Discovering Buddhism - Death and Rebirth (19 April 2012)

0:06 in your meditation and you're in your mind having an open mind and you can't concentrate that like all of it is to get out of your meditation. And then I read where you should stay for a certain amount of time. I think the thing there is kind of like choosing that little way. Report an error in the passage at 0:06 Highlight the passage at 0:06

0:28 If you're having a difficult day, you don't want to just quit because every time you have a difficult day, That's going to be it. But by the same token, you stay with it. After your efforts, it's just clearly, you know, making a valiant effort. If it's still out there, then, you know, when it happens to me, I just say, okay, all right, hope for something better. Report an error in the passage at 0:28 Highlight the passage at 0:28

0:58 And I mean, you can kind of see if it's sort of coming up where that's happening a lot. Sometimes that happens. You look through those phases and you have to kind of get through that. But normally it's, I think if the sense of what's happening, you know, really becomes more distracting than, you know, you can kind of see what benefit comes out of crying. Report an error in the passage at 0:58 Highlight the passage at 0:58

1:26 And if that feels like, well, you know, I mean, it's funny when you're watching windows, then go open the windows and, you know, visualize aspirations being removed from your meditation presence. Report an error in the passage at 1:26 Highlight the passage at 1:26

2:02 We'll start with a bit of the setting and motivation, and then I'll go into the medication on the circumstances of death. We were going to do that the last time, but we didn't have time for it. And it's a short meditation. Hopefully we will get us into the mode. Report an error in the passage at 2:02 Highlight the passage at 2:02

2:28 And that's the problem. Report an error in the passage at 2:28 Highlight the passage at 2:28

2:37 Just Report an error in the passage at 2:37 Highlight the passage at 2:37

2:43 begin by finding a comfortable posture. Back straight, shoulders relaxed. Palms either your right palm on the left with your thumbs touching, or just your hands resting underneath. Report an error in the passage at 2:43 Highlight the passage at 2:43

2:59 You've got your back, your spine as a, visualize it as a stack of coins. You've got your chin tucked in a little while your head tilted forward slightly. You'll be down on the floor about three feet in front of you. or it dries, but it gets easier for you at the time. Report an error in the passage at 2:59 Highlight the passage at 2:59

3:19 elbows and I'll just kind of let the ears sit through, right? set your tongue against the upper palate. Report an error in the passage at 3:19 Highlight the passage at 3:19

3:37 As you Report an error in the passage at 3:37 Highlight the passage at 3:37

3:46 breathe in and out, let go of everything surrounding you. Just try to break your focus inward. And Report an error in the passage at 3:46 Highlight the passage at 3:46

4:10 that doesn't mean you have to stop. This means that you're not going to put this on, and you're not going to go up and start a train to fall on and become a story. Report an error in the passage at 4:10 Highlight the passage at 4:10

4:23 And then let go of all the things I've become, and you're going to Report an error in the passage at 4:23 Highlight the passage at 4:23

4:36 gently bring your attention to Report an error in the passage at 4:36 Highlight the passage at 4:36

4:45 the chest or the sensation of your breath at the top Report an error in the passage at 4:45 Highlight the passage at 4:45

4:57 of your breath. Keep your focus, you know, Report an error in the passage at 4:57 Highlight the passage at 4:57

5:06 without being distracted. But if you get distracted, just bring your attention gently back to the breath. So we're going to watch our minds washing the breath. A bit of awareness. Let's see. Report an error in the passage at 5:06 Highlight the passage at 5:06

5:25 And Report an error in the passage at 5:25 Highlight the passage at 5:25

· · · silence, 64 minutes

1:09:19 had a picture. He was a disciple of Chodron Rinpoche's and his previous shot in 1989. And he had a picture of himself in his previous life with Chodron Rinpoche. And then he was telling us about when he was like young, he said he really himself couldn't remember too much, but he also liked to do certain things. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:19 Highlight the passage at 1:09:19

1:09:42 But he had stories that his mother would tell him. And they sent a particular monk. To go and look for him, for his reincarnation. So when he said he was about six or seven, he was sitting in the house, he had a new altar and stuff, and then the monk finally arrived, he just turned around and said, well, what took you so long? Report an error in the passage at 1:09:42 Highlight the passage at 1:09:42

