepts with pleasure, not with worry. So you are doing the action being free, with “free mind,” I mean not as being punished by some other people.

Day 15
Mahayana ordination
Friday November 30th
6 a.m.

Morning Prayers (Page 10)

Visualize the person granting the ordination as Guru Shakyamuni and make three prostrations, thinking, “I am purifying the negativity of body, speech, and mind.

Then kneel with the right knee on the floor and the left knee up. If it is painful, it doesn’t matter. Fold the hands at the heart.

To take the Mahayana ordination it is not enough just to the motive that is concerned for future lives or to release oneself from samsara—it is not enough because taking Mahayana ordination depends on the individual motivation, not on the person granting ordination, but on the person taking it. Therefore, it is necessary for it to be a Mahayana motive. So, if you cultivate the brief Mahayana motive, think like this, “Myself and all other sentient beings have been circling round in samsara, in the bondage of suffering, and experiencing all the sufferings—those in the upper realms, and moreover, the unbearable sufferings of the three lower realms—from beginningless lifetimes.”

If we clearly check up the length of time that we have been experiencing suffering it can be a really big shock, something which is unimaginable, a very upsetting subject that makes us see ourselves as so ignorant, so foolish, as terrible living beings. Also, just as we have been circling round in the bondage of the suffering of samsara without beginning, the same thing, it is definite that we will have to go through this again, in the bondage of suffering of samsara also in the future, without end. Since by being under the control of delusions and karma as long as we continue believing in impermanent things as permanent, impure things as pure, non-self-existing things as self-existing, if we deeply check up, if all the future sufferings that are going to be brought on by the previous karma were a subject that could be perceived, it is unbelievable, a subject that could make us neurotic, very nervous, something that could make us not feel sleepy. Understanding that we could never sleep, we couldn’t eat, it would be something that makes us even unable to eat food. Our whole night and whole day would be only concerned with how to escape from that. In fact, we are in such a time as that—it’s just a matter of our wisdom not perceiving it, those objects, the future sufferings that will be experienced by us. In terms of the sufferings, we usually think, “I am okay, I didn’t create much bad karma;” we usually don’t think there is much suffering result that we will experience because we didn’t create much bad karma in this life. We even think, “I am a meditator,” usually not having such thoughts that I am okay now, but that there are many future sufferings, the cause of which were created in many previous lifetimes. So anyway, it is definite that we will have to experience much greater, terrible sufferings in the future by taking different rebirths. Also, besides talking about future lives, even in this life we are not sure what will happen, what sufferings we will have before death; but not perceiving it doesn’t mean it won’t happen. So if we don’t create good karma, if we don’t discover the samsaric nature, as long as we create the cause of samsara it is definite that we will have to experience all those future sufferings. The cause was created in all the previous lifetimes. Therefore, it is necessary to build the dam, to make some arrangements, before the danger ...

Guru Shakyamuni, Buddha, is not something eternal, with no beginning. He is not like this. If he is God ... is he God? He is God, he has achieved the perfect meaning of God, he is one who has completely achieved his own purpose and others’ purpose, who has completely finished his own work and others’ work. Achieving enlightenment is completing one’s own purpose, one’s own work, and others’ work. Besides being out of the bondage of suffering, the circle of death and rebirth, he does not have one single tiny impure mind, dualistic mind, wrong conception, delusion, no such knowledge, no such existence even the size of a particle atom. There is nothing even the size of a tiny atom that is not fully seen by his holy mind. Also, the way he sees is not in different time—the whole existence—one minute, one second, even the shortest second. As he fully sees one object, at the same time he sees every single object and every thought, every desire of sentient beings—he clearly sees without having one tiny mistake. This is not only for the present, but also he sees all the past evolution, and at the same time he sees all the future. Anyway, he has that much great knowledge and understanding, and infinite supreme powers and great compassion. Guru Shakyamuni also has achieved that enlightened knowledge by meeting the guru and by following these precepts by disciplining body, speech, and mind. In that way, he received enlightenment and he enlightened so many sentient beings. He led them to ultimate peace from suffering. So just as he made the progression from ordinary being, ordinary person, just as he gradually made progress, just as he did in the beginning, middle, and end, we can do the same thing. As he was also an ordinary living being as we are, so we can do the same thing. So think, “Besides releasing myself from samsaric suffering, there are infinite sentient beings who are the objects from whom I received my present, past, and future happiness and perfection, and now most of them are in incredible suffering, not having met a guru, not having the wisdom eye knowing about Dharma, only creating the causes of suffering and experiencing suffering. As much as they do not desire suffering they always run as quick as possible to create the cause of suffering. When they are in the suffering result, the cause of which they created, continually they desire happiness and peace. Even though they continually desire happiness and peace, due to lack of wisdom and realizing the perfect method for peace they run more to create suffering. So they suffer and again they create the cause, hoping to create happiness, always circling around and around like this. And besides this, they find the quickest way to create suffering. And they are always worried. This is the nature of ignorant-minded beings.

