颇瓦法修持问答

Q. I understand about the signs which tell you if the phowa practice
has been successful, such as a swelling on the crown of the head,
but are there also signs that would tell you if the phowa practice
has gone badly wrong, in which case you would want to contact a
master who is better placed to help that person?
A. The signs that the phowa practice has been successful are mentioned
in the terma text. For example, that a small lump forms at the aperture
of brahma on the crown of the head. For some people this aperture is
located directly in the middle of the head, while for others it is slightly
to the right or left. When you train in the practice yourself, you might
also develop headaches. Not just any sort of headache, like the ones I
habitually suffer from, but rather as soon as you start to practice, you
develop a kind of pain in the head. A yellowish fluid might also seep
from your fontanelle. After you have trained in the practice for some
time, you might even be able to insert a stalk of grass through your
aperture of brahma. All these signs are clearly mentioned in the terma
text and I’ve seen them many times.

问：我理解能表明颇瓦法成功的征相，例如头顶肿起；但是否也有征相，能表明修法出了严重问题，从而需要联络一位更有能力帮助此人的上师？
答：伏藏文本提到过颇瓦法成功的征相，例如头顶梵穴处出现小肿块。有些人的梵穴在头顶正中，另一些则略偏左或偏右。自己训练时，也可能头痛。并非任何头痛，像我常有的那种，而是一开始修，头部就生起某种痛感。囟门也可能渗出淡黄色液体。训练一段时间后，甚至可能将草茎插入梵穴。伏藏文本清楚提到所有这些征相，我也见过许多次。

There’s no mention of any signs that would indicate the practice
didn’t work, what you call bad signs. Basically you can understand
it in this way—if the signs of a successful transference don’t appear,
then it means the practice hasn’t worked. That’s the bad sign. As I
said before, the reason you might not see signs is because the person
you are practicing for doesn’t actually have an aperture of brahma.
There are some people this applies to. Even for people who have
committed a lot of negative actions (such as the five actions with
immediate retribution, the five almost as grave, and so on), it is said
that if you do the phowa practice properly, signs will appear. And it
makes absolutely no difference what caste or race that person comes
from. For samaya-breakers, however, there will not be any signs.
That’s clear from the start. This doesn’t apply just to phowa, by the
way—no Dharma practice can benefit them. It is clearly said that
if you have broken your samayas and try to accomplish the yidam
deity, it will not work.

文中没有提到表明修法不成功的征相，也就是你说的坏征相。基本上，可以这样理解：如果成功迁识的征相没有出现，就意味着修法没有奏效。这就是坏征相。如前所说，看不到征相，也可能是因为所修之人实际上没有梵穴。有些人确实如此。即使造过许多恶业，例如五无间罪、五近无间罪等等，据说，只要如法修颇瓦法，也会出现征相。此人属于什么种姓、族群，完全没有差别。但违犯三昧耶者，不会有征相，这从一开始就很明确。顺便说，这不仅适用于颇瓦法，任何佛法修持都不能利益他们。教法明确说，违犯三昧耶之后，若想修成本尊，不会奏效。

Q. But are there any signs on the corpse that would indicate the
phowa practice had gone wrong, that you would then need to
contact a realized master to put right?
A. There are no specific signs—it’s just that no signs appear, which
means the practice didn’t work. So you might then want to contact a
powerful practitioner to try instead. Generally speaking, you should
train in the practice and experience the signs for yourself, before you
try to practice for others. Otherwise you cannot expect signs to come
just like that.

问：可是，遗体上是否有任何征相，能表明颇瓦法出了问题，需要联系有证悟的上师来纠正？
答：没有特定征相，只是没有征相出现，意味着修法没有奏效。这时，或许想请一位有力量的行者来试试。一般而言，在尝试为别人修之前，应先训练，自己经历征相。否则，不能指望征相就这样出现。

If you have practiced phowa for other people several times before
and signs have always appeared, and then find that in one or two cases
this doesn’t happen, you can consider them to be special cases. But
if you have practiced phowa 10, 15 or 20 times before and no signs
have ever appeared, it means you cannot do the practice. It simply
means that you haven’t trained enough in the practice yourself.

