Outline

Contemplative Practices to
Help the Dying (Ngo Trod) 1.Introduction to Ngo Trod
2.Meditation on the Nine Contemplations on Impermanence
3.The dying process, visions and experiences
Tempa Dukte Lama 4.Guided meditation: dissolution of the elements at the time of
dying
Olmo Ling Being with Dying Series, Workshop II 5.Compassionate care, acceptance and letting go
Tibet House, New York 2019

1 4

1 4

Olmoling Being with Dying Series
 Workshop I: Introduction to the Bon teachings on Being with
Death and Dying
 Workshop II: Ngo Trod, Contemplative practices to help the
dying person develop openness and trust toward the process of
dying and let go of fear and attachments.
 Workshop III: Being with Dying: The Bardo.
Tibetan Bon teachings on the process of dying and the
psychological, mental, emotional and physical shifts that take place
during the dying process.
 Workshop IV: Being with Dying: Phowa Practice.
Phowa is a contemplative practice to help the dying at the moment
of death and during the time after death.
2 • Remind the dying of spiritual instructions and meditation.
Ngo Trod: Introducing the Dying to Death and its
Nature
The moment of death is the threshold of peace and suffering
where one can enter into either of these two states based on
individual karmic accumulations and one’s choices at that
time.
• Introduction to death and the dying process: its stages, visions
and experiences, and the inevitability of death.
• Remind the dying person of spiritual practices that he or she has
engaged in.
• Remind the dying to remember his or her spiritual teacher.
• Remind the dying to remember his or her deity.
5

2 5

Three Series of Practice to Help the Dying
1. Practices for the moment of death:
 Introduction to the pure nature of the mind (Ngo Trod)
 Phowa (transference of consciousness) for oneself and others.
2. Practices in the Intermediate State (Bardo):
 Bardo Thodrol: liberation through hearing.
3. Practices for rebirth and existence:
 Jangbu: ritual practice of calling upon and offering guidance to the
consciousness of the deceased.
Ngo Trod: Instruction for this Present Life
• We have to make our life meaningful.
• Our life becomes meaningful through accomplishing the twofold
benefit of the self and other:
– We are happy and do not have regrets by the end of our life
– We help others and become their inspiration
• This enables us to die with happiness and contentment and
without fear and regret.
• We do this by following a wholesome path.

3 6

3 6

1
 The Threefold Path of Liberation Bardo Experience
 Based on its nature there are two types:
1. The Path of Renunciation  ‘No-Bardo’ and Bardo.
 ‘No-Bardo’
2. The Path of Transformation  Unobstructed Ascend
3. The Path of Self-liberation.  Unobstructed Descend
 Bardo
1. Bardo of Life Each offers the possibility of
2. Bardo of Dying liberation. Whether we can
manifest this potential depends on
3. Fundamental Base Bardo
the favorable conditions created by
4. Clear Light Bardo our wholesome practice in this life.
7 5. Bardo of Becoming. 10

7 10

The Nine Contemplations on Death and Instructions for the Bardo of Dying
Dying
1. Death is inevitable for all of us without exception.  The physical body is characterized by impermanence, even though
2. Our life span lessens with each moment that we live. it may seem permanent and complete in itself.
3. Death will come in an instant, whether we are prepared or  Death has not come to you only. All compounded phenomena are
not. impermanent. All sentient beings, even the smallest insect, will
4. The length of our life is uncertain. have to face this truth.
5. There are many causes and circumstances that can lead to  Do not be afraid of death. These instructions will help you
death. become familiar with the visions and experiences that you will
encounter and recognize them like acquaintances.
6. Our body is fragile and vulnerable.
 Your body is made out of the internal elements of flesh, blood,
7. At the time of death, material possessions are of no use.
heat, breath, and mind. This is the time to return this body to the
8. Our loved ones and friends cannot protect us from death. external five elements of earth, water, fire, air, and space.
9. Even our precious body cannot help us at the time of death.
8 11

