Efficacy of Dharma at the point of Death

Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche

Essentially, the practice at the time of death consists of praying to and cultivating devotion for your particular chosen deity. This would involve as clear as possible a recollection of the deity's appearance and so on. The attitude that you always take toward a deity when you are practicing it is that it is your source of refuge, your protection in this life and in future lives, as well, because it will dispel obstacles. You have had that idea throughout your practice life, so at the time of death—since you are familiar with the appearance of that deity because of your meditation on it—when the hundred peaceful and wrathful deities appear to you in the interval after death you will actually see your deity face-to-face. Your deity will be either one of those deities or their emanation. Because of your familiarity with it, when you meet your deity face-to-face you will be led by that deity to their pure realm. You will be born in that deity's pure realm and will take your place in that deity's greater retinue.

Most of the "Great Liberation Through Hearing in the Bardo" is concerned with this encounter between the recently dead person and the forty-two peaceful and fifty-eight wrathful deities. However, the liberation is effected not only through hearing but through the practitioner's own previously-created familiarity with the deity. Basically. people achieve liberation through meeting their deity. and this is one of the great results of meditation on a deity. You meet the deity after death and are lead to that deity's pure realm.

In fact, there are people who have spent their lives meditating on the Buddha Arnitabha who see him even in the moments before death. There was an old woman who passed away in Tibet who had meditated on Amitabha all her life. I knew her family, and this is how I know what happened. When she was dying she was told to pray to Amitabha, and she suddenly announced that Amitabha was right there. She said that he was right in front Of her, and that she could see not only him but also the entire realm of Sukhavati, and she began to describe it. In that kind of situation there is no question but that the person is achieving llberation at the time of death through their familiarity with and devotion to their deity.

A similar story involves a woman called Marj, who used to make a lot of lamp offerings on the shrine at the center. She also attended a month-long teaching I gave on Amitabha, which included instructions in the Amitabha ejection of consciousness. Later, she developed cancer and went back to her family in California, where she was cared for by a friend from Florida who has since then also passed away. Previously, Marj had not gotten along with her mother, but while Marj was dying, she called her mother by name, she called her Mommy, and embraced her and they were reconciled. During the next few days her condition deteriorated quickly, until finally she was hardly able to breathe. On the day she passed away, she suddenly started laughing and announced that Amitabha was there right in front of her. Then she passed away.

After she died, her face remained in a smile and her countenance was quite bright and cheerful. A Gelugpa Geshe came to see her body and announced that this was the result of the accumulation of merit of someone who makes offerings, who will not be reborn in lower states, but will be reborn in higher realms and so on. The people there attempted to tell him that she had not only made offerings but had meditated on Amitabha as well, because he did not speak English, the message did not quite get through.

Another similar story concerns Michael Doran, who most of you knew or met. I was there when he died. I spoke to him a few days before his death, and at that time he seemed quite sad and cried a bit. But I was there again on the day of his death, and as he approached the time of death he began to act somewhat playful. There were a lot of people in the room. He waved everyone except me and Lois DePiesse out of the room with his hand. Then he made this remark saying, "Look at all these Buddhas." Then later on he said, "The light is so bright." The light in the room had not been adjusted. It had not been changed at all, but he seemed to be seeing some sort of very bright light. Then he joined his palms in front of his heart and said, "Lord Buddha," and then he said, "No problem," and he removed the oxygen that was in his nose. He pulled that out and put it behind his head. Then he tried to pull out some kind of I.V. or something, probably morphine or something, that was going into his arm, but was not able to pull it out. He gave up on that and joined his palms together in prayer. Smiling, he died.

I never saw Michael doing a great deal of formal practice, but he had a very benevolent disposition and he was very concerned with things like, for example, the creation of the First Light. I think it was the merit of those activities that caused his death to be what it was. All of this has served as proof for me that the power of Dharma remains undiminished and that even today, if anyone practices it the results will be evident. The question still remains about whether we are able to practice or not and whether we will do so or not, of course, will make a great deal of difference. But the Dharma itself is still as effective as it ever was. 

~

Amitabha’s realm, which is called Dewachen in Tibetan, is very wonderful. It is also known as the miraculous realm, because in this realm there is total bliss and happiness, and there is no sound of suffering to be heard. Not only that, it is an extraordinary realm because, once we have taken birth there, we obtain the enlightened stages from the first to the tenth. It is also a wonderful realm because once we are born there in a lotus, we are immediately mature beings. We do not have to grow up in a gradual way as we do here in the human realm. It is one of the most fascinating, wonderful, and pure realms, because all the male and female beings have perfect physical forms, with equal beauty and appearance, so there is no discrimination there.

Amitabha’s realm is a miraculous realm because beings do not have to rush around and work as we do in the human realm. The moment a desire develops to make an offering and receive a teaching, the offering and teaching appear. Every being who has taken birth in Amitabha’s realm has the ability to see and hear the teachings of any buddha they desire, even if that buddha is a billion realms away.

Amitabha’s realm is a blissful place, where even the sounds of air, water, and birds are not just simple, meaningless, pleasant sounds but are also profound for the mind. When we are in the meditative state, all sounds disappear, and there is no noise to hinder our meditation. At that very moment, the whole realm becomes a pleasant realm of quietude. Within the period of one day in Dewachen, we have the opportunity to hear teachings from any of the buddhas of the five families, regardless of the distance of the place where these enlightened beings are turning the wheel of dharma.

We are praying here that, at the moment we leave the physical body, without needing to take any other physical form, we will take birth directly in Dewachen. If we pray for this, there will be a change of our perception of samsara at the time of death, and immediately we will be able to perceive the blissful realm of Dewachen. This shift of perception can take place before the dying process is completed, and if we can perceive Dewachen right before death, there is no fear of dying. We know, then, that we are not going to take birth in the lower realms, and we become fearless.

Once there was an old lady who lived alone, without any monks, lamas, or spiritual friends nearby. She learned the mantra of Amitabha without any definitions, descriptions, or visualizations. Throughout her life, she recited that mantra with one-pointed concentration of faith. Actually, it was not even the entire mantra, just “Amitabha Chenno”, which means “Amitabha knows.” Without having had any instructions, she imagined that Amitabha was white in color.