So I must repay them for the happiness. Also I am really responsible to guide and rescue them from suffering. But at the moment I have no capability to even guide myself from suffering, not having achieved perfect knowledge. Who has it? The Buddha has perfect knowledge and power. So I must achieve enlightenment. Therefore, it is necessary to purify my negative karma and also it is necessary to abstain from negative actions. Therefore, I am going to take the Mahayana ordination until tomorrow.”

Now follows the ordination ceremony, which was performed each morning until the end of the meditation course. The form of each ceremony was the same so has been printed only once in this book—see Appendix One.

9 a.m.

We talked before about the five different knowledges (Page 6), so—the best of the knowledges is the inner knowledge (“inner knowledge” means the knowledge of Dharma); the best of the possessions is the jewel; among the quickest vehicle the best is the clever-knowing horse (this is a special horse). Among the quickest vehicles, the clever-knowing horse is the best, the quickest; the best among the thoughts is bodhicitta. (There are hundreds and hundreds of different thoughts, so the best among the thoughts is bodhicitta).

This horse—there’s quite a long story, but—it is used by the samsaric gods. It is a horse that can fly, but is also capable of understanding whatever the person thinks. Whatever the rider thinks, the horse can intuitively understand it. There is no need to talk to it, as soon as the rider thinks—so quick, such a very clever horse.

Since from among the hundreds and hundreds of thoughts, as bodhicitta is the best, and as our minds have possibility to achieve these best thoughts, it is greatly worthwhile to attempt this practice. That is important to start even from now, since the actual time of death is indefinite. The action of listening to the teachings should be possessed by the pure thought of bodhicitta. In this way, the action of listening to the subject becomes a Mahayana action. However long you listen to the subject—a few minutes, one hour, a whole day—the action becomes a Mahayana action, a pure action, it becomes a special, powerful, practical method, whether or not it is called “Mahayana.” So think— (since I said it this morning, there no need to repeat again, but just to emphasize), “It’s not sufficient that I, after my death, will not be born in the lower realms and will be born in the upper realm; and even releasing myself from this bondage of samsara is not enough, not sufficient. Since infinite sentient beings are the objects of my happiness and enlightenment, and as they are in the terrible suffering, I must achieve enlightenment to repay them and lead them in the path, release them from suffering. So to be able to achieve enlightenment, I must complete the practice of the whole graduated path. To complete the whole graduated path, I must fully understand the teachings of the graduated path. Therefore, I am going to listen to the teachings on the graduated path.”

Among the outlines that we have to meditate through, we have finished “The Perfect Human Rebirth,” “The Great Usefulness of the Perfect Human Rebirth,” “The Difficulty of Receiving the Perfect Human Rebirth,” and “How It is Fragile, Impermanent, and Easy to Decay,” “Death is Definite,” “The Actual Time of Death is Indefinite,” and “The Suffering Of The Three Lower Suffering Realms—The Narak Realms.”

I will tell you some points, the way to practice it, some points to work with the death part. When you do retreat, or as you gradually experiment, in the experiment, in this meditation on the death part, it will be good if you spend most of the time thinking of the shortcomings of not remembering death for a few days or a week. Do checking meditation on that to fully discover the shortcomings and the dangers of not remembering death. In other words—if one does not remember death, the different kinds of problem that arise, and the hindrances to Dharma practice—there are six total shortcomings of not remembering death. In the second time, also think the benefits of remembering death according to your own mind, the change of your own mind, You have to spend some time on this, the benefits of remembering death.

Then after this, do the checking meditation on how there is no other method to stop death. Also think that as no other method can stop death, death is definite; there’s no other way to add extra life, additional life. And always, without any breaks, without even a second’s break, life is degenerating. What life there is is always degenerating, on the way, without even a second’s break. Therefore death is definite.