8 11

Bardo The Active Dying Process

The death process begins with the dissolution of the five
‘Bardo’ is a Tibetan word, made up of “Bar” – the “between elements of earth, water, fire, air, and space. As each element
state” where the consciousness has left this body and not yet dissolves, the major organ and the sense organ connected with
taken another body; and “Do”– the consciousness that is this element cease their function.
without the physical support of a body.
Element Inner organ Sense organ
Earth Spleen Mouth & lips
Water Kidneys Ears
Fire Liver Tongue
Air Lungs Nose
9 Space Heart Eyes 12

9 12

2
Dissolution of the Earth Element
 First, earth, which is the element of flesh, dissolves. Your body
consciousness begins to withdraw.
 The channels leading outward from the spleen reverse and the
spleen ceases its function. The wind that upholds the body
dissolves. The energy center at your navel dissolves.
 The external sign is that you feel heavy and lose your strength.
You may feel as though a mountain were pressuring you and may
ask to have your pillow raised higher. You can no longer raise your
left arm. You lose control over your lips and are no longer able to
speak clearly.
 Internally you feel foggy and mental dullness.
 The sign on the secret level is to see a mirage vision or flashing
yellow lights. You may feel that your surroundings are moving.13
13
Dissolution of the Water Element
 Second, water, which is the element of blood, dissolves.
 The channels leading outward from the kidneys reverse and the
kidneys lose their function.
 The radiance-producing wind that sustains the body’s luster
dissolves and the moisture of your body dries up. Your sacred
(genital) energy center dissolves.
 The external sign is that you become dehydrated, lose control of
the urinary function and the nine orifices. You lose the sense of
hearing. You cannot raise the left leg anymore.
 Internally you experience nervousness, anxiety or anger.
 Secret level: you see smoky and unclear visions, see flashing blue
lights and hear different sounds. You may feel as though you are
14
being moved around in a wave pool.
14
Dissolution of the Fire Element
 Third, fire, which is the element of the bodily heat, dissolves.
 The channels leading outward from the liver reverse, and
your liver stops functioning.
 The wind which separates purity and impurity disperses. The
energy center at the throat dissolves.
 Externally you lose the sensation of bodily heat and feel cold
and weak. You lose the sense of taste and experience a
numbing sensation in the tongue. Blood may come out of
your nose. You cannot raise the right arm anymore.
 Internally you experience alternating clarity and dullness.
 Secret level: you see red lights moving like fireflies. All
appearances turn red. 15
15
Dissolution of the Air Element
• Fourth, air, which is the element of the lungs, dissolves.
• The channels leading outward from the lungs reverse and the lungs
lose their function.
• The karmic wind, the force of the ripening of previous experiences,
disperses. The energy center at the crown of your head dissolves.
• Externally your inhalation becomes longer and harder and you gasp
for air. You lose the sense of smell. You cannot raise the right leg
anymore.
• Internally you may experience different visions. The vital energy of
action dissolves. Your feelings become numb.
• The sign of the secret level is that you see flashing green lights that
flicker like candles in the wind. 16
16
Dissolution of the Space Element
• Fifth, space, which is the element of the mind, dissolves.
• All the channels leading outward from the heart reverse and the
heart loses its function. The life force wind dissolves.
• Externally you lose the sense of sight and the energy of the brain.
All the sense gates close. Your head drops. This is the sign of
external death.
• Internally the six sense consciousnesses cease. Darkness appears.
• Secret level: everything dissolves into the mind. The nature of
the mind dissolves into the heart center. You may feel as though
you are wandering in space. You may see a bright white light.
17
17
Practice Instructions for the Bardo of Dying
 Posture: lion posture, men on the right side, women on the
left side.
 Attention: We gaze into the vastness of space, unifying our
awareness with it.
 Breath: We let the breath flow as naturally as possible
without any reference point or aim.
 Mind: Based on the ‘Instructions of Clear Light’, we do our
best to remain in the natural state without expanding on our
experience or modifying it in any way.
 Phowa: If we know Phowa practice, we can do it. If we have
accomplished Phowa practice, we do not need to go through
the dissolution stages. 18
18
3
The Bardo of the Fundamental Base (Kadag Bonyid)
 After external death followed by a time of unconsciousness, the
primordially pure nature of the mind appears to us as boundless
empty space. It is boundless and empty because at that moment
there are no recollections, concepts and afflictions.
 We have to recognize this state: the essence (emptiness) and the
nature (clarity). These two, emptiness and clarity, are inseparable.
 If we are able to absorb into this boundless space, we will be
liberated into the primordial state.
 If we have friends, family or teachers at our side, they should
remind us and instruct us to be aware of our primordial purity
appearing in the form of empty space.
19
19
Purpose of the Ngo Trod Instructions during
Death
 Help the soul of the dying accept its situation.
 Ask the soul to leave this earthly life.
 Introduce the dying person to the visions at the time of death.
 Strengthen the spiritual capacity of the dying.
20
20
The Threefold Experience
 After the dissolution of the elements, the dying will have the
threefold experience:
 Bliss free from suffering
