Death, Intermediate State and Rebirth in Tibetan Buddhism

Citation preview

,.

/

'

Lati Rinbochay & Jeffrey Hopkins

,

~-

I

H. H.

Foreword by the DALAl LAMA

./_ _ _~---

His Ho liness th e Fo urt ee nth Da lai Lama

Foreword by His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama (drawn from lectures in 1972 on Tsong-ka-pa's Middling

Expositiou of tl1e Stages of the Path} 1

Through the affiictions of desire, hatred and ignorance, contaminated karma {actions} are performed, which establish potencies in the mind in the form of predispositions. When a lifetime finishes, a person who has such predispositions is born again in cyclic existence with a n1ind and body appropriated through these contaminated causes. Some persons die upon the full exhaustion of the impetus of that action which, in another lifetime, laid the foundation for this one. Others die without having used up their al1otted time, through the incompletion of the causes of sustaining life,· such as lack of necessities. This is called untimely death, or death upon the consumption of merit; for the impetus of the action that established this life remains, but external concordant circumstances that are achieved through other meritorious actions in previous lives do not. A person dies within a virtuous, non-virtuous or neutral mind. In the first case, the dying person might take to mind a virtuous object - such as the Three Jewels (Buddha, his Doctrine and the Spiritual Community) or his own lama - thereby generating a

8 Foreword mind of faith. Or he or she might cultivate immeasurable equanimity, becoming free frmn desire and hatred toward any sentient being, or meditate on emptiness or cultivate compassion. This can be done either through one's own remembering to do such or through others' urging. If such attitudes arc cultivated at the point of death, one dies within a virtuous mind, through which one's rebirth is improved. It is good to die in this way. Sometimes, however, it happens that others, even though not purposely seeking to arouse anger, annoy the dying person with their nervousness, thereby making h..itn or her angry. Sometimes, also, friends and relatives gather around the bed lamenting in such a manner that they arouse manifest desire. Whether it be desire or hatred, if one dies within a sinful attitude to which one is well accustomed, it is very dangerous. Some die within a neutral attitude, neither taking a virtuous object to mind nor generating desire or hatred. These three attitudes- virtuous, non-virtuous and neutral- occur until the point of the subtle mind of death. According to the sutra system, this final subtle mind is necessarily neutral; for, unlike Highest Yoga Tantra, sutra docs not describe techniques for transforming subtle minds into virtuous states, only for treating coarse ones. A qualified Mantrika [practitioner of tantra], however, can convert the subtle minds associated with death into a virtuous path consciousness.· At that point one's practice is very profound. In any case, the attitude just before death is very important; for, if even a moderately developed practitioner is disturbed at that time, manifest desire or hatred will be generated. This is because we all have predispositions established by former non-virtuous actions, which are ready to be activated upon meeting with disadvantageous circumstances. It is these predispositions that provide the impetus for lifetimes as animals, and so forth. Similarly, we have predispositions established by former virtuous actions, which, upon meeting with advantageous circumstances, will provide the impetus for lifetimes in happy migrations as humans and so forth. These capacities that are already in our mental continuums arc nourished by attachment and grasping, leading to a bad or good rebirth. Thus, if the predisposition left by a bad karma is activated, a life as an animal, hungry ghost or hell-being will result. Similarly, if a person who usually behaves sinfully dies within a

Foreword 9 virtuous attitude, he or she will probably be reborn in a good situation. Therefore, it is very important for both the dying person and those around him or her to avoid creating situations of desire or hatred and instead to foster virtuous states of mind. W c need to know this. Those who die within a virtuous attitude have a sense of passing from darkness into light, arc free of anxiety and sec pleasant appearances. There arc many cascs of very ill persons who, ncar the time of death, speak of being in great comfort despite their illness. Others with little illness f.11l into great fright, with laboured breathing. These latter arc sunk in non-virtuous thoughts, have a sense of going from light to darkness and sec unpleasant forms. Some whose physical \varmth has diminished through illness become desirous of heat, thereby fortifying predispositions for rebirth as a being in a hot hell, whereupon they take rebirth in a place of extreme heat. Others become attached to a feeling of coolness; by wishing, for instance, for a drink of cool water, they fortify predispositions to be reborn as a being in a cold hell, thereby making the cotmection to such a rebirth. Thus it is very important to avoid desirous thoughts at the time of death and direct the ntind to salutary objects. In everyday life, attitudes of desire, hatred, jealousy and so forth, to which we arc well accustomed, become manifest with only slight provocation; but those with which we have little familiarity take considerable provocation, such as recourse to reasoning, to manifest themselves. Similarly, at the rime of death, attitudes of long f.1miliarity usually take precedence and direct the rebirth. For this same reason, strong attachment is generated for the self, since one fears that one's self is becoming non-existent. This attachment serves as the connecting link to the intermediate state between lives; the liking of a body, in turn, acts as a cause establishing the body of the intermediate being. For those strongly involved in non-virtuous actions, the warmth of the body withdraws first from the upper part of the body and then from other parts; whereas, for those strongly involved in virtuous actions, the warmth first withdraws from the feet. In both cases, the warmth finally gathers at the heart, front which the consciousness exits. Those particles of matter, of combined semen and blood, into which the consciousness initially entered in the

