We never know which will come first:
Our next breath . . .
or
Our next life.
Tibetan proverb

In some contemplative traditions, the practice of meditation is viewed as the supreme vehicle for developing a presence of mind subtle enough so that at the time of your death you can die consciously and can thus “navigate” and make choices as to the trajectory of your consciousness. It is taught that the primary training ground for being mindfully present at the time of death is to learn to be mindfully present, or lucid, in your dreams. The training ground for being mindful of your dreams is to develop greater mindfulness in the “waking dream” of your ordinary life.

Though the practice of mindfulness is simple to describe, it is very profound.  As you become more present to what is going on within and around you, you will discover doorways to greater freedom in every realm of your being.

In the Tibetan contemplative tradition, meditative practices for transferring consciousness at the time of death are widely practiced.  These meditations, called “phowa”, are traditionally practiced by a person at the time of his or her own death, or by others who help the dying direct their consciousness onto a beneficial trajectory at the end of this life.  Phowa meditation is often complemented by reflective and generative meditations that simulate the actual dying process.

Over the years we have learned many versions of these practices from Sogyal Rinpoche, Chagdud Rinpoche and other precious teachers from this tradition.  The meditations that follow here are offered as healing meditations for the living and the dying, as well as for those who have already died.

The first step is to calm and quiet your mind, being mindful of your breath or using any of the calming meditations introduced earlier in this book.  Then invoke before you the radiant presence of any spiritual figure towards whom you feel a heartfelt sense of devotion and faith.  From your heart, pray to this loving, compassionate presence for the blessings, spiritual strength, purification, protection, and inspiration necessary to die a good death and to realize liberation or enlightenment in the dying process.

Next, imagine that this presence of light is so moved by your heartfelt prayer that he or she smiles lovingly and radiates love and compassion as streams of light from his or her heart.  As these absorb into you, allow yourself to feel purified of any negative karma, destructive emotional energy, obscurations of mind, or blockages in the subtle energy system that may lead to suffering in the future.  See and feel yourself immersed in pure loving light.

Then, allow yourself to dissolve completely into light.  Next, imagine your consciousness as a sphere of light at your heart, which flashes out from you like a shooting star, and flies up into the heart of the radiant spiritual presence in front of you, merging inseparably with this blissful presence of light. Remain in that state of unification with this presence for as long as possible.

Our teachers say that to have the presence of mind to actually use this practice well at the time of death, timing is critical. To accomplish this successfully, it is safest to perform the phowa practice during the onset of the actual process of dying, and to repeat the practice several times.

This same meditation can be used to assist others at the time of their death.  To accomplish this remember that the principle is the same, the only difference being that you visualize the spiritual presence above the head of the dying persons, imagine them being purified, dissolving into light and merging into this spiritual presence.  If possible, do this practice especially as they are breathing their last breath, or as soon as the breathing stops and before the body is touched or moved.   If you are unable to be physically with a person, the practice can still be effective from a distance, or even after a person has died.   We have heard the lamas teach that it can be effective to do this practice at the place a person has died, and every seventh day after a person has died for seven weeks.

In his inspiring book, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Sogyal Rinpoche describes an essentialized way to do this practice: “Simply merge your mind with the wisdom mind of pure presence. Consider: ‘My mind and the mind of the Buddha are one.’ ” He reminds us that “sometimes the most powerful practices can be the most simple, ” and invites us to practice in this way until it becomes second nature–as the time of our death is uncertain, and we never know when we might need to call upon what we have learned.

Variations on this meditation practice can also be done when you hear on the news that there has been a disaster, or that many people have died in some part of the world, or even when you stop to consider the millions of lives that are lost each day in the process of slaughtering animals as food for human beings.  In such moments, the following visualization meditation can be very helpful.  While it is traditionally taught using a visualization of Red Tara, it can be done visualizing any “Great Being” who you hold as a portal to the sacred:

From the heart of the Great Being in the sky before you waves of rainbow light shine forth throughout all the world and through all dimensions, enveloping the beings who have died wherever they are, purifying their karma, and infusing them with radiant blessings. Their ordinary forms dissolve and they become brilliant spheres of light that are drawn back to dissolve into this Great Being’s heart-mind — a realm beyond the cycles of suffering, a realm of absolute purity and bliss.

When you are doing this meditation for people who have died, it is traditionally recommended to meditate in this way during the forty-nine days after their death, and to dedicate the merit of your practice to their ongoing spiritual development and well being.

See also:  Tong Len Meditation