 Luminosity free from obscurations
 Emptiness or non-thought free from grasping
 If one can recognize this experience as the display of one’s true
nature, one will be liberated at this stage, the Bardo of Death.
 If one fails to recognize this, one will experience further visions.
21
21
The Threefold Experience (2)
The dying person will see:
• A radiant white drop descending from the crown of one’s head to
the heart center. This represents the masculine energy from one’s
father as the essence of compassion.
• A bright white light like the light of the full moon. All karmic
traces and thoughts related to anger cease and transform into
clarity.
• A radiant red drop rising from below the navel to the heart center.
This represents the feminine energy from one’s mother as the
essence of wisdom.
• A clear red sky like sunrise. All karmic traces and thoughts related
to desire-attachment cease and transform into bliss. 22
22
The Threefold Experience (3)
• The red and white drop meet and unify at the heart center.
• When they unify, a thick cloud of darkness appears. All karmic
traces and thoughts that arise from ignorance cease.
• For a moment one will see a small bright white sphere in the space
in front of the spot between the eyebrows.
• This is the continuity of awakened mind. If one can recognize this
as the essence of intrinsic nature, one will transcend the effect of
karmic causes and achieve complete liberation.
23
23
Instructions for those with Superior Mental Capacity
Instruct on the spontaneous manifestation of innate awareness:
 At the moment of death all concepts of subject and object dissolve into
the intrinsic nature of existence.
 At that time, positive or negative karmic accumulations do not matter.
This illusory body, conceptual mind and the obscurity of appearing
objects will cease.
 Our innate awareness will arise nakedly without obscurity.
 The fundamental base and one’s innate awareness will become one. It
will be like the vast sky without clouds
 When there is no obscuration, we understand that all appearances are
the display of innate awareness.
 This instruction will help the dying person have a direct understanding
of the true nature of self-awareness. 24
24
4
Instructions for those with Intermediate Capacity
Instruct on the illusoriness of appearances and on non-
attachment:
 Recognize all appearances as illusory and lacking inherent existence.
 Do not get attached to any appearances.
 Whatever appearances may arise, they are manifestations of one’s
own awareness. Therefore they are an illusion.
 This instruction helps the dying to neither crave nor cling to any
experiences and to close the door to rebirth.
25
25
Instructions for those with Lesser Capacity
Instruct on devotion and aspiration:
 Instruct the dying to meditate and pray with devotion and
aspiration.
 The practice is to unify one’s mind with one’s spiritual teacher
and the protector deity.
 If one truly follows this instruction, one can attain the higher
abode of peace and happiness.
26
26
The Vision of Liberation
How can liberation be attained?
• The vision of sounds, rays, and light appears.
• We have to recognize it as the manifestation of innate awareness.
• Then this threefold vision will serve as favorable condition for the
recognition of self-awareness.
• This recognition will prevent us from following after the vision as
external. Our awareness will gain control of the vision.
• Once we have gained control over the threefold vision, we will
slowly experience liberation.
27
27
The Vision of Confusion
How does cyclic existence arise?
• If we fail to realize that the vision of light, sounds, rays is the
manifestation of our innate awareness, it will obscure the clarity of
our awareness.
• We will grasp at the vision as substantial and independently
existing.
• This will obscure the mind of awakening. We fall under the
control of delusion and lose control over the object of mind.
• Then we cannot stay in the natural state. Instead we begin to
follow the vision.
• We will lose control of ourselves and be deceived by external
illusory appearances.
28
• Thus, the dependent co-arising of cyclic existence resumes.
28
Pith Instructions for the Mind
• Don’t think of the past. Don’t think of the future.
• Do not consider or imagine anything. Do not think either positive
or negative thoughts.
• Let go of all speculations, examinations, and investigations.
• Let go of any sense of rejection or acceptance.
• Leave everything as it is, unspoiled, uncorrupted, and untainted by
thought.
• Do not modify, do not interrupt, do not spoil by thought. Do not
let the thoughts or memories distract you.
29
29
Pith Instructions for the Mind (2)
• Do not allow the mind to wander.
• Empty the five senses: Without eradicating former karmic traces
and without having interest in the future.
• Leave the mind fresh and naked in the natural state.
• When the mind is without support, grasping is loosened by itself.
• When the mind is without grasping, mental restlessness disappears
by itself.
• When thought activity ceases, there is a chance of realizing naked
awareness.
30
30
5
 The Experience of the Bardo Becoming
 Because we are still grasping onto the experience of a physical
body, we have a mental body.
Thank you for your attention.  It is composed of feeling, perception, mental formations, and
consciousness. It has sense faculties similar to those of the Bardo
of Life, however, more sensitive and we get easily distracted,
More information: afraid, and terrified.
www.olmoling.org  We possess clairvoyance and miraculous abilities like being able to
(Olmo Ling Tibetan Bon Center & Institute) move through mountains, or arriving in a place as soon as we think
of it.
 Rather than dwelling calmly in one place we keep wandering like a
feather in the wind.
31 34

