Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. The guided visualization at the heart of this 46-minute talk walks the listener through every stage of dying: earth dissolving into water (a shimmering mirage), water into fire (bluish smoke), fire into air (sparks), then the sequential white, red, and black appearances, and finally the crystal clarity of the clear light just before death. Ven Jampa Gendun frames this exercise as the pivot in a multi-week series on dying — the night, as he puts it, “we’re going to be reborn.” He opens with a candid reflection on ego-based suffering as ahistoric, meaning it persists regardless of upbringing or personal history, before leading a compassion meditation. He then locates the visualization within Lama Tsongkhapa’s Three Fundamentals of the Path and closes with a reading of Lama Yeshe’s poem “Dissolution” on impermanence. Suited to practitioners already following the series.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 05 H and M of B 1992 08 05.mp3
UUID: ce07f094-7081-4024-aa7e-608e7af683c5
Teacher: Ven Jampa Gendun
Collection: The Heart and Mind of Buddhism (Ven Jampa Gendun)
Date: 1992-08-05
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 46.4 minutes
Words: ~3,758
One of the oldest students here at Buddha House, and I was going through a rather confusing period, a confused period. And she said, Oh, it must be a very high level of confusion. And I thought about that and that sounded pretty good. And so so you know until we solve the most basic problems of our life maybe there’s always going to be these periods when we’re going to feel very confused. You know maybe a confusion rather creative state of flux when there’s some changes occurring.
But other than that, know aside from that, that I you know I have all of the various problems that I think you know in my own way that you have. Perhaps not the domestic problems or put it positively I also don’t share in your domestic happiness as you do, as you all experience, which I hope you experience. But basically behind these eyes, behind those eyes, I think we’re very much alive, not too much difference. I am saying over this I’m not denigrating myself in any way. I respect myself for what I do and what I have done with a significant portion of my life and having directed my energies and whatever talents however limited they might be to focus upon growth.
But, and so I think you know this idea of higher order of problems, but I want to just remind you that when I talk, know, I’m also talking to myself. You know they say there’s no better way to learn than to teach and I have found that to be true in my case. All of that what I say is very much reminding myself and if I’m anything I think I’m genuine, sincere about what I do and my wanting to make some kind of difference both to myself and to other people. So you know to create some kind of atmosphere of sharing together. I have been very fortunate somewhere along the line in one of my past rebirths I did something right.
I don’t know how I did it but somehow you know if the law of the cause and effect is valid which I presume it is then I have had the great fortune, to have sat at the feet of many many really great teachers, really inspiring, wise, compassionate human beings. And I think simply through the process of osmosis I was benefited. I have a very tough mind in many ways. I have a big ego and, but somehow I don’t know if you if you’re around these ideals enough and you and you’re sincere enough then maybe something rubs off even if by accident even for someone like me. So there I feel there has been some changes so I can have some confidence in that and in what I say.
But I don’t I don’t think we can look for quick fixes. You know, I think many of the problems that Buddhism is addressing itself at are working at a very deep level. You know, many of the problems are ahistoric. By ahistoric I mean those types of problems which are which are no matter what our particular history may have been whether we had loving parents and skillful parents, we had no severe traumas during the course of our life, we had an ideal whatever that might be childhood, still we have problems. There are many problems with simply being an ordinary human being entailed.
As long as we exist within ego based existence, we’re going to have problems. That is to say our problems are ahistoric. Simply having an ego and all the various feelings of alienation, fragmentation, isolation, loss of innocence, having to watch yourself, loss of spontaneity, you can’t hear me. Maybe could you turn up a little bit further? So in conclusion, can you hear me now?
Great. So I think we have to address ourselves at many levels, address our problems. And I guess what I’m saying is that in my own case I feel like there has been some positive change. I’m a better person. I’m more worthwhile.
I’m of more benefit to myself and a benefit to others. I’m a happier person. And so I can speak with some sort of confidence in what I talk about. I have no explanation of, but somehow something’s changed in my life, my worldview, in my relationships with others which I think is I want to share with you and then all my limited various ways and my all my confusion and my limited capacities. I I try.
