The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

In the Foreword of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, His Holiness the Dalai Lama addresses the inevitability of death and different ways of approaching it. He argues that in Tibetan Buddhism, death is a natural aspect of existence. He emphasizes the importance of the mind’s state at death, which, along with one’s karma, can impact the quality of one’s next rebirth. He notes that dedicated practitioners of Buddhism use death as an opportunity for profound spiritual realization, often engaging in meditation during their final moments.

He notes that assisting others in their dying process is equally important to dying well. The Dalai Lama notes that the key in assisting one’s death is to avoid disturbing the dying person’s mind and instead help them achieve equanimity and peace. His Holiness commends Rinpoche’s experience in both Tibetan Buddhism and the Western tradition, noting that he is the right person to deliver the teachings contained in The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying.

Twenty- five years after the first publication of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Rinpoche reflects on the impact of his work. He notes that the book has been appreciated globally, as many found solace and inspiration in its teachings, regardless of their background or faith. The book was adopted by different institutions and even found application in medicine and education, proving the universal appeal of its message.

Rinpoche notes that societal changes in attitudes towards death have produced increased public awareness and the expansion in hospice work and palliative care. He expresses gratitude for the teachings and his masters and reiterates his original hope for the book to inspire a change in how society views life, death, and caring for the living and the dying.

In the Prologue, Rinpoche recounts his early life, beginning with his entry into a monastery in the region of Kham, Tibet, at six months old under the guidance of his spiritual master, Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö. According to the Tibetan tradition of identifying and cultivating the reincarnations of great masters, Rinpoche was recognized as the incarnation of Tertön Sogyal, a mystic and teacher of the 13th Dalai Lama.

Rinpoche describes Jamyang Khyentse as a tall man with a magnetic presence, silver hair, and kind, humorous eyes, whose wisdom, eloquence, and personality were transferred to young Rinpoche through teachings and the daily monastic lifestyle. According to Rinpoche, Jamyang Khyentse was the reincarnation of an influential teacher of Buddhism in Tibet. Acting as a spiritual teacher and father figure to the young Rinpoche, Jamyang Khyentse instilled confidence in the teachings and a commitment to pass them on. Rinpoche also reflects on the holistic role of a lama in Tibetan society, combining spiritual guidance with practical care, particularly for the sick and dying.

In this chapter, Sogyal Rinpoche narrates his first encounters with death. The chapter opens with Rinpoche’s childhood memory of Samten, a monk and attendant of Khyentse who fell ill and died. This experience introduced the seven-year-old Rinpoche to the realities of death, the smell of decay, and the heavy silence surrounding the dying process. Yet, within this grim scene, he observed Samten’s inner peace. He attributes it to his faith, training, and the comforting presence of his master, Jamyang Khyentse.

Young Rinpoche also experienced the death of Lama Tseten during a horseback trip to Lhasa that the group of monks he was part of was undertaking. Lama Tseten’s passing was unique; he refused to die in a monastery and passed away with a deep sense of inner realization and confidence.

Rinpoche reflects on these experiences, emphasizing the importance of understanding and preparing for death through spiritual practice. He contrasts the Tibetan perspective on death, which is intertwined with life and spiritual practice, with the Western view, which often involves denial or fear of death. He criticizes the Western approach for its short-term focus and lack of spiritual depth, leading to a lack of responsibility and compassion in environmental, health, and other global issues.

Rinpoche next discusses the continuous cycle of life, death, rebirth, and the bardos (transitional states between life and death) in Tibetan Buddhism. He states that the teachings of the bardos in The Tibetan Book of the Dead offer a comprehensive view of life and death. The preparation for death is essential during one’s life. Through understanding and meditation, one can transform the experience of dying into an opportunity for liberation and enlightenment.

Rinpoche concludes by emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of death in modern society. He suggests that this understanding could lead to a more compassionate and responsible way of living, benefiting not only individuals but also the planet. Rinpoche imparts his view that life and death are a continuous journey, where understanding and preparing for death can enrich life and ultimately lead to spiritual liberation.

Rinpoche explains the concept of impermanence in Tibetan Buddhism and its connection to death. The chapter opens with a reflection on how people typically ignore death, focusing instead on mundane aspects of life. This avoidance only intensifies their fear and despair when they are eventually confronted with death, whether it’s their own death or that of someone close. The author argues that to diminish death’s power over oneself, it is necessary to make it a familiar concept and remain constantly mindful of death’s inevitability. This understanding is not meant to evoke fear but to encourage living a more meaningful and liberated life, unshackled from the fear of death.

The author recalls a story between Dudjom Rinpoche, a meditation and yogi master, and his wife. Dudjom Rinpoche and his wife were driving through France, admiring the neat and flower-decorated cemeteries. His wife remarked on the cleanliness of the West, even in places for corpses, contrasting it with the East. Dudjom Rinpoche humorously replied that the West indeed has wonderful houses for both dead and living corpses, critiquing the empty materialism of modern life. Sogyal Rinpoche reflects on the emptiness of lives focused on material comfort and routine, which ignore the impermanence of all material things. This societal neglect of death and what may follow fosters a shallow materialism, leaving people unprepared for life’s end and what lies beyond.

Sogyal Rinpoche recounts a story about a poor man who has a sack of grain and dreams of prosperity. As the man imagines his future wealth, marriage, and a son named “As Famous as the Moon,” a rat cuts the sack’s rope, killing the man instantly. This story conveys the futility of a life based on the illusion of permanence. People ignore death and spiritual depth, becoming slaves to their possessions and daily activities, thus wasting their lives on trivial pursuits.

Rinpoche presents the Tibetan perspective of life and death, according to which life is fleeting and ever-changing, like autumn clouds or a flash of lightning. He uses the example of Gyalsé Rinpoche, who advises against fixating on future plans, likening it to fishing in a dry creek, and the example of Patrul Rinpoche, who would weep on New Year’s Day, mourning the unpreparedness of many for death.

The author explains that understanding life’s fragility can profoundly awaken one to appreciate its value. He then defends the Buddhist discipline of meditating on the profundities of life and death. He states that simplifying life fosters peace and readiness for death, challenging us to evaluate our achievements beyond material success. Rinpoche, in keeping with the Tibetan tradition, believes that near-death experiences reveal life’s true priorities. He ends the chapter by urging the readers to contemplate their mortality and live with purpose, aware of the impermanent nature of existence.

Chapter 3 starts with the story of Krisha Gotami, who lost her child and sought the Buddha’s help to revive him. Buddha said he would heal the child on the condition that she collect a mustard seed from a house untouched by death, a task she eventually realized was impossible because in all the houses at least one person had died. This led her to understand the universality of death and suffering. She returned to Buddha, seeking understanding about life, death, and what part of her would not die. Buddha taught her about impermanence, which Krisha Gotami internalized, eventually attaining enlightenment.

Rinpoche emphasizes how confronting death can lead to profound personal awakening and transformation. Near-death experiences, for instance, often result in significant changes in people’s outlooks on life, including reduced fear of death, increased altruism, and a deeper understanding of life’s spiritual aspects. Rinpoche references a woman who was suffering from cancer and other people suffering from life-threatening illnesses whose experiences led them to greater compassion and a more spiritual understanding of life. According to the Tibetan tradition, accepting and understanding death can lead to liberation from habitual patterns and attachments.

Rinpoche cites Nyoshul Khenpo’s poem about the fleeting, illusionary nature of existence and the suffering that the attachment to it brings. Rinpoche reflects on the habitual patterns that enslave people. Rinpoche advises, however, that through mindful reflection, one can recognize and escape these cycles, leading to a transformative liberation and a profound understanding of life’s transient essence.

The Buddhist concept of impermanence is at the heart of understanding one’s identity, Rinpoche states. Everything is interdependent and in constant flux, lacking inherent, independent existence. This understanding should not lead to despair but rather to compassion and a sense of responsibility in the world. Rinpoche’s message is that amidst constant change, there is a deeper, unchanging truth that is the key to understanding life and death.

Chapter 4 explores the Tibetan Buddhist understanding of the nature of the mind through stories and Rinpoche’s personal experiences. It begins with a parable of a frog from a well that meets a sea frog and is astonished by the frog’s understanding of the sea. The story is a metaphor of humans’ reduced perception of the world, the world being much greater than human experience.

Rinpoche reflects on important moments in childhood when his master, Jamyang Khyentse, introduced him to the nature of his mind, a pivotal moment in his spiritual lineage. The first encounter occurred at age six or seven, when he experienced an overwhelming sense of tenderness and warmth when his master hugged and kissed him. The second, more formal encounter, happened around age nine during a pilgrimage. Here, the master’s sudden question, “What is mind?” (43), led young Rinpoche to a profound realization, a state of shock where past and future thoughts ceased and a direct, present awareness emerged.

Rinpoche then discusses the three elements necessary for a spiritual experience like the one he recounted: an authentic master, a devoted student, and a lineage of introduction. The personal connection and direct transmission of wisdom from master to student are particularly vital. Rinpoche’s spiritual journey included learning from Dudjom Rinpoche after Jamyang Khyentse’s passing. Experiences with Dudjom Rinpoche deepened his understanding and realization of the nature of mind.

Rinpoche next discusses the Buddhist insight that life and death are constructs of the mind. He distinguishes between two aspects of the mind: the ordinary mind (called sem in Tibetan) and the nature of mind. Sem is the discursive, dualistic thinking mind, vulnerable to external influences and habitual tendencies. It is characterized by constant activity, including thinking, plotting, and experiencing emotions. Rinpoche likens this ordinary mind to a candle flame in an open doorway—unstable and easily influenced.

On the other hand, the nature of mind, or Rigpa, is one’s innermost essence, untouched by change or death and existing within the ordinary mind. Rinpoche likens Rigpa to a clear sky, always present but often obscured by the clouds of thoughts and emotions. This nature of mind is a pure, pristine awareness, intelligent and always awake, common to all beings. Rigpa represents the root of all understanding.

Rinpoche emphasizes that Rigpa is inherent in everyone and that the way to reach Rigpa is through reflection on one’s own ordinary mind, realizing the nature of mind is the path to enlightenment. He suggests that modern civilization, with its distractions and misconceptions about reality, makes it difficult for people to recognize and understand the nature of mind. Tibetan Buddhism recommends the practice of meditation as a means to purify the ordinary mind and eventually recognize the nature of mind.