University of Kelaniya Death, Dying and Liberation in Tibetan Buddhist Traditions NG Wai Hing Patsy BAMA (Middlesex) MA (Kelaniya) 2019-11-19 Introduction Milarepa (rje btsun mi la ras pa) was meditating for years in the Firm Foothold Cave (Kangtsuk Puk) had his robes all torn off. "Were I to die tonight, sewing this would be pointless. It would be better to meditate."1 In northern India, the fourteenth Dalai Lama rises at four in the morning, offers obeisance to the Buddha, sits down on his meditation mat to contemplate his death. Knowing that death is inevitable, but the time of death uncertain, he prepares for death daily.2 It is no coincidence that meditation links up with death, and becomes a mutual practice of two distinguished Buddhist teachers in different time and space. Death was one of the four sights that impel Buddha to renounce his princely life to seeking liberation from the dukkha of death.3 Although the understanding of death (maraṇa), non-self (anattā) and birth cycle (saṃsāra) were doctrines of the Buddha originated in ancient India, they did not evolve in isolation. As Buddhism spreads around the world, the teachings amalgamate with the local folklore of Buddhist practice. When the Dhamma entered Tibet around the seventh century, it was against the opposing local Bön beliefs and demonic forces of local gods. Tibetan Buddhism and Bon both share analogise of internal and external signs of death: phowa ('pho ba) practice transference of consciousness, visions in the bardo (intermediate state), and prayers for the dead for forty-nine days, and liberation in the bardo. The differences are Bön speaks of the "Six Clear Knowledges."4 In this cultural environment, Tibetan scholars and monks developed unique practices related to death, using the experience of dying and the intermediate state between death and rebirth; it became a right set of circumstances for Buddhist acculturation. The following relay Tibetan Buddhism practice in death meditation, dying, death and liberation. 1 Views on Taming a Virtuous Mind A person dies within a “virtuous, non-virtuous or neutral mind.”5 The lifetime deposition of a person is essential, especially at the last moment of death. One with spiritual life cultivation of compassion and empathy free of desire and hatred, and take a virtuous object like Dharma in his last moment has a virtuous mind. Others dying with negative, angry thought is nonvirtuous, and one with a neutral mind without desires and hatred and not taking any noble object is in neutral. This mind status occurs until the point of the subtle mind of death; there is unfeasible to change at the last moment; therefore, practice is crucial before end. Jung comments he had many premonitions of approaching death and what impressed him was the lack of fuss the unconscious makes about it. Indeed, death seemed to him to be a goal in itself, something to be welcomed.6 Jung has a virtuous mind and “it is good to die this way.” 7 Meditation techniques of mindfulness (smṛtyupasthāna; dran panyer gzhag) are used to counteract such mistaken perceptions of the world. Buddha teaches in the Canonical text, “Whatever a monk keeps pursuing with his thinking and pondering, that becomes the inclination of his awareness,” Bernart mentions the importance of mind that In Yogācāra, the cause for experience of any kind is not to be found somewhere outside, it is the latencies (vāsanā; bag chags) produced by past actions left on the all base consciousness (vijñāna; rnam shes) 8 This is identical to Theravada Buddhism of cause and effect that death the quality of a mind creates its next experience. Having a mind dominated by unwholesome thought brings about rebirth in a lower realm of suffering, the mind here being the storage of the karma that follows through all future life all a sentient being. Training the mind hence is important as seen by the attitude of the two Tibetan teachers mentioned earlier. 2 Contemplating of Death in Death Meditation To practise the mind, the mediator will go through a series of the cycles of dissolution of the five aggregates (phung po lnga), and four elements, that is changes in the body of death. This retentive training is an integral part of daily practice. The meditator visualizes a complex process in which consciousness gradually recedes from the five aggregates form, feelings, discrimination, consciousness and mental formation to integrate at his heart. One after another, the four great elements of earth, water, fire, and wind, the basic elements of the material world and corporeal body lose the manoeuvre to serve as a foundation for consciousness. First to disintegrate is the earth element, and the dying person