But those are just ideas—you have to think in many ways with your logic, as you find with your wisdom. Even if one practices Dharma, without completing the Dharma practice, one has to die. There is not so much time for the Dharma practice. It can be understood by thinking in this way—if we are going to live for fifty years, half the time goes while sleeping, half of life. Then the day is left. In the daytime, we do not practice all day—only at occasional times, only at certain times. And even the person trying to practice Dharma for a time, an hour, has so many hindrances from outside and from inside. From outside, the hindrances do not let the person practice Dharma. Even if there’s no outside hindrance, from inside the evil thought of the eight worldly Dharmas makes the person’s practice black, non-Dharma. So like this. If you make fifty years half, it’s only twenty-five years. Even that is not the whole time. For instance, when we meditate even if we try to spend two hours, one hour, half an hour—most of the time is spent in distraction. So from this we can figure out that death will happen before we finish our Dharma practice.

So as you frequently go through the evolution of death, the death that will definitely happen in the future, you are trying to feel it, putting yourself through these evolutions. See it, discover the experience yourself—how sad, how terrible the situation is. By doing the practice of the meditation on death frequently, you will see more and more clearly, and afterwards you will feel as if it really happened to you, as if such a time, such a situation of death really happened. There will be a feeling like this in your mind, you will be so frightened, as if it really came, really happened, so frightened. Your heart will be beating, and you will be very frightened like a person when there’s some danger, a big shock. Until something like that happens you must train in concentration on this meditation on death, meditating on the form of your future death in the present time. When this happens, you have received the realization that death is definite.

So, then meditate on “The Actual Time of Death is Indefinite.” This is more difficult to realize than “Death Is Definite,” more difficult that to realize and experience. Then the checking meditation should be done in many ways to discover that the actual time of death is indefinite. Many examples should be checked, you should remember all the common examples, what’s happening. Like when there’s a meeting—the people go for a meeting in, but they do not have time to come out, it’s finished. People go to some other country but do not come back. Therefore, the actual time of death is indefinite. A person starts to eat food but can’t finish. A person goes to sleep but doesn’t get up in the morning. There are so many other examples. A person starts to make preparations for a wedding but no has time to complete them.

It’s happening now, on this earth, even in this minute. There are so many great numbers of human beings going through death, who are just after death, or in the death process. This is just only talking about human beings, not other beings on this earth. Those who are close to death, who are definitely going to go through death tonight—there are so many great numbers of human beings. Also in the meditation time, thinking like this is very useful. Think like this: so many living beings are going through death right now, so if that happens to me right now how would I do it? Check with many examples like this, to experience that the actual time of death is indefinite. Some people were enjoying so well, so happy, no problems in the morning, but they are unexpectedly finished in the afternoon. In the morning, the people were so happy, enjoying well, dancing and singing, but in the afternoon they are experiencing much worry and upset, crying. Just also as this example—people leave for trekking on mountain, but have no time to come back, no time to go back to the West.

Our first European student, whom I introduced at the very beginning of the course was planning to come down from the mountain and go to India to receive teachings. She was planning this. We were in Dharamsala, so we received a letter that she was planning to come to Dharamsala to receive teachings. But anyway, she didn’t have time, her life finished on the mountain. But she didn’t have a completely empty life; just before her death she was doing retreat, it was about the time she just finished retreat or was about to finish. So anyway, she couldn’t do it, she didn’t have time to do as she thought. Therefore, the actual time of death is indefinite. There are even people who go for pee-pee but have no time to come back. Therefore, the death time is indefinite.

The definition of receiving the experience that the actual time of death is indefinite is when the person feels always doubtful. Whenever the person does something, goes somewhere, he is always doubtful of the existence of life, the continuation of the present life. This is like the example that I mentioned, the Tibetan ascetic yogi who spent his life in retreat, Geshe Kharag, who spent the rest of his life in complete pure practice, meditating in a solitary place, without need to cut the thorns at the door. Every time he went outside his mind was doubtful that he would come back, and when he went inside the cave he was doubtful that he would come out. So in this way he never wasted his time. So totally like this. This change of mind, when one has the realization that the actual time of death is indefinite, this experience of the mind being doubtful always helps one a great deal to do strict Dharma, pure Dharma practice. It means not allowing even a minute to follow or create samsaric action, worldly action, to follow the evil thought of the worldly Dharma practice, not allowing oneself to create worldly action with the evil thought of the worldly Dharmas. Also that person doesn’t have much problem with attachment.

For all these different levels of changes of the mind, the experience is only made, created, and found by mind, by a method which is mind.

