043-054 Six Intermediate States Series

043 Six Intermediate States Series (1)

What is the sequence of the rainbow body transformation process?

Disciple’s question:

Venerable Rinpoche, when practicing Phowa (transference of consciousness), the consciousness is transferred to the Pure Land. Regarding the rainbow body and the hundred thousand rainbow bodies you mentioned, is there a specific sequence involved? That is, when the consciousness is transferred to the Pure Land, how does the body transform into a rainbow body? In the process of transformation, is the rainbow body transformation completed first before the consciousness is transferred to the Pure Land? I would like to know the sequence.

Venerable Master’s answer:

This sequence is a long story. I will answer you briefly. The Phowa practice, or transference of consciousness, where the consciousness is transferred to the Pure Land, is slightly different from the rainbow body transformation.

Soul projection is easy, but whether one can reach the Pure Land depends on the strength of your faith, the power of your visualization, and the power of the mantra—whether it’s chanting “Phat,” or other mantras, or focusing your mind on a particular point. This requires regular practice and visualization; it’s very important to remember the mantra.

However, becoming a rainbow body is different. Phowa and transference of consciousness rely on both external and internal power—the power of Amitabha Buddha and other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and also the power of one’s own faith. But the rainbow body transformation relies on self-power, the power of one’s own meditation.

We say that the fire of samadhi meditation burns one’s own body; Arhats also achieve this. Through the power of their own meditation, they transform the impure five aggregates into pure ones. “Impurity” refers to afflictions; purity means without afflictions. Impurity leads to falling into the three realms, so we have impure afflictions. The impure five aggregates are purified through the emptiness and luminosity of Dzogchen meditation, ultimately transforming the impure into the pure, reaching such a state.

When reaching this state, there are many levels. Most sutras and tantras mention achieving Buddhahood. There are many levels of Buddhahood, starting from no longer being reborn in samsara, which is the beginning of Buddhahood. From the beginning of Buddhahood to the continuous perfection of the power of Buddhahood, becoming a fully enlightened Buddha, there are differences.

In any case, manifesting the rainbow body relies on the power of one’s own meditation; that’s how it is. 044 The Six Intermediate States Series (2)

Is the Rainbow Body scientifically plausible?

Disciple asks: Master, is the rainbow body scientifically plausible from a scientific perspective? Because the entire person disappears.

Master Bao replies: It is very scientific! Now everyone believes in quantum mechanics, so there’s no problem with the body becoming quantum!

045 The Six Intermediate States Series (3)

What is the relationship between the intermediate state body and the Alaya consciousness?

Disciple asks: Master, what is the relationship between the intermediate state body and our Alaya consciousness?

Master Bao replies:

The Alaya consciousness and the intermediate state are closely related, because any manifestation in the intermediate state is a manifestation of the habits in the Alaya consciousness. All the habits you have accumulated in your past lives will manifest in the Alaya consciousness.

All the fear, pain, sadness, and terrifying sights in the intermediate state are all manifestations from the Alaya consciousness, and will ultimately return to the Alaya consciousness.

046 The Six Intermediate States Series (4)

How should one control and manage the intermediate state body after death?

Disciple asks:

Reverend, for disciples of the exoteric tradition who lack a foundation in esoteric Buddhism, and therefore cannot perform visualizations during the intermediate state of death, how can they discern the manifestations of the intermediate state? How should they control and manage the intermediate state body after death? Especially during the separation of the four elements. Can you give some methods for exoteric disciples?

Master Bao replies:

I think you should strive before the separation of the four elements. If you try to find a method during the separation of the four elements, it will be very difficult.

Normally, you should practice Amitabha Buddha. Whether you are in pain or sadness, do not forget Amitabha Buddha.

At the time of death, or when someone tells you that you have a terminal illness and you know your time is limited, you should recite Amitabha Buddha more often and not forget Amitabha Buddha. If you don’t forget Amitabha Buddha in your heart, even if you don’t reach the Pure Land, you won’t go to the evil realms.

However, reaching the Pure Land still requires conditions. Because the Pure Land belongs to the Mahayana Dharma. The most fundamental condition of the Mahayana Dharma is to cultivate the broadest Bodhicitta. Without bodhicitta (the aspiration for enlightenment), the foundation of his Mahayana practice is absent. Is it possible to attain liberation solely through Amitabha Buddha’s vows? Yes, it is possible, but one still needs to cultivate a vast bodhicitta.

Selfishly reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name or mantras will not lead to great achievements. Therefore, with the foundation of bodhicitta, reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name and mantras can lead to rebirth in the Pure Land. Without this foundation, even reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name will not prevent one from falling into the lower realms.