At the time of her death she was in bed, surrounded by her family, with her eyes closed. Her perception of samsara changed, and immediately, due to the virtue of her one-pointed prayer to Amitabha, she was able to perceive Amitabha’s realm. She opened her eyes in shock and told her family, “I used to think Amitabha was white, but he is red!” That was the moment when she really saw Amitabha. This is what happens if we pray correctly: there is always a chance for us to become liberated at the time of death, to take birth in Amitabha’s realm.

The story of the old lady may seem to some of you like a mythological story from the past, but I can share a story that happened in my own lifetime, which is evidence of the benefits of prayer to Amitabha. A young woman in Taiwan had an incurable disease and sent a letter to me asking for refuge and a practice to do that might be beneficial for her after death. The doctors told her there was no hope, that at the most she could live for a year or so. Since Taiwan is so far away, I could not personally go there to give her refuge, but I mailed her a cassette of my short teaching on Amitabha. She listened to that teaching, and for more than fourteen months she recited the mantra of Amitabha that I had given in the tape. Her parents and her brother and sister were not Buddhists, but Taoists. When she finally passed away, for three days they could hear the sound of OM AMI DEWA HRI, in the room, resonating from voidness. All of them heard it, not just one or two persons, but the whole family. This was quite fascinating for them.

Another recent example I can give is of a lady named Marge. Some of you knew her very well; she lived here at KTD for quite a while. She was here for my extended teachings on Amitabha and took care of the shrine room during that time. She practiced very diligently. Later she developed an incurable disease and, throughout that time she continued to practice. When her illness worsened, she went to California where her relatives lived. She was in the hospital, and the doctor told her relatives she would pass away any day.

She had a good friend, Francis Norwood, who was also involved in Buddhism; she was a practitioner of Amitabha, and they obtained instructions on the Amitabha practice together. Francis went to the hospital to help her remember the practice. Marge closed her eyes and then opened them again and said, “I don’t have to visualize him—he’s here.” Her friend Francis was not really sure whether Marge was telling the truth or just hallucinating, but from that moment on, Marge became very peaceful. When she passed away, the doctors and her relatives could not believe how much her face was glowing, and there was even a smile on the face of the dead body, which is a strong sign of a painless death. This is true evidence in my lifetime of the power of Amitabha. You may be tired of hearing that these kinds of things used to happen a long time ago, so this is something that actually happened very recently.

The story of Aku Thutop Rinpoche

Kathok Rigzin Chenpo Rinpoche:

Many fellow disciples (vajra siblings) of Aku Thutop Rinpoche, who is from my hometown, went to the Dakini pureland.  There are records of this.  I think there might be eight people or four people, I can’t remember exactly. There might be eight accomplished masters, out of which four went to the Dakini pureland in an amazing way. Ranggya Rinpoche told us about it and we recorded it down.  This is a recent event, about 70 years ago. 

At first, Aku Thutop Rinpoche contracted leprosy. He received some teachings and entered retreat.  He retreated on the Simhanada Chenrezig practice for 12 years. One of the benefits of this practice is to cure leprosy. After his 12 years retreat, Rinpoche recovered from leprosy completely.  At the conclusion of his retreat, Simhanada Chenrezig appeared to him, prophecized that his karmically connected deity was Vajrayogini and instructed him to do this practice.

The deity gave him other instructions such as where to find the Guru and so on. Later, Rinpoche did retreat on Vajrayogini for more than 10 years and saw the Dakini herself.  I am not exactly sure how many years of retreat he did on Vajrayogini.  His disciples are still around, we asked many of them but they are not in accord about how many years Rinpoche did retreat. Different accounts gave 7 years, 10 years or 12 years.  So we are not sure.  In any case, he practiced for a long time and saw the deity herself. Rinpoche possessed the power of mantra.

Some of his disciples are major teachers of the Gelukpa tradition and they are still around. He has disciples in the Nyingma and Sakya tradition too. His Gelukpa disciples include some high lamas in Xikang. 

When Aku Thutop Rinpoche was ill, my family supported him in his retreat.  It was not out of faith but mainly to assist an ill practitioner. Later, when he recovered and attained his accomplishment, he remained in that area. He would do retreat in a tent or a cave. He gave away offerings received to others such as sick people or disciples. 

Many sick people came to seek the Dharma from him. He only transmitted the Dakini practice. I think it might be because he did not know many other practices. He concentrated on the Dakini practice. Many leprosy sufferers or people with serious illnesses went to him for blessings. Many were cured although there were some exceptions. Some 100 to 300 people could be found encamped around Rinpoche at any one time. But dozens of them stayed near him for the long term.  They set up tents or dug out a cave to stay by him.

Every afternoon, Rinpoche would give them blessings. He would give them blessed water and recite prayers for them.  When he accomplished the Dakini practice, Rinpoche had many powers. 

Once, when the river flooded, and people who had gone to do smoke offerings were stuck, Rinpoche took some rice from his shrine and told people to sprinkle them on the flooded area.  Within an hour, the flood subsided and everyone could return.  It was almost as if the river stopped.  This happened several times.

Once, there was a wildfire during winter. I think Rinpoche gave them some rice again which they sprinkled in the direction of the fire and the fire died down very quickly.  Such wildfires happen frequently in winter in Tibet when the grass is dried up, and it could last for several days causing great damage or loss of lives.  But Rinpoche had this kind of power.  This is a kind of worldly/mundane power, Rinpoche also had supramundane powers.

I heard from some relatives that Rinpoche often had many snakes slithering over him in his cave. The snakes in Tibet are not very poisonous, perhaps a little poisonous, but not sufficient to kill a human.  Rinpoche was never afraid when the snakes glided over him. His cave had many snakes. Simhanada Chenrezig has many nagas among the deity’s retinue.  (So these snakes are a manifestation of the nagas.) Rinpoche told people not to hit the snakes and that the snakes would not bite.  He had a similar relationship with animals.  If he said something, it would be fine, but usually he doesn’t speak much. Rinpoche practiced four sessions daily until he passed into Parinirvana.

When he passed into Parinirvana, it was noon. My maternal grandmother was ill at that time, so my family invited more than 50 sangha to do a thousand offerings to Medicine Buddha puja for her. It was on the 25th lunar day of the Saka month —the Dakini day.  Rinpoche had lunch with these sangha.  Rinpoche kept pure Bhikkhu vows. He did not eat after noon.  He had tea or yogurt in the afternoon sometimes. 