So the part about death evolution—the different kinds of visions, the absorptions of the elements—this usually does not come in this part of the meditation, in these sorts of meditations. Usually, in the Tibetan texts it doesn’t come in this set of meditations. But since we don’t have any idea about the changes of the elements and things at death time, since it is not fully explained in the science books and is not in the usual books in the West, so it is put together with the death part.

But sometimes this can be practiced during the sleeping time. Just before going to sleep you go through this as if you are in the evolution of death. Go through the process and trying to see the different visions by motions going to the heart—from the head to the heart, and from the navel to the heart. The time of the clear light vision can be done like this—just as we meditate on Guru Shakyamuni’s absorption, with Guru Shakyamuni absorbing into you, seated in the center of your head and absorbing into you, and as it absorbed into you all of a sudden this impure conception, the wrong conception of the self-existing “I” and the impure body becomes void, emptiness, somewhere existing. Your mind becomes one with Guru Shakyamuni’s holy mind, but in the nature of infinite happiness, ecstasy; something like this. This makes a big preparation. If you train from now, it can help when you meditate on shunyata, the absolute true nature. It can also help a great deal when we practice the tantric teachings, the special techniques and methods of the different deities. You will find it easier at that time, especially at death time. Before you fall asleep, try to fall to sleep just in that concentration, in that vision, the space, the clear light vision in the form of space, the vision what happens just as it is explained there, the clear light vision like at dawn-time in autumn, which is not a white vision, a red vision, or black vision, no need to tell much detail about this—just something like this, you try. The most important thing is that your mind, besides being completely devoid of an independent “I,” the “I” completely becomes oneness with Guru Shakyamuni. Think that you are losing the old idea that thinks separately from Guru Shakyamuni, in the form of the clear light vision. If you meditate like this it also helps greatly, and also becomes a protection on your night trip.

There are many other tantric techniques. This explanation is usually in the tantric texts, but the tantric techniques cannot be revealed, cannot be mentioned. But the ordinary, basic explanations are okay; the ordinary evolution of death, the evolution of ordinary death, intermediate stage, and rebirth—there is no danger to explain.

Question: Can the form of the rebirth be intuitively perceived in the clear light vision before the actual time?

Answer: Definitely; definitely possible.

Question: Is there any danger visualizing the prana coming to the heart?

Answer: Depending on the person, usually there is no danger. Sometimes the person, when they follow attachment, such as losing sperm, even if there is no contact, anything, just fantasy, just thinking, the person loses sperm. For such a person it can be possible that just visualizing this can bring some dangers.

Question: Is it possible that during this meditation the mind doesn’t re-enter the body, that it goes some place else, loses control?

Answer: You can try, but I think it would be difficult. There are only two ways, only two doors; no other door, both are difficult. One has to be done freely, the other has to be done without freedom. So there are only two doors.
There are also a lot of people in the West who commit suicide, but it’s not because they are free.

So, I didn’t have time this morning to explain about breaking the precepts. Since we have made a vow visualizing like this—two things:

(i) One thing is visualizing many other Buddhas, bodhisattvas, many other holy beings, and visualizing Guru Shakyamuni. This is not the same as visualizing this tree or Mount Everest and making a vow—there is a big difference—between here and Everest there is no connection. And also, the vow that you made in front of Mount Everest, even if you break it, there’s no danger. But this is different. Visualizing Guru Shakyamuni and many other holy beings and making a vow is a big difference. Generally, with keeping precepts and making vows there are more benefits if one makes vows in front of, visualizing, the holy object, makes the vows in the presence of a guru, an abbot, or something. It is more beneficial and much different to observe precepts when you have made a vow. Also, if precepts are broken, taking a vow is much more dangerous than observing a precept without taking the vow and then breaking it. Why more dangerous? It becomes like telling a lie—because you made a vow that you would follow it until tomorrow, so it becomes a lie cheating the holy objects.

(ii) And also, precepts taken in front of holy objects and taken for the sentient beings, if broken become like telling lie to sentient beings. Sentient beings are not 100, 1,000,000, 1,000,000,000—not that—it becomes telling a lie. So there is a great danger.

Then it is like this—taking ordination in order to create extra negative karma, for extra donation. At the moment we don’t fully realize this, the concatenation, the way it works. But gradually, as we practice meditation and develop our own wisdom, we can understand.

