Chapter 16 Chapter Fourteen

I remember that people used to come to my master Jamyang Khyentse just to ask him to guide them when they died.He was so loved and respected throughout Tibet, especially in the eastern province of Kham, that some people even traveled for months just to see him once and receive his blessing once before they passed away.All my masters have advised the following, which is exactly what you need most at the time of death: "Let go of attachment and hatred. Keep your mind pure. Unite your mind with the mind of the Buddha. .” The entire Buddhist attitude towards the moment of death can be summed up in the gatha that Padmasambhava said in "The Bardo Hearing and Teaching Dedu":

Now that the dying bardo has descended upon me, I will abandon all clinging, desire, and attachment, and enter undistracted into the clear awareness of the teachings, And shoot my consciousness into the void of Rigpa; When I leave this body of flesh and blood, I'll know it's a fleeting phantom. At the time of death, two things matter most: what we did in life and what state of mind we were in at the time.Even if we have accumulated a lot of bad karma, if we can change our mind at the time of death, it can decisively affect our future and transform our karma, because the moment of death is a very powerful time to cleanse karma.

moment of death Remember that all the habits stored at the base of our ordinary mind can then be activated by any influence; a little stimulation can bring out our instinctive, habitual responses.This is especially true at the moment of death. Lama Gulu explained this: At the time of death, long-familiar attitudes are usually first expressed and guide the direction of rebirth.In the same way, because of the fear that the self will not exist, people develop a strong attachment to the self.This attachment forms the condition of the bardo between the two lifetimes, and the love for the body, in turn, becomes the reason for the establishment of the bardo.

Therefore, the state of mind of death is very important.Even if we have done bad karma, if we die in a good state of mind, it will improve our next life; even if we have used our life well, if we die in a state of confusion and pain, it will have bad effects.This means that our last thoughts and emotions before death can have an extremely powerful and decisive influence on our immediate future.Just as the mind of a madman is completely occupied by fantasies, which come back again and again; at the moment of death the mind is completely defenseless, exposed to whatever thought was ruling us at the time.That last thought or emotion can be so magnified that it overwhelms our entire perception.Therefore, the masters emphasize the importance of the quality of our surroundings when we die.For relatives and friends, we should try our best to inspire positive emotions and sacred feelings, such as love, compassion and respect, and try our best to help them "let go of clinging, desire and attachment".

let go of attachment: The most ideal way when a person dies is to let go of everything inside and outside. At that critical moment, the heart has no desires, attachments and attachments to worry about.Therefore, before passing away, we must try our best to free ourselves from all attachments to possessions, friends and relatives.We can't take anything with us, so plan ahead to give whatever you have as a gift, or donate to charity. In Tibet, before the consciousness leaves the body, the masters will instruct them what to offer to other masters.Sometimes, a guru who intends to be reincarnated in the future will leave a bunch of things to his next life, and he will give clear instructions in advance what he will leave.I think we have to be very clear about how the estate will be distributed.These wishes must be expressed as clearly as possible.Otherwise, after death, if you are in the bardo of rebirth and see your relatives arguing over inheritance, or misusing your money, this situation will disturb you.Therefore, clearly state how much money you are donating to charitable purposes, or various spiritual purposes, or to a loved one of yours.Arrange everything clearly, down to the last detail, so that you can rest assured and truly let go.

I have said before that when we die it is important that the atmosphere around us be as peaceful as possible.Therefore, Tibetan masters say that grieving relatives and friends should never be present at the dying person's bedside, lest they become emotional and disturb the tranquility of the dying person's moment of death.Hospice care workers once told me that some dying people would ask their close family members not to visit them when they are about to die, just because they are afraid of causing painful feelings and strong attachments.Sometimes family members have a hard time understanding this; they may feel that they are no longer loved by the dying person.However, it must be remembered that the very presence of a loved one may cause strong attachments in the dying person, making it more difficult for him to let go.

When we are at the bedside of a loved one, watching him die, it is very difficult to hold back the grief and not cry.I urge everyone to do their best to work through attachment and grief with the dying person before death: cry together, express your love, say goodbye, but try to complete the process before the moment of death actually arrives.If possible, relatives and friends should refrain from expressing excessive grief at the moment of the dying person's death, because the consciousness of the dying person is particularly fragile at that moment. "Bardo Hearing and Teaching Dedu" says: You don't have to worry about crying at the bedside of the dying; there is no way to do it, and you have no reason to feel annoyed and guilty.