After his lunch with these sangha, Rinpoche returned to his tent.  He gave some stuff to his patients and gave some instructions. What was unusual that day was that Rinpoche summoned some of the workers for my family.  One of these workers later told me about this. Rinpoche told them to take care of my family well especially if my family meets any hardships in future.  He said that when he and these workers were in a difficult time, my family had helped them very much and so it was important to remember this kindness. Then Rinpoche gave the workers some money and entered his tent where he sat and directly entered Parinirvana.  There were not many signs but in the afternoon, it is said that many red lights appeared.

In the afternoon, a helper of the family who always brought Rinpoche his tea went as usual with his tea.  Sometimes when Rinpoche has not concluded his session of practice, he would say, “OM AH HUNG” repeatedly to signal that his session was not over and that she should wait.  But this time there was no response. Later, they found him dead in a meditative posture.

On the same evening, my mother’s grandfather passed away. Previously, Rinpoche had promised grandfather that he would bring him along to the Dakini pureland.  Grandfather often reminded Rinpoche too, “Aku Thutop Rinpoche, when you go to the Dakini pureland, you must not forget me.” Each time, Rinpoche would say, “Alright, alright.”   This was like a little jovial joke but each time before the grandfather left, he would remind Rinpoche this way.

When grandfather heard news of Rinpoche’s death, he started to cry. But after a while, he collected himself and said, “Rinpoche would not lie — he promised to bring me to the Dakini pureland, so I must prepare myself now. He would bring me to the Dakini pureland.”  Then, he drank some milk, washed his face and started reciting the Dakini mantra. He doesn’t know many mantras but he had some mantra power. 

The reason for having some mantra power is that when he was young, he was severely ill. Many people are the same. When people meet obstacles, they begin to have some mindfulness.  Before meeting obstacles, people are very slack and lack faith.  Due to that, they have no signs or experiences in their practice.  Due to grandfather’s sickness, he recited several hundreds of million of Dorje Gotrab mantra and gained some mantra power.  He recovered from his sickness and could bless others. Many masters also came to receive the transmission of this mantra from him. 

So, he sat there and recited the Dakini mantra.  In this manner, he passed away in a sitting posture just like Rinpoche.  Both their deaths were within 3 hours of each other. Later, several masters also said that grandfather had been brought by Rinpoche to the Dakini pureland. His consciousness was sent to the pureland, but his body remained.

The most amazing thing was about the many people who were living around Rinpoche. It could be several hundreds of them. We don’t have the exact count, but there were less of them than the usual 300 plus people at that time.  These were mostly terminally ill people who needed his blessings or his disciples.  These people were present during the 49 days of post death ceremonies for Rinpoche.  However, after that, they started disappearing one by one, the numbers dwindled gradually and no-one noticed where these people went. After about two years, all of them had vanished.  There was no one left to receive the usual provisions that were delivered to these practitioners. Everyone had disappeared.  When enquiries were made as to where they had went, all the villagers and townspeople said they did not know.

Later, the great master, Shechen Mati Rinpoche, as well as some Gelukpa and Nyingmapa masters said that these people had all gone to the Dakini pureland.  No one saw how they went to the pureland, but the number of practitioners were gradually reducing.  The usual provisions of butter and tsampa, or food, given to them had no more recipients and the neighboring people had no idea where they went. So, a few hundred people just went to the Dakini pureland this way.  This is a definite fact.  Local people there know about this incident.  This is not just one or two isolated incidents but happened to a large number of people. Even their possessions had disappeared, only some tents remained.   It was a mysterious disappearance. 

Many masters said they had gone to the Dakini pureland.  In particular, a relative of Apang Terton (who is the father of Tare Lhamo, the famous female Terton), Apang Jigme Gyamtso, said that he saw them going to the pureland in his meditation. He was the first one who said this when they couldn’t find anyone left. 

Aku Thubtob Rinpoche practiced the Dakini practice all his life and benefited many people.  Tsangpa Drukchen and Lerab Lingpa said that Rinpoche often went to the Dakini pureland when he was alive and that he was always surrounded by many Dakas and Dakinis.

Another special point about Rinpoche is that he blessed some of his followers and told them to take care of the sick people properly. He promised them that the sicknesses of these people would not infect them. He guaranteed them this.  These followers had deep faith in Rinpoche.  Presently there are still two of them alive, they are more than 80 years old now. 

Whenever there were any epidemics or any infectious disease patients, these followers would go to take care of them and, true to Rinpoche’s words, they never got infected. They enjoyed very robust health right up to the age of 80.  They had firm faith in Rinpoche’s words.

When any epidemics broke out, they were the first to go and look after the patients. Even common flus or colds could not affect them much. Even if they caught the cold, it seems almost as if the sickness had little effect on them and they would recover very quickly. During Covid-19, I asked if they were infected. They told me that they got Covid too, but it only affected them for a day or two and they recovered quickly after that without much suffering. Other people who were the same age as them had severe symptoms or died from Covid, but these followers had no problems at all.

They had a firm faith: “When it is time to die, we would die, but we would not get infected by any sickness, this is the blessing of Rinpoche.”  This is something special of Rinpoche.  These followers would definitely look after anyone who had infectious disease in that area because that was Rinpoche’s instructions to them.

(Notes: 

1. When Rinpoche went to the pureland, he brought his horse with him too. The horse also died the same afternoon.  

2. Accomplishment of some Dakini practices allows a practitioner to go to the pureland without leaving their bodies behind.  That is why these people disappeared without a trace. )

 

Hiding your misdeeds

Nice sharing by a nun

I remember a Dharma friend from Yunnan who loved to talk profusely about the view of emptiness in front of many young Tulkus from Yarchen Monastery.  One day, one of the little Tulku suddenly went ballistic. When this Dharma friend started spouting his high views on emptiness again, the little Tulku took up a flask containing hot water and started throwing the water in his direction.  That Chinese monk was slightly scalded and started shrieking in pain.  The little Tulku pointed out, “Where’s your emptiness now?”

One day, when I was chatting with Ah Song Tulku Rinpoche, the topic turned to this monk.  Ah Song Tulku Rinpoche said that on one occasion he told this monk to confess the negative karma of having hit someone in the past.  The monk insisted that he had never hit anyone before.  Ah Song Tulku Rinpoche then stated bluntly that if the monk did not confess this sin in front of him right away, in the future, on a certain day of a certain month of a certain year, the monk would take rebirth as a kind of insect in a tree in a certain place.  (Ah Song Tulku spelt out the exact time and place.)