10

Foreword

mother's womb at the beginning of the life, become the centre of the heart; and from that very same point the consciousness ultimately departs at death. Immediately thereupon, the intermediate state begins - except for those reborn in the formless realms of infinite space, infinite consciousness, 'nothingness' or peak of cyclic existence, for whom the new life begins immediately upon death. Those born within the realms of desire and form tnust pass through an intermediate state, during which a being has the form of the person as whom he or she is to be reborn. The intermediate being has all five senses, but also clairvoyance, unobstructiveness and an ability to arrive immediately wherever he or she wants. He or she sees other intermediate beings of his or her own type - hell-being, hungry ghost, animal, human, demigod or god - and can be seen by clairvoyants. If a place ofoirth appropriate to one's predispositions is not found, a small death occurs after seven days, and one is reborn into another intermediate state. This can occur at most six times, with the result that the longest period spent in the intermediate state is forty-nine days. Thii means that those beings who, even a year after dying, report that they have not found a birthplace are not in the intermediate state but have taken birth as a spirit. In taking rebirth as a human, one sees one's future mother and father as if lying together. If one is to be reborn as a male, this sight generates desire for the mother as well as hatred for the· father - and vice versa if one is to be reborn as a female. Being desirous, one rushes there to engage in copulation; but upon arrival, one sees only the sexual organ of the desired partner. This creates anger which causes cessation of the intermediate state and makes the connection to the new life. One has entered the mother's womb and begun a human life. When the father's semen and mother's blood are conjoined with this life or consciousness, they naturally and gradually develop into the elements of a human. One is desirously attracted to one's future birthplace, even if it is to be a hell. For instance, a butcher might see sheep in the distance as in a dream; upon his rushing there to kill them, the appearance would fade, causing him to become angry, whereupon the intermediate state would cease and his new life in a hell begin. Also, as said before, those to be reborn in hot hells are attracted to heat; in cold hells, to coolness. The intermediate state of one who is to be

Foreword

11

reborn in a bad migration is itself very frightful; in the end, one rushes to the place of rebirth and, when one's wish is not achieved, gets angry, whereupon the intermediate state ceases and the new life begins. The connection to a life is, therefore, made under the influence of desire, hatred, and ignorance. Until these afflictions arc overcome, one is as if bound in chains without freedom. Indeed, there are good and bad rebirths; but, while one is still bound, one must bear the burden of mental and physical aggregates that are under the influence of contaminated actions and afflictions. This is not done just once, but again and again without break. To overcome the sufferings of birth, ageing, sickness and death, desire, hatred and confusion must be overcome. Their root, in turn, is ignorance - the conception of an inherent existence of persons and other phenomena. External medicines alleviate superficial suffering but cannot cure the central problem. Internal practices such as resorting to specific antidotes to desire and hatred- are more helpful, but their effects arc temporary. However, if one can destroy ignorance - their root - then all of these cease of their own accord. If ignorance is c1iminatcd, then the contaminated actions that depend on it are stopped. Furthermore, without ignorance, the attachment and grasping that fortify the predispositions established by previous actions cease to operate, whereupon the cycle of uncontrolled rebirth is ended.

