lake of lotus (4) the meaning of ndes (4) the almighty light at the moment of death intrinsic nature...

8/13/2019 Lake of Lotus (4) the Meaning of NDEs (4) the Almighty Light at the Moment of Death Intrinsic Nature Manifested i

1/7

The Profound Abstruseness of Life and Death :

The Meaning of Near-Death Experiences (4)

By Vajra Acharya Pema Lhadren

Translated by Simon S.H. Tang

In many cases of near-death experiences (NDEs),most of the survivors have seen the Light. In fact,how is the Light being generated, and what does itstand for? Many survivors have tried to, accordingto their own personal religious beliefs, identify thisLight as the deity or God in whom they believe.However, is this correct?

It is rather unscientic if an individual simplysubjectively identies the Light in accordancewith ones own religious beliefs. Even though thescientic community cannot fully understand thevarious evidences being surfaced in near-deathexperiences, the survivors psychological effectsand elements are being attributed to have certainproportions of importance in their inductions of theirvarious kinds of experiences.

Since the teachings of Buddhism is based upon

its true reection of the natural reality of theuniverse as its basic foundation, it has pointed outthat all phenomena are theprojections of the mind.In this respect, it concurswith certain part of thearguments from the scienticc o m m u n i t y ; h o w e v e r ,in terms of the depths ofinterpretation, Buddhismexcels sciences by leapsand bounds. For instance,there are very profound andclear explanations about theLight in the Tibetan Bookof the Dead, including theways in dealing with and utilizing it. In this respect,Buddhism has no peers, regardless of the scienticcommunity or with other religions.

The Almighty Light at the Moment of Death

The Almighty Light at the Moment of Death

The Origin of the Light

The Application of Light

Super Abilities, Supernatural Powers and Levels of Realization

sue no.4

1

djom Buddhist Association (International)oor, Federal Centre, 77 Sheung On Street, Chaiwan, Hong Kong

Tel(852) 2558 3680 Fax(852) 3157 1144Websitehttp://www.dudjomba.com Em ai l i n f o@dud j om ba . o r g . hk

Copyright Owner:

Dudjom Buddhist Associati

International Limited

ubeyoutube.com/user/DudjomBuddhist

Facebookwww.facebook.com/DudjomBuddhist

http://www.tudou.com/home/dudjom

http://i.youku.com/dudjom

56.comhttp://i.56.com/Dudjom


2/7

Case 4

Before more in-depth explanations, we wouldlike to cite a case about the profound experienceof the Light. The story is about Ms Kimberlywho is a clinical social worker, as well as anadjunct professor of medicine at the University ofWashington, Seattle, USA. The event occurred in

1970 when she was a senior high school student.The following was her own description of theincident:-

During that time, I was living in Kansas. One day,I got the rst drivers license in my life, and so myfather escorted me to collect it from the relevantofce in a nearby small town.

While I was queuingon the line, I suddenlyfelt very uncomfortableand couldnt even standstill. After telling thatto my father, I suddenlyfainted and fell on theground. Due to unknownreasons, both my breathsand pulses all stopped. Ittook thirty minutes beforethe ambulance from thecity centre arrived. In themeantime, someone gotan articial respiratorfrom a nearby voluntary

re brigade, but nobodyknew how to use it.

Due to their improperapplication, the articialrespirator had suckedout the air in my lunginstead. My lips andngers had all turnedblack. Then, some rst aidpersonnel re-adjusted andre-applied the respirator, but again this time they

had mistakenly pumped the air into the wrongplace, and so my abdomen was inated gradually.As there were no other options, they had to switchoff the articial respirator.

All the people thought that I was dead. A remantold my father that his daughter was incurable,and so he covered my body with a blanket sheet.During this interval of coma, I went through thenear-death experience. To my left, I saw a ladyshrieking out that I no longer had any pulses. I

responded by shouting out loudly that I was ne,but I just couldnt make any noise. During thattime, I saw more and more people gatheringaround me, and with worries, they were staring atthe place where I was lying. Surprisingly, I foundout that I couldnt see their faces.

Subsequently, I felt that I was trapped in a thickfog, but I couldnt see anything except the fog. Itseemed that I had lost the sense of timing and hadentered into eternity. It felt like I was waiting forsomething, and during that time in the midst of thefog, I gradually realize the true nature of the fog.It was composed of micro droplets of light, withextreme darkness surrounding them. I believedthat there were no other light sources to be moreclean and pure than the lights of those droplets

of light. Similarly, therewas no other darknessto be darker than thatwhich was surrounding

those droplets of light.It just felt like staringinto the light particles ofthe TV screen with oneseyes. When staring at thethick cloud of the fog withones eyes, one would thennd that it was formed bythese micro droplets oflight.