The monk got a huge shock and quickly made a confession to Ah Song Tulku on the spot, saying, “I am sorry, I am sorry. I once hit a ground-sweeper at Mount Jizu (Yunnan)”  

Often, when we have committed a sin, we are not aware of it or have forgotten about it. Sometimes we deliberately hide it.  Nonetheless, our subtlest thoughts are known by many beings.  It goes without saying for the holy beings, but even many worldly beings possess this ability.

This little bit of confidence

Yangthang Rinpoche

Please trust and follow the principle of cause-and-effect. Although we have obtained a human life, there is not much time remaining.  Before long, we will become a bardo being.  When entering the bardo, if we can bring along some merits, that is very important. 

Do not underestimate — thinking that this merit is very small or that virtue is not big.  Whether the merit is small or little does not matter, just continue on practicing virtues.

Heavy negative karma starts from small non-virtues. It is not easy to purify heavy karmas, so you should not create even the smallest non-virtues.  Avoid all non-virtues, create all virtues, purify your own mind.

Follow the law of cause-and-effect.  One day, when we 'go home', we will feel more confident, remembering that we have accumulated some little merits in our pockets and that we can bring some of these along. 

In brief, our minds need this little bit of confidence. Then it will be useful and excellent.

 

How to see if good/bad fortune is coming?

Khenchen Yeshe Phuntsok

Just by looking at someone’s behaviour and actions, you can certainly see if good fortune is coming to him/her soon. You can use this method to gauge your own future.  If your afflictions are gradually decreasing and your wish to benefit others is getting stronger, it is a sure predictor that your fortunes are on the rise.

If your afflictions increase and negative thoughts keep proliferating, it's a sign that you're heading to the lower realms, and your future is quite dire.

The same applies when observing others. If a person becomes more humble, respectful, and kind, they have a bright future; if they are mean, arrogant, and love to take advantage of others, they are bound to face calamities in the future.

Similarly, when disaster is about to strike, you will see that this person's behavior trends towards non-virtue.  This serves as an early warning.

If you wish to gain good fortune and avoid sufferings, then before talking about doing good deeds, you must first correct your own faults.

The Power of the Four Contemplations

 Phurpa Tashi Rinpoche:

To get this precious human life is not easy. In this short life, what we need is to create the causes for a future of eternal happiness. 

But should we not practice diligently, although we have already attained this opportunity to create such a future, impermanence which is hanging ominously over our heads all the time can arrive at any time and take away this chance.  Therefore, it is not wise to be lazy and procrastinate...

This applies to me too. I have received many prophecies and recognitions from numerous eminent masters.  But I have never neglected my own practice. I have never thought, "I am the mind emanation of Guru Rinpoche or the emanation of some Tulku, therefore I can put aside my practice today." I have never given rise to such thoughts of complacency.

So, while I tell others to practice in a down to earth manner, I have pushed myself to do the same. Because all of us will disappear from this world one day. 

Today, it seems like our lives are so luxurious and comfortable. But who knows how long this window of happiness and comfort will last?  Sometimes, when I sit by my window and watch people passing to and fro daily, they seem to think that they can live forever. But not at all, no. This is just temporary. One day, they will not be able to return to their habitual way of life even if they wanted to enjoy it as usual.

So, why do people not try to accomplish something truly useful? Of course, we are always busy about affairs of this life, without stopping day or night. We work to improve our lives. But at the same time, we are not permanent owners of this life, one day we will vanish from Earth. At that time, what is truly useful is of course liberation from birth-and-death. So why do we not prepare for this?

Seeing this situation, I feel even more compassion for sentient beings. They are really so ignorant of their own plight.  At present, they don't see what is truly necessary. Some people with heavy afflictions even go so far as to say that Buddhism is just some stupid superstitions. 

Yes, sometimes I tell people, we Buddhists might be a little stupid sometimes. But we are not so stupid as to not even know what is the right thing to do. From past till present, from Buddha Shakyamuni's time till now, for more than 2500 years, could all these many Buddhist practitioners have been stupid people?

I don't think so. Especially for the great lineage masters who are completely at ease and in total control when facing the moment of death— they can leave this world with such freedom and independence.  If these great masters are stupid, then I think it is worthwhile to be stupid like them. Because it is quite useful, when alive, they are happy and at peace; when facing death, they are even more carefree.  In future lives, they enjoy unlimited freedom and happiness. We should try to be stupid in this way...

If you have a little time to practice Dharma, then use whatever time you have fully.  If you have much time to practice Dharma, but you let it slip away in an unconcerned manner, then it is not that good. At such times, think of the precious human life and impermanence...

I have received the entire breadth of teachings from Lama Achuk Rinpoche from the Hinayana to the highest pinnacle of the nine yanas.  In my practice, I utilize the teachings from all yanas. But nothing is more powerful than the four contemplations for giving me the naturally arising impetus to practice Dharma.  

So while I myself practice this daily, I also advise all practitioners to make this a mainstay of their practice. 

Sometimes when I think of the great practitioners in their isolated mountain retreats, I wonder if they truly do not feel any loneliness.  The conditions in such retreats are quite awful.  Their dwellings are very uncomfortable with holes everywhere allowing the cold winds to penetrate, very far from the comfortable conditions we enjoy now. Do they really enjoy such privations? Their food must be very simple, do they really not wish for more delicious or nutritious foods?

Were they all people who had characteristics of practitioners right from birth? I don't think so. They are exactly the same as us. They also wish to enjoy nice homes, enjoy a good life and to have delicious foods of all kinds.  But why do they choose such a hard life, and moreover, persist in it for their entire lives?

What is the power driving them?  They are humans just like us.  Whatever pleasures we look for, they too wish for the same. So, it is the four contemplations that gives them the deep motivation to dwell in isolated mountain retreats and practice with a quiet mind. 

Due to the four contemplations, they are able to bear with all kinds of worldly deprivations while doing their practice, not feeling that anything is lacking.  They do not feel lonely in the slightest. 