047 Six Intermediate States Series (5)

Will a person definitely be reborn within 49 days after death?

Disciple’s question:

Venerable Master, after a person dies, from the moment of death to rebirth, if they have meditative power, the time may vary according to their level of attainment. If they haven’t practiced Buddhism, how is the time determined? Isn’t there a saying that rebirth will occur within forty-nine days?

Venerable Master’s answer:

If you don’t have meditative power, how do you calculate the forty-nine days? You can simply calculate it according to human days. This concept comes from Mahayana Buddhism; it exists in the Bodhisattva vehicle, the Vajrayana vehicle, and also in Hinduism and Taoism. This concept of forty-nine days exists in all of them.

Rebirth will occur within forty-nine days, whether it’s rebirth as a human, a hungry ghost, an animal, or an Asura, etc. Those who commit grave sins and go to hell don’t need to wait forty-nine days; they will go to hell within the first seven days. If they have committed karmic actions leading to hell, it’s possible that they will be in hell immediately upon waking up after death.

The intermediate state of those with heavy good karma and those with heavy bad karma is uncertain. For those with a mix of good and bad karma, we say they will experience forty-nine days.

Because the time spent in meditation cannot be calculated, we use human time for calculation. If you are a human, then you use human time for calculation; otherwise, many problems will arise. Just as you can sit in meditation for a long time, if sentient beings who practice meditation are to be reborn, they can achieve liberation in the intermediate state (bardo). That’s a problem; you can’t completely calculate it using meditation time, although there are instances in the tantras where meditation time is used for calculation.

This is determined for people in the human realm, for those who haven’t yet achieved enlightenment. Those who have already achieved enlightenment don’t need to descend into the intermediate state. Therefore, calculating using human time is sufficient. Padmasambhava’s teachings on the intermediate state also use human time for calculation. The Medicine Buddha Sutra mentions cultivating the Medicine Buddha for forty-nine days, etc., which also uses human time for calculation.

048 Six Intermediate States Series (6)

Will all female practitioners become Dakinis after achieving enlightenment?

Disciple asks: Venerable Master, will all female practitioners become Dakinis after achieving enlightenment?

Venerable Master’s answer:

The topic of Dakinis is a long story. In Vajrayana Buddhism, Dakini means Bodhisattva, a female Bodhisattva. There are many types of Bodhisattvas, such as Bodhisattvas who have made vows, Bodhisattvas who have reached the stages of enlightenment, or Bodhisattvas of the pure three stages, and finally, perfected Bodhisattvas… and so on, there are many types of Bodhisattvas.

Similarly, there are also different types of Dakinis. All women can become Dakinis, because everyone who has received the Bodhisattva precepts can be called a Bodhisattva who has made vows. Therefore, among the followers, there are also so-and-so Bodhisattva, so-and-so Bodhisattva… everyone who has received the Bodhisattva precepts can be called a Bodhisattva.

Similarly, with Dakinis, everyone can be called a Dakini. Because Dakinis themselves are divided into three types: born Dakinis, spontaneously arising Dakinis, and mantra-born Dakinis.

Born Dakinis are those who have vowed to be born in various sacred places to benefit sentient beings; this is a type of Bodhisattva who has made vows. Vajra Dakini: Everyone can be a Vajra Dakini. It means that if you practice this Dharma method and attain enlightenment in the future, you can become a Vajra Dakini. All female practitioners who attain enlightenment through the Vajrayana Dharma can be called Vajra Dakinis.

Innate Dakini refers to the Buddha-nature of every sentient being. Every male and female being inherently possesses an innate Buddha, but to avoid confusion, a name is given. Female beings inherently possess the innate Dakini, and the innate luminosity can manifest. That’s what a Dakini is. Do you understand? Therefore, not every Dakini is necessarily pure.

Understanding the term Dakini, its meaning, and its stages, Dakini can be said to be difficult to explain. There are so many types of Dakinis, but it can also be said that Dakini is very simple, just like there are Dakinis produced by karma, worldly Dakinis, and transcendental Dakinis.

Transcendental Dakinis are those who have attained enlightenment, as mentioned earlier. There are many levels, such as wisdom Dakinis and transcendental Dakinis… etc.

049 Six Intermediate States Series (7)

Teacher, are you going to manifest a rainbow body?

Disciple asks: Teacher, are you going to manifest a rainbow body? Will you be sitting or standing? Or will your body become large and then shrink again?

Teacher Bao replies:

This is not your private question, this is my private question; you’ve dug up my secret.

This is not a problem. I told everyone before that living properly and according to the Dharma before death is more important. How to attain liberation after death is more important.

The manner of death is not important to me personally. Therefore, I often take airplanes; one day I might die on a plane, or I might die on the road. I have no choice; any way of dying is fine.

