Chapter 19 Chapter 17 The Inner Light

When the local light manifests after one's death, experienced practitioners are able to remain fully awake, unite with it, and thus attain liberation.But if we cannot recognize the light, we will encounter the next bardo - the light bardo of dharmata. The teaching of the bardo of dharmata is very special, a special kind of Dzogchen practice that has been cherished for centuries as the core of Dzogchen practice.I was a bit hesitant to publicly introduce this holiest of teachings, and in fact I probably would not have done so if there had been no precedent.However, "The Bardo of the Bardo" and many other books that mention the bardo of dharmata have been published, which leads people to some naive conclusions.I feel that it is extremely important and timely to make a candid clarification of this bardo and restore it to its true nature.I must emphasize that in this book I do not give any detailed explanations of the relevant advanced practices; because unless one has the instruction and guidance of a qualified guru, and one completely and purely believes in that guru, one can never practice them. success.

I have referred to many different sources in order to clarify this chapter.I think this chapter is the most important chapter of this book. I hope that through this chapter, you can get to know this wonderful teaching method and be inspired to do further research and start to practice it yourself. four stages of legality Sanskrit dharmata and Tibetan cho nyi mean the inherent nature or essence of all things (called dharmata in Chinese).Dharmata is the naked, unconditioned truth, the nature of reality, or the true nature of the phenomenal world.What is discussed here is our overall fundamental understanding of mind and the nature of all things.

At the time of death, the end of the disintegration process and the manifestation of the light of the earth, presents a new beginning.I find it helpful to describe it as a metaphor of night turning into day.The disintegration process at the end of life, and finally the dark experience of the "full realization" stage.It has been described as a "dark shrouded sky".The light of the earth arises like the morning light before the dawn.Now, the sun of dharmata is rising, shining brilliantly on the earth.The natural radiance of Rigpa manifests spontaneously, radiating with energy and light.

Just as the sun arises in that clear and vast space, so the luminous form of the bardo of dharmata arises in the boundless space of earth light.We call this display of sound, light, and color "spontaneous presence" because it must always be present at its base—the vast expanse of primordial purity. In fact, a process of unfolding is taking place here, with the mind and its nature gradually becoming more and more apparent.The dharmata bardo is a stage in this process.From its purest state (earth luminosity), the mind moves through this aspect of light and energy to the next manifestation of the bardo (the bardo of rebirth).

Modern physics states that when we probe matter, it presents a sea of ​​energy and light, which I find instructive.David Bohm said: "Matter is condensed or frozen light... All matter is a concentration of light, moving repeatedly in a specific pattern at an average speed less than the speed of light." Modern physics also starts from many To understand light in terms of: "It is energy, but it is also information - content, form and structure. It is the potential of all things." There are four stages in the dharmata bardo, each representing an opportunity for liberation.If the previous opportunity is not grasped, the next stage will unfold. The explanation I give here is derived from the Dzogchen Tantra, which emphasizes that only through the particularly advanced "Sudden Transcendence" method of light can one truly understand The true meaning of the bardo of dharmata.Therefore, the bardo of dharmata takes up the least amount of space in the traditional Tibetan teachings on the death of death.Even in the book "The Bardo of Hearing and Teaching", which also belongs to the Dzogchen Dharma, the order of these four stages is not clearly explained, and the structure is not clear enough.

However, I must stress that all language can at best describe what is possible in the bardo of dharmata in terms of concepts.The appearance of the bardo of dharmata, unless the practitioner has practiced the "Sudden Transcendence" method, otherwise it will be just a conceptual image; It is the undeniable personal experience of practitioners.What I want to tell you is that such miraculous and amazing aspects do exist.I also deeply hope that you will remember my explanation of the bardo in the process of experiencing death. 1. Brightness - the scene of light In the bardo of dharmata, you appear as the body of light.The first stage of this bardo is "emptiness dissolves into light".

Suddenly, you become aware that there is a flowing, living world of sound, light, and color.Ordinary scenes with which we are familiar dissolve into one vast "Lightscape".This "Lightscape" is very dazzling, it is transparent and colorful, not limited by any level or direction, it sparkles and dances continuously. "The Bardo of Hearing and Teaching Dedu" says that it is "like a mirage on the hot summer plain".Its various colors are natural manifestations of the inherent elements of the mind: the air element is seen as blue light, the water element is seen as white light, the earth element is seen as yellow light, the fire element is seen as red light, and the wind element is seen as green light.

