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Mind Beyond Death
Mind Beyond Death by Dzogchen Ponlop
Snow Lion Publications ithaca, new york
Snow Lion Publications P.O. Box 6483 Ithaca, NY 14851 USA (607) 273-8519 www.snowlionpub.com Copyright © 2006, 2008 Dzogchen Ponlop All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced by any means without prior written permission from the publisher. Printed in the USA on acid-free recycled paper. ISBN-10: 1-55939-301-7 ISBN-13: 978-1-55939-301-0 Designed and typeset by Gopa & Ted2, Inc. The Library of Congress catalogued the previous edition of this book as follows: Dzogchen Ponlop, Rinpoche, 1965Mind beyond death / by Dzogchen Ponlop. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-1-55939-276-1 (alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-55939-276-2 (alk. paper) 1. Intermediate state—Buddhism. 2. Death—Religious aspects— Buddhism. 3. Spiritual life—Buddhism. 4. Buddhism—China— Tibet—Doctrines. I. Title. BQ4490.D96 2007 294.3'423—dc22 200603968
This book is dedicated to my beloved father, the late Dhamchoe Yongdu, and my kind mother, Lekshey Drolma, for giving birth to endless precious opportunities to develop wisdom and compassion.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche
xv
Foreword by Venerable Alak Zenkar Rinpoche Tibetan English
xvii xxiii
Editors’ Note
xxix
Introduction: Gambling with the Lord of Death
1
1.The Moment of Truth
9
The Bardo Teachings
11
What Is Bardo? Conceptual and Essence Bardos The Fork in the Road Trapped in Time Neither Here nor There Day-to-day Business Overwhelming Emotions
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Message from the Lineage
20
Classifications of the Bardos
21
Sources of the Bardo Teachings
23
The Six Root Verses of the Six Bardos
25
2. Pure Delusion: The Natural Bardo of This Life
27
The Dance of Appearances Pure and Impure Appearances
28 30
Embodied Mind
32
The Three Stages of the Path
34
viii Mind Beyond Death
The Stage of Study
36
The Stage of Contemplation Practices for the Stage of Contemplation Befriending Intense Emotions
38 39 42
The Stage of Meditation Foundational Practices: Training and Purification Settling the Mind: The Three Postures The Actual Practice: Padmasambhava’s Instructions for Shamatha Shamatha with External Object Shamatha with White Bindu Visualization Shamatha with Red Bindu Visualization Shamatha without Object Deity Yoga
43 45 46 49 50 51 51 52 54
Setting a Specific Intention for Our Practice
56
For Only So Long
58
3. Waking the Dreamer: The Bardo of Dream
61
Appearance-Emptiness
62
Impure and Pure Dreams Entering the Dream State Continuation of Confusion
65 65 66
Waking Up in the Dream Training in the Illusory Body Training in Dream Yoga Training in Luminosity Yoga Fruition of Training
67 68 77 86 87
Dreams and Dreamers Looking at the Dream Looking at the Dreamer Looking at the Time Span Lighting a Torch in the Darkness
89 89 90 91 92
4. Mastering The Mind: The Bardo of Meditation
95
Meditation as Bardo
96
Contents
ix
Vipashyana Domesticating Wild Mind Stages of Training in Selflessness Pointing-out Mind’s Nature Looking Directly at Mind
97 99 100 103 104
Gaining Certainty in Liberation Three Words That Strike the Vital Point Dzogchen’s Four Great Modes of Liberation
107 107 108
Taking the Message of Liberation to Heart Accepting and Rejecting Self-existing Wisdom Letting Go of Freedom The Nature of All Guarding Awareness Path of Skillful Means Connecting the Bardos of Life and Death
110 111 113 114 115 116 117 118
5. Evaporating Reality: The Painful Bardo of Dying
119
Attachment to This Life Three Capacities of Practitioners Preparing For Death
121 122 125
Dissolving of the Elements Coarse and Subtle Bodies The Coarse Dissolution Process The Subtle Dissolution Process The Stages of Luminosity
126 126 129 134 139
Practices For Dying Path of Devotion Recognizing a Last Chance The Practice of Phowa Methods of Transformation Sudden Death
141 141 142 143 147 153
All Practices Are Phowa Planning our Last Thought Looking Ahead Aiming for the Highest
154 155 156 157
x Mind Beyond Death
6. Egoless Journey: The Luminous Bardo of Dharmata 161 Exploring New Experiences
162
Dharmakaya Luminosity: The Luminosity of No Appearance Ground Luminosity: The Wisdom of Dharmata Meeting of Mother and Child Luminosities Searching for Home Auspicious Causes and Conditions Generating Samadhi Mind
163 163 166 168 169 169
Sambhogakaya Luminosity: The Luminosity of Appearance Spontaneously Arising Luminosity
173 174
The Four Wisdom Lights The Light of Buddha Activity
183 184
Visions of Spontaneous Presence
185
Taking the Bardo of Dharmata onto the Path Looking at the Nature of Mind Visualization of the Hundred Deities Taking Light as the Path Taking Sound as the Path Taking Pain and Sickness as the Path Taking Delight and Misery as the Path Taking Emotions as the Path
187 187 187 188 190 191 193 194
Knowing the Territory The Two Kayas of the Bardo of Dharmata Over in an Instant Arriving at the Next Destination
195 195 195 196
7. To Be or Not To Be: The Karmic Bardo of Becoming
199
Nirmanakaya Luminosity Unceasing Appearances Reemergence of Confusion The Miraculous Power of Karmic Mind Creating Auspicious Connections
200 201 203 204 205
Dawning of the Six Realms Becoming: Qualities of the Six Realms
208 210
Contents
xi
Practices for Becoming Creation Stage Practices Completion Stage Practices Transforming Through Renunciation Plan A and Plan B
217 218 222 224 225
Vajrayana View of Practice View of Creation Stage View of Completion Stage
226 228 232
Mind Beyond Death
233
Editors’ Acknowledgments
237
Appendix I: The Sutra on Wisdom for the Time of Death Tibetan English
239 241
Appendix II: Vajra Songs of Realization All These Forms The Eight Cases of Basic Goodness Not To Be Shunned Guru Rinpoche Prayer Seven Delights Dedication The Six Bardos by Rechungpa
243 243 244 246 248 250 251
Appendix III: Two Poems by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche A Reminder To Myself Heaven
253 253 254
Appendix IV: Looking Back: The Purpose of Ngondro The Vajrayana Roller Coaster Purpose of Ngondro The Four Tantra Ngondro Practices An Important Point
255 256 257 259 261
Appendix V: The Stages of Dissolution
263
Appendix VI: The Hundred Peaceful and Wrathful Deities
267
Notes
271
Glossary
275
xii
Mind Beyond Death
Suggested Reading Traditional Texts Contemporary Commentaries Audio and Video Tapes
297 297 297 298
Nalandabodhi Centers
299
Illustration Credits
303
Index
305
List of Illustrations
Reclining Buddha: The Sleeping Lion Posture
78
Diagram of Channels and Chakras of the Subtle Body
127
Syllables Ha¯m and Ashe
138
Color illustration insert following page 160: Guru Padmasambhava
Plate 1
Samantabhadra and Samantabhadri: Peaceful Manifestation of the Primordial Buddha
Plate 2
Mahottara Heruka and Krodheshvari: Wrathful Manifestation of the Primordial Buddha
Plate 3
Shitro Thangka: Peaceful and Wrathful Deities
Plate 4
Foreword Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche
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