Five Powers at the Moment of Death

Instructions for the moment of death

Instruction during terminal illness leading up to death:

• The Force of Virtuous Seeds means to give away all possessions (to those who would be of benefit) without a trace of attachment, clinging, or con­cern.

• The Force of Aspiration means to make enlightenment the single focus of aspiration.

Recite the Seven Branch Prayer or Praying:

Through the power of whatever virtuous seeds I have gathered in the three times, may I never forget but train and strengthen precious bodhicitta in all future experiences in existence. May I meet the pure gurus who reveal this teaching. I pray that these aspirations be realized through the blessing of my gurus and the Jewels.

• The Force of Repudiation is to think:

This ego-cherishing has led me to suffer for countless existences, and now I experience the suffering of dying. Ultimately, there is nothing that dies, since neither self nor mind have true existence. I'll do whatever I must to destroy you, ego-clinging, who constantly think in terms of ''I'm ill, I'm dying."

• The Force of Impetus is to think:

I will never be without the two kinds of precious bo­dhicitta, not at death, nor in the intermediate state, nor in any future existence.

• The Force of Familiarization is to bring clearly to mind the two bodhicittas that have been practiced previously.

Meditation instruction and posture at the moment of death:

• Physi­cally, one should sit in the seven-point posture.

  • Or, if unable to do that, lie down on the right side and rest the cheek on the right hand while blocking the right nostril with the little fin­ger.

• While breathing through the left nostril, one should begin by meditating on love and compassion and then train in send­ing and taking, in conjunction with the coming and going of the breath.

• Then, without clinging mentally to anything, one should rest evenly in a state of knowing that birth and death, samsara and nirvana, and so on, are all projections of mind, and that mind itself does not exist as anything. In this state, one should continue to breathe as well as one can.

One can also apply to the crown of the head an ointment compounded of wild honey, ash from burning unspoiled seashells, and filings from an iron magnet.