Phowa

Brief Notes on the Visualization for the Concise Recitation of the Pure Vision Preliminary Practice

~ DudjomTersarNgondro

by Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche

Namo guruye!

There are two stages to the practice of this preliminary phase of the profound path: the common and uncommon.

I. Common Preliminary Practices: Meditation for the Recitation of the the Four Causes of Renunciation

Namo means ‘I pay homage’. To whom do we pay homage? To the one who is always unfailing and will never deceive us, the supreme and constant refuge or protector who is the embodiment of the Three Jewels, our precious root lama. Begin by praying to the lama in this way, with an understanding of why you do so, saying: “Care for me! You know me!”

Then reflect as follows:

“A physical support such as this, adorned with the abundant qualities of the freedoms and advantages, is extremely difficult to obtain. This body that I have now obtained, like everything else that is born, will not last forever, and is bound to die. At that time, this body will be left behind, but the mind will continue, directed by whatever beneficial and harmful actions I have accumulated, and, as a result, I will experience conditions of happiness or suffering, according to the inevitable laws of cause and effect. No matter where I might be reborn, whether in a high state or a low state, wherever I am among the three realms of saṃsāra, I will be forever beset by the turbulent waves of this vast ocean of suffering. As I recognize the reality of this situation, may my mind turn towards the sacred Dharma!”

II. The Uncommon Preliminary Practices

In this there are seven sections.

1. Taking Refuge

Consider your precious root master is actually present in the space before you. He appears in the form of Guru Rinpoche, and he embodies the Three Jewels and all the sources of refuge. Take refuge in him and offer prostrations, thinking: “From now until I obtain the essence of enlightenment, I take refuge in the Lama and the Three Jewels, respectfully, with my body, speech and mind.”

2. Generating Bodhicitta

Consider that the objects of refuge are your witness, and train your mind in bodhicitta, thinking: “From now until saṃsāra itself is empty, I shall train in the activity of the bodhisattvas in order to accomplish the benefit and wellbeing of all sentient beings (who were once my very own parents).”

3. Mandala Offering

Taking a plate that is arranged with heaps that symbolize the offerings, think: “In all my lives, my body, my possessions and all my glories, together with all the sources of my merit, I offer to the Three Jewels in order to complete the two accumulations(of merit and wisdom).”

4. Visualization and Recitation of Vajrasattva

Consider that you maintain your ordinary form and visualize the following: “At the crown of my head, is my own root lama, inseparable from glorious Vajrasattva. From his body flows a stream of bodhichitta nectar, entering at the aperture of Brahmā at my crown and filling the whole of my body, purifying all my harmful actions, obscurations, and impairments and breakages of vows and commitments, so that none remains.” Recite the hundred-syllable mantra and the six-syllable mantra as many times as possible, and then, at the end, consider that Lama Vajrasattva is pleased, and, granting his approval, melts into light and merges with your own perception, so that you become inseparably one.

5. Guru Yoga

Consider that in the sky before you your kind root lama appears in the form of Guru Padmasambhava, actually present there before you. Pray to him fervently, thinking, “The embodiment of all the buddhas of the ten directions and three times, incomparable root lama, I pray to you from the depths of my heart with fervent devotion. In this life and in the next, and in the bardo states, guide me with compassion, without ever parting, and grant me your blessings, continuously at all times.”

Recite the Vajra Guru mantra as many times as possible in order to invoke his wisdom mind. Then, consider that rays of light emanate from the three syllables at the Guru’s three centres and dissolve into you, purifying the four kinds of obscuration. While imagining that you are granted the four empowerments in their entirety, recite VAJRA GURU KĀYA VAKA CITTA SIDDHI HŪṂ and receive the four empowerments.

6. Transference of Consciousness (phowa)

Make the following prayer as many times as possible and develop the intention to transfer your consciousness: “I pray to the protector Amitābha, the Buddha of Limitless Light, who is inseparable from the lama. By your blessings may I accomplish the profound path of phowa and be reborn in Sukhāvatī.”

7. Giving One’s Body

Make the following prayer of aspiration: “Now I dedicate my body, my possessions, and all my merits and even their causes from the past, present and future, all together, to all beings. I surrender them with no feelings of remorse. May I accomplish great waves of benefit for all beings, without hindrance and according to their wishes.”

All these practices should be sealed by the three noble principles: the noble preparation, main part and conclusion.

In response to a request by Jampa Chödzin, a diligent practitioner from the Draksum area of Kongpo, I, Jñāna, wrote down whatever came to mind during a single session. May virtue abound!

| Translated by Adam Pearcey, 2006.

What is Ngondro?

