Peaceful Death, Joyful Rebirth: A Tibetan Buddhist Guidebook - Hardcover

Thondup, Tulku

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 159030182X ISBN 13: 9781590301821

Publisher: Shambhala, 2005

Synopsis

Buddhism teaches that death can be a springboard to enlightenment—yet for all but the most advanced meditators, it will be the gateway to countless future lives of suffering in samsara. Tulku Thondup wrote this guide to help us heal our fear and confusion about death and strengthen our practice in anticipation of this transition, and to help us realize the enlightened goal of ultimate peace and joy—not only for death and rebirth, but for this very lifetime. In simple language, he distills a vast range of sources, including scriptures, classic commentaries, oral teachings, and firsthand accounts. The book includes: An overview of the dying process, the after-death bardo states, and teachings on why, where, and how we take rebirth Accounts by Tibetan "near-death experiencers" ( delogs), who returned from death with amazing reports of their visions Ways to train our minds during life, so that at death, all the phenomena before us will arise as a world of peace, joy, and enlightenment Simple meditations, prayers, and rituals to benefit the dead and dying Advice for caregivers, helpers, and survivors of the dying A brief liturgy and explanation of phowa, the unique Tibetan meditation for transferring the consciousness of the dying (oneself or another) to an enlightened pure land

About this title

About the Author

Tulku Thondup Rinpoche, an esteemed author and teacher, was born in East Tibet and studied at the famed Dodrupchen Monastery. In 1958 he settled in India, where he taught at Indian universities for many years. He came to the United States in 1980 as a visiting scholar at Harvard University. For the past two decades he has lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, engaging in translation and writing on Tibetan Buddhism, particularly the Nyingma teachings, under the auspices of the Buddhayana Foundation. Among his books are The Healing Power of Mind, which has been published in seventeen languages, and Boundless Healing, in twelve languages.

Review

"A remarkably lucid distillation of Tibetan Buddhist teaching on how the state of our minds in life affects the nature and quality of our experiences in death . . . . A provocative and surprisingly compelling work that will appeal to beginners and advanced practitioners alike."— Publishers Weekly

"A healing treasure from Tulku Thondup: a clear, complete, and compassionate guidebook to the journey through life, dying, death, and beyond. Accessible and authentic as always, he brings to the ancient Buddhist teachings his deep and gentle understanding of the modern world. Drawing on an extraordinary range of sources, including the Tibetan near-death experiences, he shows to what extent the quality of our life, death, and rebirth all depend upon the mind. By following the spiritual practices and straightforward practical guidance given here, any one of us can learn to transform not only our life, not only our dying and death, but also our future lives, and so even the future of humanity."—Sogyal Rinpoche, author of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

"Tibetans by nature are joyous. This comes from having teachings on death and life. Tulku Thondup has opened this vast treasury of knowledge in a clear, simple, and powerful way for the modern audience."—Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, author of Turning the Mind into an Ally

"From the richness of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and from the depth of his own experience as yogin and teacher, Tulku Thondup illuminates the mysteries of death and rebirth in this most welcome new book. He explains fully and clearly each stage of the process that leads from this life to the next, illustrating them with stories from the delogs—spiritually gifted men and women who have returned from death in order to relate their experiences. The book contains a valuable section devoted to the care and support of those who are approaching death, and includes a selection of meditations and rituals that may be used to help the dying and the dead, which will be of great benefit to many people. Above all, at every stage Tulku Thondup offers us practical methods of training the mind here and now, in preparation for the journey we must all eventually make."—Francesca Freemantle, author of Luminous Emptiness: Understanding the Tibetan Book of the Dead

Edition details

• Publisher: Shambhala
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 159030182X
• ISBN 13: 9781590301821
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240