The degree of stability of these radiant lights in the bardo of dharmata is entirely determined by the degree of stability you have attained in the practice of "Sudden Transcendence."Only real mastery of this method will allow you to stabilize this experience and use it to gain liberation.Otherwise the dharmata bardo will flash by like lightning, and you won't even know it's happening.Let me emphasize again that only practitioners who practice the "Sudden Transcendence" method can have the most important certification: these brilliant manifestations do not exist apart from the mind.

2. Combination--Holy One If you cannot recognize that this is the spontaneous manifestation of Rigpa, then these simple lights and colors will start to combine into large and small points or balls of light called tikles.When the gigantic sphere of light fills almost the entire void, the "mandala of the deities of the divisions of joy and wrath" will appear in the droplet. This is the second stage, called "light dissolving into union," in which light appears as images of Buddhas or deities of various sizes, colors and shapes, holding various treasures in their hands.The light they emanate is dazzling, the sound is as loud as the roar of a thousand thunders, and the beams of light penetrate everything like laser light.

They are the "Forty-two Holy Ones of the Joy Department and the Fifty-eight Holy Ones of the Wrath Department" described in the book "The Bardo".They emerge gradually over the course of a few "days", each in its own special mandala pattern, a sight so intensely filling your entire awareness that if you fail to recognize its truth, it can appear terrifying and frightening .Intense fear and mindless pain consume you, and you pass out. Very fine beams will emanate from yourself and the saints, connecting your heart with theirs.Countless spheres of light appear in their rays, slowly multiplying, and then "rolling up", all the deities dissolve into you.

