What Happens at Death?

by S. N. Goenka
To understand what happens at death, let us first understand what death is. Death is like a bend in a continuous river of becoming. It appears that death is the end of a process of becoming, and certainly it may be so in the case of an arahant (a fully liberated being) or a Buddha; but with an ordinary person this flow of becoming continues even after death. Death puts an end to the activities of one life, and the very next moment starts the play of a new life. On the one side is the last moment of this life and on the other side is the first moment of the next life. It is as though the sun rises as soon as it sets with no interval of darkness in between, or as if the moment of death is the end of one chapter in the book of becoming, and another chapter of life begins the very next moment.
Although no simile can convey the exact process, still one might say that this flow of becoming is like a train running on a track. It reaches the station of death and there, slightly decreasing speed for a moment, carries on again with the same speed. It does not stop at the station even for a moment. For one who is not an arahant, the station of death is not a terminus but a junction from where thirty-one different tracks diverge. The train, as soon as it arrives at the station, moves onto one or another of these tracks and continues. This speeding "train of becoming," fuelled by the electricity of the kammic reactions of the past, keeps on running from one station to the next, on one track or the other, a continuous journey that goes on without ceasing.
This changing of "tracks" happens automatically. As the melting of ice into water and the cooling of water to form ice happens according to laws of nature, so the transition from life to life is controlled by set laws of nature. According to these laws, the train not only changes tracks by itself, it also lays the next tracks itself. For this train of becoming the junction of death, where the change of tracks takes place, is of great importance. Here the present life is abandoned (this is called cuti--disappearance, death). The demise of the body takes place, and immediately the next life starts (a process which is called patisandhi-conception or taking up of the next birth). The moment of patisandhi is the result of the moment of death; the moment of death creates the moment of conception. Since every death moment creates the next birth moment, death is not only death, but birth as well. At this junction, life changes into death and death into birth.
Thus every life is a preparation for the next death. If someone is wise, he or she will use this life to the best advantage and prepare for a good death. The best death is the one that is the last, that is not a junction but a terminus: the death of an arahant. Here there will be no track on which the train can run further; but until such a terminus is reached, one can at least ensure that the next death gives rise to a good birth and that the terminus will be reached in due course. It all depends on us, on our own efforts. We are makers of our own future, we create our own welfare or misery as well as our own liberation.
How is it that we are the creators of the tracks that receive the onrushing train of becoming? To answer this we must understand what kamma (action) is.
The healthy or unhealthy volition of our mind is kamma. Before performing any action at the mental, vocal, or physical level, whatever wholesome or unwholesome volition arises in the mind is the root of that action. The consciousness arises due to a contact at a sense door, then the sanna (perception and recognition) evaluates the experience, sensations (vedana) arise, then a kammic reaction (sankhara) takes place. These volitional reactions are of various kinds. How strong is the volition? How slow, deep, shallow, heavy or light? According to this the intensity of these reactions will vary. Some are like a line drawn on water, some like a line drawn on sand and some a line on rock. If the volition is wholesome, then the action will be the same and the fruits will be beneficial; and if the volition is unwholesome, then the action will be the same-it will give fruits of misery.
Not all of these reactions result in a new birth. Some are so shallow that they do not give any substantial fruits. Some are a bit heavier but will be used up in this lifetime. They do not carry over into the next life. Others being still heavier continue with the flow of life into the next birth, but they themselves do not give new birth. Nevertheless they can continue to multiply during this life and the next. Many kammas however, are bhava-kammas, or bhava-sankharas, those that give a new birth, a new life. Each one of these bhava-kammas (actions that give rise to the process of becoming) carries a magnetic force that is in tune with the vibrations of a particular plane of existence. The vibrations of a particular bhava-kamma will unite with the vibrations of the bhava-loka (world, plane) that has the same intensity, and the two will attract each other according to the universal laws pertaining to forces of kamma.
As soon as one of these bhava-kammas is generated, this "railway train of becoming" gets attracted to one or the other of the thirty-one tracks at the station of death. Actually these thirty-one tracks are the thirty-one fields of existence. They are the eleven kama lokas (realms of sensuality: the four lower realms of existence, and the seven human and celestial realms); the sixteen rupa-brahma lokas (where fine material body remains), and the four arupa-brahma lokas (non-material realms, where only mind remains).
