Such is the forceful consciousness transference. SAMAYA!
Consciousness Transference of Ordinary Beings
In the case of those who have not realised the meaning of emptiness, and who do not know the significance of the generation and perfection stages [of meditation], it is the consciousness transference of ordinary beings which should be applied as follows: The head [of the dying person] should point north, with the body lying down on the right side. A spiritual teacher or fellow practitioner should then remind [the dying person] to pay attention, and if health permits, he or she should be encouraged to take refuge, to cultivate an altruistic intention, and to confess negativity. Then, the teacher should confer the vows of the Buddhist laity, and if there is time, the empowerments of the way of secret mantras should be conferred. Consequently, by dying with a positive momentum of past actions, the individual who has [just received] these untainted commitments and vows, with respect to the nature of reality,30 will be liberated from inferior existences, and there will be inestimable advantages.
In the case of a person who cannot do even that, one should slowly call out the name [of the dying one], saying, ‘Lord Mahākāruṇika is present on the crown of your head! Be reverential!’ One should stroke the crown of his or her head and gently pull the hair above the crown fontanelle. Thereby, the consciousness will [be encouraged to] exit from the crown fontanelle.
In the case of those who cannot do even that, and whose capacity is indistinguishable from that of animals, one should repeat the words, many times, ‘Homage to Buddha Ratnaketu!’, directing these [words] towards the head [of the dying person]. As a consequence, they will certainly be liberated from [rebirth in] the inferior existences, because, when in the past this buddha made his aspirational prayer, he did so, saying, ‘May all who hear my name be liberated from [rebirth in] the inferior existences!’ Alternatively, if one calls out the name of the [Medicine] Buddha Bhaiṣajyaguru Vaiḍūryaprabharāja, it is said that just by hearing his name, [the dying person] will be protected from the sufferings of inferior existences. Similarly, one may call out the name of whichever buddha one may know, and recite whichever blessed heart-mantra one may know, such as the Six-syllable Mantra.
In particular, if one has at hand the Liberation by Wearing,31 one should read this aloud, and also recite the Liberation by Hearing,32 repeating whichever aspirational prayers one may know. Since the positive momentum of [the dying person’s] past actions can thereby be secured, this will be most advantageous. In the worst cases, it is said that simply by dying with the body lying down on the right side and the head pointing north, [that person] will not proceed into inferior existences.
CONCLUSION
In summary, since it is essential that all the advantages [that accrue from] practising the teachings should converge at the time of death, it is extremely important to become skilled [during one’s lifetime] in the process of dying.
[This completes] the Guide to the Intermediate State of the Time of Death entitled Consciousness Transference: Natural Liberation through Recollection.
SAMAYA! rgya rgya rgya!
11
The Great Liberation by Hearing
CONTEXT
Traditionally, the procedures followed when a lama visits a dying or deceased person are intricate and prolonged, and will vary depending on whether the person is about to die, has just recently died, or has been dead for some days.
When a person is approaching death, it is customary for the relatives or close friends to seek the assistance of a fully qualified lama. The lama should be motivated by a sincere compassion for all sentient beings and should have mastered in his own mental continuum the direct experiential cultivation of the dying processes, as well as the consciousness transference practices.
It is very important that when coming in to the household, the attending lama is concentrated on the motivation to free the dying person from the sufferings of cyclic existence. Very often the mere presence of an accomplished lama can create a solid sense of calm and purposefulness, which inspires both the dying person and family.
The formal practice begins with the attending lama taking refuge in the Buddha, the sacred teachings, and the ideal spiritual community, on behalf of the dying person and all other sentient beings, including himself. At this point, the lama should visualise in the space in front of himself images of the three objects of refuge - the Buddha, sacred teachings and ideal community - forming a tree, whose branches like billowing clouds in the sky are adorned by buddhas, bodhisattvas and the spiritual masters of the lineage. Then he should visualise that the dying person, surrounded by all sentient beings, takes refuge by reciting the following verses three times:
I take refuge from now until enlightenment,
In the Buddha, the [sacred] teachings and the supreme assembly.
Through the merit of practising generosity and the other [perfections],
May I attain buddhahood for the sake of [all] living beings.
Maintaining this same visualisation, the lama should slowly recite with full concentration the four immeasurable aspirations, based on the cultivation of loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.
May all sentient beings be endowed with happiness!
May they all be separated from suffering and its causes!
May they be endowed with joy, free from suffering!
May they abide in equanimity, free from attraction and aversion!
Up to this point, the preliminary procedures are common to all the traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Next, the lama should enter into the practice of the Natural Liberation of Habitual Tendencies, as presented in Chapter 5. During the practice of the initial ten-branched prayer (contained in Chapter 5), the refuge tree is still visualised in the space in front. As the ten-branched prayer is concluded the lama visualises that all the objects of refuge melt into light and then gradually dissolve into the crowns of each of the attending persons, including the dying person and himself. So at this point the body, speech and mind of all enlightened beings, the objects of refuge, become indivisible from the lama’s own body, speech, and mind and those of all others present. Like water poured into water they become inseparably one in nature. In this way, it is visualised that all those present are brought under the protection of the Three Precious Jewels.