3. Wisdom If you are still unable to authenticate and gain stability, then the next stage begins, which is called "union into wisdom". Another thin ray of light emanates from your heart, and from that ray a great vision unfolds; however, every detail remains clear and precise.This is the manifestation of all kinds of wisdom, simultaneously appearing as a stretched felt of light and a brilliant, spherical, luminous point: First, on the dark blue light felt, there are royal blue glittering crystal points appearing in groups of five.On the white light felt above it, there are crystal-like bright spots appearing.On the yellow light felt above it, there are golden bright spots appearing.On the red light felt above it, bright spots of the color of rubies appeared.They are covered by a bright sphere like a cap made of peacock feathers. The manifestation of this bright light is the manifestation of the five kinds of wisdom: the wisdom of emptiness, the wisdom of the great circle mirror, the wisdom of equality, the wisdom of wonderful observation, and the wisdom of accomplishment.But since the wisdom of attainment is only complete at the time of enlightenment, it has not yet appeared at this time.Therefore, there is no green luminosity or point, but it is hidden within the other colors.What is being revealed here is our potential for enlightenment; only after we become Buddhas does the wisdom of accomplishment emerge. If you have not attained liberation by abiding in the nature of mind at this time, the various light felts and their points, as well as your original awareness, will all dissolve into the bright light ball, which is like a peacock feather top cover. 4. Spontaneous presence This is followed by the final stage of the bardo of dharmata, "wisdom dissolving into spontaneous presence."Now, the whole reality is unfolding in amazing ways.The first is the state of primordial purity, which appears like an open, cloudless sky.Then the holy deities of the Department of Joy and Department of Wrath appear, followed by the pure Buddhaland of the Buddhas, and below that are the six realms of life and death. The boundlessness of this scene is completely beyond our imagination.Every possibility is available: from wisdom and liberation, to ignorance and rebirth.At this time, you will find that you have the ability of clairvoyance and destiny.For example, due to clairvoyance and unobstructed five sense organs, you will know your past and future lives and see through the hearts of others.Also understand the situation of the six realms of reincarnation.In an instant, you can clearly recall all the teachings you have heard, and even the teachings you have not heard before will be aroused in your mind. The whole scene then dissolves into its original essence, like a tent that instantly collapses when a rope is cut. If you have the stability to recognize that these manifestations are nothing more than the "self-light" of your own Rigpa, you will be liberated.But if you do not have the experience of the method of "Sudden Transcendence", you will not be able to gaze at the saints who are "bright as the sun".On the contrary, due to the habits of the previous life, your vision will be pulled down to the six realms.It is these six realms that you will identify, and they will tempt you to delude again. In the book "The Bardo of Hearing and Teaching", it is mentioned that there are a few days for the dead to experience the bardo of dharmata.These days do not refer to the twenty-four hours in a day, because in dharmata we have completely transcended the limitations of time and space.These days are "meditation days," the length of time we can concentrate on resting in our nature of mind, or in a single state of mind.If the meditation is not enough, the days can be as short as a minute, and the deities of the joy and wrath divisions appear so quickly that we don't even feel they have arisen. Understand legality Now the bardo of dharmata has descended upon me, I will forsake all fear and worry, I will recognize that everything that arises is a natural manifestation of my own Rigpa; And understand that this is the state of the bardo of dharmata; Now I've come to this critical point, I shall have no fear of the deities of joy and wrath arising from my mind. The main point to understand about this bardo is that all the experiences that take place in it are the natural light of our mind.What happens at this time is that it releases the energies of enlightenment.Just like the jumping rainbow emanating from the light through the crystal, it is its natural manifestation; in the same way, the brilliant manifestation of dharmata is inseparable from the nature of mind.They are spontaneous expressions of the nature of mind.Therefore, "The Bardo" says that no matter how frightening these appearances may be, they are nothing more than paper tigers that scare you. Strictly speaking, however, it would be a mistake to call these appearances "visions" or even "experiences"; for both visions and experiences depend on a dual relationship between the seer and the seen.If we can recognize the appearance of the bardo of dharmata as the wisdom energy of the mind, there will be no difference between the seer and the seen, and this is the experience of non-duality.To enter fully into that experience is to attain liberation.Kalu Rinpoche said, "After death, if the mind can realize that its experience is nothing but mind itself, liberation arises instantly." However, now that we are no longer bound by the physical body or the world, the energies of mind that are released in the bardo state will look very real and seem to exist objectively.They seem to really exist in the world outside of us.We don't have much practice, so we don't know anything about the state of non-duality that doesn't depend on cognition.Once we mistake those appearances for external phenomena, for "outside sights," we react with fear or hope, which makes us foolish. Just as recognizing it as the key to liberation when the light of the earth appears, so it is in the bardo of dharmata.The certification of the self-light of original awareness (the energy manifested by the nature of mind) can allow us to realize liberation, otherwise we will continue to wander in the samsara where we cannot control ourselves.In the second stage of the dharmata bardo, there will be hundreds of deities of joy and wrath, including buddhas of the five directions, female buddhas, male and female bodhisattvas, buddhas of the six realms, and many saints of wrath. Zun and Dharma protector.They all appear in the light of the five wisdoms. How do we understand these Buddhas and deities? "Each pure body represents our own potential for enlightenment of impure experience." The five male Buddhas are the pure facets of the five aggregates of ego, and their five wisdoms