Thereafter, there emitted

a strong l ight beamjust beneath me. I wasembraced by this highenergy l ight source.Converging upon meas the focal point, thislight beam symbolizedrebirth and was full oflove. This light beam isso inconceivably brilliant,with me being inside it,

and I had the feeling of coming back home. Ithink that this light beam may perhaps be God.I felt that I had gained all kinds of knowledge.Anything that I want to know, I could comprehendit completely. Even those things that I thoughtthey were very difcult to understand before, Icould now easily understand them completely.After this kind of understanding, I started torealize how simple these things are.

Thereafter, I heard someone telling me that, sinceI was still young, I have to go back. At that time, I

sue no.4

2



Copyright Owner:









3/7

possesses enormous power, and can be manifestedin three different ways. They are:

1. Dharmakaya (Truth Body): without any formor shape, and non-materialistic in nature. It ispervasive and exists everywhere throughoutthe universe. It cannot be detected by anyinstruments, nor can the human powerof observation and discernment detect itsexistence.

2. Sambhogakaya (Complete Enjoyment Body):it exists in the form of Light. If a Buddhamanifests in this Complete EnjoymentBody, its intensity of light would be that ofone thousand suns, and this manifestationis known as the Buddha of Sambhogakaya.Since the light intensity is so strong that onlythose Eighth-stage Bodhisattvas or above canvisualize only a fraction of this. (The Eighth-stage is an indicator on the attainment of the

different levels of realization, such that itsmental strength can penetrate beyond thevisible light spectrum of lights).

3. Nirmanakaya (Emanation Body): it exists inmaterialistic forms, and can be manifested andreborn as various kinds of sentient beings ofdifferent realms.

The power of this intrinsic nature, Buddhataor primordial nature is tremendous. Its mostfundamental abilities and properties include the

following features:

1. Realization of the truth of all matters.Thereforeone of the names of the Buddha is known asSanyak Sambuddha in Sanskrit, which meansto have an accurate and correct knowledge on thetruth of all matters. The above case has conrmedthat what the Buddhist teachings have revealedis the truth of the natural universe. The above-mentioned case study has proven that the Buddhistteachings have reected only upon the truth ofthe natural reality. The Light that was seen bythe near-death experienced survivors was not thedeities or God, but is in fact from the intrinsicnature, Buddhata, or primordial nature of theindividual himself/herself.

Ms. Kimbery said, I felt that I had gained allkinds of knowledge.Anything that I want to know,I could comprehend it completely. Even thosethings that I thought they were very difcult tounderstand before, I could now understand themcompletely. After this kind of understanding, I

replied that I didnt want to go back. Nonetheless,I knew I couldnt stay there. When I went back,I saw my physical body. Yet, the return into thephysical body was not a simple matter. If theaccurate distance was not calculated properly, onejust couldnt be able to go back. At the beginning, Imissed it by about four feet. Hence, I had to try itagain. It was like having missed the target whiletrying to park a car along the roadside, and so onehad to try it again.

After I had returned to my physical body, I founda person was trying hard doing mouth-to-moutharticial resuscitation on me.

The Origin of the Light

According to the descriptions in the Tibetan Bookof the Dead, when a person leaves ones physicalbody from the exit doors of life and death, onewould encounter the Light. The appearanceof the Light is due to the fact that when allirksome negative feelings and energies (which are

classied into eighty types and categorized underthe three major negativities of greed, hatred andignorance) would all cease to exist at this verymoment, and so the natural power (which hasbeen existing in all sentient beings all along sincetime immemorial) would completely manifestitself as the Light.

In Buddhism, this is known as Svabhava inSanskrit, meaning intrinsic nature, or Buddhataor primordial nature. This intrinsic nature

sue no.4

3



Copyright Owner:









4/7

extent that their original working habits and lifestyles have all been changed. For instance, therehad been cases of Triad members who had turnedinto counselors for children, while prot-orientednancial investors had turned into social workersfor the poor, and so on. These cases are rathercommon, and they are the real life stories of near-death experienced survivors who had recoveredpart of their own intrinsic nature.

The difference between compassion and lovelies in the fact that compassion is not embeddedwith greed, hatred, ignorance, while love is to thecontrary. Most religions generally emphasize onlove as they cannot comprehended the intrinsicnature properly, while Buddhism covers both thebreadths and the depths of the ultimate realityof all things. Thus, it emphasizes on compassionin order to aim at the recovery of the purity ofones intrinsic nature.

3. The intensity of one thousand suns: Ms.Kimbery said, I believed that there were noother light sources to be more clean and purethan the lights of those droplets of light... Thislight beam is so inconceivably brilliant. This isa description of the intrinsic nature, Buddhata,or primordial nature of the special features ofthe Sambhogakaya. For such an intensity ofbrightness, all sentient beings will generally not

With the purity of ones mind (Emptiness), which induces the transformation of energies, to the stage of

Dharmakaya, and thus permanently uphold the abilities of ones intrinsic nature, that is, to attain Buddhahood.Manifested in this form is known as the Dharmakaya Buddha.

Lower Levels of Emptiness

Highest Levels of Emptiness

Polluted Minds

Nirmanakaya of Purity: Without any greed, hatred

and ignorance and entanglements in ones mind, so

that the abilities of ones intrinsic nature can be upheld

permanently in the form of Nirmanakaya, eg. Lord

Buddha Shakyamuni himself, in his Sambhogakaya form

is known as Losana Buddha, and in his Dharmakaya

form is known as Vairocana Buddha.

Nirmanakaya of Impurity: With greed, hatred and

ignorance and entanglements in ones mind, the

abilities of ones intrinsic nature will be hindered and

limited in scope. In this way, they will become the different

kinds of sentient beings in the six realms of the cycle of

karmic existence (Samsara).

Light:Manifested in this form is known

as the Sambhogakaya Buddha.Sambhogakaya

Changes in ones mind transform the energies into the Nirmanakaya

started to realize how simple these things are.It proves that Ms. Kimbery had recovered partof the super abilities of the intrinsic nature, butin no way this was enduring. Part of this superabilities is ones own ability of cognition, and itdoes not come from a deity or god which existsexternally. This proves that the Light that existsupon ones death comes from ones own intrinsicnature is indeed true, as has been mentioned in

the Buddhist teachings. This kind of ability allowsmany near-death experienced survivors to reviewall the happenings of ones own life in an instant.

2. Unconditional compassion: The mercy sodescribed in Buddhist teachings is a sort ofcompassion without greed, hatred, ignorance,unselshness and the unconditional great love.It is the basic quality of the intrinsic nature,Buddhata, or primordial nature. The majority ofthe near-death experienced survivors can describethe feelings of intense love when being immersed

in this illumination of the Light.Ms. Kimbery said, this light beam symbolizedrebirth and was full of love. This again provesthat Ms. Kimbery had recovered part of thespecial features of the intrinsic nature. Hence,many near-death experienced survivors haveundergone drastic changes in their dispositions,after experiencing revivals from death, to such an

sue no.4

4



Copyright Owner:









5/7

be able to see it. Since near-death experiencedsurvivors have recovered part of the superabilities of their primordial nature, they can nowsee this primordial light which comes from theirown selves.

4. Eternity and Boundlessness:Ms Kimbery said,It seemed that I had lost the sense of timing andhad entered into eternity. The statement is,

indeed, a pure description of the special featuresof the intrinsic nature, Buddhata, or primordialnature.

The Application of Light

According to the guidance of the Tibetan Book ofthe Dead, if a person can see the appearance ofLight upon ones death, and if one already hasadequate trainings on both mental concentrationand on Emptiness (Sunyata) (please referto the VCD on Emptiness: Neither Existence

Nor Voidness, published by Dudjom BuddhistAssociation), and further on if one could be ableto merge oneself with the Light, in such aninstance, then one might be able to recover onesown primordial intrinsic nature with freedomand autonomy, which is in fact the attainment ofBuddhahood (or Perfect Enlightenment).

Therefore, the moment when this Light occursis, indeed, the VERY MOMENT that has beenanticipated by all Dharma practitionerswho havebeen adequately prepared and trained for theirentire lives. However, ordinary people have no

way to recognize this Light as oneself and is onesown nature, and also they do not have adequatetrainings on both mental concentration andEmptiness to merge with it. Thus, when onesmind is starting off with any of the negativeenergies of greed, hatred, ignorance, thewhole gigantic web of karmic forces would betriggered. [The web of karmic forces: a giganticintricacy of a web/network of energies, togetherwith ones own energy. Due to both virtuous andnon-virtuous deeds amassed through countless

cycles of past lives, the linkages of causesand effects are thus generated. The linkage ofthese two kinds of energies would jointly inducenumerous tractions, and thus weaving into apiece of gigantic web/network of tractions, withextremely complicated structures and functions.Since these linkages are criss-crossing witheach other in such a complicated manner thatthis is known as the so-called web/network of

karmic forces. (Please refer to the VCD on TheInconceivable Law of Cause and Effect, publishedby Dudjom Buddhist Association.)]It causes ones intrinsic nature to be transformedagain into a materialistic structure with karmicforces. As this joint combination of ones intrinsicnature with matter is formed by a gradual processof condensation, and so the density of this bodysmaterialistic structure is extremely thin. The bodyat this stage is called the body of the Bardo(theintermediate stage between death and rebirth) in

Vajrayana Buddhism, meaning the body of thetransitional stage after death. It is in the earliestphase so the density of its materialistic structureis thin, and is in an existing form easiest to reviveback to its intrinsic nature. At the same time,however, it is also a form of existence to be mostreadily affected by ones own mind, which cantrigger a gigantic web/network of karmic forcesat any time, and would thus be xated into acertain material life form.

Once a certain life form is being xated, itresembles a case when one is being trapped

inside a certain vessel, and so one might be ableto be detached from it only after the vessel hasperished. In other words, if you are being xatedas a mouse by the tractions, then you would haveto go through the entire daily life activities of amouse all through your life, and would have to livein a squalid environment until its death.

In a detailed analysis on the process of change, itcan largely be divided into three stages:

According to the descriptions in the Tibetan Book of the Dead, when a person leaves ones physical body

from the exit doors of life and death, one would encounter the Light. The appearance of the Light is

due to the fact that when all irksome negative feelings and energies (which are classied into eighty types,

categorized under the three major negativities of greed, hatred and ignorance) would all cease to exist

at this very moment, and so the natural power (which has been existing in all sentient beings all along

since time immemorial) would completely manifest itself as the Light. In Buddhism, this is known as

Svabhava in Sanskrit, meaning intrinsic nature, or Buddhata or primordial nature.

Spark of WisdomSpark of Wisdom

sue no.4

5



Copyright Owner:









6/7

1. Drastic changes have taken place whenthe spiritual body leaves the physicalbody, and at an instant, all the tractionsbecome malfunctioned and thus causing theDharmakaya to re-appear.

2. The transformation from the Dharmakayaform into the Sambhogakaya form by

displaying itself in the form of Light. Hence,all sorts of super abilities will be revived, suchthat all the events and happenings in onespast life could be reviewed and realized at aninstant.

3. If a person does not have relevant trainingswhile alive, during the review of past life,ones mind will naturally trigger the giganticweb/network of karmic forces, such that theSambhogakaya form is now transformed intothe Nirmanakaya form, and there will be noway to revive back to the Dharmakaya form.As the density of the materialistic structure ofthe Nirmanakaya form is extremely thin, thisis known as the Body of Bardoin VajrayanaBuddhism.

Thus, if one can return to the Dharmakaya form,then all sorts of super abilities can be recoveredforever, which is the attainment of Buddhahood.In this regard, the attainment of Buddhahoodmeans the recovery of ones own primordialnature and its primordial abilities.

Super Abilities, SupernaturalPowers and Levels of Realization

From the regain of freedom as induced by death,to the helpless reincarnation, the whole processis totally without any self-autonomy and self-control. The only method of rescuing oneselfis toreceive relevant trainings while one is still alive.In Buddhism, this is called Dharma Practice.Asthere are different schools in Buddhism, and sothere are all sorts of ways for doing ones DharmaPractices. It is only in Vajrayana Buddhism that

it can be so authentically and meticulously indescribing all aspects of the death experience,and then carry out its trainings in accordancewith each of the phases of death both theoreticallyand practically; while its methods of Dharmapractices are synchronizing with the physicalconditions of ones body, such that these aremutually conducive to each other during theirapplications.

It is also only through the Vajrayana teachingsthat one can utilize scientic principles, and yetit transcends and goes beyond sciences to suchan extent that even the levels of success can befurther classied into advanced, medium andlow levels. Merely the superior wisdom in theutilization of death through its frenzy changesfor the attainment of Buddhahood already goes

beyond sciences. It is also this kind of wisdom ofputting ones energy right to the target and of itsrelevancy that Dharma practitioners of VajrayanaBuddhism could attain Buddhahood in a singlelifetime, and so do not need to go through billionsof years of Dharma practices as in the cases ofother schools.

Many Dharma practitioners would make majorchanges in their attitudes towards life and intheir styles of Dharma practices, either if theycould recover part of their intrinsic nature, orelse to go through similar experiences that near-death experienced survivors have experiencedthrough their efforts of Dharma practices. Thiskind of experiences that are acquired throughDharma practices, especially those experiencesof Emptiness that was experienced steadily byslowly recovering ones own intrinsic nature, canbe called as the levels of realization.

This kind of levels of realization wouldgenerally be manifested in the deep and profoundcomprehensions of the Buddhist teachings byDharma practitioners, who can use direct and

simple approaches to elaborate and interpretthe abstruseness of the Buddhist teachings, aswell as to grasp the essence of the teachings Emptiness. Exactly as having the same kind ofexperience that Ms. Kimbery had: After this kindof understanding, I started to realize how simplethese things are.

However, most people have misunderstood thatthe levels of realization is the possession ofsuper abilities. Followers of other religions, aswell as those people who have supernatural

powers, may also possess these capabilities,and so this is not the aim and purpose of doingDharma practices in Buddhism, neither is it amonopoly of Buddhism itself.The real objectiveof Dharma practicesinBuddhism is most uniqueand cannot be described, realized and understoodby followers of other religions. It is to recover onesprimordial intrinsic nature, or the attainment ofBuddhahood.

sue no.4

6



Copyright Owner:









7/7

Spark of WisdomSpark of Wisdom

The web of karmic forces: a gigantic intricacy of a web/network of energies, together with ones own energy.Due to both virtuous and non-virtuous deeds amassed through countless cycles of past lives, the linkages ofcauses and effects are thus generated. The linkage of these two kinds of energies would jointly induce numeroustractions, and thus weaving into a piece of gigantic web/network of tractions, with extremely complicatedstructures and functions. Since these linkages are criss-crossing with each other in such a complicated manner thatit is so-called as the web/network of karmic forces. (Please refer to the VCD on The Inconceivable Law of Causeand Effect, published by Dudjom Buddhist Association).

It is only in Vajrayana Buddhism that it can be so authentically and meticulously in describing all aspects of thedeath experience, and then carry out its trainings in accordance with each of the phases of death both theoreticallyand practically; while its methods of Dharma practices are synchronizing with the physical conditions of onesbody, such that these are mutually conducive to each other during their applications. It is also only through theVajrayana teachings that one can utilize scientic principles, and yet it transcends and goes beyond sciences to suchan extent that even the levels of success can be further classied into advanced, medium and low levels. Merelythesuperior wisdomin the utilization of death through its frenzy changes for the attainment of Buddhahoodalreadygoes beyond sciences. It is also this kind of wisdom of putting ones energy right to the target and of itsrelevancy that Dharma practitioners of Vajrayana Buddhism could attain Buddhahood in a single lifetime, andso do not need to go through billions of years of Dharma practices as in the cases of other schools.

This attainment of Buddhahood must have to be achieved only through the trainings on and the realizationsof Emptiness. It is only in the various ranges of experiences of Emptiness that one can call it as the levelsof realization in Buddhism. those so-called Dharma practitioners who do frequent utterances about superabilities and supernatural powers are, in fact, more like a modern sorcerer (who just wants to make a livingout of this kind of practice) rather than a genuine Dharma practitioner who really possesses certain levels ofrealization, and is more like a follower of other religions than a genuine Buddhist Dharma practitioner.If one cantruly understand this very simple fact, then one would not have made a mistake and would not have been cheatedwhen distinguishing between an authentic Dharma practitioner or Guru (spiritual teacher) and a fake Dharmapractitioner or Guru.

Yet, this attainment of Buddhahood must have tobe achieved only through the trainings on and therealizations of Emptiness. It is only in the variousranges of experiences of Emptiness that one cancall it as the levels of realization in Buddhism.Other kinds of super abilities and supernaturalpowers are those experiences or abilities that areassociated with greed, hatred, ignorance, and so

they cannot be considered as part of the levelsof realization in Buddhism. This is, indeed, thegreatest misunderstanding of Buddhism by bothlayman and the general public alike.

Therefore, those people who really understandBuddhism, as well as those who have actualexperiences of Emptiness, would never talk aboutsuper abilities and supernatural powers. On theother hand, those so-called Dharma practitioners

who do frequent utterances about super abilitiesand supernatural powers are, in fact, more likea modern sorcerer (who just wants to make aliving out of this kind of practice) rather than agenuine Dharma practitioner who really possessescertain levels of realization, and is more like afollower of other religions than a genuine BuddhistDharma practitioner. If one can truly understand

this very simple fact, then one would not havemade a mistake and would not have been cheatedwhen distinguishing between an authentic Dharmapractitioner or Guru (spiritual teacher) and a fakeDharma practitioner or Guru. (Please refer to thearticles on Authentic versus Fake Gurus in bothIssues 3 and 4 of the Lake of Lotus, as well as inthe CD with the same title, published by DudjomBuddhist Association.).. (to be continued)

sue no.4

7



Copyright Owner:



ube Facebook 56 com

lake of lotus (4) the meaning of ndes (4) the almighty light at the moment of death intrinsic nature...

Documents