My great aunt, Ani Pelu, was very accomplished in spiritual practice.She was close to several legendary masters of the time, especially Jamyang Khyentse, who wrote the "Explanation of the Heart" to her.Her body is strong and round, exactly like the boss of our family, with a beautiful and noble face, and also has the unrestrained and even straightforward personality of a practitioner.She was a very able woman, and directly in charge of the affairs of the house.But just a month before her death, she made a U-turn in the most moving way.After a busy life, she suddenly let go of everything quietly and comfortably.She seemed to be in a state of meditation all the time, chanting her favorite lines from the writings of the Dzogchen lineage sage Longchenpa.She has always liked to eat meat, but before she passed away, she didn't touch meat at all.She is the queen of her world, and few see her as a yogini.On her deathbed, she showed her true colors, and I will never forget the deep peace she exuded in those days.

Anibelou was my protective angel in many ways; I think she especially liked me because she had no son.My father was Jamyang Khyentse's secretary and was extremely busy; my mother was also busy with her huge housework and did not think of things that Anibelul never forgot.Anibel used to ask my master, "What will happen to this child when he grows up? Will he be well? Will he have obstacles?" Sometimes he would answer, saying something like if she wasn't there If you bother him, he won't say anything. At the end of her life, Anibeilu showed a very solemn and peaceful practice, and her practice was very stable, but even a person with practice like her still told me not to appear at the end of her life, lest her love for me cause her instant embarrassment persistent.This shows how seriously she practices her beloved master Jamyang Khyentse's Instructions: "At the moment of death, let go of all thoughts of attachment and hatred."

Entering into clear awareness: Her younger sister, Ani Rilu, also practiced all her life and was close to the same great master.She has a thick book of prayers, which she recites and practices all day long.She often dozed off and resumed where she left off after waking up.All day and all night she does the same thing, so her sleep is always fitful, often doing morning lessons in the evening and evening lessons in the morning.Her older sister Belle was far more decisive and well-ordered than her. In her later years, she couldn't bear her sister's endless day and night upside down.Said to her, "Why don't you do morning classes in the morning and evening classes in the evening, turn off the light and go to bed like everyone else?" Anililou murmured, "Yes...yes." But still the same.

At that time, I was on the side of Anililu, but now I see the wisdom of Anililu.She put her whole body into practice, and her life became a continuous stream of prayers.In fact, I think her practice is so strong that she can even recite it in her dreams. Anyone who has practiced to this level will have a good chance of liberation in the bardo. Anililu's death was as peaceful and tranquil as when she was alive.She had been ill for a while, and one winter morning, around nine o'clock, my teacher's wife felt that Lilu was going to pass away soon.Although she could no longer speak at the time, she remained conscious.Someone was ordered to immediately run to the wonderful master Dodrupchen Rinpoche who lived nearby to give her final instruction and phowa In our family there was an old man named A-pe Dorje who died in 1989 at the age of eighty-five.Working in our family for five generations, he had the wisdom and common sense of a grandfather, the uncommon moral strength and kindness, and the gift of mediating arguments; traits that made him, for me, a symbol of all that is good in Tibet: a stout , worldly, ordinary and naturally follow the spirit of the teachings.When I was young, he taught me a lot, especially emphasizing that you must be kind to others, even if others hurt you, you should not hold grudges.He has a natural gift for conveying spiritual values ​​in the simplest of ways; he can almost entice you to reveal your full potential.Abei Dorje is a master storyteller. He can tell the myths and heroic legends in King Gesar's epic, which fascinated me deeply when I was a child.Wherever he goes, he brings a lighthearted vibe, joy and humor, making any difficult situation less complicated.I remember, even as he was approaching eighty, he was so buoyant, going shopping every day, almost until his death. Abei Dorje usually goes out to purchase around nine o'clock every morning.He heard that Anililu