Preface Buddhist tantra is Jividcd into four types, corresponding to four levels of yogic ability - Action, Performance, Yoga and Highest Yoga. 2 The supreme form, Highest Yoga Tantra, is aimeJ at stopping death and rebirth, as well as the intermediate state between the two, and at transforming these into Duddhahood. This is done through a series of yogas that arc modelled on the processes of death, intermediate state and rebirth, 3 until the yogi gains such control over them that he or she is no longer subject to dying. Since these yogas arc based on simulating death, it is important for the yogi to know how humans die - the stages of death and the physiological reasons behind them. The tantric description of these is based on a complicatcJ theory of winJs, or currents of energy, that serve as foundations for various levels of consciousness. Upon the serial collapse of the abiJity of these 'winds' to serve as bases of consciousness, the events of death - internal and external - unfold. Thus, the study of death for a practitioner of Highest Yoga Tantra is a study of these 'winds' and the consciousncsses dependent upon them. The tcrn1 'wind' is found in the Duddhist ~nedical theory of three basic humours - wind, bile and phlegm. • When in balance, these three perform the functions of a healthy body; when imbalanced, they create disease and thus are called the three faults (do~lw). Wind

14 Preface is the most important of the three since it directs the other two. It is defined as 'the light (in weight) and moving', 5 and it performs the functions of swallowing, talking, urinating, defecating, extending and contracting the limbs and so forth. Thus, the range of meanings of'wind' runs from air breathed to subtler airs or currents of energy that perform bodily functions and serve as mounts or bases of consciousness. In tantric medical theory, winds are of five types :8

Life-bearing wind. Its seat is at the heart and in its coarse form it causes inhalation, exhalation, burping, spitting and so forth. 2 Upward-moving wind. Its seat is in the centre of the chest, operating throughout the throat and mouth; it mainly causes speech and the swallowing of food and saliva, but it also works in the joints. 3 Pervasive wind. Its scat is at the crown of the head, causing pliant movement, stretching and contracting the limbs and opening and closing the mouth and eyelids. 4 Fire-dwelling wit~ d. Its seat is in the third stage of the stomach, and it moves throughout the internal organs - lungs, heart, liver, gall bladder and so forth - as well as through the channels in the limbs. It causes digestion of nutriment, separating refined and unrefmed parts, etc. s Downward-voidiug wind. Its scat is in the lower abdomen and it moves about in the womb or the seminal vesicle, in the urinary bladder, in the thighs and so forth. It stops and starts urination, defecation and menstruation. 1

Through the practice of Highest Yoga Tantra, a yogi seeks to cause these winds in their coarse and subtle forms to dissolve into the very subtle life-bearing wind at the heart. This yoga mirrors a similar process that occurs at death and involves concentration on the channels and channel-centres inside the body. There are 72,000 such channels, the three main ones running from the forehead across the top of the head and down along the spinal column into the sexual organ. The channel-centres along these three main channels are 'wheels' (with varying numbers of spokes, or petals), which are located at the forehead, top of the head, throat, heart, solar plexus, base of the spine and sexual organ. At these wheels, the right and left channels wrap around the central one, constricting it and lessening or preventing the passage of wind.

Preface IS At death, the winds that serve as the foundations of consciousness dissolve into the winds in the right and left channels. These in turn dissolve into the wind in the central channel, whereupon the constrictions are loosened, in the sense that the outer channels become deflated, thereby loosening the central channel and allowing movement of wind inside it. This induces manifestation of subtle minds, which ordinary beings fear since they feel they arc being annihilated. Yogis of Highest Yoga Tantra, however, put these same states to use in the spiritual path. At the channel-centres there arc white and red drops, upon which physical and mental health are based- white predominant at the top of the head, and red at the solar plexus. These drops have their origin in a white and red drop at the 'heart', which is the size of a large mustard seed or small pea and has a white top and red bottom. It is called the indestructible drop, since it lasts until death. The very subtle life-bearing wind dwells inside it and, at death, all winds ultimately dissolve into it, whereupon the clear light of death dawns. The physiology of death revolves around changes in the 'vinds, channels and drops. Psychologically, due to the fact that consciousnesses of varying grossness and subtlety depend on the winds like a rider on a horse, their dissolving or loss of ability to serve as bases of consciousness induces radical changes in conscious experience. Death begins with the sequential dissolution of the winds associated with the four elements - earth, water, fire and wind. 'Earth' refers to the hard factors of the body such as bone, and the dissolution of the wind associated with i~ means that that wind is no longer capable of serving as a mount or basis for consciousness. As a consequence of its dissolution, the capacity of the wind associated with 'water'- the fluid factors of the body- to act as a mount for consciousness becomes more manifest. The ceasing of this capacity in one element and its greater manifestation in another is called 'dissolution'; it is not, therefore, a case of gross earth dissolving into water (see page 38). Simultaneously with the dissolution of the earth clement, four other factors dissolve (sec chart 1), accompanied by external signs (generally visible to others) and an internal sign (the inner experience of the dying person). The same is repeated in serial order for the other three elements (sec charts 2-4),. with corresponding external and internal signs.