I remember Lama Yeshe who was the founder of Buddha House. You know he used to say that that’s all we can do is try. He used to speak his grammar was very creative to say that you know. But there was some poetry about it. And sometimes people who were perhaps more intellectually academically oriented would question his use of words and his imposition or seem imposition in the way he he would talk upon subjects.
He said, I just try. I have some kind of feeling over here. It’s something I’d like to share with you. And though it’s the vehicle of words is imperfect and though I’m particularly inadequate at using words, still I try to communicate these ideas. So I think it’s important that we believe in something.
You know the intellect operates on the basis of proof and demonstration but the soul and that’s a dangerous word for Buddhists to use but if you allow me the literary license to use it. The soul requires meaning and belief. We have to find some meaning. We have to find something to believe in. And I’m not saying that one should believe in Buddhism.
By all by all means, I I you know, Buddhism is not something that needs to be believed in. It is something which is, to be practiced and then to be experienced. And then one, you know, one gets a taste and can believe in that taste. I can believe in the actual one’s own change, one becomes one’s own inspiration to change. It’s a continued practice.
But I would, I think more than not, would like for you to believe in yourself. It’s hard at times, isn’t it? Because we have various conceptions of ourselves and quite often they’re very limited. Feelings of insufficiency, feelings of lack of self worth. And then somehow in spite of there are our feelings about ourselves trying to believe in ourselves and the possibility for another way of being.
We can’t perhaps imagine how we would we would we will be, how we would like to be, but believing in the possibility of that no matter what our present circumstance might might be, the very specific characteristics and qualities of our present situation. If we apply ourselves to being all that we can be, if we make some sort of consistent effort of working with ourselves and growth not quite knowing what is going to come out at the earliest end, that we can have some kind of belief that it things will be well that we will change. Change is an unknown element. We can’t. It’s probably impossible to predict because of all the infinite number of variables which which go up to which go into making bringing about change.
But that’s the simple fact that if we if we make this consistent choice of a path with heart of something that we believe in very deeply and create some space in your life to ensure that you’re growing and make some sort of effort in your daily life that consistent moving toward the person you feel you can be. Then no matter what the verities of life may bring us and all the various difficulties and all the various feelings of insufficiency and all the various long dark nights of the soul, change will still be occurring within this this confusion. And there’s something there’s a process at work and we can, which is going to be our refuge. And this, you know, creating some kind of direction in our life. So more than that, I guess I’m just saying that to give yourself a chance.
You know, if we make if we make this consistent choice, we create the space and make the effort just a little bit. I’m not asking anyone to to put on hair shirts and to get to give up their chocolate cake. That’s not the question. It’s simply turning one’s mind towards another possible way of being as often as we are aware of it, as often as we can be mindful of. You know holding up something which you find really worthwhile and aiming for it and believing in yourself that you can do it.
This is a a something very precious. You must be very special people to have such such a precious possession. I go for refuge until I am enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma and the highest assembly. From the virtuous merit that I collect by practicing giving and the other perfections, may I attain the state of a Buddha to be able to benefit all sentient beings. I go for refuge until I’m enlightened to the Buddha, the Dharma, the highest assembly.
In the virtuous merit that I collect by practicing giving any other perfections, may I attain the state of a Buddha to be able to benefit all sentient beings. I go for refuge to the Buddha, the Buddha, the Dharma, and the highest assembly. In the virtuous merit that I collect in practicing giving and the other perfection, may I attain the state of a Buddha to be able to benefit all sentient beings? We’ll begin with meditation. And I thought we’ll begin with development of compassion and love as our motivation and we’ll practice mindfulness of the breath focusing upon the natural, easy, even out flow of the breath.
And then I thought we just, you know, last week we talked about the death process. The process of I think we’ve been dying for a few weeks now, haven’t we? The death process, you know, the the the delinking of consciousness. Tonight we’re going to be reborn by the way. We’re going to talk about we’re going to be we’re going to talk about Libra.