was on the verge of death, so he came to her room.He has a habit of talking loudly, almost shouting. "Anililu," he called out, and she opened her eyes. "My dear girl," he looked at her enthusiastically with a charming smile, "this is the time for you to show your true courage, don't be afraid, don't be shaken. What a blessing you are to be close to so many great masters, Receive teachings from them. Not only that, but you also have a very precious opportunity to practice. What more can you ask for? Now, the only thing you have to do is to remember the heart of the teachings, especially the teachings of the masters. A teaching on your deathbed. Keep it in your heart and don’t be distracted.” "Don't worry about us, we're all fine. I'm going to go shopping now, maybe when I come back, I won't see you. So, I want to say goodbye to you." After finishing speaking, he revealed Teeth laugh.Anililu was still sane, and the way he spoke made her smile and nod in acceptance. Abei Dorje knows that when we are close to death, we must condense all our practices into a "heart-essential method".What he said to Anililu was the third line of Guru Rinpoche's dying verse: "Enter into the clear awareness of the teaching without distraction." For those who have identified the nature of mind and stabilized it in their practice, this phrase means to rest in the state of Rigpa.If you don't have that stability, keep the essence of the teachings in your heart, especially the most important end-of-life teachings.Keep it in your heart, think of your Guru, and at the moment of your death unite your heart with him. End of life advice: The image most often used to accentuate the bardo of the dying is that of a beautiful actress sitting in front of a mirror.Her final performance is about to start, and she will do her last makeup and check her appearance before going on stage.In the same way, at the moment of death, the guru reintroduces us to the main truth of the teaching -- in the mirror of the mind -- and points out directly to us the heart of practice.If the guru is not present, there must be a fellow Taoist who has a good relationship with us to remind us. It is said that the best time for this kind of teaching is before the external breathing has stopped and the "inner breathing" has not yet ended, although the safest way is to start before the consciousness has completely disappeared and the decomposition process is still in progress.If you don't have the opportunity to meet your guru before you die, you need to take these teachings and become familiar with them. If the guru is at the dying person's bedside, in our tradition he would do it in the following order.First, the master will announce: "O children of the enlightened family, listen attentively..." and then take us step by step through the decomposition process, emphasizing the heart of the teaching with force and clarity, in strong terms, Let us leave a strong impression on our hearts and ask us to rest in the nature of mind.If we cannot do it, and we are familiar with phowa, he will remind us to do phowa; otherwise, he will do phowa for us.The master would then take a further precaution by explaining the nature of the bardo experiences after death and emphasizing that they are all projections of our own mind, motivating us with faith to recognize this at this moment: "O children, whatever you see Whatever it is, no matter how terrifying it is, recognize it as your own projection, recognize it as the radiance of your own heart, the natural light.” Finally, the master will teach us to remember the pure land of all Buddhas, arouse reverence, and pray to the reborn Buddha earth.The master will repeat the teaching three times, staying in riggae, and directing his blessings to the dying disciple. Dying practice— There are three main practices at the end of life: ·The best policy is to live in the heart, or to trigger the heart of our practice. ·The middle strategy is to practice the Powa method of transforming consciousness. ·The worst strategy is to rely on prayer, reverence, the power of vows, and the blessing of enlightened beings. As I have said, the supreme practitioners of Dzogchen have fully realized the nature of mind while they are still alive.So when they pass away, they just need to continue to rest in that state of Rigpa, because they have already attained the wisdom mind of the Buddhas.For them, death was the moment of ultimate liberation—the pinnacle of enlightenment, the pinnacle of spiritual practice. There is only a short sentence in "The Bardo Hearing the Teachings" to remind this kind of practitioners; "Oh! Master, the light of the earth has now