31 34

Five Types of the Bardo of Becoming
1. Moving from lower to higher birth: based on our wholesome actions and
merit together with the prayers made by others for us during and
after our death.
2. Moving from higher to lower birth: based on our unwholesome karma
together with the unwholesome actions that our relatives may have
engaged in during and after our death.
3. Distinguishing and consciously choosing the realm of our rebirth: based on
the Perfection of meditative absorption.
4. The power of the circle: We wander for 49 days and are pulled to the
realm with which we have the strongest karmic link.
5. The continuing mental body: We believe we have a body, and
consequently remain in the mental state for a long time without
taking rebirth.
32
Practice Instructions for The Bardo of Becoming
 We may be confused or frightened by the visions and do not
understand that we only have a mental body.
 We return to our family and friends but they cannot hear and see
us. If our reaction merges with the three poisons, we will suffer
tremendously.
• If we instead merge with the Bardo Instructions, we can be
liberated into a good rebirth. We have to do our best to
understand and accept that we are in the Bardo.
• We have to remember the Buddhas and compassionate beings of
the Five Paths and Ten Grounds. If we have the strong
aspiration to be reborn in these realms, this will clear the karmic
conditioning of grasping onto the Bardo of Existence. Then 35we
32
may be reborn in the higher realms.
35

Practice Instructions for The Bardo of Becoming (2)

The Visions of the Bardo of Becoming  If we have stabilized the practice of Generation and
When the mind leaves the body, the visions of the Bardo of Completion stage (deity visualization), we may be able to attain
Becoming arise based on three causes: the enlightenment body of the deity.
1. Our attachment to our previous body and to physical form  Otherwise, we may be able to recognize the different visions
2. Our attachment to the conceptual mind and of the Bardo of Becoming:
3. Unwholesome karma. 1. God Realm: We are moving with out head upward and see
luminous, vast white light.
2. Demi-god realm: We are moving in a horizontal pose and
experience heavy rain and thunder.
3. Animal Realm: We are moving with our body in a horizontal
pose and see blood or places where animals live such as lakes.
33
4. Hell Realm: We are moving upside down and see burnt trees 36
and tree stumps, smoke and water.