At the last moment of this life, a specific bhava-sankhara will arise. This sankhara capable of giving a new birth will get connected with the vibrations of the related realm of existence. At the moment of death the whole field of thirty-one realms is open, so it depends on which sankhara arises as to which track the train of existence runs on next. In the same way a train gets shunted onto a new track, the force of the bhava-kamma reaction provides the push to the flow of consciousness into the next existence. For example, the bhava-kamma of anger or malice, being of the nature of heat and agitation, will unite with some lower field of existence. Similarly, one with the nature of metta (compassionate love), having peaceful and cool vibrations can only unite with some brahma-loka. This is the law of nature, and these laws are so perfectly "computerized" that there is never any flaw in the operation.
At the moment of death, generally, some intense sankhara will arise; it may be either of a wholesome nature or an unwholesome nature. For example, if one has murdered one's father or mother, or perhaps some saintly person, in this lifetime, then the memory of this episode will arise at the moment of death. lLikewise if one has done some deep meditation practice, a similar state of mind will arise.
When there is no such dense bhava-kamma to arise, then a comparatively less dense kamma will arise. Whatever memory is awakened will manifest as the kamma. For example, one may remember a wholesome kamma of giving food to a saintly person, or one may remember killing someone. Reflections on such past kammas as these may arise. Otherwise, objects related to the particular kamma may arise. One may see the plate full of food that was offered as dana, or the gun that was used to kill another. These are called the kamma-nimittas (signs).
In another case, a sign or a symbol of the next life may appear. This is called gati-nimitta (departing sign). These nimmitas correspond to whichever bhava-loka the flow is being attracted towards, such as the scene of some celestial world, or perhaps of an animal world. The dying person will often experience one of these signs as a forewarning, just as the train's headlight illuminates the track ahead. The vibrations of these nimittas are identical to the vibrations of the plane of existence of the next birth.
A good Vipassana meditator has the capacity to avoid the tracks leading to the lower realms of existence. He clearly understands the laws of nature, and practises to keep himself ready for death at all times. If he has reached an advanced age, there is all the more reason to remain aware every moment. What preparations are undertaken? One practises Vipassana, remaining equanimous to whatever sensations arise on the body and thereby breaking the habit pattern of reacting to the unpleasant sensations. Thus the mind, which is usually generating new unwholesome sankharas, develops a new habit of remaining equanimous. Very often at the time of death, if there are no very heavy sankharas to arise, habitual reactions occur; and as the new sankhara is being made, an old one from the storehouse might get stirred up onto the surface, gaining in strength as it arises.
At the approach of death, it is very likely that one will experience very unpleasant sensations. Old age, disease and death are dukkha (misery). They produce unpleasant sensations of a grosser type. If one is not skilful in observing these sensations with equanimity, then one will be likely to react with feelings of anger, irritation, maybe malice, which provides an opportunity for a bhava-sankhara of like vibration to arise. However, as in the cases of some well developed meditators, one can work to avoid reacting to these i mmensely painful sensations by maintaining equanimity at the time of death. Then, even those related bhava-sankharas lying deep in the bhavanga (seat of birth-producing kamma) will not have an opportunity to arise. An ordinary person will usually remain apprehensive, even terror-stricken at the approach of death and thus will give occasion for a fearful bhava-sankhara to surface. In the same way, grief, sorrow, depression, and other feelings may arise at the thought of separation from loved ones, and the related sankhara will come up and dominate the mind.
A Vipassana meditator, by observing all his or her sensations with equanimity, weakens the sankhara and thus does not allow it to arise at the time of death. The real preparation for death is this: developing a habit pattern of repeatedly observing the sensations manifesting in the body and mind with equanimity and with the understanding of anicca.
At the time of death, this strong habit of equanimity will automatically appear and the train of existence will link up with a track on which it will be possible to practise Vipassana in the new life. In this way, one saves oneself from birth in a lower realm and attains one of the higher realms, which is very important because Vipassana cannot be practised in the lower realms.
A meditator who is on the point of death is fortunate to have close relatives or friends nearby who can help maintain a good Dhamma atmosphere, free from lamenting and gloom; people who can practise Vipassana and generate vibrations of metta, which are most favourable for a peaceful death.
At times a non-meditator will attain a favourable rebirth at the time of death due to the the manifestation of wholesome bhava-sankharas such as generosity, morality and other strong wholesome qualities. But the special achievement of an established Vipassana meditator is that he enables himself to attain an existence where he can continue to practise Vipassana. In this way, by slowly decreasing the stock of accumulated bhava-sankharas stored in the bhavanga of his flow of consciousness, one shortens one's journey of becoming and reaches the goal sooner.
One comes into contact with the Dhamma in this life because of great merits one has performed in the past. Make this human life successful by practising Vipassana. Then whenever death comes, it will come with the experience of an equanimous mind, bringing with it well-being for the future.
N.B.: The analogy of a running train changing tracks should not be mistaken for transmigration, as no entity goes from one life to the next. Nothing passes to the next life except the force of the accumulated kamma sankharas.