been emitted. Acknowledge it and stay in the practice." Those who have completed Dzogchen practice are said to die "like newborn babies" with no concern for death.They don't need to be concerned about when or where they die, nor do they need any teachings, instructions or reminders. "Medium practitioners of Ligen", who died "like beggars in the street".No one paid them any attention, nothing disturbed them.Due to the steady effort in their practice, they are absolutely not affected by the surrounding environment.Whether in a busy hospital or in a noisy home, they can die equally comfortably. I will never forget an old yogi I knew in Tibet.He was like the pied piper in German fairy tales, and all the children followed him everywhere.Wherever he went, he sang and drew the whole community around him, teaching them to practice and recite the six-syllable mantra of Avalokiteshvara: "Om Mani Padme Hum" (Om MANiPADMe HUm).He had a big mantra wheel, and whenever someone gave him something, he would sew it into his clothes, and it ended up looking like the big mantra wheel when he walked around.I also remember that he had a dog that followed him around.He treats the dog like a human being, eats from the same bowl as the dog, sleeps next to him, treats him as his best friend, and even talks to him often. Not many people really pay attention to him, some people call him "crazy traveler", but many lamas have a very high opinion of him, so we should not despise him.My grandfather and my family respect him very much, and often invite him into the Buddhist hall and offer him tea and cakes.There is a custom in Tibet not to visit people empty-handed. One day, while drinking tea, he stopped and said, "Oh! I'm sorry, I almost forgot... this is my gift for you." He took out the The cakes and khata that my grandfather gave him just now were also given to my grandfather as gifts. Usually he sleeps outdoors.One day, near Dzogchen Monastery, he passed away: his dog was next to him, right in the middle of the street in a pile of rubbish.No one expected what happened next, but many witnessed a dazzling rainbow halo around his body. It is said that middle-level spiritual practitioners die like wild animals or lions, on snow-capped mountains, in caves or in hollow valleys.They can take full care of themselves and prefer to go to desolate places and die peacefully without the disturbance or care of relatives and friends. For these accomplished practitioners, their guru will remind them which methods they should practice when they are on the verge of death.Here are two examples from the Dzogchen tradition.As a first example, the practitioner should lie down in the "sleeping lion's position" and then focus their awareness on the eyes, gazing at the sky in front of them.Remaining unmoved, resting in that state, allowing their Rigpa to merge with the primordial space of their authenticity.When the ground light of death arises, they naturally flow into the ground light and attain enlightenment. But this kind of practice can only be done by those enlightened people who have stabilized their minds through practice.For those who have not yet attained this level of perfection, a more formal method of concentration is required: visualize their consciousness as the white letter "Ah," emanating from their central chakra, through their crown chakra, and into the buddhafield.This is the consciousness-changing Powa practice, which my master did for Lama Zolton when he passed away. A person who successfully completes one of these two practices still undergoes the physical death process, but not through the subsequent bardo state. Powa: Transformation of Consciousness Now that the dying bardo has descended on me, I will give up all clinging, desire, and attachment, enter undistracted into the clear awareness of the teachings, and shoot my consciousness into the void of Rigpa; When I see my body, I will know it is a fleeting phantom. "Shooting consciousness into the void of rigpa" refers to the phowa practice, which is most commonly practiced for the dying, and this particular teaching is related to the bardo of dying.Powa is a centuries-old practice of yoga and meditation to help the dying and prepare for death.Its principle is that at the moment of death, the practitioner should shoot out his consciousness, combine with the wisdom heart of the Buddha, and enter what Guru Rinpoche called "the void of original awareness".This method can be practiced by an individual, or it can be practiced for him by a qualified guru or a good practitioner. There are many kinds of powa methods to suit different personal abilities, experience and training.But