The-Tibetan-Book-of-Living-and-Dying

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198 THE TIBETAN BOOK OF LIVING AND DYINGpersevered, and his long efforts were rewarded when he foundthe dead master's principal disciple. Geshe Chekhawa askedthis disciple: "just how important do you think the teachingscontained in these two lines are?" The disciple replied:'Whether you like it or not, you will have to practice thisteaching if you truly wish to attain buddhahood."This reply astonished Geshe Chekhawa almost as much ashis first reading of the two lines, and he stayed with this disciplefor twelve years, to study this teaching and to take toheart the practice of Tonglen, which is its practical application.During that time, Geshe Chekhawa had to face many differentkinds of ordeals: all sorts of difficulties, criticism, hardships,and abuse. And the teaching was so effective, and hisperseverance in its practice so intense, that after six years hehad completely eradicated any self grasping and self-cherishing.The practice of Tonglen had transformed him into a master ofcompassion.At first Geshe Chekhawa taught Tonglen to only a fewclose disciples, thinking that it would only work for thosewho had great faith in it. Then he began to teach it to a groupof lepers. Leprosy at that time was common in Tibet, andordinary doctors were unable to treat or cure it. But many ofthe lepers who did Tonglen practice were cured. The news ofthis spread fast, and other lepers flocked to his house, whichbegan to seem like a hospital.Still Geshe Chekhawa didn't teach Tonglen widely. It wasonly when he noticed the effect it had on his brother that hebegan to give it out more publicly. Geshe Chekhawa's brotherwas an inveterate skeptic, who derided all forms of spiritualpractice. However, when he saw what was happening to thelepers who were practicing Tonglen, this brother could nothelp being impressed and intrigued. One day he hid behind adoor and listened to Geshe Chekhawa teaching Tonglen, andthen, in secret, started doing the practice on his own. WhenGeshe Chekhawa noticed that his brother's hard character wasbeginning to soften, he guessed what had happened.If this practice could work on his brother, he thought, andtransform him, then it could work on and transform any otherhuman being. This convinced Geshe Chekhawa to teachTonglen far more widely. He himself never ceased to practiceit. Toward the end of his life, Geshe Chekhawa told his studentsthat for a long time he had been praying fervently to bereborn in the hell realms, so as to be of help to all the beingssuffering there. Unfortunately, he added, he had recently had
COMPASSION: THE WISH-FULFILLING JEWEL 199several clear dreams that indicated he was to be reborn in oneof the realms of the buddhas. He was bitterly disappointedand begged his students, with tears in his eyes, to pray to thebuddhas that this would not happen, and that his passionatewish to help the beings in hell would be fulfilled.HOW TO AWAKEN LOVE AND COMPASSIONBefore you can truly practice Tonglen, you have to be ableto evoke compassion in yourself. That is harder than we oftenimagine, because the sources of our love and compassion aresometimes hidden from us, and we may have no ready accessto them. Fortunately there are several special techniques thatthe Buddhist "training of the mind" in compassion has developedto help us evoke our own hidden love. Out of the enormousrange of methods available, I have selected the followingones, and have ordered them in a particular way so as to beof the greatest possible use to people in the modern world.1. Loving Kindness: Unsealing the SpringWhen we believe that we don't have enough love in us,there is a method for discovering and invoking it. Go back inyour mind and recreate, almost visualize, a love that someonegave you that really moved you, perhaps in your childhood.Traditionally you are taught to think of your mother and herlifelong devotion to you, but if you find that problematic, youcould think of your grandmother or grandfather, or anyonewho had been deeply kind to you in your life. Remember aparticular instance when they really showed you love and youfelt their love vividly.Now let that feeling arise again in your heart and infuseyou with gratitude. As you do so, your love will go out naturallyto that person who evoked it. You will remember thenthat even though you may not always feel that you have beenloved enough, you were loved genuinely once. Knowing thatnow will make you feel again that you are, as that personmade you feel then, worthy of love and really lovable.Let your heart open now and let love flow from it; thenextend this love to all beings. Begin with those who are closestto you, then extend your love to friends and to acquaintances,then to neighbors, to strangers, then even to thosewhom you don't like or have difficulties with, even thosewhom you might consider as your "enemies," and finally tothe whole universe. Let this love become more and more
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The Tibetan Bookof Living and Dying
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ContentsDedicationForeword, by His
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Forewordby His Holiness the Dalai L
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Introduction to the Revised Edition
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INTRODUCTIONxiiiour attitudes towar
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PrefaceI WAS BORN IN TIBET, and I w
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PREFACExviinext to my master, on a
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PART ONELiving
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4 THE TIBETAN BOOK OF LIVING AND DY
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10 THE TIBETAN BOOK OF LIVING AND D
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THREEReflection and ChangeWHEN I WA
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FOURThe Nature of MindCONFINED IN T
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Padmasambhava: "Looks Like Me/' Pad
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SIXEvolution, Karma, and RebirthON
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100 THE TIBETAN BOOK OF LIVING AND
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SEVENBardos and Other RealitiesBARD