1:10:06 And he said, I don't know, but my mother tells me I did that. And Report an error in the passage at 1:10:06 Highlight the passage at 1:10:06

1:10:15 again, the disciple of Trevor and Bishai, Report an error in the passage at 1:10:15 Highlight the passage at 1:10:15

1:10:22 very open and free about, you know, sharing his life and his... The things that his mom remembered and what the connections were. So there are people like that that have those kinds of experiences that kind of really do indicate that, yeah, this really could be going on. You know, and still you have to, you know, you could say, oh, well, they're just making up stories. But, you know, so you have to kind of decide. But it's really pretty interesting. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:22 Highlight the passage at 1:10:22

1:10:53 I mean, I've heard some stuff. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:53 Highlight the passage at 1:10:53

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1:11:36 Your mom and, you know, to live in me Report an error in the passage at 1:11:36 Highlight the passage at 1:11:36

1:11:42 is not being... Report an error in the passage at 1:11:42 Highlight the passage at 1:11:42

1:12:01 I Report an error in the passage at 1:12:01 Highlight the passage at 1:12:01

1:12:08 remember when it was Report an error in the passage at 1:12:08 Highlight the passage at 1:12:08

1:12:28 very outgoing and bubbly. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:28 Highlight the passage at 1:12:28

· · · silence, 1 minute

1:13:12 Everybody's here having an interest in the Dharma means that in some ways the Dharma is Report an error in the passage at 1:13:12 Highlight the passage at 1:13:12

1:13:24 so, you know, we were like, I don't remember. And that was like, not at all. I mean, before I started Dharma, Report an error in the passage at 1:13:24 Highlight the passage at 1:13:24

1:13:41 you know, so that idea wasn't like totally new. And I don't know if I was making it up. I can't tell you now if I was really making it up or if it was really what happened. Like a few different things with different lessons in each one. But, you know, it's like love. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:41 Highlight the passage at 1:13:41

1:14:05 Well, I guess what I'm Report an error in the passage at 1:14:05 Highlight the passage at 1:14:05

1:14:11 necessarily taking, nobody, there Report an error in the passage at 1:14:11 Highlight the passage at 1:14:11

1:14:20 are benefits sometimes in a devotion. There are certainly benefits. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:20 Highlight the passage at 1:14:20

1:14:33 You know, I feel like that's a different kind of thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:33 Highlight the passage at 1:14:33

1:14:39 The idea of having a rebirth. The motivation for proper behavior in this life. So it is important at least to think, well, you know, if it's true, I don't want to take a chance. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:39 Highlight the passage at 1:14:39

1:15:00 Why take a chance? If it might be true, I don't know for sure if I believe it, but would I want to do that? No, I don't think so. We'll get it out. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:00 Highlight the passage at 1:15:00

1:15:14 Let's... Report an error in the passage at 1:15:14 Highlight the passage at 1:15:14

1:15:32 Precious human breath, right, or the, um... Report an error in the passage at 1:15:32 Highlight the passage at 1:15:32

1:15:47 And that is actually, it's qualified by the 10. So those involve, you know, being born in a place where the teachings exist, being born at a place in time where the teachings exist, being born with Report an error in the passage at 1:15:47 Highlight the passage at 1:15:47

1:16:06 Your faculties, you can study, you can think, being born with a body that allows you to be able to study, having enough to live on so that you can actually think about the teachings or attend them. You're not constantly worried about survival. And then all that else. Well, some of it is like not being born in a barbarian where it means where there isn't, you know, the teachings haven't come. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:06 Highlight the passage at 1:16:06

1:16:43 There's also, you know, being born in a place where you're free politically to be able to practice it. So all those things together, if you think about it, that makes it much more rare because, yeah, there are lots of people on this planet, but there certainly are limitations to how many... are in the same, you know, same position that we're in. And you think about what goes into creating this, it's said that it's very rare. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:43 Highlight the passage at 1:16:43

1:17:13 It's, you know, something like the, what, they like, there's a story about the tortoise coming, there was a gold ring floating on the ocean and the tortoise comes up and it happens to go through the ring and he only comes up like once every hundred years. Like that's the rarity of the perfect human rebirth. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:13 Highlight the passage at 1:17:13

