Theme 4 handout

Theme 4: Living and Dying
Sources
1 Abhidharma
2 Mahayana school—Yogacara
3 Tibetan Treatises—Bardo Thödol: The Great Liberation Through Hearing in the Intermediate State by Padma-sambhava, written in 760 CE., North Indian

Four Existences (bhava) 四有---Abhidharma, Yogacara, etc.
1 Dyingà死有
2. After death/intermediate existence (antaraa-bhava)à中有
3. Moment of Rebirthà生有
4. Birth and Livingà本有

Death---Yogacarabhumi
1.at the end of life span 壽盡
2.at the end of merit 福盡
3.death before one’s time 非命死

Nine Causes of Untimely Death
1. Excessive eating 食無度量
2. Eating the unsuitable 食所不宜
3. Eat before digesting all 不消復食
4. Not get rid of unsuitable food 生而不吐
5. Holding the digested food 熟而持之
6. Not cure serious disease 不近醫藥
7. Not know good food or bad food 不知於己若損若益
8. Having sexual conduct at the wrong time 非時行非梵行
9. Having excessive sexual conduct 非量行非梵行

Confucius also says, “Food and Sex are the (human) nature.” 食色性也

Process of Dying
• Gross disintegration--physical
• Subtle disintegration—mental

Four Great Elements (physical)
Earth Water Fire Wind
Subtle Disintegration (Mental)
• Seeing pleasant or horrific imagery
• Alaya consciousness
• Seed manifestation

What is “Mind”?
1st - 5th consciousness
eye, ear, nose, tongue and body
6th consciousness
7th consciousness
8th consciousness

After Death
• “Soul”?
• Alaya consciousness
• Intermediate existence
• Bardo

Five names for bardo
1
mind-originated
manomaya
意成
2
rebirth-seeking
saṃbhavaiṣin
求生
3
incense-eater
gandharva
食香
4
name-arising
abhinirvṛtti
為起
5
Intermediate being
Antarā-bhava
中有

Intermediate Being (Bardo)
• Stays 7 days looking for rebirth
• Unable reborn, bardo dies and is reborn as bardo again
• 7x7 days decide to reborn=49 days

Clear Light of the Absolute True Nature of Reality—the moment of Liberation
“Serious meditative practitioners, who have received the proper empowerments (initiations) meditative training and sustained meditative experience, have an opportunity at death to recognize the Clear Light of the Absolute True Nature of Reality and achieve Ultimate Enlightenment at that time. Much of an advanced practitioner's meditative training involves meeting this transformative moment.”

Six Realms in Samsara
Heaven Asura Human Animal Hungry ghost Hell

3 Factors for Rebirth
• Primary Karma
• Habitual karma
• The last thought
Rebirth
• Physical part
– sperm from father+ egg from mother
• Mental part
– Intermediate being

The Conditions of Conception---Majjhima Nikaya sutta
• “Monks, it is on the conjunction of three things that there occurs the decent of an intermediate being into the womb....But when the parents come together in union, it is the mother’s proper season and the intermediate being is present, then on the conjunction of these three things the descent of an intermediate being will take place….Then, monks, the mother for nine or ten months carries the fetus in her womb with great concern for her heavy burden.”
父母交會，母親適期，中陰身現行，三者俱合，中陰身即可投胎



Recommended reading
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche
Bardo Thödol: The Tibetan Book of the Dead. Trans. by Thurman, Robert A. F.
Articles on
“Bardo Thodol”
“Living and Dying in Theravada Tradition”
“Buddhism and Bioethics”