Today, even one or two hours spent alone in practice is quite arduous for us. Why is this happening? Because the four contemplations have not sunk in deeply enough in our minds.  With the four contemplations, I believe that even if you practice for many hours, or even if you feel unwell and in pain during your sessions, the presence of the four contemplations will give you the strength to make it through easily and naturally. 

Therefore, the four contemplations are indispensable.

(Four contemplations are:

1. Precious Human Life

2. Impermanence

3. Cause and Effect

4. Sufferings of samsara

Refer to “Words of My Perfect Teacher” by Patrul Rinpoche for more details)

Power of Antidote — Purification

Asanga, Abhidharma-samuccaya:

When a person creates a powerful antidote (that counteracts) the karma arising from the five non-virtuous mental afflictions, the future (result of) experiencing the hell-realms (in future lives) will instead be experienced in the present life, by the strength of the antidote.  And whatever (future negative results) that is to be experienced in this present life will instead not be experienced at all.

Remembering the Guru is the most important thing

Told by a disciple of Phurpa Tashi Rinpoche:

Phurpa Tashi Rinpoche once shared a story: There was an ordinary monk who had been at Yarchen Monastery for a year or two. Due to illness, he went to Kangding for treatment. Later, feeling that he couldn’t be cured, he asked his family to take him back to Yarchen. He passed away on the way back to Yarchen. After arriving at Yarchen, his family asked Rinpoche to perform the Powa ritual to transfer his consciousness.

After observing through his meditative equipoise, Rinpoche said that because this monk had been recalling his Guru in his heart when he died, his mind remained in a state of thugdam (post-death meditative equipoise). By right, this monk had the ability to go to the pureland on his own, but because his corpse was touched by someone who had broken samayas/vows, he was polluted by that negative energy and couldn’t go to the pureland by himself.

However, as his mind remained in a state of meditative equipoise, through Rinpoche’s blessings and guidance, he eventually went to a pureland.

This monk’s older brother, who was a Khenpo (professor of Dharma), also passed away not long after. Similarly, the family requested Rinpoche to perform the Powa ritual. After observing through his meditation, Rinpoche found that Khenpo’s mind was very chaotic and unable to think of the Guru. Rinpoche said that if no pujas and prayers were dedicated for this Khenpo, he would fall into the lower realms.

When Rinpoche told this story, he was visibly moved and said: “Remembering the Lama is really the most, most important thing!”

~~

About Phurpa Tashi Rinpoche

Lama Achuk Rinpoche said, “ Phurpa Tashi Rinpoche is the emanation of one of the 25 disciples of Guru Rinpoche, the one who is no different from Guru Rinpoche himself, Yudra Nyingpo… at present, Phurpa Tashi Rinpoche possesses all the qualities of Yudra Nyingpo in his body, speech and mind without exception.

“Phurpa Tashi Rinpoche and his predecessor Namgyal Tulku are not only my recognition, it was stated in Guru Rinpoche’s prophecy. I am the rebirth of Guru Rinpoche’s emanation Longsal Nyingpo. As proof of this, Amitabha Buddha appears above my crown among other signs. Phurpa Tashi Rinpoche and Ah Song Tulku Rinpoche are my emanations. Anyone who makes a connection with Phurpa Tashi Rinpoche is making a connection with me. I hereby bestow him the name, Jigme Kunzang Namgyal.”

Within a year of relying upon Lama Rinpoche, Phurpa Tashi Rinpoche attained the realization of seeing the peaceful deities in a state of luminosity—the level of semblance luminosity (clear light) on the path of preparation (among the five paths).

The next year, Rinpoche saw the yabyum forms of deities in his state of luminosity. Duality of subject and object dissolved completely into the Dharmadhatu of self-nature. Rinpoche realized the ineffable state of actual luminosity (clear light), entering the ranks of the Arya beings.

Later, Rinpoche was selected by Lama Rinpoche to enter the three-year retreat. Through his diligent practice day and night without flagging, his experience progressed swiftly and he completely perfected all four visions of Dzogchen Thogal.

In his hometown, Rinpoche entered further retreat practicing dream luminosity and purified the most subtlest of obscurations or ignorance. He attained the highest level of non-meditation where the distinction between meditation and non-meditation has fallen apart, day and night became equal for him, in other words, the attainment of Buddhahood.

His Guru, Lama Achuk Rinpoche, praised him highly, “Even among the great masters in India, few has reached your level of realization. Only HH Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche of Serthar Monastic Institute can dispel all misconceptions about (your attainment).” Lama Rinpoche further said to the head manager of Yarchen Monastery, “Phurpa Tashi Rinpoche’s realization and qualities are no different from those of the 84 Mahasiddhas of India.”

Later on, when Lama Rinpoche led Phurpa Tashi Rinpoche to meet HH Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche to receive HH’s confirmation, Phurpa Tashi Rinpoche offered his realization to HH who said, “This is the level that only the Tathagatas possess.” And so it was that Phurpa Tashi Rinpoche and Ah Song Tulku Rinpoche became the youngest qualified Dzogchen teachers that the lineage history has ever seen.

More teachings on Vajrasattva

Khenpo Kathar Rinpoche:

IMPORTANCE OF PURIFICATION

Once you purify wrongdoing and obscurations, it is actually easy to generate meditation experience and realization. For example, if you are meditating upon the path of method, which is to say the six dharmas of Naropa, it was said by the mahasiddha Taklung Thangpa, who founded the Taklung Kagyu, that the best way to ensure the successful generation of bliss and warmth is to accomplish the practice of Vajrasattva.

If you wish to practice meditation on a wrathful deity, such as Gonpo Bemakchen or Palden Lhamo, and if you have engaged in the purification practice of Vajrasattva, then there will be no obstacle arising when you pursue the main practice and it will only be a source of benefit for yourself and others. It will go smoothly and there will be no upheaval.

In short, the cause of everything that goes wrong for us — our sickness, demons, and afflictions of all kinds — is our previous wrongdoing and obscurations.

Often, we become somewhat superstitious and say, "I am experiencing an obstacle. Where did this obstacle come from? Oh no, an obstacle!" But all obstacles stem from our own previous wrongdoing, therefore it says in the text, "If you have no wrongdoing and obscuration, then how could sickness or obstacles ever arise for you? Where would they come from?"

That is why Vajrasattva practice is the single most effective and most profound method of averting obstacles and misfortune. When we do any practice and yet do not experience the results described in the practice manuals, it is because we are obscured, because we have not gone through the necessary practice of purification.