How my body is handled after death is up to everyone else, not me. If you don’t find it dirty, just leave it there and let it decompose! If you think it’s very dirty, then burn it, it’s very simple! After my death, the handling of my remains is decided by everyone, not by me. How I act at the time of death might not be something everyone listens to, perhaps due to the circumstances at the time or the realities of the situation. Ultimately, it might not even be necessary to do things that way, and ultimately, the physical body doesn’t matter (whether or not I have this physical body is unimportant).

The achievement of the soul, the achievement of the inner self, is what matters, surpassing the achievements of this physical body. But, of course, if you ask what kind of hope I have, I hope to attain Buddhahood. Within the process of attaining Buddhahood (as long as I can attain Buddhahood), achieving Buddhahood through manifesting a rainbow body is good, and achieving Buddhahood through a body of light is also good. Whether sitting, standing, or in any other posture, as long as I can attain Buddhahood, that’s enough.

050 Six Intermediate States Series (8)

Dreaming of a deceased person dying again – does this mean they have been reborn?

Disciple asks: Venerable Master, is there a saying that if you dream of a deceased person dying again, it means they have been reborn?

Venerable Master Bao replies: We will discuss dreams in the intermediate state tomorrow. Regarding dreams in the intermediate state, dreams are illusory, completely illusory, and unreliable. However, sometimes, due to karmic connections, the dreams a person has can be observed; the karmic origins of the dream can be observed.

You have already had a dream about someone passing away, whether it’s an ancestor or a relative or friend. There are several possible meanings. It’s possible that they have accumulated merit, because they are going to perform some good deeds. This is more common, from the perspective of observing dreams.

There are also some things related to dreams in the tantric scriptures. If you see them in your dream appearing like they are becoming a Buddha, or like Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, or in a radiant form, and you feel very happy and joyful, then it’s possible that they have gone to the heavenly realm, become a Bodhisattva, or gone to the Pure Land. Just be happy about it.

If, in your dream, you see them looking pained or sad, then you should perform some good deeds for them: recite scriptures, make offerings to the Buddha, make offerings to the Sangha, light lamps, etc. Performing these good deeds for them is better. This is from the perspective of observing dreams.

051 Six Intermediate States Series (9)

Is reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name next to a deceased person helpful to them?

Disciple asks: Venerable Master, when a relative or friend dies and is being guided to rebirth, is reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name next to them helpful if the deceased person was a Buddhist?

Venerable Master Bao replies: If they were a Buddhist, reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name is very helpful. If they are unable to rely on their own strength, then relying on others to recite Amitabha Buddha’s name is very good.

If many people are reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name next to me when I pass away, I would be very happy. If I don’t have the strength to recite Amitabha Buddha’s name myself, and the people next to me are reciting it, and I hear the Buddha’s name, then at the time of death, or at crucial moments, everyone’s faith in the Three Jewels should be firm. The meaning of steadfastness is a strong yearning for the protection of the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha). This yearning is quite intense; it’s not a completely unwavering stability. With such a strong yearning, the power of others—before or after death—chanting Amitabha Buddha’s name and offering support, can enable the person to be reborn in the Pure Land. It is possible. Because at this time, the faith in the Three Jewels, the faith in Amitabha Buddha, and the vows of those around them, chanting more and more, I hope they will chant more.

052 Six Intermediate States Series (10)

If someone has Alzheimer’s disease and doesn’t know that we are chanting for them, is it useful?

Disciple asks: Venerable Master, if someone has Alzheimer’s disease and is completely unaware that we are chanting for them, is it useful?

Venerable Master Bao answers: Yes, it is useful. In the intermediate state, they have supernatural powers.

People in the intermediate state have four characteristics:

1. They have supernatural powers;
2. They are unimpeded; “unimpeded” means they can go anywhere instantly without obstacles;
3. Their senses are complete; they possess all six senses—eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, etc. They can see and hear, but these eyes and ears are not our current physical eyes and ears; they are the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body of their mental body;
4. They can see each other… etc.

Those with supernatural powers can see. Therefore, some people, after entering samadhi, can see where the beings in the intermediate state are. Those with such supernatural powers can see them. Whether they can see each other or not is a matter of debate.

If you ask many masters about this, there is no definitive conclusion. Because if they could see each other, there would be no loneliness in the intermediate state; there would be so many beings to talk to and chat with, and they wouldn’t be lonely. But one characteristic of the intermediate state is loneliness. (The disciple then says, “Doesn’t he have many other friends?”) Because they can’t see their other friends. This is my view.