33 36

6
Practice Instructions for The Bardo of Becoming (3)
Signs of actual birth:
1. Gold Realm: We see beautiful houses and gardens of
flowers.
2. Demi-god: We see wars, fighting, or storms.
3. Animal: We see mist and fog.
4. Hungry ghost: We see swamps.
5. Hell realm: We experience going through a dark tunnel or
hollow.
37
37
Practice Instructions for The Bardo of Becoming (4)
Human rebirth: There can be many different kinds of signs.
 We will repeatedly see the situation that we will be born into
until our mind attaches to it and goes toward it.
 We may be afraid, confused and sometimes terrified and perceive
the place that we see repeatedly as a safe refuge.
 Wanting to hide in that refuge, we are born there.
 Since we don’t have a physical body, we have a yearning and
craving for form and wander in search of it.
 It is very important to keep our awareness clear and stable so
that we can make a distinction between wholesome and
unwholesome realms of birth. We have to be aware of our
yearning for form and how it pulls us.
38
38
Practice Instructions for Rebirth in the Nirmanakaya
 Once we are in the Bardo of Becoming it is very difficult to be
liberated or born into the Nirmanakaya realm or pure land.
 However, if we have practiced well, engaged in wholesome actions,
and have good teachers, this can become our strength and guide
us.
 When we have the visions of the Bardo of Becoming, the first
thing we need to do is to realize that we are dead.
 The second is to remember our teachers, our deity and practice.
This will help us remember the instructions and recognize that we
are in the Bardo of Becoming.
 We have to realize that we still have one opportunity: to be born
into the Nirmanakaya realms. We have to stabilize this intention.
39
 We will see a lotus or visualize it. We then hold on to it.
39
Practice Instructions for Rebirth in the Nirmanakaya (2)
 To have the opportunity for a Nirmanakaya rebirth, it is most
important to develop a strong connection of devotion with our
teacher.
 We have to realize that all day-time appearances are visions of our
own awareness and that they are illusory and lack inherent
existence.
 During night-time we should follow the dissolution of the elements
as we fall asleep. We hold on to the motivation to be reborn in the
Nirmanakaya realms and unify our heart and mind with the
different qualities of the realm where we want to be reborn.
 We should never let ourselves get discouraged or feel that we
cannot be reborn in the Nirmanakaya realms. In this world we are
limited by our physical body. During the Bardo, we don’t have 40
these limitations and can do anything. We have to remember that.
40
Obstacles to a Rebirth in the Nirmanakaya
 We may have visions of going to different places. The moment we
arrive we tend to grasp onto it. This becomes the cause of cyclic
existence.
 Ideally we stay connected with the wisdom of discriminating
awareness. This will help us overcome desire-attachment.
 When we perceive the essence of desire-attachment in the form of
our next mother and father embracing, we have to see this as the
unification of emptiness (mother) and clarity (father), which is great
bliss.
 Third, we have to recognize that actions based on desire-attachment
are the seed of cyclic existence, and consequently renounce them.
 When we enter the womb for rebirth, we have to make a commitment
to following the path of compassionate beings and stay with the great
41
compassion. We have to develop vivid clarity.
41
Thank you.
For more information on weekly meditation,
retreats, and compassionate outreach projects:
www.olmoling.org
42
42
7
 A Kar A Me Du Tri Su Nag Po Zhi Zhi
Mal Mal SoHa

43