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Page 168 and 169: TENThe Innermost EssenceNO ONE CAN
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FIFTEENThe Process of DyingIN THE W
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SIXTEENThe GroundWE OFTEN HEAR STAT
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THE GROUND 265explain its sacred me
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THE GROUND 267so, the more our habi
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THE GROUND 269view our thoughts and
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THE GROUND 271ning joke. We'd ask h
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THE GROUND 273do this: When we star
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THE GROUND 275Then something extrao
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THE GROUND 277May all of you who re
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INTRINSIC RADIANCE 279are. Dharmata
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INTRINSIC RADIANCE 2812. Union—Th
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INTRINSIC RADIANCE 283to the experi
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INTRINSIC RADIANCE 285So the five n
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INTRINSIC RADIANCE 287At exactly th
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INTRINSIC RADIANCE 289tice, so with
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EIGHTEENThe Bardo of BecomingTHE EX
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THE BARDO OF BECOMING 293even for a
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THE BARDO OF BECOMING 295comes the
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THE BARDO OF BECOMING 297The overwh
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THE BARDO OF BECOMING 299This is th
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THE BARDO OF BECOMING 301Alas! the
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NINETEENHelping After Deathso OFTEN
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HELPING AFTER DEATH 305you love ver
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HELPING AFTER DEATH 307sponsor work
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HELPING AFTER DEATH 309Dead for the
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HELPING AFTER DEATH 311cause, avari
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HELPING AFTER DEATH 313stay in the
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HELPING AFTER DEATH 315Remember too
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HELPING AFTER DEATH 317dead person,
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HELPING AFTER DEATH 319and sparklin
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HELPING AFTER DEATH 321people have
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TWENTYThe Near-Death Experience:A S
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THE NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE: A STAIRC
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PART FOURConclusion
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TWENTY-TWOServants of PeaceONE OF M
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Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö (18
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Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-1991)
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Khandro Tsering Chödrön was the s
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QUESTIONS ABOUT DEATH 379make rules
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QUESTIONS ABOUT DEATH 381ALLOWING D
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QUESTIONS ABOUT DEATH 383According
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APPENDIX THREETwo StoriesMY STUDENT
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TWO STORIES 387She tried to do as m
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TWO STORIES 389them a part of his l
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TWO STORIES 391You don't have to fe
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APPENDIX FOURTwo MantrasThe two mos
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TWO MANTRAS 395When the syllables V
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TWO MANTRAS 397hell realms, ascendi
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NotesPREFACE1. Rinyoche, a term of
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NOTES 4016. Portia Nelson, quoted i
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NOTES 403am) I shall not live to se
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NOTES 4058. From the Guru Yoga in J
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NOTES 407and treat all without bias
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NOTES 4093. In Kalu Rinpoche, The D
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NOTES 4114. An answer given by His
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NOTES 4133. Kalu Rinpoche, The Dhar
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Selected BibliographyTRADITIONAL TI
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SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 417. Life at
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AcknowledgmentsIN THE TASK OF PRESE
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 421I am deeply grat
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 423helping the dyin
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426 INDEXBardo Tödrol Chenmo, See
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428 INDEXon merging of luminosities
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430 INDEXJowo Rinpoche, 242, 243Jud
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432 INDEXNé Dren, 310Near-death ex
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434 INDEXfinding master in, 132-34;
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436 NOTESFrancisco, 1986; First Sno
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CreditsCover design: Ross Carron De
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About the PublisherAustraliaHarperC
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