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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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