1:17:34 So, you know. Not just an ordinary human being. No, no, not the, no, this is the perfect human being. Yeah. So having all of these freedoms to practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:34 Highlight the passage at 1:17:34

1:17:45 Yeah. Right. If you think about, yeah, insects, I mean, yeah. So, but keep in mind, you know, the point about this is that it's a really precious time. You know, it's a precious opportunity. So, you know, it's to. get us thinking along that and appreciating it, not just taking it all for granted. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:45 Highlight the passage at 1:17:45

1:18:14 That's a little part of what I wanted to do is have a time. going to be able to talk about what he said, too. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:14 Highlight the passage at 1:18:14

1:18:25 that you feel free to discuss things and question things. You know, and I'm not... I'm sorry, probably in some ways because of my death. I'm feeling a little anti-faith right now, but faith can be a good thing as well. But it just, it has to arise, I think, naturally. It has to grow from a good basis in your heart. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:25 Highlight the passage at 1:18:25

1:18:47 If it's based on what someone else said, then I feel like that isn't a good foundation. And that's sort of a situation. Now, that doesn't mean that in some, like with the Buddhist teachings, because they're very complex. And when you first get involved, it just seems so broad. And you might look at, The Dalai Lama and from your experience of hearing him and reading things he's written, you know that he's a very intelligent and just a scholar on many texts and just generally very confident. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:47 Highlight the passage at 1:18:47

1:19:28 So you might say, well, you know, the Dalai Lama says this, then it probably has You know a pretty good basis and that for now maybe that's good enough for me. Maybe I'll get to a point where I begin to understand things more where I can kind of explore well why did you say that and that just helps to broaden that foundation and strengthen it. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:28 Highlight the passage at 1:19:28

1:19:53 It could be from your own personal teacher that you have faith in this person but it's kind of like having a really strong not only a connection but having That experience of that person, where you've checked it out. The other thing, you know, along with when the Buddha talks about checking the teachings, when it comes to checking a teacher, you know, we're really told and urged to wait, to really be careful, to really examine. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:53 Highlight the passage at 1:19:53

1:20:24 And there is a text about, you know, the, I think the 52 verses of Guru Devotion. They're texts that give all the qualities of a teacher so that we look at that and we examine so that we don't, you know, develop that relationship. You don't take it lightly because one of the reasons is that when you break that relationship, when you separate that, it has very big repercussions. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:24 Highlight the passage at 1:20:24

1:20:56 And if you think about it even in a practical sense, if you've got someone who you kept as... You know, you've honored as a teacher someone who's important in your life, and now something happens where you discover that this person has done something just repugnant, then it kind of shakes your faith. Report an error in the passage at 1:20:56 Highlight the passage at 1:20:56

1:21:19 So this, again, is why we want to check up and move slowly and move slowly with our vows, move slowly with our connections with our teachers as well. We want to make sure we do our homework in that sense. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:19 Highlight the passage at 1:21:19

1:21:42 to, so these are the. There are eight stages. It's like a process that occurs at death. And these teachings are from Tantra. And the first four stages have to do with the dissolution of our elements or the physical elements like earth, water, fire and wind. And then the next four have to do with more subtle Report an error in the passage at 1:21:42 Highlight the passage at 1:21:42

1:22:16 And if we think about it, I was going to say, some of this was taken, this is a book that was done with Francisco Varela and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. And this was part of a conference with a bunch of neuroscientists basically. Really, it's a good one. And then this also, I'm sorry, oh the title is Sleeping, Dreaming and Dying. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:16 Highlight the passage at 1:22:16

1:22:42 And I'm glad you mentioned that because there are, There are connections here. It's said that there's an analogy between sleep and death because the stages that we're talking about happen in a small way when we're going off to sleep. And it's interesting because in Greek mythology, sleep and death are brothers, Morpheus and Phanidus. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:42 Highlight the passage at 1:22:42

1:23:11 So there's historically been that connection. So the Tibetan tradition explains these eight stages. And this kind of tantra, it's something that, you know, this part can be taught, doesn't require any special prerequisites or anything like that. So before we get into the stages, we have to talk about mind, which there's a Sanskrit word prāṇa, which means vital life. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:11 Highlight the passage at 1:23:11