16 Preface CHART 1

Factor dissolving earth element

aggregate of forms

basic mirror-like wisdom (our ordinary consciousness that clearly perceives many objects simultaneous} y) eye sense colours and shapes

CHART 2

Factor dissolving water element

aggregate of feelings (pleasure, pain and neutrality)

First cycle ofsimultaneous dissolution Extemal sign Internal sign body becomes very thin. limbs loose; sense that body is sinking Wlder the earth limbs become smaller. body becomes weak and powerless appearance of sight becomes Wlclear and dark mirages

one cannot open or close eyes lustre of body diminishes; one's strength is consumed

Second cycle ofsimultaneous dissolution External sign Internal sign saliva, sweat, urine. blood and regenerative fluid dry greatly body consciousness can no longer experience the three types of feelings that accompany sense consciousnesses appearance of one is no longer mindful smoke of the feelings accompanying the mental consciousness

basic wisdom of equality (our ordinary consciousness mindful of pleasure. pain and neutral feelings as feelings) one no longer hears ear sense external or internal sounds ur sound in ears no sounds longer arises

Preface cHART

3

Third cycle of simultaneor~s dissolution

Factor dissolving

External sign

fire element

one cannot digest food or drink

aggregate of discriminations

one is no longer mindful of affairs of close persons

Iutcmal sign

basic wi~dom of analysis one can no longer re(our ordinary conscious- member the names of ness mindful of the close persons individual names, purposes and so forth of close persons)

nose sense

inhalation weak, exhalation strong and lengthy

odours

one cannot smell

cHART

17

appearance of fireflies or sparks within smoke

4 Fourth cycle ofsimultaneor~s dissoltltiotJ

Factor dissolving wind element

aggregate of compositional factors basic wisdom of achieving activities (our ordinary consciousness mindful of external activities, purpose1 and so forth)

Internal sign Extcmal sign the ten winds move to heart; inhalation and exhalation ceases one cannot perform • physical actions one is no longer mindful of external worldly activities, purposes and appearance of a so forth sputtering butter-lamp about to go out

tongue sense

tongue becomes thick and short; root of tongue becomes blue

tastes

one cannot experience

body sense and tangible objects

tastes one cannot experience smootlmcss or roughness

J

18

Preface CHART

Factor dissoll'ing

s

Fifth to eiglztlz cycles of dissolutiou Cause of appearance

Internal sign

winds in right and left charmels above heart enter central channel at top ofhead

at first, burning butter-lamp; then, clear vacuity filled with white light

winds in right and left channels below heart enter central channel at base of spine

very clear vacuity filled with red light

upper and lower winds gather at heart; then winds enter drop at heart

at first, vacuity filled with thick darkness; then, as if swooning unconscious Iy

all winds dissolve into the very subtle lifebearing wind in the indestructible drop at the heart

very cleu vacuity free of the white, red and black appearances the mind of clear light of death

FIFTH CYCLE

eighty conceptions

S I X Til C Y C L B

mind of white appearance

SEVENTH CYCLE

mind of red incre:1se

EIGHTH CYCLE

mind of black nearattainment

Upon the inception of the fifth cycle the mind begins to dissolve, in the sense that coarser types cease and subtler ones become manifest. First, conceptuality ceases- dissolving, so to speak, into a mind of white appearance (sec chart 5). This subtler nund, to which only a vacuity filled by white light appears, is free from coarse conceptuality but nevertheless slightly dualistic. It, in turn, dissolves into a heightened mind of red appearance, which then dissolves into a mind of black appearance. At this point all that appears is a vacuity ftlled by blackness, during which the person eventually becomes unconscious; in time this is clea~ed away, leaving a totally nondualistic vacuity - the mind of clear light - free from the white, red and black appearances. This is death. Since the outer breath (which is detectable moving through the nose) ceased long before, in the fourth cycle, from the tantric