This is because the signs or indications of the practice we are attempting are in fact themselves obscured by our obscurations. Therefore, the most profound single method for increasing our realization and our experience of purity or sacredness is the Vajrasattva meditation.

The only reason that we do not see Mahamudra, that we do not see the nature of our mind as it is right now, is because of our obscurations, which in this case stem from what is called connate, or coemergent, ignorance.

If we remove those obscurations, which can be done most effectively through the practice of Vajrasattva, there is nothing preventing us from seeing the nature of our mind as it is, and we will.

Therefore there is no more profound method of generating realization of Mahamudra than the Vajrasattva practice…

(In the text Rinpoche is explaining, it states) "There is no point in my continuing to say the same thing in many other ways. In short, it is taught that you can attain full Buddhahood through this method of Vajrasattva practice alone. Therefore… practice it.”

~~

ESSENCE OF ALL DEITIES

In the most extensive form of Vajrayana practice, which is the practice of the combined mandala of the Eight Herukas, there are 725 deities. The essence of the 725 deities is the 100 peaceful and wrathful deities. The essence of the 100 peaceful and wrathful deities is what is called the 25 deities, or 25 families, and the essence of this is the five buddhas, each of which has a fourfold retinue. The essence of the five buddhas is Vajrasattva, who is called the all-embracing single family.

Therefore, it is understood that by meditating on Vajrasattva you are simultaneously meditating on all deities, all buddhas, and all mandalas. By accomplishing, or realizing, Vajrasattva you accomplish or realize all deities, all mandalas, and all buddhas.

Therefore, this very secret practice of Vajrasattva is considered to be the essence of all of the tantras and teachings of the Eight Herukas and the peaceful and wrathful deities.

~~

The usual number that is given for the effective recitation of the Vajrasattva hundred-syllable mantra is 100,000.

It is also taught that nowadays all of the numbers that are found in the tantras need to be multiplied by four. The reason for this is that we live in a time of degeneration, which means that our afflictions are much stronger. We engage in much more wrongdoing in general than people did in the past.

At the same time, our faith has actually decreased, so while we have more to purify, it is harder for us to purify anything because of our attitude. Therefore, it is taught that it is best if you can recite the mantra 400,000 times; this will be extremely effective.

Even if someone has committed a root violation of samaya, which is a fundamental violation of the commitments of Vajrayana, if they recite the hundred-syllable mantra 400,000 times, unmixed with other speech (which means that they are doing it in formal meditation sessions, not just reciting it while they are walking around and talking), their violation will be purified. This is taught in both the old, or Nyingma, and the new, or Sarma, traditions.

At this point Chakme Rinpoche offers a compassionate concession to the needs of individuals. He says that if you find the hundred syllable mantra too difficult to recite, you may recite the six-syllable mantra, OM BENZA SATO HUNG , 600,000 times, and it will have an equivalent effect of purification.

Karma Chakme Rinpoche now describes why one might want to do such purification. It is taught that someone who has committed a root violation of samaya in this lifetime will be reborn in a specific hell realm.

In the sutras this hell realm is called Shambhala hell, and in the tantras it is called vajra hell. It is said to be to the northeast of Avichi, which is the lowest of the eight regular hot hells. It is seven times worse than the worst of the eighteen regular hell realms. It is a state of inconceivably great suffering that is completely uninterrupted.

We do not even know how truly bad it is or how long it lasts because the Buddha refused to speak of it in detail. The reason he refrained from describing this hell was that he found that when he started to talk about it, bodhisattvas, out of their compassion for beings, started to vomit blood and die on the spot.

Nevertheless, all of the violations of samaya and other wrongdoing that we have engaged in that might cause us to be reborn in this hell will be purified and you will not be reborn in that hell realm if the Vajrasattva practice is conducted with a clear visualization and with the full number of the six-syllable or hundred-syllable mantra. This was taught in The Vajrapani Tantra.

For people like ourselves who are afflicted by a large amount of ferocious or intense wrongdoing, this instruction of Vajrasattva is more valuable than a hundred or even a thousand wish-fulfilling jewels. Legend tells us that there exists a wish-fulfilling jewel that will fulfill any wishes upon request, but this practice is even more precious than that because it can purify or remove the fundamental reason behind all of our suffering.

~~

SIGNS OF PURIFICATION

When you do a practice such as Vajrasattva—that is, a practice of purification—there are likely to be indications in your experience of something happening, some kind of change occurring in you.

These indications can take different forms. What is explained in the text are indications that we would normally find pleasant and that we would assume mean that the practice is going well, and they do. You should not, however, think that everyone is definitely going to have the same experience of the practice.

The typical signs described in the text are that you will feel physically well; you will feel vigorous, tranquil, and at ease. At the same time, your mind will become clearer than it was before.

You will experience an attitude of renunciation because you will experience a recognition of the futility of samsara and the value of liberation. At the same time, you will have greater faith or confidence through an appreciation of the qualities of the Three Jewels and a wish to attain those qualities yourself.

Also, some kind of meditation experience or possibly realization will arise apparently spontaneously within you through doing the practice. For some individuals there will be experiences like this, which occur in the waking state, or direct experiences of the mind.

For others there will be dreams that indicate that you are going through a process of purification, for example dreaming that you are washing, or putting on bright or white, new, clean clothes. You could dream that you are drinking some kind of ambrosia or milk, or dream that you are flying. All of these are considered to be indications, in this context, of purification.

You could have all kinds of positive experiences like that, an increase in your experience of sacredness, and so on.

Not everyone is going to experience purification as a pleasant thing. Because purification is the removal of the imprints of previous wrongdoing, you could experience it as somewhat unpleasant.

You could find that your mind is becoming more and more agitated as you continue the practice. You could actually even experience some kind of external upheaval in the circumstances of your life. It is natural for us, when this happens, to assume that we are doing something wrong, that we are doing the practice wrong or that we are not doing it enough or something like that, otherwise these bad things would not happen. That is not necessarily the case.

Do not forget that when you are doing a practice like Vajrasattva, because you are purifying your previously accumulated negative karma, that karma may show up in your life.

This is like washing dirty clothes. When you immerse dirty clothes in the washing solution, initially they seem to get even dirtier because the dirt starts to emerge from them, and they may even smell. But they are not getting dirtier; this is the beginning of the dirt coming out of the clothes.

If these experiences arise for you while you are doing a purification practice, be patient. Recognize that it is the eradication of negative karma, not the accumulation of it, and continue to do the practice.

~~

Shechen Gyaltsab Rinpoche:

By confessing one’s negative deeds in this way, concentrating on the four powers, signs of purification will occur in one’s dreams, as listed in the Incantation of the Goddess Cundā:

If in one’s dreams one vomits rotten food, drinks yoghurt and milk, sees the sun and moon, travels through space, sees a blazing fire, is capable of taming wild buffalos and negative forces, sees an assembly of monks and nuns, climbs on top of a tree with milky sap, on an elephant, bull, mountain, lion throne, or palace, hears the Dharma, and so forth, one is free of negative acts.

Other dreams may occur that one is bathing, wearing white clothes, has a vision of the teacher and yidam deity, hears their teachings, and so on.

And in reality as well, all kinds of qualities of the path may take birth in one’s mind stream—a feeling of contentment, clear awareness, an increase in one’s virtuous activities, the effortless arising of wisdom and compassion, and so on.

Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye:

The signs of having purified misdeeds are explained in the texts. Some particular ones include your body becoming light and needing little sleep, experiencing good health and a clear mind, having some experiences and realizations, and so forth.

Only Criterion for Attaining Liberation

Disciple's question: 

 

My health is very poor. I had almost died from heart attacks on several occasions. One time, when this happened, I prayed to Guru strongly.  I took refuge in the Triple Gems and vowed to benefit sentient beings to repay the kindness of the Buddha. After praying repeatedly this way, I saw refuge field of the Guru, that is, you yourself appearing above my head.  You were smiling.  This appearance was much clearer than my usual visualization of the refuge field. My question is: had I died at that moment, would I have attained liberation?

 

Phurpa Tashi Rinpoche:

 

If one can truly do what was said here, you will attain liberation for sure.  What is the reason? Although the Guru appears as human, you consider the Guru as a Guru and not as a friend. If you consider the Guru your friend, and think of this friend while you are dying, then this is a fault. 

 

But if you remember the Guru at that point, and since the Guru is considered to be a Buddha, isn't it?  What you think of is the Guru, only that the appearance is a human being or the teacher who guided you.  Then, in your mind, you consider this person a Guru or a Buddha.  If you are able to do this when you are dying, attaining liberation is considered a done deal. You can rest assured of this a thousand or million times over. 

 

I often tell this story. When we were at the meditation center, there was an old monk.  His health had been quite poor for some time. One night, this monk's health took a turn for the worse. I couldn't enter the room as there were many other monks gathered around the doorway of his room, including some monks from his hometown. I heard that the monk could barely speak at that point. There was an experienced Tibetan doctor there.  The doctor also confirmed that his situation was quite grave.  

 

It was quite late then. But I thought it would be good to inform Guru (Lama Achuk Rinpoche) of this monk's situation.  I rushed there and Guru was about to retire for the night.  I told Guru that the monk was seriously ill and the doctor said that he would probably not make it to the next morning. Lama Rinpoche did a divination and passed me some Tibetan medicine. Guru said that this medicine might save the old monk. Guru also instructed me to tell those monks to recite particular prayers.  

 

Guru also emphasized to me repeatedly to remind this old monk by his ear that whether he should live or die, his purpose for coming to Yarchen Monastery was to attain liberation and the only criterion for attaining liberation is to pray to the Guru. Therefore, he must not forget the Guru for even a moment, whether he lives or dies. Guru told me to make sure to remind the old monk this, by his ear, again and again, even if the monk cannot speak. 

 

I went back and passed the medicine to the monk's brother.  The old monk did not even have any strength to open his mouth.  His younger brother took in the medicine with his own mouth and mouth-fed it to the old monk.  The old monk was very weak as he had not taken food for three days. I said by his ear, "I just went to Guru and informed him of your situation.  Guru said that whether you live or die, the main purpose of coming to Yarchen and following the Guru is to attain liberation. The only criterion for attaining liberation is to pray to the Guru. So, no matter what happens, whether it is good or bad, never forget the Guru for even a moment!"

 

The old monk gazed at me as if he wanted to say something. I placed my ear by his mouth as I couldn't hear him at all. He told me that since his illness worsened Guru had already personally appeared to his inner state.  This appearance of Guru was even clearer than the usual appearance of Guru.  From the first moment since his illness worsened, this old monk had not felt the slightest fear, but instead felt immense joy.  

 

The moment I heard this, I felt incredibly touched. He looked like an ordinary old monk, but when facing death, he had achieved this.  He was truly a Buddha/Bodhisattva while he was alive; even when facing death, he was a Buddha/Bodhisattva. Apart from this, what other kinds of Buddha/Bodhisattva should we look for?

 

Worldly dharmas and Liberation

Jamyang Rinpoche

Many people who practice Dharma now do not learn the authentic teachings, instead, they diligently pursue things that are contrary to Dharma. What they should practice are the 84,000 teachings taught by Buddha. What they should not pursue are worldly practices that have been mixed into the Buddhadharma. 

Most Dharma practitioners mix worldly pursuits and liberation together. Many people cannot distinguish between the two. If this manner of practice continues, Buddhism will end up in chaos.

Worldly dharma and liberation are opposite. Worldly dharma entangles you in afflictions, making you go round the wheel of samsara endlessly. Practicing worldly dharma entraps one further in the cycle of rebirth. On the other hand, liberating Dharma is for ending afflictions and being freed from samsara.

The two are in direct opposition. The former leads to more afflictions, while the latter leads to an end of afflictions. Therefore, combining worldly dharma and liberating dharma results in conflict and confusion. Many people can’t distinguish between the two and mistakenly believe that both can be accomplished harmoniously.

Sutra of the Observation of Virtuous and Non-virtuous Karmas

Then, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Mahasattva said to Stable Faith Bodhisattva Mahasattva: 

 "Virtuous son, listen attentively and I will explain it to you. After the Buddha's parinirvana, in these dark times, many monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen lack conviction and faith in the workings of cause-and-effect whether it is for samsara or beyond samsara. 