loses the capacity to perceive forms. Instead, a mirage-like that of water in a desert appears. Second, the water element dissolves, and the dying person is no longer able to hear sounds, seeing what appears to be thick billowing smoke. With the third fire element dissolves, the dying person loses the ability to smell and perceives red sparks of light, like fireflies flickering in the darkness. The last of the four elements, the composition of the wind, then dissolves. The meditator imagines that his tongue will lose the ability to taste, and his body will no longer move and sense the body's feelings. At this juncture, he will stop breathing but will not die. His mind will perceive the flame of the splash, just like the burning Tibetan butter lamp. According to Buddhist Physiology, the weak energy during death means of communication of consciousness withdrawn from the seventy-two thousand channels that move throughout the body. At this point in the process of death, the sense consciousness has ceased to operate entirely. Next, all ordinary conceptions dissolve. The winds that have withdrawn from the right and left channels, will gathered at the crown of the head at the top of central channel. When these winds descend through the central channel to the heart wheel, the dying person sees nothing but radiant white, like a clear autumn night sky before dawn, pervaded by 3 moonlight. Shortly thereafter, the winds from the lower part of the body enter the central channel at the base of the spine and ascend toward the heart. This produces a bright red visual effect, just like the clear autumn colours of the sun. Now, the wind gathered up and down into the heart, the dying person seems to faint, and the radial black is seen everywhere, just like the evening before the sun sets and the moon rises, the autumn sky is clear. Eventually, in the final stage, the clear mind woke up at dawn with the sky was full of colour, without sunlight, moonlight and darkness.9 This is death. Death and Rituals In the early Buddhist texts, The Buddha is portrayed as a human being who, through conscientious mediation practice of solitary moment in some forest settings, achieves the state of nibbāna and final death, enters parinibbāna. Without enlightenment, end to sentient beings means entering the next rebirth propelled by karma and afflictive emotions. Buddhists in Theravāda believe that a person takes rebirth immediately after death as in the doctrine of dependent origination, death’s condition is birth, birth’s condition is death, and one dharma causes the arising of another in just a moment. In Sri Lanka where Theravada Buddhism is practised, the family will present cloth for making new robes to the monks at the funeral. During the rituals, monks chant verses on impermanence. After a week after the passing, monks will deliver a sermon at the deceased’s home and at three months and one year, there will be dedicated merit-making rituals for the blessing of the deceased person. Death in Chinese Mahāyāna is the disintegration of the four elements or when the conditions are ripe for the karma to act. Buddhists in Mahāyāna countries, the family with the sangha members, will chant the name of Amitābha gently at the bedside. Family members will say their appreciation and ask for forgiveness of the dying so that he is free from abhorrence or harbours any unwholesome fetters for a good rebirth. After death, the body is clean up and 4 put in a coffin surrounded by candles and wreaths. The funeral will only take place a few days after the death to allow time for the late person to become aware of being dead, and decide the next form of rebirth. Buddhists in Mahāyāna countries believe that rebirth takes up to forty-nine days after death. In Chinese Mahāyāna, after death, the Alaya-vijnana (consciousness) remains for a maximum forty-nine days for the dead to receive merits from the prayers afforded by Buddhist chanting and rituals to purify negative karma for a better rebirth. In the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra, the deceased will get one-seventh of the merits, and the rest goes to the beneficiary. The family of the parted one should also offer vegetarian food to the Buddha and the Venerable monks under a stringent rule, so the merits are accumulated for the dead. After the forty-ninth day, the dead would have gone to their realms will not be able to receive any merits.10 In Tibetan Buddhism, death is seen as an opportunity after a lifetime of practice to attain the higher realm. When a Tibetan dies, the body is kept at home, wrapped in a white cloth and placed in the corner of the house. Lamas or monks are convening to recite prayers between twenty-four hours and three days, which is believed to release the soul from affliction. For Tibetan Buddhists, death is a complicated, spiritual journey that has little to do with the physical form. Prayer rituals are held on the completion of each week for the dead and puja (liturgies) are also attached to ensure the health and long life for the family. Moreover, the performance of phowa (’pho ba) refers to dying and transmigrating to another life on behalf of the deceased by lamas and ritual specialists. According to Halkias, phowa is known as “buddhahood without meditation” (masgom sangs rgyas.) This tantric technique is a popular post-mortem ritual performed in funerals. Its distinct attribute requires the visualization of one of channels inside the subtle-body that serves as a pathway to transfer consciousness directed out of the crown of the head into a chosen state of a Mahāyāna deity, one’s guru (lama) a pure land (dag pa’i zhing khams) as of one’s favourable rebirth. It must be done 5 with three nights and a day because that is the period where the consciousness remains in the body.11 The Book of Kadam cited seven days to before losing consciousness: Most ordinary people, however, Lose consciousness due to the force of unknowing. Following death, for three days or more, Or for seven days, they lose consciousness, it is said. 12 According to Orofino, in Tibetan Buddhism, it is possible to avert death with rituals when death is closing in or has taken place. This is done to restore the elements to equilibrium and cure the bad ones, one should use a mandala of the five elements with has four rays emanating from the centre. On the mandala, write the names of the five elements on the rays and the vowels around the circumference. One should make offerings, recite prayers and confess one’s sins. Finally, one should ask for whatever one desires, such as liberation from death. Together with wooden effigies of various colours and recitations repeated three times. After that throws everything into the middle of a river.13 This aversion practice is not known in other Buddhist schools. The Bardo (antharābhāva) The initial stage of our nightly sleep is intensely deep, the mind is not conscious without awareness. This stage, the mind or consciousness is identical to earliest state at the moment of death in the first bardo, the fundamental base bardo. According to Tsomo, there is an immediate period called the bardo which the there exists a continuity of consciousness after death. The idea is by seventh day, the person has not found an appropriate body, accordingly to their karma, and the quality of their mind states, then they will take a second bardo body, if at the fourteenth day, they still have not found an appropriate rebirth, they will take another 6 bardo body, and this thing goes on seven times, but that is the limit and the rebirth will determine by karmic forces.14 In the same vein, Powers comments that the above said death process is reversed and the person is born into bardo. At this moment, one’s got a subtle body that corresponds with one's next rebirth. The bardo body will have the appearance resemble the beings; human or animals of their rebirth. The bardo body can pass through anything, concrete or opaque. This state can last from a moment up to seven days. If one either elude rebirth through yogic practice or is unable to locate a suitable rebirth situation, one undergoes a "small death" in which go through the death process again very quickly. Then the rebirth process is repeated, and one takes a second rebirth in the bardo, with a new bardo body. This goes on for seven times, within forty-nine days. After this, one must find a place of rebirth.15 The doctrine of Zhi-khro dgongs-pa rang-grol, describes six different bardo states: the bardo of nature which begins at the moment of birth, the bardo of dreams, the bardo of the state of samadhi, the bardo of the moment of death, the bardo of quintessential reality and the bardo of arising existence. According to the doctrine of rNying-ma’i rgyud bcu bdun, the leading cause of nirvana is the same for all sentient beings in the state of the bardo of nature with a physical body or Buddhas of the present, past and future. In connection with this, the bardo of nature is subdivided into five states: the bar-do of nature, the bar-do of the state of samadhi, the bar-do of dream, the bar-do of birth and death, and the bar-do of existence.16 These were hidden esoteric texts by the eight-century Indian tantric yogi Padmasambhava, invited by Khri Srong lde btsan to help tame Tibet demonic forces.17 According to Nyingma sources, the Tantra of the Union of the Sun and the