SIX BARDOs TEACHING (Part 4)

 (A brief teaching by H.E. Tai Situ Rinpoche, Nov.1982 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

4. Bardo at the Moment of Death

This is the fourth one. Here basically, before that moment comes, we have to prepare for that moment. When the moment comes, we have to prepare everything, it is too late. Before that moment comes, what we can prepare is; do whatever possible for us to do - something meaningful, and avoid whatever for us to avoid - everything meaningless, and this way the accumulation of merits as outside and accumulation of wisdom as inside.  Whatever we are able to develop and cultivate, we take the opportunity that is made ready for that and on this moment are, anyway, we all have to face this moment one day, definitely.  Anybody who are here, you know, today few people here I don't think out of this anybody is still alive after 100 years.  I don't think so. I don't think so. I will not really appreciate that but I don't think so. And we all must be gone. Even anybody in the whole world right now, even babies who is born today or babies who are inside the mother, they will not be here after one century, I don't think so. Even they are here, they are not in a good shape you know. Anyway, because of this, we all have to know this quite clearly.

During our death, that is the very important moment for us, because this is the moment of this life to the next life. The judgment there is our karma; no one else.  But in that moment if we have clear understanding and clear opportunity, we can make great accumulations and purification on that moment. Because, at that time, we mean it.  Right now, few of us can mean but everybody don't think so. Even they pray, they pray with some certain amount of faith and there is the degree of pureness and confidence and real kind of strength in it. But when we die, you know, in that moment if we have learn how to think and how to dedicate and how to take that opportunity, then the moment is very, very pure. That moment one minute thinking will be much stronger and powerful than years of thinking in one whole life when you are happy and you are alive because you are really facing the most serious event, serious moment. Because of this, we have to know which will disturb us. Our fame will disturb, our wealth will disturb; our relation will disturb. Those 3 things are which will disturb us most during our death. If we have attachment for our fame, if we have attachment for our wealth, if we have attachment for our relation, that is biggest obstacle. Therefore, when the moment comes we have to be ready to release everything. “Now no more of these I need. Even I attach and hold on my wealth but I can take nothing. My wealth will be in my cold hands. I am gone.” And fame is also the same. The relation is also the same. Because of that, that moment have to be clear.  “I have done everything my best. Now I have nothing to feel sorry about, feel regret about, and what I have done is my best.” We must have these simple feeling in the moment of death.

To be able to feel that, we must do everything from  now, our best. And with this feeling, then we do whatever meaningful we can do with our material belongings, our fame, and whatever meaningful things we can do to our good related person, family or friend or whatever. Then we dedicate all of our merit towards the all sentient beings and we pray and wish that all beings be free from samsara. And we pray that according to our capability, say “May I reborn again into human realm. “May I cultivate more and then able to achieve certain kind of realization” or “May I be reborn to the Dewachen, the Sukhavati Pure Land.” Or whatever we are capable of saying.  If you capable of saying “May I go to hell and help all the beings of hell, until they are free from hell, may I remain in the hell” - if you can mean it, that is the best. But anyway, according to your capability you do whatever you can pray.

And then, after the death of the person, then the people who live - who are alive, their responsibility is very great. Because, from this moment until 49 days, the being is not really entered into a next realm.  Somehow this is the between of this life to the next life. Therefore, the person has to do all sorts of accumulations and the dedications which are aimed on behalf of that person who passed away. That is very important. And this is the moment of the death and here one aspect of special meditation and puja and performance used to do, that is transference of consciousness. But I think you should learn this later from when another Rinpoche comes, you learn from them because it needs the some time you know. I cannot explain right now here in a short time. It need at least one whole evening on that. And this is the Moment of Death Bardo.

Briefly about H.E. Tai Situpa and Karma Kagyu Lineage

H.E.12^th Tai Situ Rinpoche (born on 15^th Feburualy1954) founded the Palpung – Sherabling Monastery in Northern India in the Himalayan Regions. He is the Root Guru of the present 17^th Gyalwa Karmapa.

The 11^th Tai Situ Rinpoche was the Root Guru of 16^th Gyalwa  Karmapa and the 16^th Gyalwa Karmapa was the Root Guru of 12^th Tai Situpa. By tracing back to the past, the two of them took turn to be Guru in one life and became the disciple in the next life. This is the way how the lineage is kept unbroken from Guru to disciple in the Karma Kagyu 

This lineage was founded by Vajra Dhara (Dorje Chang), sambhogakaya form of Buddha Sakyamuni, who taught Tilopa , an Indian Mahasidha. And this lineage from India continued to Tibet unbroken until the present 12^th Tai Situ Rinpoche who is the only holder of the Special Oral Transmission Lineage of the Karma Kagyu Tibetan Buddhism. When a person receives this Special Oral Transmission, he or she will get immediate good experience in his or her meditation practice. According to Rinpoche, to receive this Special Oral Transmission Blessings, the devotee’s Karma must be ripe at that time. This blessing is powerful because it comes from the whole Karma Kagyu Lineage.