The various stages in the death process of the delinking from the grosser that the consciousness is intimately related or connected, bonded to varying levels of coarse materiality. The physical body and the various levels of the physical body, the coarse physical body and the subtle body and then the extremely subtle body And this delinking process as the ability of the gross physical body to act as a support for consciousness ceases then there’s a delinking between the coarse states of consciousness which begin to dissolve and the more subtle levels of consciousness until there’s finally a quick complete severance between the extremely subtle energy and the grosser patterns of energy and then that which goes on to rebirth as we’re going to talk about tonight is this combination of subtle energy and subtlest mind. But this process of this delinking or the weakening of the karmic bond which has maintained this connection over the course of our life. It doesn’t break all at once. It breaks in progressive steps and we talked about that last week in terms of what we call the earth element dissolving into the water element, the water dissolving into the fire, etc.
And the various visions will occur to us. So I thought we’d go through this practice going through these visions. It’s kind of fun to watch the light show. We’re going to talk, go through it briefly, just to implant some kind of disposition that’s going to happen to us one day naturally. So when we talked about the earth dissolving into the water, that is to say the earth element, that is to say the principle of solidity of extension that which maintains the physical structure of the body is losing its ability to support consciousness.
So, that is to say that is what we call the earth element is dissolving and the next element that is say the water element, the cohesive principle becomes most predominant. So accordingly, there’s a particular internal vision which arises. In this case, there’s a mirage, you know, like you’re driving along on the hot outback in the bush and along the road you see a shivering mirage of water. And this is what will appear to your dying consciousness. And then as the cohesive factor, the water element loses its ability to support a particular level of consciousness, then the next element becomes predominant that is the fire element.
And the internal vision of this process occurring is a wispy bluish smoke appearing in the sky and the water element. The fire element loses its ability to support consciousness that is to say the fire element being the vibratory, the vibration, the movement on micro scale and then the energy element becomes predominant and we see spark like if you take some dried grass. It’s nighttime and you set them alight and you throw them up in the air. Sparks of light and the dark sky. And this the energy, the wind energy begins is unable to support consciousness and the subtle more subtle types of wind energy become predominant and there appears a white vision.
And this is white vision like if in a white moon, the light of a white moon completely pervading the sky, a depthless whiteness, completely pervading, a glowing whiteness, completely pervading the entire space. And then as that level of subtle energy is unable to begin losing its ability to support consciousness then the next level becomes more predominant and here there’s a red vision and the same redness like the red of a sky or the red of the sun for completely pervading all of space. A depthless redness, brilliant redness and then that level ceases to function and the next level of subtle energy becomes more predominant and then there’s a blackness completely pervading the sky. So there’s a black vision And then finally that level ceases to function and there occurs the rising of the clear light of death. And here it’s like a completely clear sky just before sunrise and the sun is just about to come up on a completely clear day.
There’s a depthless crystal clarity to the sky And this is the mind of clear light. The next moment is death. So I thought we just go through those visions. So if you take a comfortable posture. Let’s begin with the cultivation of compassion and the cultivation of love.
Try to develop them towards someone that you care about, you someone of the same sex, someone that you like very much, that you like. Imagine that person in front of you. If you can’t see them, it doesn’t matter. Just feel that that person is there. And first, we’ll begin with compassion, with a simple gentle caring thought.
It would be wonderful if you didn’t have any problems. I would like that very much. That would be great if you didn’t have any problems, if you didn’t have any dissatisfaction. And then straighten that. May you be free of of all your problems, completely free of any dissatisfaction.
I wish you were free of your problems. And I’ll strengthen that. I’m gonna help you. I’m gonna take responsibility for working with you to free you from your difficulties, to help you to solve your problem. I’m gonna make that commitment to you.
We’re going to cultivate love. First with the gentle thought. How wonderful if you were happy. I like that very much. You’re gonna strengthen that.
I’m gonna help you. I’m going to take responsibility for working with you to bring you happiness. I’m gonna make that commitment to you. In a way, I’m going to fulfill that commitment at this present moment If I’m developing my mind through my meditation. That’s the way I’m going to help you now through my meditation.
And bring your mind to the breath. Just be gentle, easy, and and flow the natural breath. If we begin to die, first the earth element dissolves into the water element. The shimmering shimmering mirage appears in your vision. When the water dissolves into the fire, a swirling bluish smoke swirling bluish smoke period with a vision.
Faint with with smoke. And the fire dissolves into the air And sparks appear in the blackness of the sky. Specks of spark. And as the energies begin to dissolve, you see a sputtering butter lamp in a darkened room just about to go out. The glow of a butter lamp about to go out in the darkened room.