Preface

19

perspective the point of actual death is tied not to inhalation and exhalation but to the appearance of the mind of clear light. A person usually remains in this state of lucid vacuity for three days, after which (if the body has not been ravaged by great illness) the external signs of pus or blood emerging fr01n the nose and sexual organ occur, indicating the departure of consciousness. Only at that point is it safe to remove the body for disposal; prior to that time, the consciousness is still in the body, and any violent handling of it can only disturb the end processes of death, possibly resulting in a lower rebirth. When the clear light ceases, the consciousness passes ba~k through the other seven stages of dissolution in reverse order: I

2

3 4 5 6 7 8

Clear light Radiant black sky Radiant red sky Radiant wlzite sky Flame of a butter-lamp Fireflies Smoke Mirage.

As soon as this reverse process begins, the person is reoorn into an intermediate state (bar-do) between lives, with a subtle body that can go wherever it likes, through mountains and so forth, in search of a place of rebirth. A lifetime in the intermediate state can last from a moment to seven days, depending on whether or not a suitable birthplace is found. If one is not found, the being undergoes a 'small death', experiencing the eight signs of death as laid out above, but very briefly. He or she then again experiences the eight signs of the reverse process and is reborn in a second intermediate state. This can happen for a total of seven rebirths in the intermediate state, n1aking forty-nine days, during which time a place of rebirth is necessarily found. The 'small death' that occurs between intermediate states or just prior to taking rebirth is compared to experiencing the eight signsranging from the appearance of mirages to the clear light - when going to sleep. Similarly also, upon dreaming, the eight signs of the reverse process arc experienced prior to the dream, which ends with

Latnp Thoroughly Illutninating the Presentation of the Three Basic BodiesDeath, Intennediate State and Rebirth

by Ymzg-jc11-ga-rl'ay-lo-dro The translation itself is in large type. The commentary added by the translators to facilitate understanding is either set in smaller type and given separately or put in S(}Uare brackets and interpolated into the text.

20

Preface

another experience of the eight signs of 'death' followed by the eight of the reverse process. These occur whether one is passing into another dream or awakening from sleep. These states of increasing subtlety during death and of increasing grossness during rebirth arc experienced in fainting and orgasm as well as before and after sleeping and dreaming, although not in complete form. 7 Thus, they not only indicate levels of subtlety on which every conscious moment is built but also describe states through which beings frequently pass without noticing them. This doctrine suggests that ordinary conscious life is concerned with only the gross or superficial, without heed of more subtle states that arc the fomH.btion of both consciousness and appearance. It is a case of not knowing either the origin of consciousness or the basis into which it returns. Ordinary beings arc so identified with superficial states that the transition to the deeper involves even fear of annihilation. In the stages of generation and completion of Highest Yoga Tantra, the uncontrolled processes of death, intermediate state and rebirth arc ultimately purified. The most subtle state - that of clear light - is eventually used as a basis of compassionate appearance without regenerating grosser minds. Actual achievement of these practices is beyond those who have not cultivated compassion, realized emptiness and learned the techniques of deity yoga (the meditative appearance - of a compassionate mind realizing emptiness- as a deity). 8 However, an accommodation of one's perspective on life to an understanding of these states is within the reach of those who wish it. It is with this usc in mind that this translation is offered.

About tlze text The translation below is of the Lamp Tlzorou,gMy Illumiuatiug tlze Prescutatiou of tlze Tlzree Basic Bodies - Death, l11tcrmcdiate State and Rebirth (.(!Zlzi'i sku gsum ,(!yi rnam gzlla,{! rab atll, I613.3-4· 57 P5591, vol. us. 172.3.2. 58 In Na-wang-kay-drup's Prrsmtatiou of Birth, Deatl1 and Intermediate St&Jte {468.3) this is called 'wind-wind', and the others, 'fire-wind', 'water-wind' and 'earth-wiud'. 1

82

Notes

59 Ps.s91, vol. us, 172·3·4· 6o P5591, vol. us, 171.6.7. 61 PsS9I, vol. IIS, 173·3·7-173·4·1. Vasub:mdhu gives the first two as

nur nur po and mer mer po. 6.2 According to Den-rna Lo-cho Rinbochay, these arc vital points in the body named after twenty-four places, mostly in India. 63 This explanation is taken from Na-wang-kay-drup's Preseutation of Birtlz, Death and It1termediate State, 469.sff. 64 This description is drawn from Tsong-ka-pa's Lamp TI1orougllly Illuminating (Nagarjuna's) 'Tile Five Stages', 157a.6-IS8b.2. 65 The first clause is from Na-wang-kay-drup's Presentation of Birt/1, Deatla and Intermediate State, 471.2, and the second from Tsong-ka-pa's Lamp Thoroughly Illuminating (Nagarjuna's) 'The Five Stages', I,S8b ..2. 66 Ibid., 144a . .s. 67 All three texts read 'the letter IIi' rather than hat!l; however, all three earlier read ha'f1 at the point of explaining the reasons behind the radiant black appearance (see p. 43). Also, at the point of explaining the formation of che drops, Na-wang-kay-drup refers to this as 'the letter haug', the ng being an interpretation of the pronunciation of the anusvara. 68 These descriptions of the three isolations are based on. etymological explanations in the same author's Presentation of tl1e Grouuds and Paths of Mantra According to the Superior Nagarjuna's Interpretatiou of the Glorio1u Gullyasamaja, A Good Explanation Servill,f! as a Port for the Fortwwte (dPalgsa11,f! ~a 'dus pa 'pllags lugs dang mtlum pa'i st~gags kyi sa lam mam gzhag legs bshad skal bzaug 'jug ngogs,) (no publication data), 7a.4. 69 Ibid., 7b.2. 70 Ibid., 8b.3.

Index Action Tantra, 13, 30, 70 actions, 7, 8, II, 58--9, 64, 72 actions of immediate retribution, 56 Actuality of the Let,cls, 52, 53, ss. 56, 59, 62, 63 afflictions, 7, II, 72 aggregate of compositional factors, 17, JJ, 34.37 of consciousness, 32, JJ, 38-46 of discriminations, 17, 33, 34, 36 of feelings, 16, 33-6 of forms, 16, 32-5 alchemical transformation, 25-6 all~mpty, 45, 46, 51 anger, 10, 59 appearance, see mind of radiant white appearance appearance of a sputtering butter lamp, 17, 19, 38, 42, 51 appearance of fireflies, 17, 19, 37, ,SI

appearance of mirages, 16, 19, 35, Sl, 6o

appearance of smoke, 16, 19, 36, ,SI

appearance of sparks within smoke, 17, 37 Asang~50,52, 53, 54, S5, 56, 59, 62,63 attachment, 9, 29 basic mirror-like wisdom, 16, 32-5 basic wisdom of achieving activities, 17, JJ, 34. 37 of analysis, 17, 33, 34, 36 of equality, 16,33-6 realizing the nature of phenomena, 32, 33, 8o Dhadanta Dharmasubhuti, 57 birth, see rebirth body coarse, 29-31, 51, 6o, 61 place of exit from at death, 53-4 subtle, 31, 51,61 union, 26

84

Index

Buddha, 7, 25, 57 Buddhahood, 13, 26,30,71 ceasing ofbreath, 17, 18, 37 channel-centres, 14, Is, 31 channel-wheels, 31, 32, 43, 64-6,67 channels, I4, 15, I8, 3cr2, 42-3, 59,6o,62,64-s, 67 clear light, IS, 18, 19, 20, 26, 3I, 44.45.46,47-8,49. so, 51, 60,70-2 mother and son, 4 7-8 of death, see mind of clear light of death Comme11tary 011 the 'Treasury of K11owlcdge', 54, 57, 59, 61, 62 compassion, 8, 20 Compendium of Knowledge, 52 Complete Enjoyment Body, 26, 51, 57. 69 consciousness, 9, 10, 13, IS, 31, 32, 54,60,66, 8o point of exit of, 9, 10 constituents, six, 30 constituents, white and red, 32, 45-6,49,67 currents of energy, see wind death, 7, 8, 9, IO, 13, 15, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, JI, 32, 45, 48, so, 51, 52, 53. 54. 55. 59. 69. 70, 71, 72 mind at the time of, 7-9 point of, I8-19, 45 signs of, 15-20, 45, 6o, 69 stages of, 15-20, 27, 29-47 subtle mind of, 8 untimely, 7 see also mind of clear light of death deity yoga, 20, 69-70 desire, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 59

desire realm, 10, 55. s6, 57 dissolution, 15, 16-19, 32, 38, 44, 46.47 cycles of, 15-19, 32-46 meaning of, 15, 38, 46 dreaming, eight signs when, 19, 51 drop, indestructible, Is. 18, 31, 43. 45. 67 drop~ 15, 18, 30,31,67 white and red, 15, 31, 32, 42, 43.45.46,49. 59.62 dualism, 18, 40, 44, 45, 48 earth constituent, see earth element earth clement, 15, I6, jo, 32-5, 38,6o,66 earth-wind, 38, 61, 81 eighty conceptions, 18, 34, 38-42, 44, 45. 46, so, 53. 60 clements, 15, 16, 30, 31, 32-8,61,

66 Emanation Body, 26, 67, 68, 69, 70 empties, four, 42, 43, 44, 46, 47, jl, 53. 70 emptiness, 8, 20, 30, 45, 47, 69-70 empty, 42, 51 energy, see wind Enjoyment Body, 26, S 1, 57, 69 equanimity, 8 external signs of pus or blood, 19, 49 fainting, eight signs when, 20 faults, three, 13 fire element, 15, 17, 30, 6o, 66 fireflies, I7, 19, 37, S I fire-wind, 62, 8 I flame of a butter-lamp, 17, 19, 38, 42, 51

Ittdex foetus, development of, 61-4 form realm, 10, 53, 54, ss, 56, S7 formless realm, 10, 54. s6, 57 Ge-luk-ba, 20 great-empty, 44, 46, 51

Great Exposition of the Path, 21, ss. 56

Sta,~es

of the

Bs

lust ructions of the King of Tautras, the Glorious Guhyasamaja, 21 Lamp Tlrorou,ghly Illmniuating the Prcsentatiotz of tlz~ Three Basic Bodies - Death, Intermediate State, and Rebirth, 20, 23 lord of union, 25-6

Guhyasamaja, 20, 21

Ham, 42,67 hatred, 7, 8, 9, II heart, 9, 10, 14, 15, 18, 31, 42, 43. 51, 54. 62, 64-s, 67 Highest Yoga Mantra, see Highest Yoga Tantra Highest Yoga Tantra, R, 13, 14, IS, 20, 26, 30, 48, 57. 69, 70 hwnan, development of birth from wombs, 29 humours, three, 13 ignorance, 7, II illusory body, 26, 31, 57, 68, 7o-2 increase, see mind of radiant red increase intermediate being, 9, 10, 19, so-2, 53-7, s8-61,67 intermediate state, 9, 10, IJ, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 49-57, 6o, 69, 70, 71, 72 cause of cessation of, 10, 52-3, 59 duration, 10, 19, 52, 53

karma, see Actions Knowledges (Ab!Jidharma),

Manjughosha, 25-6 merit, amassing of, 30 mind, 7, 8, JI, 32, 71 of clear light of death, 15, 18, J8, 44. 45. 47-8. 49. so, Sl, 53. ss, s6, 6o, 70, 71 of radiant black near-attainment, 18, 34-, 38-41, 43-5, 47, 50, 53.56-7,60,70 of radiant red increase, 18, 34, 38-40,42-3,44.45.47. so, 6o,70 of radiant white appearance, 18, 34.38-42,44,45.46-7, so, 6o,70 mirage, 16, 19, JS, 51, 6o Nagabodhi, 21, 57, 61, 62 Nagarjuna, 20 Nature Body, 45 near-attainment, see mind of radiant black near-attainment

Ordered Stages of t/Je MeatJs of Ac/Jieviug Guhyasamaja, 21, 57,61,62 orgasm, eight signs at time of, 20

so, 52,

81

Lamp Thoroughly Illumiuatin.~ (NagarJrma's) 'The Fil'c Stages': Q11intesscntial

Performance Tantra, 13, 30, 70 predispositions, 7, 8, 10, 11..' 25, 2.9 prior stat~, SS radiant black sky, 18, 19, 43

86

ltzdex

radiant red sky, IS, I9, 42 radiant white sky, IS, I9, 42 rebirth, I3, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 52, 53, 55, ss-6s, 69, 70, 7I, 72 as a human, IO, so, 53, 54, 55, 61 in a hell, 9, IO, 53, 55 mode of taking, IO reverse process, I9, 20, 39, 40, 41, so, 53, 6o