are the pure facets of the five afflictions.The five female Buddhas are the fundamental qualities of purity of mind that we experience as impure bodies and environments.The eight bodhisattvas are the pure faces of the eight consciousnesses, and the eight female bodhisattvas are the recipients of the eight consciousnesses. Whether it is the pure vision of the five buddhas and their wisdom manifestations, or the impure vision of the five aggregates and the arising of afflictions, their basic nature is essentially the same.The difference is how we recognize them, and whether we recognize them as enlightened energies emerging from the ground of mind. For example, if the thought of desire appears in our ordinary mind, if its true nature is recognized, we can get rid of clinging and give rise to "wonderful observation knowledge".Anger has been truly recognized, and when it arises, it can be as clear as a diamond and no longer climb. This is called "Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom".When ignorance is recognized, a vast and natural clarity can arise: "knowledge hidden in the void".When arrogance is certified, non-duality and equality can be realized, and the "knowledge of equality" can arise.When jealousy is recognized, one can get rid of prejudice and attachment, and develop "knowledge of success".Therefore, the arising of the five defilements is entirely due to our inability to recognize their true nature.When they are truly recognized, they are purified and liberated, and their arising is nothing but the manifestation of the five wisdoms. In the bardo of dharmata, if you fail to recognize the light of the five wisdoms, the ego will enter your "experience", just as a master said, a patient with a high fever will start to hallucinate, see to all kinds of fantasies.For example, if you cannot recognize the ruby ​​ray of the wisdom of observation, it will arise like a fire because it is the purity of the fire element; , because it is the purity of the earth element, and the water element, space element, wind element and so on. When the ego enters the "feeling" of the various manifestations of the bardo of dharmata, they are transformed (or solidified, so to speak), and through this process become the root of all forms of delusion in samsara. A Dzogchen master uses the example of ice and water to illustrate how this lack of recognition and ego develops: water is usually liquid and has wonderful properties, washing away dirt and quenching thirst.But when it freezes, it solidifies into ice.Likewise, when ego arises, it solidifies our inner experience and the way we perceive the world around us.However, just as ice dissolves into water under the heat of the sun, so under the light of authentication free and unhindered intelligence will be revealed. Now we can correctly understand that after the appearance of the earth light and the bardo of dharmata, samsara has actually arisen due to the inability to recognize the nature of mind two times before and after.First, the luminosity of the ground (the base ground of the nature of mind) has not been identified; if it had been identified, liberation would have been attained.Second, the energy of the mind manifests, offering a second chance for liberation; if it is not recognized, the arising afflictions start to solidify into various wrong thoughts, which together continue to create the illusory six realms, imprisoning us in the cycle of birth and death. middle.So the purpose of the whole practice is to turn this whole process of what I call "ignorance" straight upside down; those false perceptions that are interconnected and interdependent, so that we get caught up in the illusory world of our own creation, and the practice is to turn them back. The process of creation and de-consolidation. As mentioned above, the appearance of the earth light at the moment of death does not mean attainment of liberation; similarly, the appearance of the bardo of dharmata does not necessarily mean liberation.Because when the brilliant light of wisdom is emitted, it is accompanied by various simple, pleasant, and warm sounds and lights, which are not as stimulating and powerful as the light of wisdom.These yellows, greens, blues, reds, and whites are dim, misty lights, the accumulated tendencies of greed, hatred, delusion, lust, jealousy, and arrogance.These emotions create the six realms: hell, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, asuras, and heavens. If we haven’t recognized and fixed the dharma nature of our mind while we’re alive, the habit of our accumulated attachments will start to be agitated and awakened at this time, and we will be instinctively dragged towards the dark light of the six realms.Threatened by the brilliant light of the active wisdom, the mind shrinks back.All kinds of warm light are gathered by habitual tendencies, which lure us to reincarnate. As for which way to reincarnate, it is determined by the troubles that dominate our karma and mental flow. Let us illustrate this whole process by citing the example of the appearance of a Joyful Buddha in the book "The Bardo of Hearing and Teaching".The master or fellow Taoist said to the spiritual consciousness of the deceased: O sons and daughters of enlightened families, listen with all your heart! On the third day, yellow light will arise, which is the pure nature of the earth element.At the same time, from the yellow light, Baosheng Buddha, the adorned buddha land of the southern treasures, will appear in front of you. He has a yellow body and holds a wish-fulfilling jewel in his hand.He sat on the throne of the carriage and hugged the Buddha consort.There are two male Bodhisattvas, Xukongzang and Samantabhadra, and two female Bodhisattvas, Rosary Beads and Incense.therefore.A total of six Buddha bodies appeared in the rainbow light. The inner purity of the aggregates (knowledge of equality) appears as a yellow light, shining brightly and decorated with large and small points of light, so bright that the naked eye cannot contemplate them, flowing from the hearts of Baosheng Buddha and the Buddha Consort to you, penetrating your heart, so your eyes cannot gaze upon it. At the same time as the wisdom light appears, the dark blue light representing humanity comes to you and penetrates your heart.Driven by arrogance, you will run away in fear from the bright yellow light, but love the dark blue light of humanity, and thus become attached to it. At this time, don't be afraid of the dazzling, bright, penetrating and compelling yellow light, but recognize it as wisdom.Let your original consciousness live in it, relaxed, free, and silent.Have confidence, respect and longing for it.If you recognize it as the natural light of your own Rigpa, even if you have no devotion and prayers, all Buddha bodies and lights will merge with you and attain