Then the white appearance, the entire sky pervaded by the brilliant whiteness of the moon. Then red appearance, entire space pervaded by the red glowing color of the moon of the sun. And the black appearance entire space pervaded with black. Then the dawn of the clear light. Crystal clear space.
Feel a sense of bliss. You can associate it with sexual bliss. Try to visualize crystal clear space like the sky just before before dawn, the feeling of bliss. We’re looking at a short text called the three fundamentals of the path by Lama Tsongkhapa. I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned Je Tsongkhapa is the central figure in this painting above the Buddha, the image of the Buddha.
He was a fourteenth century scholar-yogi. The three pentamenes of the path, the determination to be free, the awakening heart, and the awakening mind. Awakening hearts to others and awakening our mind to the ultimate nature of reality. The two wings by means of which we can fly across the sea of all other troubles and to a place where we can be a benefit to both ourselves and others. We’re progressing within this first fundamental of the path, developing the determination to be free.
You’re looking at the basis for transformation, our basic sanity, our Buddha nature and that we have all the necessary causes, all the necessary conditions necessary to actualize this potentiality that we all possess. But this chance isn’t going to last forever. It’s definite that we’re going to die and the time of our death is uncertain and what will be of any benefit at the moment of our death. And not only the big death which occurs at the end of the life, but also the very small death which occur over the course of our life. And we’ve been discussing death.
First in terms of the nine-point death meditation and the three roots, the depth is definite, and at the time of death is uncertain and it is only the degree to which we have developed our mind, the various attitudes that we’ve created over the course of our life which are going to be of any benefit at the time of our death. And last week, we looked at the death process, The way in which the ordered process, the sequence of the delinking of consciousness from the coarse body which constitutes death. The five forces, the means by which we can help ourselves at the moment of our death. The practices that we can put into place, we can implement to help our death and our subsequent rebirth. Tonight we’re going to talk about rebirth.
We’re going to be reborn. But before I I’d like to read, I mentioned in the beginning of the talk, Lama Yeshe. Lama Yeshe was the founder of Buddha House. He was quite a significant person in many people’s lives, especially in my life. He died about six years ago and perhaps it’s seven now in a poem he wrote.
I think it’s been reworked quite a lot but anyway, I think it’s still a good poem and it’s about death. I’d like to read it. It’s called Dissolution. Water rushing down a steep mountainside, a natural force. There is life but the force of dying is there driving.
Many people think I am crazy when I talk about death. They think I don’t understand life. If you think about death and suffering you make yourself miserable. They think I’m obsessed. Dying is horrible.
Why do you dwell on it? Ridiculous. They do not understand life. We exist in a dance between life and death, a vast drama with one actor changing character, one face then another and another moving changing. From the first instant of life impermanence is with us.
From the moment of conception decay begins. In the second moment of life a change has already occurred and the first moment has disappeared. This is impermanence and death. I exist. I exist is a misconception, a permanent conception.
Every energy is moving, changing, coming and going, coming and going, growing older, older and dying, dying, dying. When we see a dead body, we never visualize our own corpse there. Ah, it’s dead, horrible, I’m leaving now. We never think that’s me. There is fear, not understanding.
That terrible corpse is within you now. All sense world phenomena exist like a cloud. If there is a meeting or beginning or contact, there is naturally change, separation and disappearance. Man and woman, friend and mother, family and father, atoms, fire and water, things. If there is a meeting separation must follow automatically and there will be clinging fear and suffering.
Every imaginable super samsaric experience, every contact, every enjoyment will disappear, its nature. But we are so insecure. We find a friend and worry that he will disappear. We find pleasure and worry that it will end. We are afraid to lose our home and money, our loved ones and our body.
We all fear separation and disappearance. This is the universal fear but this is useless creating only confusion. It is not solution, it is dissolution. Recently some people went on an expedition to Mount Everest. They were successful and reached the summit but on the way down one man died.
They tried to revive him but it was impossible. Why did he go? Milarepa said, When worldly people see me, they think I am completely crazy and when I see worldly people, I think they are completely crazy. To choose Coca Cola when we could have champagne is very sad.