The Summary of Mahamudra - by Naropa

Homage to the state of great bliss!

Concerning what is called Mahamudra

All things are your own mind.

Seeing objects as external is a mistaken concept;
Like a dream, they are empty of concreteness.

This mind, as well, is a mere movement of attention
That has no self-nature, being merely a gust of wind.
Empty of identity, like space.
All things, like space, are equal.

When speaking of 'Mahamudra'
It is not an entity that can be shown.
There the mind's suchness
Is itself the state of Mahamudra.

It is neither something to be corrected nor transformed,
But when anyone sees and realizes its nature
All that appears and exists is Mahamudra,
The great all-encompassing Dharmakaya.

Naturally and without contriving, allowed simply to be,
This unimagined Dharmakaya,
Letting it be without seeking is the meditation training.
But to meditate while seeking is deluded mind.

Just as with space and a magical display,
While neither cultivating nor not cultivating
How can you be separate and not separate!
This is a yogi's understanding.

All good deeds and harmful actions
Dissolve by simply knowing this nature.
The emotions are the great wisdom.
Like a jungle fire, they are the yogi's helpers.

How can there be staying or going?
What meditation is there by fleeing to a hermitage?
Without understanding this, all possible means
Never bring more than temporary liberation.

When understanding this nature, what is there to bind you?
While being undistracted from its continuity,
There is neither a composed nor an uncomposed state
To be cultivated or corrected with a remedy.

It is not made out of anything
Experience self-liberated is dharmadhatu.
Thinking self-liberated is great wisdom,
Non-dual equality is dharmakaya.

Like the continuous flow of a great river,
Whatever you do is meaningful,
This is the eternal awakened state,
The great bliss, leaving no place for samsara.

All things are empty of their own identities.
This concept fixed on emptiness has dissolved in itself.
Free of concept, holding nothing in mind,
Is in itself the path of the Buddhas.

For the most fortunate ones,
I have made these concise words of heartfelt advice.

Through this, may every single sentient being

Be established in Mahamudra.

This was given orally by the great pandita Naropa to Marpa at Pullahari.

(Translated by Erik Pema Kunsang.
Published in Songs of Naropa: Commentaries on Songs of Realization, by Thrangu Rinpoche (Rangjung Yeshe Publications, 1997).

Source web page:
http://www.naturalawareness.net/mahamudra.html

9. How Buddhism started in the Land of Snow-Tibet

More than 2000 years ago, the Tibetans were living in small groups or small villages in the mountains. Later, a town was formed in the Kongpo area, also known as the “Monkey Nose” It was situated at the southern part of Tibet. It was the first Tibetan town. Tibet did not have a king then. There were village headmen only.

On one fine day, news spread around in the town that there was a very special person had appeared in the mountain. The people flocked into the mountain to meet this very special person. And that person was actually a prince from India. He was from a royal family known as "Lib-Stham-Bee", a very special race, known as the race of the Deva, the gods.

This prince was actually in exile from his country. He wandered around and happened to come to that area. He could not speak Tibetan language and neither those people speak his language. However, they noticed that he was a very special person. Since he was a prince, he has better appearance than them. So they were curious about him. They asked him where he had come from. Since he could not speak Tibetan, he just pointed his finger into the sky. Then the people thought that he was from the Devas. They bowed to him thinking that he was a Deva. They made a throne and carried him on their shoulders to the “Monkey Nose”. They appointed him as the king.

Since that time on, the monarchy system was well established in Tibet. Lha Thothori Nyantsen was the 26th king. "Lha" means the devas, the gods. Thothori Nyan was his name. He was a very special person. He had built the first palace in Tibet. It is known as “Yumbu Lagan” It was very well built. It is still there in Tibet.

This palace had a very unique design. It had a tower. On the top of the tower, there was a place where the king could sit and contemplate. On one fine day while he was sitting there with his hands folded together, a very strong feeling aroused inside him. He had a strong aspiration for wanting to do something meaningful for his people. He realized that he had not done enough by being just a good king but he did not know what it was. Amidst his strong feeling, suddenly from the sky, sounds and lights appeared and all aspects of incredible; it seemed like a little bit of a magical thing happening around him. He sat still, waiting anxiously. Suddenly, a shining cloud appeared. It moved down slowly towards him. Then he was totally covered by this shining cloud. He could not see anything at all. Then he felt something heavy was placed on his hands. After some time, the cloud disappeared and he remained sitting on the tower of his palace. In his hands there was a box. It looked special. He opened it. He was so happy when he saw a statue, a stupa, and a booklet written “OM MANI PEDME HUNG” a mantra. There was a voice telling him that in the future, a king, five generations from him, would understand the meaning of all those items in the box. So the king kept the box with those items inside with his utmost devotion and faith. That was the first connection for the Tibetan people with Avalokitesvara, (in Chinese- Kuan Yin ), the manifestation of the essence of loving kindness and compassion of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. This event showed the manifestation, the blessing of Avalokitesvara specifically for Tibet and generally for the world.