Moon details four different bardo states; Rang-bzhin bardo: “the intermediate period of nature” of the time span that begins at birth and ends with death; Chi-kha'i bardo: “the intermediate period of the moment of death,” Chos-nyid bardo: “the intermediate period of quintessential reality” when death has occurred and, to the individual who has experienced it, there appears luminous 7 intrinsic nature of reality, through the manifestation of sounds and lights; and Srid-pa bar-do: “the intermediate period of existence” which includes all the phases of renewed involvement in the different dimensions of samsaric existence. This will happen if the instructions regarding the previous bardo states were not carried out.18 It is among the most ancient recorded concerning the knowledge of the bardo in Tibet. At this point here, it must emphasise that the consciousness or the spirit (for common people) is more important than the body. The body should not be touched for the first three days before proceeding for burial. The forty-nine day bardo is the period where lama guides the consciousness to wholesome rebirth. Regardless of the number, or days of bardo, keeping awareness is thus the centre point of devout meditation of every living moment. Tibetan Burials The landscape of Tibet is often covered with snow or too hard for digging; thereby trees and fuel are known to be scarce. The limitations entail the ancient method of sky burial for spiritual as well as for the practical application. Three modes of burial are in practice: sky burial (bya rgod' don,) ground burial (sa sbas gtong ba) and cremation (ro sreg). Sky burial or "celestial burial" is seen as feeding the angels: the breaded birds named vultures. The burial is of Buddhist belief of returning the physical body to nature or emptiness. After the rituals were done with and consulting the astrologer for a good hour, a specialist called rogyapas will carry the corpse to the burial site. A tantric master will mark on the chest and stomach a mandala then the rogyapas will cut the body on instructions of the master. Skull and bones are smashed grinding with barley flour and then leaving the prepared corpse out in their selected open site for the vultures. The Sky burial symbolised compassion in feeding the sacred vultures as a virtuous act of generosity, and the dead body signifies impermanence. At 8 times, dismembered pieces of bodies are thrown into rivers for the fishes.19 This notion resembles a story in the Khuddaka Nikaya Jataka Tales that the Buddha in his previous life had once offered his flesh to a hungry tigress to save her from eating her club. As Powers mentions, people died from contagious diseases (for instance, SAR flu or smallpox) are buried.20 Earth burial is suitable as it avoids the health risks health risks of inflecting the rogyapas or the environment. Such burials were exclusive to the imperial during prehistorical times, and the most remarkable one is King Songtsan Gampo's tomb on the Muchong Hill opposite to the Yarlung River which still stands today. Cementation is uncommon as mention earlier due to scarcity of that tree and wood, fuel and the perhaps air too in high Tibetan terrain. Conclusion Tibetans owe a comprehensive and in some areas, bespoken and unique handling of the death process. They face death with serenity, calmness and smooth transmigration a person should leave no vestige of their worldly existence, including their physical body. The adoption of sky burial displays this very fortitude of adherence to emptiness. However, their persistence in prolong meditations in solitude for a wholesome rebirth seems diverse from the Bodhisattva ideal of helping sentient beings. Those spending long years meditating in caves like Milarepa appeared more like an ascetic, where the Buddha rejected such extremism in his advocating of the middle path. Nonetheless, for the Tibetans, all stages from living, dying, died, and after-death care was administered in spiritual confidence indifferent of the Buddhist schools, exoteric and esoteric, in the plateau of snow. 9 Notes 1. Quintman, Andrew trans. The Life of Milarepa. By Tsangnyon Heruka. Penguin Classics, England, 2000, p136-138. 2. Donald S. Lopez Jr. The Story of Buddhism, A Concise Guide to Its History and Teachings. HarperCollins Publishers Inc., New York, 2001, p1. 3. Death seen as dukkha is found in various texts as follows: Rhys, T. W. Davids and Hermann Oldenberg trans. Mahavagga I.6. In Vinaya Texts. Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1982, p 95. This, O Bhikkhus, is the Noble Truth of Suffering: Birth is suffering; decay is suffering; illness is suffering; death is suffering. Schaik, Sam Van. Approaching the Great Perfection, Simultaneous and Gradual Approaches to Dzogchen Practice in ]igrne Lingpa’s Longchen Nyingtig. Wisdom Publication, Boston, 2004, p207. This life is impermanent like mist on the mountainside; The way birth and death appear is as swift as lightning. However one looks at samsara, it is the basis of dukha; With certainty in this, do not waste what remains of your life. 4. Bön speaks of the Six Clear Knowledges of: (1) death, (2) cause and effect,(3) complete knowledge, (4) clear light of the bardo, (5) nature of the mind, and (6) trikåya (similar to the Buddhist trikåya, “three bodies of the Buddha”). It also mentions the Six Recollections on: (1) past lives, (2) stages of the bardo, (3) consciousness as without support, (4) the master’s instructions, (5) visions as mental projections, and (6) the pure essence of mind that opens onto one’s yidam (meditational deity). Tenzin Wangyal. Wonders of the Natural Mind: The Essence of Dzogchen in the Native Bön Tradition of Tibet. Station Hill Press, Barrytown, New York, 1993, p187. 5. Lati Rinpoche and Jeffrey Hopkins trans. Death, Intermediate State and Rebirth in Tibetan Buddhism. By Yang-jen-ga-way-lo-dro. Snow Lion Publications, New York, 1981, p7-8. 6. Stevens, Anthony. Jung:A Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, New York, 1994, p42. 7. Ibid., p9. Lati Rinpoche and Jeffrey Hopkins trans. Death, Intermediate State and Rebirth in Tibetan Buddhism, 8. Bernert, Christian trans. Adorning Maitreya’s Intent. Arriving at the View of Non-duality. By Rongtön Sheja Künrig. Snow Lion Boulder, An imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc. Colorado, 2017. *p16-17. *For books without page number, the number showing on the page counter on the PDF reader is used. 9. Ibid p14-19, 30-48, Lati Rinpoche and Jeffrey Hopkins trans. Death, Intermediate State and Rebirth in Tibetan Buddhism.. 10. Pitt Chin Hui trans. Sutra On The Original Vows And The Attainment Of Merits Of Ksitigarbha Bodhisatta. Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc., Australia, Year NA, p65-66. If anyone male or female fails during his lifetime to do meritorious actions but lives sinfully, then his relatives, whether young or old, ought to do good deeds on his behalf and practise pious observances for him after his death. The departed ones gain one-seventh of the merits of such good and pious acts and the remaining six-sevenths rebounds to the benefit of the living ones who practise their acts of piety. 10 Again, my elderly One, if relatives and children of the sinful one make offerings of vegetarian food to the Buddha as well as to monks after his death, such good deeds will help the sinful to be relieved from his suffering. Before the meal time of monks, while vegetarian food is under preparation, no edible things should be thrown on the floor and be wasted. The living children and relatives of the deceased should not eat before offering such food to the images of the Buddha and the Venerable monks. If the living ones are not following the above advice earnestly, the deceased will not benefit at all. If they follow the advice piously and energetically, they will get one-seventh of the merit. 11. Halkias, Georgios T. Heavenly Ascents after Death. Karma Chags med’s Commentary on Mind Transference. Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines, Paris, 2019, p.72-73, 85. 12. Thupten, Jinpa trans. The Book of Kadam: The Core Texts. Wisdom Publications, USA, 2008, p248. 13. Orofino, Giacomella, Sacred Tibetan Teachings on Death And Liberation, Texts From The Most Ancient Traditions Of Tibet, Prism Press, UK, 1990, p34-36. 14. Tsomo, Karma Lekshe. Oral teachings from “Workshop on Life, Death and Enlightenment" (Jul 24–Aug 4, 2018) conducted by The Buddha Dharma Centre of Hong Kong. The Venerable mentions there are seven bardo each lasting seven days. Where the person who has died takes a bardo existence. It even conceived as of bardo rebirth. In other words, the person takes a kind of a form of body which indicate the next existence. So for example, if the bardo is going to be a human being, the bardo will take, though is invisible, that will have a shape human being. Transcripts attached in Appendix 1. URL:https://youtu.be/A4t8h7Mi3ig?t=3476 15. Powers, John. Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, Snow Lion Publicatons, New York, 2007, p341-342 16. Orofino, Sacred Tibetan Teachings on Death and Liberation.1990, preface p4-5. 17. According to tradition these are texts hidden by Padmasambhava in the eight century, and rediscovered by the gter-ston Karma gLing-pa (1326-1386). Dargay, Eva M. Rise Of Esoteric Buddhism In Tibet, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt. Ltd. Delhi, 1977, p151-153. 