by Tsoknyi Rinpoche

1. Remember Who You Are

Deep within all beings is a kind of spark that lights and warms our lives. It's been called by many names in many different traditions. In the Buddhist tradition it's known as "Buddha nature"-- which is often described in terms of three qualities:boundless wisdom, infinite capability, and immeasurable loving-kindness andcompassion.

One of the core teachings of Buddhism is that we all possess this nature. You may think that you're an accountant, an executive, a teacher, a student, a parent, a child -- and indeed, on a mundane, every-day level, you are. But underneath a particularidentity and all the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that may attach to it, what you are is the ever-evolving potential of a being who is capable not only of transcending suffering but of leading all other creatures out of darkness and pain, as well.

So all you really have to do in order to open your heart and your mind is to remember your Buddha nature!

2. Mind Your Body

Unfortunately that's not always easy. Throughout our lives we're urged to define ourselves and our experiences in particular ways. Over time, these definitions become so familiar that we end up identifying with them completely as the absolute truth of who we are.

We can, however, begin to break down our mundane, everyday identities into smaller pieces -- a process through which we begin to discover that who we think we are isn't quite as solid as we believe. One of the easiest ways to begin is to spend a little time with our bodies.

It's surprising how many of us forget our bodies. It's so easy to get caught up inthoughts and feelings and overlook this extraordinary system of muscles, bones, organs and so on that serves as a physical support for our thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

So one thing we can do -- preferably while sitting in a comfortable position with the spine straight and muscles relaxed -- is to start simply and gently appreciating that we have a body, a basic ground of experience. We can begin by simply noticing: "There is a leg. There is a toe." We can simply notice, too, that there is a heart that is beating; there are lungs that are expanding and contracting; there is bloodcoursing through veins. We can also notice physical sensations such as being cold or being warm, feeling pain in the knees, back or shoulders, and so on. The point of the practice is to simply allow ourselves to become alert to the physical aspect of our being in a very easygoing and gentle way, without judging it or identifying with it.

3. You Are Not Your Feelings, You Are Not Your Thoughts

We've become so used to the potency, frequency and variety of the thoughts andfeelings that course through our awareness throughout the day that it's very easy to identify with and as them. This tendency is built into our very language. "I'm angry." "I'm afraid." "I'm happy. "I'm sad."

We can bring the same kind of attention we brought to our bodies to our thoughts and feelings -- gently noticing them as they arise, abide for a moment and, somewhat to our surprise perhaps, disappear. In so doing, we gently begin to recognize that our thoughtsand feelings are only aspects of experience and not the totality. Our identities may be may be influenced by mental and emotionalpatterns in the subtle body, but we are not those patterns.

Try practicing this sort of gentle noticing the next time you feel a strong emotion. Allow the emotion to arise, but look at it as an event occurring within a broader frame of awareness. Tell yourself that what ever you're experiencing is not the total "you," that what you're feeling is only one piece of your experience.

We can also bring this same sort of attention to our thoughts which are often intimately linked to our identities. The speed with whichthoughts appear and disappear across the screens of our minds are like out-of-control "breaking news update crawlers" that appear across television screens. We can hardly read one before another takes its place -- and another and another. Our awareness is overwhelmed by fleeting impressions, half-grasped notions, bits of sentences, ideas that have only begun to form before they disappear.