Hence, this lineage had somehow started from this king Lha Thothori Nyantsen by receiving the auspicious box with those auspicious items in it. But later, after the 5th generations from him, a king called King Songtsen Gampo became the 1st in the line of kings in the Tibetan history.

King Songtsen Gampo is considered by the Tibetan as one of the manifestations of Avalokitesvara. By that time he had understood about the value of what his great, great, great grandfather had received from the manifestation of Avalokitesvara. In order for him to be able to learn and understand completely about this inheritance, he put lots of effort to bring the profound teachings of Buddha from India to Tibet. He was a great king. He became the king of Tibet when he was only 13 years old. Though he was so young, he conquered all over Tibet. Prior to this, there were many small kingdoms all over Tibet. Most of them were bandits, behaved like barbarians. So he united them as a sort of a united kingdom by conquering all of them.

After that, King Songtsen Gampo brought lots of profound teachings from all the neighboring countries; from China, Nepal and India. And he was able to cause Buddhism to flourish tremendously in Tibet when he married a princess from Nepal and a princess from China. These two princesses had brought along with them the most precious things - one Buddha statue from Nepal and one Buddha statue from China. And these two Buddha statues were most precious for Tibetan Buddhism until today. Besides the Buddha statues, they had also brought with them many texts of Buddha teachings. The Buddha statue which was brought by princess Wen-Cheng (文成公主) from China is highly venerated by all Tibetans until today. It was enshrined in the Jokhang Monastery in Lhasa (大昭寺)

From the teachings of the Buddha, King Songtsen Gampo had learnt about the causes of suffering of his people. He had learnt that they were suffering because they had 5 poisons i.e. desire, anger, ignorance, jealousy and pride. Those who had more of these poisons, they would have more sufferings. For those who had less poison in their mind, they would have less suffering. Happiness is not obtainable from the health, neither from their wealth, nor the fame. Happiness is obtained from our insight, the understanding or wisdom. As a result, he had understood that all the sufferings were caused by 5 poisons together with the stinginess as the 6th poison or in other words, the defilements in our mind.

He had also learnt the meaning of OM MANI PADME HUNG. This mantra is to pacify the obstacles of 6 poisons. There are 6 syllables in it and is able to help to develop the 6 special qualities out of the foundation of loving kindness and compassion. He propagated the OM MANI PADME HUM, the mantra of Avalokitesvara throughout Tibet..

To help to develop the essence of universal peace from Tibet, being the plateau of the world, King Songtsen Gampo combined the teaching of the Buddha and the great knowledge of ancient China which was the geomancy (风水), he built 108 stupas covering from Bhutan to Chengdu and also 12 main temples with a special one - the 13th temple . These stupas and temples were built on a very special location from Tibet to Bhutan and to Chengdu. The landscape, viewing from the sky, was like a human being lying on his back. The temples and the stupas were built on this human-like landscape in specific locations. He had built the special central temple in Lhasa on a lake named Milky Lake. It was a white lake, a very special one, and it was totally covered with earth. He had built this central temple there as his gratitude towards all the masters who had brought the Buddha dharma to Tibet and also to show his gratitude towards his queens who had brought the special Buddha statutes into Tibet. This temple was known as "Lhasa Thur Nam". It is still there. Thus, this action signified the beginning for creating the universal peace especially for mankind was nailed and established totally on the plateau of the earth.


From then on, the strong establishment of Buddha dharma in Tibet had taken place. After another 6 generations had gone by, Trisong Detsen became the King of Tibet. He too was a great king. He invited Guru Padmasambhava to Tibet. Guru Padmasambhava was an Indian Mahasidha also known to the Tibetan as the Second Buddha. (He is commonly venerated as Guru Rinpoche by all the Buddhists who practice Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism.) With the help of the occult power of Guru Rinpoche, King Trisong Detsen was able to complete the building of the first Buddhist monastery named "Samye Ling". It remains till today. Samye Ling is a holy place for pilgrimage.

Through the patronage of King Trisong Detsen, all the three yanas of Buddha Teachings; the Theravada, the Mahayana, and the Vajrayana were brought purely from India to Tibet where these Teachings slowly developed into 8 lineages. They were:1) Nyingma, 2)Kadam, 3)Lamdrey, 4)Marpa Kagyu, 5)Shangpa Kagyu, 6)Chicheh, 7)Dorje Sumjin and 8) Andrup. At present, there are 5 surviving lineages: 1)Ningma is Ningmapa. Kadam has divided into old Kadam and the new Kadam which known as 2)the Gelukpa. And 3)Lamdrey is the Sakyapa. 4)The Marpa Kagyu is the lineage in which the Karma Kagyu belongs to. The 5th lineage is the Shangpa Kagyu. Its lineage holder was the late V. Ven. Kalu Rinpoche. These are the five surviving lineages of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism. All the other 3 were somehow absorbed to these 5. There is no special separate lineage, but somehow they were absorbed into it. This is the way how Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism fit to the present time and still surviving well. This is a brief history of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism.