Meditation on the Death Process
- Angeles Bugnon
- Oct 27, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Nov 4, 2024
I am specially interested in this topic and after a period of research, study, practice, I am able to express my understanding with certainty. I believe that every human being on this planet should learn about these techniques, processes and wisdom.
The aim of Buddhism is eradicate suffering. However, Mahayana sect encourages people to attain enlightenment but to renounce Nirvana when the time to ascend comes. The reason for this renounciation is to help others.
My perspective is that people are able to come back to this world due to their free will; although, this idea of reincarnating to "save" others is not wise love but ATTACHEMENT, it is the result of ignoring the higher Laws of Creation.
This "act of love" is simply NOT POSSIBLE since, once karmic acretions and the lower ego have been burnt up, nothing remains to be reborn as a "saviour" or as any other form. Reincarnating by will goes against the Law of VIBRATION, the law of LIFE, the law of EVOLUTION, and that is impossible. The path was, is and will always be ascendent. We are all returning to the Law of laws, to the All, the ultimate truth.
The ancient works in Pali and Sanscrit say that the emphasis of Buddhist teachings was to attain Liberation in this Life. Another reason to believe that behind the thought of renounciation from Mahayana Buddhism, there are drops of ignorance which contribute to the continuity of suffering and to the excistence of people needing to be "saved" from Samsara.
Simply allowing the following information to enter your sense of sight, and send the electric signals to your brain with this message is enough for the pure seed of clarity and love to be planted in the fertile soil of your mind. Sooner than later, it will bear the fruits of Bliss. God, in you, knows what to do with these teachings.
I'll share some truths and lessons before introducing Tibetan Meditation. In Buddhism it is taught that human beings consist of 5 aggregrates: Form, feeling, perception/discernment/(the process of recognising what things are), impulse/mental formation/choice/samskara, consciousness. They also tell us that:
Death is certain
No power in the universe can stop death
Every person born will have to die, also great masters and yogis, even Buddha|Yeshua died
In 100 years from now nearly everyone alive today will be dead
We cannot run away from death, there is nowhere we can escape to
Even if we are very wealthy, we cannot bribe death
Even if we are very strong and powerful, we cannot defeat death
Even if we have miraculous powers and clairvoyance, we cannot evade death
One cannot add time to life, one gets closer to death every minute
With each moment of our life that passes, we come closer to death
From the time of birth onwards, we are racing towards death
With each breath we take, we come closer to death
Even when we are asleep or distracted, we come closer to death
At the moment of death, the four elements earth, water, fire and air cease functioning from the grosser to the more subtle, at the same time as the five aggregates absorb. In connection with this, certain outer and inner signs manifest, explained as the eight signs of dissolution.
When you meditate on the death process, in order to make the experience real for you, like a rehearsal of your own death, you may imagine a scenario in which you have suddenly come face to face with death. Then, start to contemplate the following steps:
The earth element dissolves. When the earth element loses its power, the body becomes very thin, limbs loose and you feel as if the body is sinking under the earth. When the aggregate of form absorbs, the limbs become smaller, the body becomes weak and powerless, the luster of your body diminishes and all your strength is consumed. When the basic wisdom (appearance|mirror-like) dissolves, the sight becomes unclear and dark. The eye sense doesn’t work, you can’t open or close your eyes. Internally, mirages appear.
The water element dissolves. When the water element loses its power (saliva, sweat, urine, blood, etc.), the body dries up greatly. When the aggregate of feelings absorb, the body consciousness can no longer experience feelings that accompany the sense consciousness. When the basic wisdom of equality (our ordinary consciousness mindful of pleasure, pain and neutral feelings) dissolves, you are no longer mindful of the feelings accompanying the mental consciousness. You no longer hear external or internal sounds. Internally, smoke appears.
The fire element dissolves. When the fire element loses its power, you can’t digest food or drinks. When the aggregate of discrimination absorbs, you are no longer mindful of affairs of close persons. When the basic wisdom of analysis dissolves, you can’t longer remember the names of close persons. The inhalation becomes weak, exhalation strong and lengthy, you can’t smell. Internally, fireflies or sparks within the smoke appear.
The wind element dissolves. When the wind dissolves and loses its power, the ten winds move to the heart and the inhalation and exhalation ceases. When the aggregate of mental formation absorbs, you can’t perform physical actions and you can’t experience smoothness or roughness. When the basic wisdom of achieving activities dissolves, you can’t longer be mindful of external worldly activities, purposes, etc. The tongue becomes thick and short, the root of the tongue becomes blue. Internally, a sputtering candle-light about to go out appears.
When the 5th to the 8th elements (different vibrational types of energy) dissolve, the aggregate of consciousness absorbs. The Cause of appearance at this stage are the winds in the right and left channels above the heart, entering the central channel at the top of the head. Internally, clear vacuity is filled with White light.
The Mind of WHITE Appearance dissolves. Cause of appearance: winds in right and left channels below the heart enter the central channel at the base of the spine. Internal sign: very clear vacuinity filled with Red light.
The Mind of RED increase dissolves. Cause of appearance: upper and lower winds gather at the heart and then the winds enter the drop in your heart. Internally, at first, there is vacuity filled with thick darkness; then, it is as if you swoon into unconsciousness.
The Mind of BLACK, near attainment, dissolves. Cause of appearance: all winds dissolve into the very subtle life bearing wind in the indestructible drop at the heart. Internal sign: very clear vacuity, the mind of clear light of death.
Focus on the Clear Pure Light for as long as you can.
Once dead, as soon as the reverse process begins, you are reborn into an "intermediate state" between lives, with a subtle body that can go anywhere (cross mountains, oceans, etc.) to find a place to rebirth; or it may happen that you revive, so you will come back from an "experience close to death"; or it can happen that you find your way to escape Samsara and go to eternity in Yoga with the All.
A lifetime in the intermediate state can last from a moment to 7 days, if you don’t find a rebirth or way out of Samsara. The 8 signs of death happen in REVERSE and you are reborn in a second intermediate state. This process is repeated upto 7 rebirths in the intermediate states (49 days); after that period, a rebirth MUST be found.
The meditation finishes with a dedication (you may use the following dedication of Shantideva, and/or adapt it to your own needs):
Leaving all, I must depart alone.
But through not having understood this, I committed various kinds of evil.
For the sake of my friends and foes.
My foes will become nothing.
My friends will become nothing.
I too will become nothing.
Likewise all will become nothing.
Just like a dream experience,
Whatever things I enjoy Will become a memory.
Whatever has passed will not be seen again.
Even within this brief life
Many friends and foes have passed,
But whatever unbearable evil I committed for them
Remains ahead of me.
Due to these merits may I quickly attain buddhahood (enlightenment) and lead all living beings, without exception, into that enlightened state.
May the supreme jewel bodhichitta that has not arisen, arise and grow; and may that which has arisen not diminish, but increase more and more.
Just as the brave Manjushri and Samantabhadra, too, realized things as they are, I, too, dedicate all these merits in the best way, so that I may follow their perfect example.
I dedicate all these roots of virtue with the dedication praised as the best by the victorious ones thus gone three times, so I might perform good works.
I dedicate whatever virtues I have ever collected for the benefit of the teachings and of all sentient beings, and in particular, for the essential teachings of perfect, to shine forever.
Namasté
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