As we gradually turn attention to our thoughts, rather than being irritated, disturbed or carried away by them, we slowly find ourselves amazed by their coming and going. We begin to appreciate the entire process of thinking in and of itself.

4. Rest In Space

In time, we also begin to notice gaps between thoughts and feelings -- barely perceptible moments in which there is simply nothought, no feeling, just pure, open awareness. As these gaps grow longer -- and a little less startling -- we can begin to rest within them. For a brief second or so, we can have a direct experience of what in the Buddhist tradition is known as the essence of mind, or the nature of mind: a luminous, limitless awareness that is not chopped up into subject and object, self and other, perceiver andperceived. All distinctions between "the looker" and what was being "looked at" fall away, and for an instant we experience complete lack of separation between everything we feel, see, smell, and so on, and the awareness that sees, smells and feels. Our hearts andminds are completely open, and the spark that is our Buddha nature leaps up into a brilliant flame.

5. Share the Bliss

Unfortunately, it's easy to get caught up in the sense of well-being that arises when our hearts and minds open and to forget the most essential lesson that the Buddha tried to instill in us as the deepest of all teachings: that until all of us are free, none of us are free. Rather than rest in our own comfort zones, our contentment dimming our awareness of the pain and hardship that others around us may be feeling, we must remember that the ultimate goal of opening our hearts and minds is to free all living creatures from their patterns so that they can experience the openness, wisdom, and warmth that is the essence of our being.

Buddha nature is infinite; beings in need of awakening are infinite; and our journey, once begun, is never done.

37 Practices of a Bodhisattva

A Summary of How an Awakening Being Behaves by Tog-me Zong-po (Thogs.med bzang.po, 1245-1369)
Namo Lokesvaraya
You who see that experience has no coming or going, Yet pour your energy solely into helping beings, My excellent teachers and Lord All Seeing, I humbly and constantly honor with my body, speech, and mind.
The fully awake, the Buddhas, source of joy and well-being, All come from integrating the noble Way. Because integration depends on your knowing how to practice, I will explain the practice of all bodhisattvas.
1 Right now, you have a good boat, fully equipped and available — hard to find. To free others and you from the sea of Samsara, Day and night, fully alert and present, Study, reflect, and meditate — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
2Attraction to those close to you catches you in its currents;Aversion to those who oppose you burns inside;Indifference that ignores what needs to be done is a black hole. Leave your homeland — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
3 Don’t engage disturbances and reactive emotions gradually fade away; Don’t engage distractions and spiritual practice naturally grows; Keep awareness clear and vivid and confidence in the way arises. Rely on silence — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

4 You will separate from long-time friends and relatives; You will leave behind the wealth you worked to build up; The guest, your consciousness, will move from the inn, your body. Forget the conventional concerns — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
5 With some friends, the Three poisons keep growing, Study, reflection, and meditation weaken, And loving kindness and compassion fall away. Give up bad friends — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
6 With some teachers, your shortcomings fade away andAbilities grow like the waxing moon. Hold such teachers dear to you, Dearer than your own body — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
7 Locked up in the prison of their own patterning Whom can ordinary gods protect? Who can you count on for Refuge? Go for Refuge in The Three Jewels — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
8 The Suffering in the lower realms is really hard to endure. The Sage says it is the result of destructive actions. For that reason, even if your life is at risk, Don’t engage in destructive actions — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
9 The happiness of the three worlds disappears in a moment, Like a dewdrop on a blade of grass. The highest level of freedom is one that never changes.Aim for this — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

10 If all your mothers, who love you,Suffer for time without beginning, how can you be happy? To free limitless Sentient beings, Give rise to awakening mind — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
11 All Suffering comes from wanting your own happiness. Complete awakening arises from the intention to help others. So, exchange completely your happinessFor the Suffering of others — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
12 Even if someone, driven by desperate want, Steals, or makes someone else steal, everything you own, Dedicate to him your body, your wealth, and All the good you’ve ever done or will do — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
13 Even if you have done nothing wrong at all And someone still tries to take your head off, Spurred by compassion, Take all his or her evil into you — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
14 Even if someone broadcasts to the whole universeSlanderous and ugly rumors about you, In return, with an open and caring heart, Praise his or her abilities — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.