The whole thing is this—why we are not free since beginningless previous lives until now? Because we make ourselves not free, our individual mind makes ourselves not free. As the uncontrolled mind makes us not free, in the same way the controlled mind can make us free. This does not depend mainly on physical activities. What makes uncontrolled, unfree, is the negative mind, the negative karma. So as we created that much before countless times, what we have to do is create less rather than creating more. Therefore it is important to try to be conscious and to be careful, to try to remember frequently the number of the precepts.

And think, always think, frequently think, that you are having a great job, doing a great job, making great work, doing service for the great number of human beings in the human world, to the naraks, pretas, animals, sura, asuras, and to all the infinite numbers of sentient beings who are not enlightened. Think, “For their achievement of enlightenment and to release them from suffering, I am keeping this.” And as you see people, animals, and other sentient beings, think that you are working for them, making great work, have great responsibility, keeping precepts for the achievement of their ultimate peace and to release them from suffering by receiving enlightenment yourself. This is so important, to keep the mind conscious of the precepts and also to keep the mind happy, not to pass a meaningless life. Also, in this way you see other sentient beings’ suffering, problems, and confusion around you, and compassion arises, and also courage, and you think, “I must really observe the precepts in order to achieve enlightenment and lead them to ultimate peace, totally, to achieve their peace.” So it helps in so many ways. Whenever you take the precepts frequently think like this—it is helpful.

Also, there is a Mahayana thought training according to each action of our daily life. So this afternoon, I will read it. (Page 138) In the break times, if there is nothing in the discussion times, try to read and learn it. Learn by heart what relates to each action so you can use it as you do each action.

If you really understand, if you really get bored of suffering, and if you really get bored of the problems of all your life, and if there’s a method, then not practicing it is silly, and it is nonsense. Not practicing these things, not doing the method that is shown, and expecting something else is only a total hindrance to your wisdom, to your Dharma practice.

So you have lunch—after finishing lunch, you cannot have biscuits, fruits, and so on which have the potential to make kaka. Anything that has the potential to make kaka cannot be taken—even fruit juice which has things inside, not just water, and also, such things as strong milk cannot be taken.

As regards food, generally talking, there are black foods and white foods, things like this. Such things as garlic, onions, meat, radish (which makes gas in the stomach) are black. White foods are honey, curd, milk ...

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Also, sometimes visualize splitting the body from the head down to the feet.

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This is also not only once, but happens again and again for such a long period. There are unbearable sufferings, being squashed and chopped, pressed between the cracks, mountains that looks like animal’s faces, very huge ones, being squashed between two with much blood coming like a river—visualize like this. That happens not once but again and again. The being is killed, but comes alive, again there, again killed, comes alive many times, suffering there.

This kind of rebirth is caused by telling lies, being cunning, by leading other people, other living beings to different works that cause much sufferings, by hatred and dislike, by anger at the parents, the Triple Gem, the Buddha, Dharma, or Sangha. Sometimes there are even people who try to follow traditional things without understanding Dharma. They do outside things, such as worshiping, the common exterior things which most of the laypeople do, but without having the deep understanding of the Dharma, not having any idea how the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha helps. Then, when problems come, heresy rises, “I have been relying on the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, I have been worshiping, I have been this and that, if they really existed they would guide me from suffering;” and so believing they are non-existent. And sometimes not even thinking that way, but allowing anger to arise, “If they really existed why don’t they help me?” and breaking statues or destroying holy places. Anyway, like this. This can cause one to be born in these suffering stages. If one has no understanding of how the Buddha guides, the Dharma guides, and how the Sangha helps, it is possible that such mental problems as heresy may arise when one gets into a big problem. Then there’s danger that such negative mind can arise.

So anyway, the way the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha help, the way they guide sentient beings from suffering is not like this—like cleaning the suffering with water, destroying the sufferings by their hand, by Buddha’s hand—not like this. If that were so, if such thing were possible, there is no reason for infinite sentient beings to still be suffering—no reason. It must be, it should be the same thing, it must be because of this—if God or Buddha could destroy sentient beings’ sufferings by hand or clean it with water, if that were possible, no suffering would be left now. There wouldn’t be any sentient beings left. Also in other religions, also in Christianity, there is belief in God—but why? If there is a God, why are there still infinite sentient beings in suffering? It must be the same thing, this point—that God cannot destroy sentient beings’ suffering by hands, or by cleaning with water. If so, there wouldn’t be any suffering sentient being. So the way the God, the Buddha guides us, must be, since it is not in this way—besides, as it is said in the Buddhadharma that beings such as Guru Shakyamuni and others do n