They do not contemplate impermanence, suffering, non-self, and the unclean nature of things, thus realization does not arise. Due to not diligently contemplating these teachings, they are ultimately not able to avoid the ten root non-virtues. They are unable to generate faith in the qualities and attainments of the Triple Gems.  They lack direction on how to proceed within the three vehicles. 

When such individuals face various hindrances, their worries, doubts and regrets intensify.  Their minds are unclear no matter where they go; their many desires generate further sufferings. Many (worldly) affairs entangle them, they act in a chaotic manner, their thoughts are jumbled and mixed up, and they waste their cultivation."

~~

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva:

Virtuous son, future beings who seek liberation from birth, old age, sickness, and death, and who aspire to cultivate meditation and wisdom without attributes, should first observe the amount and severity of negative karmas accumulated in past lives. If the negative karmas are numerous and heavy, they should not immediately engage in the practices of meditation and wisdom; instead, they should first engage in the practice of confession and purification. 

Why is this necessary? It is because such individuals have strong negative habitual tendencies from past lives. Therefore, it follows that they will commit many negative karmas and transgressions of the parajikas (root vows, or “defeats”) in the present life. Due to transgressing these parajikas, should they not purify themselves completely through confession before practicing meditation and wisdom, they will encounter many obstacles that they cannot overcome. Perhaps they may lose their minds or become confused, or be afflicted by external negative forces, or be led astray by wrong teachings, or increase their wrong views. 

Therefore, they should first practice confession and purification. Once their precepts have been restored to purity, and their negative karmas from past lives have been weakened considerably, they will be freed from all obstacles.

Repeated listening and contemplation

Geshe Thubten Palzang

All of you are old students. If you're thinking, "I've heard this teaching before and it's not necessary to listen to it again!"—that's not a correct attitude. 

Learning Buddhism isn't like learning to drive or cook. Once you've learned driving or cooking, you simply put it into action with your hands or legs. But with Dharma, even if you have understood the concepts, the practice is about cultivating your mind.  The mind has to habituate to a new way of thinking or perceiving. That's why you must repetitively familiarize the mind with new Dharmic habits.

Take cultivating compassion for instance. The power of compassion grows stronger through repeated contemplation on this topic. The more you think about it, the stronger your compassion becomes. 

It is the same for anger. If someone keeps talking behind your back, repeating the same old criticisms of you over and over again, the more you get to hear about it, the more anger builds up. 

By the same logic, even if you've heard the same Dharma teachings before, if you engage in contemplation while listening, the more times you listen, the stronger the power of virtue in your mind.

Doing analytical or investigative meditation will enhance the power of virtue in your mind. Besides that, regularly listening to Dharma, reading Dharma texts, or even expressing your understandings in writing are all usable methods to reinforce and increase the virtue in our mind. 

In truth, Buddhist practices are mostly about training our minds. For me, one reason for teaching the Dharma is also to habituate my own mind to the Dharma. So, regardless of whether you've heard these teachings before, it's essential to listen repeatedly and contemplate the teachings again and again.

~~

Geshe la is recognized as an extraordinary teacher and meditator, having done numerous retreats over the last 20 years. This experience has resulted in Geshe-la being known for his profound comprehension of emptiness, and unique style of teaching which transforms some of the most difficult philosophical concepts to become easily understood and accessible.

The power of creating virtues

Khenpo Yeshe Phuntsok

Why do we need to act with more virtue?  Because each time you have a virtuous thought, your body’s subtle energy channels open up and your heart opens up. The more virtues you do, the more your heart opens, and the greater the power of your practice becomes so that results come fast.  

There is a direct correlation between creating virtues and the three activities of listening, contemplation and meditation. Even Amitabha Buddha needed to continuously perform virtues while he was on the path so that he could create his pureland.  Otherwise, it would not have been possible.

Engaging in non-virtue, acting against your own conscience or against universal principles of truth, carrying out shameless deeds all cause the mind to be enveloped by darkness and become closed. For example, if you steal something and do not confess/purify, this karma will obscure you, making it difficult to read or understand Dharma teachings. 

If you get into a fight, tell lies, sow discord, or show disrespect to those who have higher qualities than you or who are more senior or elderly, your mind will immediately be covered by this karma as this contravenes the universal order of things. Such actions do not align with your conscience. On a deeper level, they go against your Buddha nature and are a perverted form of conduct. 

Not only will this inevitably lead to retribution, but it will also immediately distort your mind, causing your subtle winds, energy channels and drops to degenerate, your body and mind become increasingly unhealthy.  Needless to say, it will be impossible to truly resonate with the Dharma.

The importance of accumulating merits lies here. When you help others today, your heart will open, become brighter and calmer. The more you do such good deeds, the easier it is to achieve the path. Attaining Buddhahood is indeed very difficult, but if you have accumulated a great deal of worldly merits, it becomes much easier.

You can also experience this yourself. When you cultivate kind thoughts and actions, isn't your mind peaceful and at ease?  This is the working of interdependence — because you are functioning in accord with your Buddha nature, favourable conditions naturally arise.  Conversely, if you harbor many negative thoughts and actions, each one will obscure your true nature, making it impossible to advance in your practice. 

Even if your practice seems to improve temporarily, committing a heavy negativity will immediately cause you to regress, making it impossible to sustain your attainment or progress further. However, if your virtue and merits are strong, your heart opens, obscurations clear up and signs of accomplishments quickly appear.

Therefore, before the main practice, it is crucial to accumulate merits and purify negativities as a preliminary. With the support of these practices, one gradually opens the heart, increasing favourable factors; and eliminate obstacles, reducing negative factors. 

One negative karma can bind the mind in knots; if it is not untied, it will always trouble you. Many people do not understand this principle and act recklessly, leading to no progress in their practice.

Realistic about death

Phurpa Tashi Rinpoche:

Ask yourself how painful it is for you to give up one small thing now. It will be infinitely more difficult when you have to give up everything when you die. Unless you have a very high view, or the realisation of dependent-arising with the nature of emptiness, it is very very difficult to die (without this mental suffering of losing everything). Even if you know theoretically about emptiness. Even a three-year-old child understands the word "emptiness". The sky is empty, the child knows this. But knowing this word "empty" doesn't make any difference.

~~

It is at the point of death that everyone feels the most vulnerable and helpless. So don't cheat yourself. If you deceive yourself now, the time of death will be filled with immense suffering.