1:23:47 In Tibetan it's womb. And in English we kind of translate that as wind. We'll talk about the winds flowing through the channels. We're going to talk about that a little bit. But it said the mind is like a rider and the winds are like the horse. So fear of death arises a lot from the unknown. And if we think about a rider on a horse, an untrained rider is, you know, sort of rides along, is pulled along by the horse. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:47 Highlight the passage at 1:23:47

1:24:20 A trained rider can subdue the horse. So if we train our mind, then, you know, this whole, the dissolution and the death process isn't uncontrollable anymore. We're in a position to actually be aware of what's happening and to have potentially some control. So when we talk about these winds or this product, these flow in They're subtle channels in the body. And it said that each of these winds is associated with a different function of the body and that imbalanced or uncontrolled winds can lead to all sorts of mental and physical disturbances. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:20 Highlight the passage at 1:24:20

1:25:09 So if you think about, sometimes I think of this as being analogous to like chi energy. So if there's an imbalance, that can cause a physical problem as well as a mental problem. You'll hear about people who go off to do retreat, maybe, and they'll say, oh, I had a lot of room. Okay, it's sometimes when you're really focusing and trying very hard to meditate a long time in a retreat, sometimes there's an imbalance, and it creates a lot of anxiety and frustration, and it said that, you know, at that time, it said you had a lot of room or something. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:09 Highlight the passage at 1:25:09

1:25:48 It's like your natural... energies or the winds aren't And what you have to do is kind of ease off for a while. Just back away and take it easy. And then sort of regain your balance. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:48 Highlight the passage at 1:25:48

1:26:04 So you'll hear, and sometimes you'll hear about the central channel. And the central channel runs from our crown along just in front of the spine and down to the tip of the sexual organ. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:04 Highlight the passage at 1:26:04

1:26:22 It's not a physical thing when we're talking about this. When we talk about channels, we can talk about veins and arteries and nerves and all of those things as channels in the body. But if you think about the body or the mind working on sort of the gross consciousness, the subtle consciousness and then the most subtle consciousness, we're bringing in This idea of these channels, which, you know, they vary, they're not going to be the same in everyone, and we're not going to be able to see them. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:22 Highlight the passage at 1:26:22

1:27:01 It said that on either side of the central channel, I was trying to find a drawing of this, but I didn't really find anything on short notice, but there's a, the channels, if you visualize the central channel and then... There's a channel on either side, and they sort of wrap around the central channel at certain points, like at the heart, and then down by the navel, and up at the crown, and it says these places are chakras. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:01 Highlight the passage at 1:27:01

1:27:30 So you've probably heard that term used before. And it's a term that's also present from the Hindu tradition, various traditions. But you'll hear about it in the Tibetan tradition. And it said that ordinary people, the winds don't really move in the central channel. That when the mind or the winds absorb into the central channel, that happens at the time of death. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:30 Highlight the passage at 1:27:30

1:28:00 And so the tantric practices are geared toward bringing some control over the dying experience, over the death experience. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:00 Highlight the passage at 1:28:00

1:28:15 And it's said that at that time that an accomplished practitioner can actually Report an error in the passage at 1:28:15 Highlight the passage at 1:28:15

1:28:25 enlightenment the manipulation the winds at that time. And an example of this, I mean, you hear, I've heard many stories about great lamas who, they die, they're in meditation pose, they just stay there. And the body might stay know, for days. It stays fresh and normal and And then the Lama's kind of wait and when the body begins to do it again. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:25 Highlight the passage at 1:28:25

1:28:55 slump, then that's when the consciousness is gone. And I say consciousness very loosely. We're going to get more into this. So it's not like this, you know, sort of active that we're talking about. So back to these eight stages, it's taught that these eight stages happen in every death, even sudden deaths, that it just moves more quickly, but I've also seen some I've seen in another text where it says that they don't occur completely in very sudden deaths, people who are killed in accidents or by weapons, that there's not a complete form. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:55 Highlight the passage at 1:28:55