Samputa Tantra, 54 Samvarotlaya Tantra, 61, 63 semen and blood, 9, IO, sS-61, 62 sleep, eight signs at time of, I9, SI smell-eater, SI, 52, sS-9 sr.noke, I6, 19, 36, 51 stage of completion, 20, 26, 4S, 6S, 6g, 7o-2, 73 stage of generation, 20, 26, 4S, 57, 6S, 69,73 Sutra of Teaclaiug to Nautla on Entry to the Womb, 55, sS, 61, 62, 6] Sutra system, S, 30 Tantra, 8, I3, 26 Three Dodies, 25, 26, 69, 70,73 Three Jewels, 7 Treasury of Knotvledge, 2I, 52, 54 Treatises on the Levels, so, 54 TruthBody,26,45,46,4S,69,71 Tsong-ka-pa, 2I, ss, 56, 72

Vajreshekhara Tautra, 61 Vasubandhu, 21, 52, 54, 55, 57, 59. 6I, 62 very-er.npty, 43, 46, 51 water eler.nent, IS, I6, 30, 3S, 6o, 66

water-wind, 3S, 62, S1 wheel in the middle of the jewel, 65 wheel of emanation, 31, 65 wheel of enjoyment, 31, 65 wheel of fire, 65 wheel of great bliss, 31, 65 wheel of phenomena, ]I, 65 wheel of sustaining bliss, 3I, 6 S wheel of wind, 65 wind, 13, 14, IS, IS, 30, ]I, 32, 34. ]S, 4o-7, 49. 5I, 53. 59. 6o,61-4,65-7.7o-2 downward-voiding, I4, 63, 6s, 66 element, IS, I7, 30, 6o, 66 fire-dwelling, 14, 65, 66 indestructible life-bearing, 32, 65 life-bearing, I4, 49, 65-6 pervasive, 14, 65, 66 subtle life-bearing, I4, IS, 45, 49 upward-r.noving, I4, 63-4, 6s, 66

union of clear light and illusory body,26,7o-1

wind-wind, 62, S1 Wisdom Truth Body, 45, So wisdoms, five, I6-IS, p-46 passim, So womb, IO, 29, 57, sS, 59, 6o-4, 6S, 7I, 72

vacuity, IS, 19, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 Vajradhara, 26

Yang-jen-ga-way-lo-dro, 20, 23, 73 Yoga Tantra, I3, 30, 70

PHI LOS OPHY I R ELI G I O N

Lati Rinbochay is a recognized reincarnate lama who is currently A bbot of the Shar-dzay College of Gan-den Monastery in Mundgod, South India. He was born in 1922 in the Kham area of Tibet. A t an early age, he entered Gan-den M onastery in Lhasa and later received his Ge-shay degree, after which he entered the Tantric College of Upper Lhasa. Jeffrey Hopkins is Associate

Lati Rinbochay

Prof essor of Northern Buddhist Studies and Direcror of the Cer. : >r for South Asian Studies at the University of Virginia.

Death, Intermediate State and Rebirth in Tibetan Buddhism

This book presents, in a translation with commentaries, the text of Lamp Thoroughly Illuminating the Presentation of the Three Basic Bodies- Death, Intermediate State and Rebirth, which was written by the eighteenth century scholar and yogi of the Ge-luk-ba order of Tibetan Buddhism, Yang-jen-ga-way-lo-dro. The text discusses in great detail the process and stages of dying, entry into the intermediate state between this life and the next, and taking rebirth, then ends with the supreme form of yoga as practiced in Tibetan Buddhism. It presents with remarkable clarity the psychological basis of Buddhist practice, revealing the ultimate aim of the vast series of graded paths that Buddha set forth- the transformation of death into an immortal state of benefit for others. )EATH . HHERt'lEDI ATE STAT in

$4 58

USA

GABR1 EUSnow L10n

1\111111111111111111 1111111111

ISBN 0 - 937938-00-9

::~~ ~C:~i":-.::~ )f ·~~,~- ::. .- ~.=-~: ~-

Cover design by Phil Wilson Cover pho10 by Sidney Pi burn

Po1.1 e11 ' s 81

Prin ted in USA

EREL

LSED B75