the most common phowa method is called the "three-certified phowa method": certify that our central channel is the way; recognize our consciousness as the traveler; Generally, Tibetans with work and family responsibilities cannot dedicate their whole lives to research and practice, but they have strong confidence and trust in the teachings.When their children grow up and they are approaching the end of their lives—what Westerners call “retirement”—they will often go on pilgrimages or see their teachers and concentrate on their practice; they will often practice Powa to prepare for death.Powa is often referred to as the way to attain enlightenment without having to spend a lifetime in meditation. In the practice of Powa, the center of inspiration is Amitabha, the Buddha of Infinite Light.Belief in Amitabha is very common in China, Japan, Tibet and the Himalayas.He is the primordial Buddha of the lotus department, and the lotus department is the Buddha family to which human beings belong; Amitabha represents our pure nature and symbolizes the transformation of desire - the most important emotion of human beings.On a deeper level, Amitabha is our infinite, luminous nature of mind.After death, at the moment when the light of the earth shines, the true nature of the heart will be revealed, but not all of us are familiar enough to recognize it.The Buddha taught us how to invoke the symbol of light - Amitabha, how skillful, convenient and compassionate it is! It is inappropriate to describe the details of traditional phowa practice here, because in any case, phowa practice must be done under the guidance of a qualified guru.Never do it yourself without proper guidance. At the time of death, the consciousness that rides on the "qi" and needs a hole to leave the body can leave through any one of the nine holes.The path it takes completely determines which path the deceased will be reincarnated into.If it leaves by the crown chakra, he will be reborn in the pure land, where he can gradually develop enlightenment. I must stress again that phowa should only be practiced under the guidance of a qualified guru who can give blessings.To practice Powa, you don't need much knowledge or deep realization, just respect, compassion, single-minded visualization, and a deep sense of Amitabha's presence.Students receive the teachings and then practice until signs of achievement appear.These signs include itching on the top of the head, headache, the appearance of clear fluid, a feeling of swelling or tenderness around the top of the head, or even a small opening in the top of the head. Traditionally, a blade of grass can be inserted into the small hole to test or measure the strength of the practice. degree of success. Recently a group of elderly Tibetan lay people who settled in Switzerland were trained by a well-known Powa master.Their children, all raised in Switzerland, doubted the effectiveness of the practice.But they were all very surprised to find that their parents changed a lot after ten days of Powa practice, and also showed some of the above-mentioned signs of achievement. The Japanese scientist Dr. Hiroshi Motoyama has completed research on the influence of powa on the body and mind.He found that when practicing Powa, the nervous system, metabolic system and meridian system will all produce physiological changes.One of the discoveries was that the pattern of qi flowing through the meridians of the Phowa master was very similar to that of a person with a strong sixth sense ability.He also found from the EEG measurements that the brainwaves of yogis who practice Powa are quite different from those of yogis who practice other meditation methods.These findings suggest that Powa stimulates the hypothalamus and stops normal conscious activity in order to experience a deeply meditative state. Sometimes, through the blessing of Powa, ordinary people can also have a powerful visual experience.They will have a glimpse of the peace and light of the Buddhafield, and they will also see Amitabha Buddha, which is similar to a near-death experience.At the same time, just like in a near-death experience, the successful practice of Powa method can also generate confidence and fearlessness in the face of death. The basic phowa practice that I explained in the previous chapter is as healing for the living as it is for the moment of death, and can be practiced at any time without any danger.However, in the practice of traditional Powa, timing is the most important.For example, if a person does switch consciousness before dying naturally, it is tantamount to suicide.The point is that the timing of practicing Powa should be