Some theories also hold this view. If they could see each other, there would be no loneliness; the feeling of loneliness would be gone, and the feeling of emptiness would be reduced by half. A group of people could sit together. Among so many beings, they should not be able to see each other. (The disciple then said, “I thought they could see each other, so they could play mahjong together.”)

At this point, they have all transformed into Asura beings, into invisible beings. Some Asura beings are bodiless, or they are beings from the realm of hungry ghosts. After reincarnation, it’s possible they can see each other.

Furthermore, we talk about mountain gods, earth gods, wind gods, or gods of certain places, like the local earth god. If some of them are reborn in these places, it’s also possible for them to play mahjong together. Therefore, I believe that those who can see each other are those with supernatural powers. Beings in the intermediate state (bardo) all have supernatural powers; similarly, those with supernatural powers, whether they are Bodhisattvas or not, can see each other.

053 Six Intermediate States Series (11)

Where does the consciousness of the deceased go after reincarnation?

Disciple asks: Venerable Master, after reincarnation, does the consciousness of the deceased directly transfer to the body of their next life’s mother, or…?

Venerable Master Bao answers: Regarding the issue of reincarnation. After forty-nine days, will it enter the mother’s womb? Humans and animals have mothers; some beings in the heavenly realms also have mothers, but some do not.

We talk about birth from moisture, spontaneous generation, birth from eggs, etc. Spontaneous generation doesn’t necessarily mean being born from a lotus flower, but rather suddenly appearing when the conditions are right, without needing to enter a mother’s womb, just like beings in the hell realms and some beings in the heavenly realms. There are two types of beings in the heavenly realms: those with parents and those without.

Other beings in the human and animal realms all require parents.

Disciple asks: Renpoche, you just mentioned forty-nine days for humans. But cats, dogs, pigs, etc., their forty-nine days are different from ours!

Venerable Master Bao answers: Then just use human time for calculation. Because their lifespan is shorter, if we’re talking about this principle, it’s difficult to determine forty-nine days precisely.

However, when we perform good deeds, we use human time for calculation; this is a custom. Traditionally, in the past, high-ranking monks and virtuous masters, whether it was a pet dying, or a cow, sheep, horse, etc., when they died, if you want to hold a Dharma assembly for forty-nine days, you should use human time. But what is the actual duration of their intermediate state? It’s uncertain. All teachings on the intermediate state are given by those who understand analysis and can comprehend human language; they are not meant for other sentient beings. All of our teachings on the intermediate state originate from Shakyamuni Buddha’s turning of the Dharma wheel in the human realm. Most of the teachings and Dharma are for humans.

Regarding the animal realm, there are teachings on how to practice, but they are very few, especially concerning the intermediate state. However, this is a significant issue. Whether it’s the Abhidharma, the Vajrayana tantras, or Padmasambhava’s teachings, there are slight differences in these worldly virtuous practices. There are no differences in the original texts; the original texts can be interpreted in many ways. However, later interpretations show significant differences. It’s possible that our Buddhist interpretations, the more we explain them, the more they become a rigid framework. Like a dictionary, once the meaning of a word is established, the original meaning might disappear.

For example, what we now call the Four Continents, Mount Meru, etc., and the 49 days, the original texts in the Abhidharma don’t have very clear explanations, but later interpretations have many different explanations. The original texts can be interpreted in many ways. Because of karmic forces, sentient beings see things differently. Like how ants see humans, and how humans see ants. It’s something similar to this; we say it’s not quite the same. But later, we have to use human concepts to frame (understand) this explanation, and it seems there are some changes in meaning. Therefore, I don’t know about animals. There are many explanations, but I can’t tell you which one is correct.

054 Six Intermediate States Series (12)

Are we familiar with the intermediate state of rebirth and the intermediate state of conception?

Disciple asks: Venerable Master, we haven’t entered the luminous nature of Dharma, so we haven’t entered the Pure Land, but are only in the intermediate state of conception, which is why we are human today. So, we are not unfamiliar with the intermediate state of rebirth and the intermediate state of conception, right? We are all familiar with the process of the intermediate state of rebirth, right?

Venerable Master replies: Oh, no, we’re not familiar with it.

Although we have experienced it, it’s like you’ve read elementary school textbooks; many of the books you read in elementary school have been forgotten. You’ve experienced it many times, but you’ve forgotten it. That’s just how we humans are; we’ve experienced many problems, yet we keep making the same mistakes over and over again. That’s human nature.

Similarly, it’s not that we haven’t experienced these things before, or that we lack experience, yet we still make the same mistakes.

The ultimate safeguard is having faith in the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha). When you lack faith in the Three Jewels, Amitabha Buddha cannot save you, Guru Rinpoche cannot save you, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva cannot save you; no one, no Buddha or Bodhisattva, has the power to save you.