18. Ibid p10-11 19. Martin, Dan. On the Cultural Ecology of Sky Burial on the Himalayan Plateau. East and West 46, no. 3/4 1996, 355. Faison,Seth. Lirong Journal; Tibetans, and Vultures, Keep Ancient Burial Rite, New York Times, 1999. https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/03/world/lirong-journal-tibetans-and-vultures-keepancient-burial-rite.html 20. Powers, Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, 2007, p349. 11 Bibliography Bernert, Christian trans, Adorning Maitreya’s Intent, Arriving at theView of Nonduality. By Rongtön Sheja Künrig. Snow Lion Boulder, An imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc. Colorado, 2017. Dargay, Eva M. Rise Of Esoteric Buddhism In Tibet. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt. Ltd, Delhi, 1977. Donald S. Lopez Jr. The Story of Buddhism, A Concise Guide to Its History and Teachings. HarperCollins Publishers Inc., New York, 2001. Halkias, Georgios T. Heavenly Ascents after Death. Karma Chags med’s Commentary on Mind Transference. Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines, Paris, 2019. Lati Rinpoche and Jeffrey Hopkins trans. Death, Intermediate State and Rebirth in Tibetan Buddhism. By Yang-jen-ga-way-lo-dro. Snow Lion Publications, New York, 1981. Martin, Dan. On the Cultural Ecology of Sky Burial on the Himalayan Plateau. East and West 46, no. 3/4 1996, 355. Faison,Seth. Lirong Journal; Tibetans, and Vultures, Keep Ancient Burial Rite, New York Times, 1999. URL: https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/03/world/lirong-journal-tibetans-and-vultureskeep-ancient-burial-rite.html Orofino, Giacomella. Sacred Tibetan Teachings on Death and Liberation. Texts From The Most Ancient Traditions Of Tibet. Prism Press, UK, 1990. Pitt Chin Hui trans. Sutra On The Original Vows And The Attainment Of Merits Of Ksitigarbha Bodhisatta. Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc., Australia, Year NA. Powers, John. Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism. Snow Lion Publications, New York, 2007. Quintman, Andrew trans. The Life of Milarepa. By Tsangnyon Heruka. Penguin Classics, England, 2000. Rhys, T. W. Davids and Hermann Oldenberg, trans. Mahavagga I.6. In Vinaya Texts. Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1982. Schaik, Sam Van. Approaching the Great Perfection, Simultaneous and Gradual Approaches to Dzogchen Practice in ]igrne Lingpa’s Longchen Nyingtig. Wisdom Publication, Boston, 2004. Stevens, Anthony. Jung:A Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, New York, 1994. Tenzin Wangyal. Wonders of the Natural Mind: The Essence of Dzogchen in the Native Bön Tradition of Tibet. Station Hill Press, Barrytown, New York, 1993. Thupten, Jinpa trans. The Book of Kadam: The Core Texts, Wisdom Publications, USA, 2008. 12 Tsomo, Karma Lekshe. Oral teachings from “Workshop on Life, Death and Enlightenment" (Jul 24–Aug 4, 2018) conducted by The Buddha Dharma Centre of Hong Kong. URL:https://youtu.be/A4t8h7Mi3ig?t=3476 __________________________________________________ 13 Appendix 1 Transcipts of “Workshop of Life Death & Enlightenment” by Venerable Karma Lekshe Tasmo 57:27 - a intermediate stage call the bardo. Bardo literally means intermediate stage. “Bar” means in between. And they also the text describes a series of seven intermediate states. Where the person who has died takes a bardo existence. It even conceived as of bardo rebirth. In other words, the person takes a kind of a form of body which indicate the next existence. So for example, if the bardo is going to be a human being, the bardo will take, though is invisible, that will have a shape human being. The idea is that if by seventh day, the person has not found a appropriate body, accordingly to their karma, and the quality of their mind states, then they will take a second bardo body, if at the fourteenth day, they still haven’t found a appropriate rebirth, they will take another bardo body, and this thing goes on seven times, but that’s the limit. By forty-ninth day, they must take re-existence, another rebirth, another conception. Now that forty nine days will probably only be achieved by someone who has practised a lot of meditation. This is why we see more elaborate funerals, for people who are renowed for their good meditation practice. If someone has practised very well, there is a possibility they would actually last that long in a body in the bordo. It would be able to direct their consiousness to the opitmum rebirth, and even possible to achieve liberation for awakening. For most of us, it will probably be only one to three days. 14