when the external breathing has stopped and the internal breathing is still going on; but the safest way is to start practicing Powa during the decomposition process (see the next chapter for details), and then repeat Repair several times Therefore, when a guru who has practiced the traditional Powa method is practicing Dharma for the dying person, he will visualize the consciousness of the dying person, and then guide the consciousness to shoot out from the crown chakra. At this time, the most important thing is that the timing is right. It's too early, however, a very accomplished old monk with knowledge of the death process can check every detail, such as the pulse, the flow of Qi and the heat of the body, to know for sure that the time to practice Powa has come.If you want to ask the guru to transform the consciousness of the dying person, you must inform as soon as possible, because even at a distance, Powa method can work. Many obstacles to the practice of phowa may arise.Since any bad state of mind, or even the slightest desire for possessions, will be an impediment to practicing powa when death comes, so you must try not to let any slightest evil thought or desire dominate.In Tibet, it is believed that if there is anything made of animal skin or fur in the dying person's room, it is difficult to practice Powa.Finally, because smoke—or any drug—has the effect of blocking the central channel, it also makes phowa more difficult. "Even a big villain" can be liberated if there is an enlightened and powerful master who can transfer his dying consciousness into the Buddhafield.Even when the dying person has no merit and practice, and the guru cannot completely transform his consciousness, the guru can still change the future of the dying person, and Powa can help him to reincarnate in a good state.However, a successful phowa requires perfect conditions.Powa method can help people with extremely bad karma, but the condition must be that he has an intimate and pure relationship with the master, has confidence in the teachings, and sincerely asks for purification. In Tibet, the so-called ideal environment is that many lamas are invited by the family to practice the Powa method repeatedly until the Ruixiang appears.They may practice for hours on end, hundreds of times or even a whole day.Some dying people may be able to show auspicious signs with just one or two phowa sessions, while others may not be able to do it for a whole day.Needless to say, this situation has a lot to do with the karma of the dying person. In Tibet, even though some practitioners are not famous for their practice, they have special powers to help the dying to practice Powa, and auspicious signs will appear soon.Auspicious visions produced by practitioners practicing Powa for the dying include: a lock of hair falling from near the crown chakra, and seeing a puff of heat rising from the crown chakra.In some very rare cases, the guru or practice is so powerful that when they say the powa mantra, everyone in the room faints, or when the consciousness of the dead is forcefully pushed out, there is a piece of skull Fly to the sky. Merits of praying at death: All religious traditions agree that there is great power in dying in prayer.Therefore, I hope that when you die, you can sincerely invite all Buddhas and your teachers.Pray through repentance to purify all the bad karma from life to life, so that you can die soberly and peacefully, reincarnate in a good way, and finally be liberated. A single-minded vow that you will be reborn in a pure land, or reborn as a human, is a vow to protect, nourish and help others.Dying with such love and compassion in your heart, considered another form of Powa in Tibetan tradition, guarantees you at least another precious human life. It is important to create the best possible impression in flow before dying.The easiest and most effective way to achieve this goal is Guru Yoga, in which the dying person unites his mind with the wisdom mind of a guru, Buddha, or any enlightened being.Even if you cannot visualize your guru at this moment, at least try to remember him, imagine him in your mind, and die in a state of reverence.When your consciousness reawakens after death, the guru's manifestation will awaken with you and you will be liberated.If you remember the guru when you die, then his blessings will be limitless: even sound, light and color appear in the bardo of dharmata, all may become the blessing of the guru and the radiance of his wisdom mind appear . If the guru is present at the dying person's bedside, he can cast his shadow in the dying person's flow.The master may say something scary and important in order to divert the dying person from being distracted by other things.He may shout, "Remember me!" The master will draw the dying person's attention by any means necessary, making an indelible impression for reappearance in the bardo state.Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche happened to be at her bedside when the mother of a famous master was dying and she was in a coma, and he did something very special.He hit her legs.If she had not forgotten Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche when she passed into death, she would surely be blessed. In our tradition, ordinary practitioners will also pray to the Buddha they respect and have a relationship with.If it is Guru Rinpoche, they will pray to be reborn in his pure land - the Lotus Light Palace on the top of the copper-colored mountain; if they pay homage to Amitabha, they will pray to be reborn in his pure land of bliss. Dying atmosphere: What should we do to best benefit ordinary practitioners who are dying?We all need love and care, as well as emotional and practical support, but for practitioners, the atmosphere, intensity and extent of spiritual help are of special significance.It would be ideal and a great blessing if their guru could be with them; if not, their fellow practitioners could also be of great help, reminding them of the teachings and methods that they feel most deeply the essence.A dying practitioner is in great need of spiritual inspiration, and the trust, faith, and respect that come naturally from it.The constant care and love of the master and fellow practitioners, the encouragement of the teachings, and the strength of their own practice can work together to create and sustain this kind of inspiration, which in the final weeks and days of the dying person's life is almost As precious as breath. A student I really liked was terminally ill, and she asked me what to do when she was closer to death, especially when she didn't have the strength to devote herself to any formal practice. "Remember how great your blessings are!" I told her, "Meeting so many masters, receiving so many teachings, and having the time and karma to practice. I assure you, the benefits of all these will never Leaving you: the good karma you do because of this will stay with you and help you. Even if you only listen to the teaching once, or meet a master like Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and have such a deep relationship with him. karma, which in itself is liberation. Don't forget this, and don't forget that there are many people who are in the same situation as you, but don't have your unique karma. "If you really can't practice the Dharma diligently at that time, the only important thing you should do is to relax and rest in the confidence and character of "seeing", the deeper the better. Whether your body and your brain are still functioning, it depends It doesn't matter: your mind is always there, like the sky, brilliant, joyful, infinite and unchanging...Know this with certainty, and let that knowledge give you strength, whether you Say good-bye to all the pain you have had, and say goodbye to it with peace of mind: "Please leave now! Leave me alone." If something irritates you or makes you feel uncomfortable, don't waste time trying to change it; continue Back to "see". "Trust your mind, trust it deeply, and relax completely. Now you don't have to learn, gain, or understand new things, just let what you've learned blossom in your heart, opening up more and more. "Rely on the one that inspires you the most. If you have trouble visualizing or practicing a formal practice, remember what Dudjom Rinpoche often said: 'Feeling the presence of a Buddha or a guru is far away. It’s more important than visualizing the details.” Now is the time to feel, to feel as strongly as you can, to feel that your guru, Guru Rinpoche, all the buddhas are present in your whole being. Whether you Whatever happens to your body, remember your mind is never sick or disabled. "You love Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche: feel his presence, sincerely ask him for help and purification. Put your whole being in his hands: your heart, your body and your soul. Total trust, It is the most powerful force in the world. "Did I tell you the beautiful story of Ben? Ben was a simple man with great faith, and he was from Kongpo province in southeast Tibet. Heard a lot about Jowo ) Rinpoche's story, Zhuowu Rinpoche is a statue, which was carved according to the appearance of the Buddha when he was twelve years old, and was enshrined in the central monastery of Tibet. It is said that it was carved when the Buddha was still alive. A good image is the most sacred image in all of Tibet. Ben didn't know whether it was a Buddha or a human being, so he decided to pay homage to Droky Rinpoche and see what everyone's legends were about. So he put on his boots , After walking for several weeks, I finally arrived in Lhasa in central Tibet. "When he arrived, he was already hungry. As soon as he entered the monastery, he saw the big Buddha statue, with a row of butter lamps and offering cakes in front of the Buddha statue. He immediately thought that these cakes were for Drokya Rinpoche. 