Buddhahood. If you have not recognized it as the natural light of your own Rigpa, then pray to it with reverence and visualize, "This is the light of compassion of the Buddha. I take refuge in it." Because in fact it is the Buddha. To guide you through the horrors of the bardo, it is the light hook of Baosheng Buddha's compassionate energy, so treat it with total respect. Don't fall for the humane dim blue light.This is the way of habitual energy accumulated by your arrogance and arrogance.If you are obsessed with it, you will fall into the human realm, suffer from birth, old age, sickness and death, and lose the chance to escape from the quagmire of the world.This dark blue light is an obstacle to the path of liberation, so don't look at it, but get rid of your arrogance!Let go of its habit!Don't Get Attached (Dark Blu-ray)!Don't crave it!You have to reverence and yearn for that dazzling, bright yellow light, visualize Baosheng Buddha wholeheartedly, and pray like this: what! Because of my arrogance and my arrogance, life and death circulate, May Baosheng Buddha lead me Walking on the bright road of "equality and wisdom" light, I only wish the Supreme Mother of Buddha to walk behind me; May we help me walk through the perilous path of the bardo, Take me into the perfect Buddha realm. After reciting the prayers with sincerity and reverence, you will dissolve into the rainbow light in the hearts of the jeweled Buddha and the Buddha-eye mother, and become the sambhogakaya Buddha in the adorned Buddhaland of the Southern Jewels. The description of Baosheng Buddha's appearance finally explains that through this kind of "demonstration" by the master or fellow Taoist, even the dead can achieve liberation even if their ability is small.However, "Bardo Hearing and Teaching Dedu" says that despite many "demonstrations", there are still some people who cannot be certified and liberated due to bad karma.Under the interference of greed and karma, and frightened by various sounds and lights, they will escape.Therefore, on the next "day", the next Amitabha Buddha, together with his retinues, will appear with dazzling red light, but at the same time, there will also be a dim, alluring yellow light in the realm of hungry ghosts, which is caused by greed and miserliness. Caused.Therefore, in the same way, the Bardo Hearing and Teaching Dedu introduces the appearance of the deities of the joy department and the wrath department one by one. I am often asked, "Will the Saints appear to Westerners? If so, in a form familiar to Westerners?" The manifestation of the dharmata bardo is called "spontaneous manifestation".This means that they are intrinsic and unobstructed, present in all of us.Their arising is not dependent on any spiritual realizations we may have; spiritual realizations are required only to recognize them.They are not unique to Tibetans, they are a universal and fundamental experience, but how we recognize them depends on individual karma.Because they are infinite in nature, they can manifest in any form. Thus, the deities appear in the forms most familiar to us in our lifetimes.For example, for Christians, the Saints may appear in the form of Christ or the Virgin Mary.Generally speaking, the purpose of the Buddhas' manifestation is to help us, so they will appear in whatever form is most suitable and can help us.But no matter what form the saints take, we must understand that there is absolutely no difference in their nature. certified According to the Dzogchen method, if a person does not have a real understanding of the mind and does not have a stable experience of the "Li Duan" method, he will not be able to recognize the light; Possibility to identify the legal bardo.An accomplished practitioner of the "Sudden Transcendence" method has perfected and stabilized the light of the mind, and has been able to directly recognize the saints who will manifest in the bardo of dharmata while still alive.Therefore, this energy and light is present in us, although currently hidden.However, when the physical body and gross mind die, they are released naturally, and the sound, sight, and light of our true nature radiate outward. However, it is not only through the "Sudden Transcendence" method that one can use the bardo of dharmata as an opportunity for liberation.Practitioners of Buddhist tantra will incorporate the appearance of the bardo of dharmata into their practice.In tantra, deities are in principle a means of communication.It is difficult to imagine the existence of enlightened energy without form or some basis of communication.The saints should be seen as a personal metaphor to express the boundless energy and quality of the wisdom mind of the Buddhas.Representing these energies and qualities in the form of deities allows practitioners to identify and describe them.In the practice of visualization, through the training of taking the image of the deity and merging with the deity, he will realize that the mind that recognizes the deity is not separate from the deity himself. Practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism must practice the yidam method (yidam). The yidam is a certain Buddha or saint with whom they have a deep relationship.Tantric practitioners do not regard the various manifestations of dharmata as external phenomena, but instead incorporate them into the practice of deities, trying to find ways to combine with these manifestations.Because they have recognized the deities in their practice as the natural light of my enlightened mind, they are able to recognize manifestations in such a way that they arise in the form of deities.With this pure awareness, whatever appears in the bardo, they will recognize it as the manifestation of the yidam.Therefore, through the power of his own practice and the blessing of His Holiness, he will attain liberation in the bardo of dharmata. In the Tibetan tradition, the instruction is given to ordinary people and ordinary practitioners who are not familiar with the practice of deities: whatever appears, immediately regard them as Avalokitesvara, Guru Rinpoche or Amitabha, whichever they are most familiar with. Which holy one.To put it simply, how you practice in this world, you have to use this practice to recognize the various manifestations of the bardo of dharmata. Another sublime way to look at the bardo of dharmata: it is the expression of duality in its most absolutely pure form.We are confronted with the means to attain liberation, but at the same time habits and instincts are tempting us.We experience the clean energy of the mind and at the same time its chaotic state.It's as if we're being urged to make a decision, to choose between the two.However.Needless to say, whether we even have the opportunity to choose depends on the degree and effort of our spiritual practice while we are alive.