1:29:41 And some of these things, like the dissolution of the earth element, we kind of see as in aging. Signs of aging are an indication of the earth element absorbing wrinkles. Saving skin, all those sorts of things. But usually when we're nearing the death process, everything speeds up and it happens rather quickly. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:41 Highlight the passage at 1:29:41

1:30:05 And in ordinary things, you know, we don't really even, we don't have any experience. I mean, this only comes with some serious meditation practice and a lot of, yeah, a lot of meditative practice in advance. It's kind of really following a particular practice. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:05 Highlight the passage at 1:30:05

1:30:37 The idea though is that even though we're not going to sit down and necessarily observe these stages, just by meditating we're able to create that level of calm, that level of peace. peacefulness that gets us a little different, anyway, that, um... just about coming. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:37 Highlight the passage at 1:30:37

1:31:11 So I think maybe we'll go into this, we'll go through all of these, there are the four elements that dissolve and then there are other appearances that arise. And it's probably better to try to do those in a more concentrated fashion. I don't think that we can do this tonight because... We'll just have to review it next week anyway. So this is something that, again, I mean, this is a little, this is a bit more esoteric. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:11 Highlight the passage at 1:31:11

1:31:46 And it can be interesting, it can be useful. Like I said, it said that we go through these stages of death when we're falling asleep. And then when we wake up, we go through them in reverse. So as we get into this part of the... I think we talked about the Tibetan book, The Dead. And part of these, these are outlined in that, as part of that. And when we reach that eighth stage, then there comes a point where the stage is reversed. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:46 Highlight the passage at 1:31:46

1:32:28 So this book in particular, some of the discussion in here is about sleeping and it's about dreaming and lucid dreaming. Because that's another way to access, to kind of become the trained writer and became that force of the winds. So bringing a little control. And we can work with that through our grieving process. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:28 Highlight the passage at 1:32:28

1:33:02 This is kind of interesting again because this book. By the Dalai Lama, sleeping, dreaming, and dying, deals with a lot of scientists, neuroscientists. So you're kind of finding this, it's an interesting overlap in terms of examining the brain. It brings up some questions for me because from a Western viewpoint, we kind of equate mind and brain. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:02 Highlight the passage at 1:33:02

1:33:30 But in the teachings, traditionally, that's really, that connection is not so much there, you know. Thinking about, okay, how does that, does that make sense? And, you know, what does that really mean when we talk about these wounds? And, you know, where is the mind? So, it's, um, things to think about. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:30 Highlight the passage at 1:33:30

1:33:48 So, let's do a little dedication. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:48 Highlight the passage at 1:33:48

1:33:54 If we go to page 246 in the book. Report an error in the passage at 1:33:54 Highlight the passage at 1:33:54

1:34:09 Male beings everywhere plagued by sufferings of body and mind, obtain an ocean of happiness and joy by virtue of my marriage. May no living creature suffer from evil or evil. May no one be afraid and be riddled with a mind laid down by depression. May the blind see forms and the deaf hear sounds. May those whose bodies are worn with toil be restored and find repose. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:09 Highlight the passage at 1:34:09

1:34:34 May the naked find clothing, the hungry find food. May the thirsty find water and delicious drinks. May the poor find wealth, those weak with sorrow find joy. May the poor horn find hope, constant happiness and prosperity. May there be timely rains and bountiful harvests. May all medicines be effective and wholesome prayers bear fruit. May all who are sick and ill, quickly be freed from their ailments. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:34 Highlight the passage at 1:34:34

1:34:59 Whatever diseases there are in the world, may they never occur again. May the frightened cease to be afraid and those bound be freed. May the powerless find power and make people think of everything to each other. For as long as space remains, for as long as sentient beings remain, until then may I too remain to dispel the mysteries of the world. Report an error in the passage at 1:34:59 Highlight the passage at 1:34:59

1:35:27 Page 45 and page 11, I think. Like Report an error in the passage at 1:35:27 Highlight the passage at 1:35:27

1:35:36 I said, try to, well, I'll send you out a reminder. I did send out the slides so they're in there. Next week, we'll kind of finish up. There's quite a bit to go through with the solution process and we'll have two more classes and then the practice, and along with the practice days. Class next week, practice day, and then. Report an error in the passage at 1:35:36 Highlight the passage at 1:35:36