Then, like a bubble emerging from water, the lama visualises himself arising out of emptiness in the form of Vajrasattva and he continues with the practice of the Natural Liberation of Habitual Tendencies. Once this practice is complete, extensive mental offerings should then be made to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas and the lama should slowly recite three or seven times the short prayer entitled an Aspirational Prayer [Calling] to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for Assistance (see Chapter 12), followed by the accompanying aspirational prayers. This is often followed by a series of more general recitations from the Buddhist canon, including the Sūtra of the Three Heaps (Triskandhakasūtra, T 284), dedicated to the Thirty-five Buddhas of Confession, the recitation of the names of the thousand buddhas of this aeon, following the arrangement of Sākyaśrī of Kashmir, entitled Ornate Garland of the Auspicious Aeon (Bhadrakalpikālaṃkāramālā , T 1169), together with the recitation of the mantras given in the Tantra of the Purification of All Lower Destinies (Sarvadurgatipariśodhanatantra , T 483). Just to hear these names is said to make a powerful impact on the consciousness of the dying person.
At this point, the lama has to be very observant of the dying person. Excessive preoccupation with the completion of these recitations may distract him from seizing the moment when the dying person’s consciousness actually leaves the body. Carefully observing the signs of death, as indicated in the Natural Liberation through Recognition of the Visual Indications and Signs of Death (Chapter 8), just before the person passes away, the lama should immediately begin the introduction to the intermediate state of the time of death (the first part of the present chapter), even if the previous recitations are unfinished.
In certain circumstances, mouth to mouth resuscitation might be given, in accordance with the cycle entitled Eight Transmitted Precepts: Oral Transmission of the Awareness Holder (bKa’-brgyad rig-’dzin zhal-lung), which was revealed by the Fifth Dalai Lama, or an equivalent text. This may maintain life for a short period while final guidance is given.
Accordingly, the dying one should be guided through the processes of the dissolution of the elements (as set out in Chapter 8), before continuing with the introduction to the intermediate state of the time of death, as set out in this chapter. Usually, the dying person is addressed by name, or by the expression ‘child of buddha nature’ (rigs-kyi bu). One who is worthy of great respect is addressed by an expression such as ‘venerable one’, ‘spiritual master’, ‘teacher’, or ‘your ladyship’ and so forth. If it is someone from whom the attending lama has personally received teaching, he may use the expression ‘lord of the refuge’ (skyabs-mgon) or ‘great lama’ (bla-chen), and so forth. There are different modes of address.
The voice of the lama who calls out to the dying person should be very melodious, so that merely upon hearing the sound of the instructions the person feels soothed, elevated and attracted.
Following the outer dissolution of the four elements and the inner dissolution of the processes of conceptual thought into redness, whiteness and blackness, the lama should recite the verses describing the moment of the arising of the inner radiance of the ground. These words of introduction should be read aloud three times. If the dying person fails to recognise the first inner radiance and swoons into unconsciousness, the lama should proceed with the introduction to the second inner radiance followed by the introduction to the emergence of the Peaceful and Wrathful Deities during the intermediate state of reality.
Once the introduction to the intermediate state of reality has been completed, the attending lama should closely observe the body of the deceased and seek to determine whether he or she has attained liberation from rebirth in cyclic existence. If emancipation has occurred, the body will take on a certain glow, and while being in its presence, one will experience a sensation of happiness. The body will not smell. It will look just like a living person who is sleeping. These are signs that the consciousness of the deceased has attained liberation. In addition, external environmental signs may arise, as described in Chapter 8, including distinctive cloud formations and rainbows. If the deceased is a realised yogin, monk or layperson who has gained complete freedom at the time of death, then the attending lama may hear the sound of chanting and the music of sacred instruments, such as the skull drum or bell. On the other hand, if the consciousness of the deceased has not been emancipated, the complexion of the deceased will become disquieting and may inspire a sense of fear when it is seen. The face will become grey and dusty, and the body will begin to decompose very quickly.
If the consciousness of the deceased does not attain liberation while in the intermediate state of reality, the mental body assumed by the deceased will then immediately fall into the intermediate state of rebirth, at which time, the attending lama should recite the introduction to that phase, as presented in the latter part of this chapter.
Importantly, these introductions to the three intermediate states of the time of death, reality and rebirth should be supplemented, if appropriate, by the practice of the transference of consciousness, as presented in Chapter 10. If the internal and external signs are very good, consciousness transference will not be necessary and could even be potentially harmful.