15 Even if someone humiliates you and denounces you In front of a crowd of people, Think of this person as your teacherAnd humbly honor him — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
16 Even if a person you have cared for as your own child Treats you as his or her worst enemy, Lavish him or her with loving attentionLike a mother caring for her ill child — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
17 Even if your peers or subordinates, Put you down to make themselves look better, Treat them respectfully as you would your teacher: Put them above you — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
18 When you are down and out, held in contempt, Desperately ill, and emotionally crazed, Don’t lose heart. Take into you The Suffering and negativity of all beings — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
19 Even when you are famous, honored by all, And as rich as the god of wealth himself, Don’t be pompous. Know that the magnificence of existenceHas no substance — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
20 If you don’t subdue the opponent inside, your own anger, Although you subdue opponents outside, they just keep coming. Muster the forces of loving kindness and compassionAnd subdue your own mind — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
21Sensual pleasures are like salty water: The deeper you drink, the thirstier you become. Any object that you attach to, Right away, let it go — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
22 Whatever arises in experience is your own mind.Mind itself is free of any conceptual limitations.Know that and don’t generate Subject-object fixations — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
23 When you come across something you enjoy, Though beautiful to experience, like a summer rainbow, Don’t take it as real. Let go of attachment — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
24 All forms of Suffering are like dreaming that your child has died. Taking confusion as real wears you out. When you run into misfortune, Look at it as confusion — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
25 If those who want to be awake have to give even their bodies, What need is there to talk about things that you simply own. Be generous, not looking For any return or result — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
26 If you can’t tend to your needs because you have no moral discipline, Then intending to take care of the needs of others is simply a joke. Observe ethical behavior without concernFor conventional existence — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
27 For bodhisattvas who want to be rich in virtueA person who hurts you is a precious treasure. Cultivate patience for everyone, Completely free of irritation or resentment — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
28 Listeners and solitary Buddhas, working only for their own welfare, Are seen to practice as if their heads were on fire. To help all beings, pour your energy into practice: It’s the source of all abilities — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
29Understanding that emotional reactions are dismantled By insight supported by stillness, Cultivate meditative stability that passes right by The four formless states — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
30 Without Wisdom, the five perfectionsAre not enough to attain full awakening. Cultivate Wisdom, endowed with skill And free from the three domains — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
31 If you don’t go into your own confusion, You may just be a materialist in practitioner’s clothing. Constantly go into your own confusionAnd put an end to it — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
32 You undermine yourself when you react emotionally and Grumble about the imperfections of other bodhisattvas. Of the imperfections of those who have entered the Great Way, Don’t say anything — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
33 When you squabble with others about status and rewards, You undermine learning, reflection, and meditation. Let go of any investment in your family circle Or the circle of those who support you — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
34 Abusive language upsets others And undermines the ethics of a Bodhisattva. So, don’t upset people or Speak abusively — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
35 When reactive emotions acquire momentum, it’s hard to make remedies work. A person in attention wields remedies like weapons, Crushing reactive emotions such as cravingAs soon as they arise — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
36 In short, in everything you do,Know what is happening in your mind. By being constantly present and awareYou bring about what helps others — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
37 To dispel the Suffering of beings without limit, With Wisdom freed from the three spheresDirect all the goodness generated by these efforts To awakening — this is the practice of a Bodhisattva.
Following the teachings of the holy ones On what is written in the sutras, tantras, and commentaries, I set out these thirty-seven practices of a BodhisattvaFor those who intend to train in this path.
Because I have limited intelligence and little education, These verses are not the kind of poetry that delights the learned. But because I relied on the teachings of the sutras and the revered I am confident that The Practices of a Bodhisattva is sound.
However, because it’s hard for a person with limited intelligence like me To fathom the depths of the great waves of the activity of bodhisattvas, I ask the revered to tolerate Any mistakes — contradictions, non sequiturs, and such.
From the goodness of this work, may all beings, Through the supreme mind that is awake to what is ultimately and apparently true, Not rest in any limiting position — existence or peace: May they be like Lord All Seeing.
Tog-me, the Monk, a teacher of scripture and logic, composed this text in a cave near the town of Ngülchu Rinchen for his own and others’ benefit.