'These cakes,' He said to himself, "It must be soaked in ghee, and the lamp is lit to prevent the ghee from solidifying. I'd better follow the example of Drokyak Rinpoche." So he dipped a piece of cake into the ghee and ate it, Looking up at the Buddha statue, the Buddha statue seems to be smiling kindly at him. "What a good Lama you are!" he said, "The dog came in and ate the food that was offered to you, and you just smiled. The wind blew out the lamp, but you continued to smile.  … Anyway, I will Went around the temple to pray for blessings to pay my respects. Could you please keep an eye on my boots until I come back?” So he took off his dirty and old boots, put them in front of the Buddha statue on the shrine, and left. "When the shift was going around the Great Buddha Temple, the temple manager came back and was very angry to find that someone had eaten the offerings and left a pair of dirty boots on the Buddhist altar. He was furious, grabbed the boots and threw them out angrily, but heard The Buddha statue made a voice: "Don't throw it away! Put the boots back. I am taking care of Kangbo's class." 「当班回来拿他的靴子时，抬头看着佛像的脸，仍然是静静地微笑看他。『你实在是我所说的好喇嘛。明年为什么不到我们那边去呢？我将烤一头猪，酿些啤酒……』卓屋仁波切再度开口，答应要来看班。 「班回到康波的家，把一切经过都告诉他的太太，要她注意卓屋仁波切，因为他不知道到底什么时候卓屋仁波切会来。一年过去了，有一天他的太太匆匆从外面跑回来，告诉班，她刚刚看到河面上有某个太阳一般闪闪发光的东西。班要太太烧开水准备茶，自己跑到河边去。班看到卓屋仁波切在水里发光，当下认为他就要淹没了。班立刻跳到水中，抓住卓屋仁波切，把他带出来。 「他们一路聊天，往班家走，遇见一块大岩石。卓屋仁波切说：『嗯，我恐怕不能进入贵府了。』说完，他就化入岩石之中。一直到今天，康波还有两处著名的朝圣地：一处是岩石卓屋，岩石表面可以看到佛的形像；另一处是河流卓屋，河中可以看到佛的形状。人们说，这两个圣地的加持力和治疗效能，和拉萨的卓屋仁波切一模一样。这都是由于班的坚强信心和单纯信赖所致。 「我要你拥有像班的单纯信赖。让你的心充满对莲花生大士和顶果钦哲仁波切的恭敬，觉得你就在他的示现之中，让你四周的虚空都是他。然后启请他，在你的心中分分秒秒，都与他共同度过。把你的心和他结合在一起，从你的内心深处，用自己的话这么说：『你看我多么无助啊！我再也不能精进修行了。现在我必须完全倚赖你。我完全信赖你。请照顾我。请将我和你结合在一起。』然后修上师相应法，非常专注地想象光芒从上师身上流出来，净化你，净除了你的一切业障、疾病，治好你；你的身体溶入光；最后，以完全的信心，把你的心和他的智慧心结合在一起。 「当你修法的时候，如果觉得并不是很顺，不必担心；你只要信赖和在心中感觉就可以。现在，一切都靠启发，因为唯有如此才能放松你的焦虑，消解你的紧张。因此，在你面前摆一张顶果钦哲仁波切或莲花生大士的照片。当你开始修法时，温和地把注意力放在照片上，然后在它的光芒中放松，想象外面阳光普照，你可以脱去身上的一切衣服，沉浸在温暖的阳光中：溜出你的一切心理障碍，放松地安住在上师加持的光芒中，而且要确实感觉它。深深地放下一切。 「一切都不要担心。即使你发现注意力散失了，也没有什么『东西』你非抓住不可。放下一切，在加持的觉察中顺其自然。不要让『这是本觉吗？是不是？』之类的小问题扰乱你。你只需要让自己变得越来越自然。记住，你的本觉永远在那儿，永远在你的心性中。记住顶果钦哲仁波切的话：『如果你的心坚定不移，你就是在本觉的状态中。』因此，你既然接受了教法，接受心性的传授，就要毫不迟疑地安住在本觉之中。 「你的福报真大，有这些善知识在你身边。鼓励他们在你四周创造修法的环境，并继续修法一直到你去世之后。请他们为你读一首你喜欢的诗、你上师的开示，或具有启发性的教法。请他们为你放顶果钦哲仁波切的录音带、修法的唱诵，或优美的音乐。我所祈祷的是，你醒着的每一个时刻，都能在活泼、光明，充满启示的气氛中，与法门的加持结合在一起。 「当音乐或开示的录音带继续放着，你可以跟着声音，随它而去，睡在其中，醒在其中，吃在其中，打盹在其中，……让修行的气氛整个弥漫着你生命的最后部分，就好象我的姑妈阿妮丽露一般。除了修法之外，其他都不要做，使你在梦中仍然继续修法。也像她一样，让修法成为你心中最后、最强的记忆和影响，取代你心流中的一生平常习气。 「当你觉得已经接近生命终点时，每一个呼吸和心跳都只想着顶果钦哲仁波切。记住，你死时的那个念头，就是你在死后中阴重新醒来时，会强而有力回来的念头。」 离开身体—— 现在临终中阴已降临在我身上， 我将放弃一切攀缘、欲望和执著， 毫不散乱地进入教法的清晰觉察中， 并把我的意识射入本觉的虚空中； 当我离开血肉和合的躯体时， 我将知道它是短暂的幻影。 现在，毫无疑问的，我们的身体是整个宇宙的中心。我们不假思索地把它和自我联想在一起，这种轻率和虚假的联想，持续加强我们的无明，误以为它们是实在、不可分离的存在。因为我们的身体似乎如此真实地存在，我们的「我」似乎存在，「你」也似乎存在，我们一直向外投射的整个二元世界似乎也是坚固实在的。但当我们去世时，这整个因缘和合的结构体，就戏剧性地崩坏成碎片。 用最简单的话来说，当时发生的情况就是：在最细微层次的意识，虽然没有身体，但仍然存在，也将经历一系列的所谓「中阴」境界。教法告诉我们，正因为在中阴境界时不再有身体，所以终极而言，我们死后根本没有理由害怕有什么恐怖的经验会发生在我们身上。毕竟，「无身」怎么可能受到任何伤害呢？不过，问题是在中阴境界中，大多数人仍然继续执著一个虚假的自我，执著它有一个实体；这种幻觉是生命一切痛苦的根源，如果死后还继续存在，就会招惹更多的痛苦，尤其在「受生中阴」的阶段 你可以发现，重要的是在活着的时候要了解，我们的身体，它有形有状，那么明显，但实际上也只是幻影而已。证悟这一点的最有效方法，就是在禅修之后，学习如何「变成梦幻之子」：不要再像过去的习气一样，老是把我们对于自己和周遭世界的认知固体化；并且要继续保持「梦幻之子」，如同我们在禅修中一般，把一切现象直接看成梦幻泡影。把身体的幻影性质加深悟解，就是可以帮助我们放下的最深刻、最有启发性的方法。 在这种认识的启示和准备之下，当我们在死亡后面对身体确实是幻影的事实时，就可以毫不恐惧地承认它的虚幻性质，就可以宁静地解脱我们对它的一切执著，就可以自愿地，甚至是愉快地放下它，知道它现在应有本来面目。事实上，你可以说，我们将能够真正而完整地，在死亡的时刻安心地死，因而达到最终解脱。 因此，把死亡的那一刻想成心灵的陌生边界区，一个无人的荒地，在它的一边，如果我们不了解身体的虚幻性质，当我们失去它时，就会遭受巨大的情绪创伤；在另一边，却呈现出无限自由的可能性，而这种自由正是因为我们失掉了身体。 当我们终于从界定和主宰自己的身体中获得解脱时，一生的业相就整个结束，但未来可能会产生的业却还没有开始结晶。因此，死亡时会出现一个充满各种可能性的「缺口」(gap )或空间；在这一个孕育强大力量的时刻，最重要的，或唯一重要的，就是我们的心境。剥掉了肉体，心赤裸裸地呈现，毫无隐藏地透露它亘古以来的本色：我们实相的建筑师。 因此，在死亡的那一刻，如果我们对于心性已经有稳定的证悟，一瞬间我们就可以净化一切业障。如果我们能够继续维持那个稳定的认证，就可以进入心性的本初清净状态中，证得解脱，把我们的业障整个清除。莲花生大士如此说明： 也许你会怀疑，在中阴阶段，为什么仅藉着一瞬间认证心性，就可以证得如如不动？答案是：目前我们的心，被包在「业气」的网子里面。而「业气」却又被包在肉体的网子里面。结果是我们不得解脱或自由。 可是，一旦我们的身体分开成心和物两部分，在心还没被未来的肉体网子再度包围之前，有一个间隙。这时候的心有奇特的展现，没有坚固的、物质的支持。在它没有物质基础的这段期间，我们不受肉体的束缚--我们也可以认证心性。 这种只靠认证心性就证得如如不动的力量，就好象是火炬能在一瞬间除掉多生多劫的黑暗。因此，我们如果能在中阴阶段认证心性，如同现在上师教我们认识一般，毫无疑问的，我们将可以证得觉悟。这就是为什么从现在开始，我们必须藉修行熟悉心性的原因。