The attending lama must take great care as to if and when consciousness transference should be practised. It is not only highly realised spiritual masters who remain in meditation during these intermediate states, but even ordinary men, women, and children may have achieved a settled state of mind, enabling them to remain in peaceful and deep meditation after death. If consciousness transference were performed in such cases, the deceased would be disturbed. Moreover, since the consciousness of the deceased has a tendency to leave the body from whichever point it is touched, the relatives, loved ones and the attending lama should refrain from touching the body or only tap the crown fontanelle in order to induce the consciousness to leave from that point.
If the attending lama decides that consciousness transference is the appropriate course of action, it should be repeated many times until certain indications occur, such as the emergence of mucus or blood from both nostrils. Further, in order to induce the consciousness to leave the body via the crown, which is the optimum gateway for the transference to take effect, the means of preventing the consciousness from leaving through other orifices as described in Chapter 10 should be applied. This is facilitated by visualising that the nine orifices of the body are each sealed by a single HŪṂ syllable, thus forcing the consciousness to exit via the crown fontanelle.
In any event, if the attending lama feels that the consciousness of the deceased has become confused and trapped, or if the corpse begins to decompose and lose its radiance, then consciousness transference should be immediately performed.
Once the introductions to the intermediate states of the time of death, reality, and rebirth have been concluded, the attending lama should then recite: the Prayer for Union with the Spiritual Teacher (Chapter 2), the Natural Liberation of Habitual Tendencies (Chapter 5), the Hundredfold Homage (Chapter 6), the Confession (Chapter 7), and the Liberation by Wearing (Chapter 14).
At this juncture the attending lama may read certain general prayers not included within the present cycle, such as the Aspirational Prayer for Good Conduct (Bodhisattvapraṇidhānarāja, T 1095), one of the many versions of the Aspirational Prayer for Rebirth in Sukhāvatῑ (contained in bDe-smon Phyogs-sgrigs), the Aspirational Prayer of Maitreya (Maitreyapraṇidhāna, T 1096), and the final chapter of the Introduction to the Conduct of a Bodhisattva (Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra, T 3871), which concerns the dedication of merit on behalf of all sentient beings.
These may be followed by a further recitation of prayers specific to the present cycle, namely the: Root Verses of the Six Intermediate States (Chapter 3) and the Aspirational Prayers (Chapter 12).
This completes the summary of the process through which the attending lama tends directly to the consciousness of the dying person and the deceased.
PART ONE
An Elucidation of the Intermediate State of the Time of Death and of the Appearance of the Peaceful Deities in the Intermediate State of Reality
Herein is contained the Great Liberation by Hearing,1 an elucidation of the intermediate state of reality, [which is an extract] from the Peaceful and Wrathful Deities: A Profound Sacred Teaching, [entitled] Natural Liberation through [Recognition of] Enlightened Intention.2
I bow down to the spiritual teachers, [embodiment of] the Three Buddha-bodies:
To the Buddha-body of Reality, Infinite Light, Amitābha;
To the Buddha-body of Perfect Resource, the Peaceful and Wrathful Lotus Deities;
And to the Buddha-body of Emanation, Padmākara, protector of beings.
This Great Liberation by Hearing, the skilful means which liberates yogins of average ability during the intermediate states, has three parts, namely: the introduction, the main subject matter [of the text] and the conclusion.
INTRODUCTION
[All aspirants] should experientially cultivate the steps of guidance, 3 which are the means by which corporeal beings can achieve liberation. Those of highest acumen should certainly attain liberation [in their lifetime] through [the application of] that guidance. But if liberation does not occur thereby, [yogins] should implement, during the intermediate state of the time of death, [the appropriate procedure outlined in] the Consciousness Transference: Natural Liberation through Recollection.4 Yogins of average ability should certainly be liberated by that. If liberation is not effected by the [application of consciousness transference], then [the recitation of] the following Great Liberation by Hearing should be persistently made during the intermediate state of reality.
First, therefore, yogins should examine the signs of death in accordance with the text entitled Natural Liberation through [Recognition of] the Visual Indications and Signs of Death, also known as the Mirror which Clarifies the Visible Indications of Death.5 Thereupon, when the [inner] signs of the processes of death are definitively and completely present, [the appropriate procedure as outlined in] the Consciousness Transference: Natural Liberation through Recollection should be applied. Thus, if this transference is effective, there will be no need to read aloud the Great Liberation by Hearing.
If, however, the transference is ineffective, this Liberation by Hearing should be read aloud with correct pronunciation and clear diction, close to the corpse. If the corpse is not present, one should sit next to the bed or seat of the deceased. Then, having invoked the power of truth6 and summoned the consciousness [of the deceased],7 one should imagine him or her to be listening in one’s presence and read aloud [this Great Liberation by Hearing]. At this time the relatives and close friends should [be advised to] show restraint because, at this stage, it is not appropriate to cry or dramatically express one’s grief.8
The Tibetan Book of the Dead Page 24