~ DudjomTersarNgondro

-His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche

We have been wandering in delusion in samsara since beginningless time, like being trapped in a dream. The dharma is the method that the Buddha taught to wake us up from this dream. For that purpose he taught the 84,000 teachings of the dharma for beings of lesser and medium capacities, and the 6,400,000 tantras for disciples of the highest faculties. They all have one purpose, to tame the five passions of desire, anger, ignorance, jealousy, and pride in each individual being’s mindstream. The teachings are extremely vast, but the condensed essence of all of them, the pith instruction that encompasses all spiritual traditions, is Ngondro. ~ HH Dudjom Rinpoche

All Buddhist and non-Buddhist spiritual traditions see samsara as not a good place to remain and seek to end suffering according to their own capacities and methods. The outer preliminary practices are the four ways to turn the mind to dharma and away from samsara (four thoughts).

The inner preliminary practices begin with going for refuge, the foundation of the path of liberation from Hinayana through Vajrayana. The essence of the path from Mahayana through Vajrayana is to arouse in the mind the thought of supreme enlightenment, Bodhicitta.

In order to attain enlightenment we need to perfect the two accumulations, and mandala offering is the method to quickly accomplish this. The outer mandala offering is the billionfold universe, the inner mandala offering is one’s own body, enjoyable possessions, and accumulations of virtue, and the secret mandala offering is the Dharmadhatu Clear Light Vajra Essence Buddhafield. Actually, everybody needs to accumulate merit, it is not just for those who want to attain Buddhahood. It is the foundation of all worldly happiness, and it gathers the favorable circumstances for attaining enlightenment.

In order to purify unfavorable circumstances we do Vajrasattva meditation. It is a complete tantric practice that includes shamatha and vipassana according to the Vajrayana tradition of the two stages of creation and completion.

Guru yoga is the heart of all practices in the Great Perfection tradition which is the essence of all dharmas and spiritual paths.

Ngondro also includes Phowa, a Great Perfection teaching for swiftly transforming consciousness at the moment of death, even if one dies before being able to accomplish the creation and completion stage practices.

Chod is the practice of severing all types of clinging such as the four maras which create obstacles to samadhi, wisdom, accomplishing meditation practice in this life, and attaining Buddhahood.

As Dudjom Rinpoche said,

This profound revealed treasure, this preliminary practice arra nged here, is the noble path which leads swiftly and easily to the level of the union of the Four Kayas;
It is a chariot, perfectly clear and easily entered, that is brought up here;
All fortunate ones, enter now with joy!

Written by Lama Sonam Tsering Rinpoche
and Translated by Cyril Kassoff

 

Two levels of practice, four types of phowa

~ DudjomTersarNgondro

          The two levels of practice, the creation stage and the perfection stage, are actually a preparation for the moment of death. If you are an accomplished practitioner, when you die, you will recognize the Clear Light state of the first bardo.  This results in the attainment of dharmakaya buddhahood. If you miss this opportunity, then due to the dissolution of the constituents of your body, the deities begin to appear in the bardo. If you are accomplished in the creation stage practice, you will recognize the deities as they arise to be the very display of your own mind. You will then attain sambhogakaya buddhahood. For a practitioner who has not completed these two levels of practice, phowa is the third opportunity to be liberated in the bardo. The practice of phowa at the moment of death is the cause for a practitioner to be reborn into a pureland where there is the opportunity to complete the dharma path. If someone has not completed the two stages of the path, then phowa can carry them to liberation.

There are four different types of phowa. The first is the perfection stage practice. In this phowa, there is no need to wait for death to be liberated since you are already enlightened. The second phowa is the realization of the inseparability of the creation and perfection states. With this realization, you can be liberated in the bardo. The third phowa is the transference of consciousness into a pureland at the moment of death. With the phowa of the transference, three reference points are used. The first is the pureland of Amitabha called Dewachen, the second is our own consciousness as the traveler, and the third is the central channel as the path. Normally when you die, you exit through any of the nine doors leading to various types of rebirth into the lower realms. The exit through the central channel is the entrance into a pureland. Phowa seals the other doors which lead to rebirth in samsara. To accomplish the phowa practice, you must complete a seven-day retreat to receive the signs. Phowa is considered the quick path since even without the experience of meditation, you can still be liberated. In the phowa section of Ngondro Practice, visualize Amitabha above your head. Amitabha, red in color, is a dharmakaya buddha of the Lotus Family. Pray that when this life is finished, you will immediately be reborn in Dewachen, Amitabha’s pure realm. The fourth phowa is “the hook of compassion” to liberate others. When you have accomplished the phowa for yourself, you can help liberate others at their moment of death. …

The Commentary on the Dudjom Tersar Ngondro
The Preliminary Practice of the New Teasure of Dudjom
by Lama Tharchin Rinpoche

Photo source: Vajrayana Foundation Archive
Photographer: unknown

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