如果以前曾多次为人修颇瓦法，总有征相，后来有一两次没有，就可视为特殊情况。但如果以前已经修过十次、十五次或二十次，却从未出现征相，就意味着你还不会修此法，只说明自己训练得不够。

Depending on the practitioner, there can also be a difference in
the impact of the phowa. When Dza Patrul Rinpoche’s mother was
about to pass away, he invited all the lamas from Dzachuka to practice
phowa for her. One tulku, Adzom Drukpa, was quite young at that
time and it was he who Patrul Rinpoche said produced the greatest
signs of accomplishment. According to the custom in Kham, when
you request lamas to practice phowa for someone, you need to offer
them a horse. It’s actually even called the ‘phowa horse’. But Patrul
Rinpoche didn’t have a horse so instead he offered to Adzom Drukpa
the transmission of the Longchen Nyingtik tsa lung. When Patrul
Rinpoche was practising the Longchen Nyingtik tsa lung, he worked
his way through thirteen pairs of the special loin cloth that you need
to wear when you do this practice. He also offered one of those loin
cloths to Adzom Drukpa. This story shows that the practice can
have a stronger or lesser impact, depending on the practitioner. In
Tibet, there were people who actually checked which lama had the
greatest impact when they practiced phowa.

行者不同，颇瓦法的效力也会有差别。扎巴珠仁波切的母亲临终时，他请扎曲卡的所有上师，为母亲修颇瓦法。当时，阿宗竹巴这位祖古还很年轻，巴珠仁波切说，正是他产生了最大的成就征相。依康区习俗，请上师为人修颇瓦法，需要供养一匹马，甚至就称作“颇瓦马”。但巴珠仁波切没有马，于是改向阿宗竹巴供养龙钦心髓脉风传承。巴珠仁波切修龙钦心髓脉风时，曾穿坏十三条修此法时必须穿的特殊腰布。他也将其中一条供养给阿宗竹巴。这个故事说明，修法效力会随行者不同而强弱有别。西藏确有人检验过，哪位上师修颇瓦法效力最大。

When people in Bir ask me to come and practice phowa for
someone, I always go to their house and honour their request, even
until today. After I’ve completed the practice, I always check to see
whether the practice has worked or not. If it has worked, I only do the
practice once. However if no signs appear, I repeat the practice again
and again until they come. In most cases, the signs do come. Some of
my monks, especially the younger ones, are afraid to touch a corpse,
so I always check for the signs myself. I don’t ask my monks to do
this. Personally, I’m not afraid of corpses. In some cases the practice
just doesn’t work, in which case I tell the relatives and suggest that
they invite another lama or practitioner to try. This can happen.

比尔有人请我为人修颇瓦法时，直到今天，我总会前往他们家中，应请而修。修完后，总会检查是否奏效。如果奏效，就只修一次；若没有征相，就一再重修，直到出现。多数情况下，征相确实会来。我的一些僧人，尤其年轻的，害怕接触尸体，所以我总是亲自检查，不让僧人代做。我自己不怕尸体。有时修法就是不奏效，这时我会告诉亲属，建议请另一位上师或行者来试试。这种情况是可能发生的。

Q. When you practice phowa for animals, is the instruction for the
visualization any different?
A. I’ve no idea about this. I’ve heard that there are some traditions
that teach how to practice phowa for animals, but I don’t know
about them. In India, my father once practiced phowa for a snake.
Someone had struck the snake with a stone and its head had become
separated from its body, but the body was still writhing around on
the ground. My father looked at the snake, shouted ‘Phaṭ!’ once, and
immediately the body stopped moving. It was like the electricity had
suddenly been turned off. I saw this with my own eyes but I’ve no
idea how he did it.

问：为动物修颇瓦法时，观想教授有何不同吗？
答：我不知道。我听说，有些传统教授如何为动物修颇瓦法，但我不了解。在印度，我父亲曾为一条蛇修颇瓦法。有人用石头打了蛇，蛇头已经与身体分离，身体却仍在地上扭动。父亲看着蛇，喊了一声“Phaṭ！”，身体立即停止活动，就像突然断了电。这是我亲眼所见，但不知道他是怎样做到的。

There’s also a story about the incarnation of Chokling Rinpoche,
the one previous to my father. One day he was sitting on a rock
eating meat with his tutor, when he accidentally dropped the knife
they were using down a deep crack. The tutor became very upset
because it was a particularly good knife. They tried to retrieve it,
but it had become firmly stuck. Chokling Rinpoche then said it was
possible to practice phowa not just for a consciousness, but also for
inanimate objects, like the knife. He shouted ‘Phaṭ!’ once and the
knife flew up into the air, so he could catch it. Such stories exist.

还有一个关于秋林仁波切转世的故事，那是我父亲的前一世。一天，他与老师坐在岩石上吃肉，不小心把所用的刀掉进一条深裂缝。老师很不高兴，因为那是一把特别好的刀。他们试着取回，却卡得很紧。秋林仁波切于是说，颇瓦法不仅能用于心识，也能用于像刀这样的无生命物。他喊了一声“Phaṭ！”，刀便飞到空中，让他接住。有这样的故事。

Q. How important is it to say Phaṭ out loud? Some of us might be
in a hospital or similar such situation where that would be difficult.
Can you also say the Phaṭ silently?
A. This also I don’t know. I can see how it might be difficult to
practice phowa in a place like a hospital, but my teachers never said
anything about this to me. The texts say that you should say Phaṭ
loudly and then visualize that the consciousness shoots up like an
arrow. I don’t think there’s a single text that says you can recite Phaṭ
quietly.

问：大声念 Phaṭ 有多重要？我们有些人可能在医院等场所，很难这样做。能否默念 Phaṭ？
答：这一点我也不知道。我能理解，在医院这类地方，修颇瓦法可能困难，但上师们从未向我谈过这个问题。文本说，应大声念 Phaṭ，然后观想心识如箭般射起。我想，没有哪一部文本说可以轻声念 Phaṭ。

Q. Can the phowa practice be done by a group of practitioners or
should it always been done individually?
A. I’ve already told you that phowa is not a group practice. There’s no
phowa drupchen! It’s something that each person needs to practice
individually. When we die, we don’t die in a group, do we? When
lamas guide people through phowa practice as a training, however,
that usually is done in large gatherings. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
used to do this for thousands of people at the same time. When I
received the transmission of the Treasury of Instructions (Dam Ngak
Dzö) from Kalu Rinpoche, he also guided us through phowa practice
and a lot of people were present then. I concentrated intently on
the visualization as he guided us through the practice, but suddenly
my head started to itch so I had to scratch it. I panicked a little
and stopped the visualization. So lamas do guide people through
phowa practice as a group. Some people really follow the practice
and actually pass out when this is done, especially if they are being
guided by a powerful master. There was a lama who lived near to
Manali called Sangzang Lama who was from Central Tibet—when
he guided people through the phowa practice, many in the audience
would actually faint.

问：颇瓦法可否由一组行者共修，还是始终应个人修？
答：我已经说过，颇瓦法不是共修法，没有颇瓦大修！这是每个人需要独自修的。死亡时，我们不是一群人一起死，对吧？不过，上师引导大家训练颇瓦法时，通常是在大型集会中进行。顶果钦哲仁波切曾同时为几千人这样引导。我从卡卢仁波切领受《教诫藏》传承时，他也引导我们修颇瓦法，当时有许多人在场。他引导时，我很专注地观想，突然头开始发痒，只好抓挠。我有点慌，便停下观想。所以，上师确实会集体引导颇瓦法。有些人真正随之修持，当时就会昏过去，尤其当引导者是有力量的大师时。马纳利附近曾住过一位来自卫藏的上师，名叫桑藏喇嘛；他带领修颇瓦法时，听众中许多人真会晕倒。

Q. You said that a lama cannot practice phowa for a student who
has broken their samayas. Is there anything else we can do for our
vajra brothers and sisters when they die, if they have broken their
samayas?
A. Personally, I don’t even go near such people. But then again, I’ve
never met anyone who has seriously broken their samayas. There
were a few people from the Dzongsar Shedra who turned against
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche in the past, and they were present
when he gave the empowerments of the Treasury of Instructions
some years ago. But the days they attended, I didn’t go. I only went
when they weren’t there. Otherwise, I haven’t been exposed to such
people. I’ve never actually been asked to practice phowa for someone
who has broken their samayas—people wouldn’t call me in such
cases. Unless you’re requested to do the practice for someone, you
don’t just do it from your side.

问：您说，上师不能为违犯三昧耶的弟子修颇瓦法。如果金刚兄弟姐妹违犯三昧耶，他们死时，我们还能为他们做些什么？
答：就我个人而言，连这样的人身边都不会去。不过，我也从未遇见严重违犯三昧耶的人。过去，宗萨佛学院有几个人背离宗萨钦哲仁波切；几年前，他传《教诫藏》灌顶时，这些人也在场。但他们出席的那几天，我没有去，只在他们不在时去。除此之外，我没有接触过这样的人。实际上，从没有人请我为违犯三昧耶者修颇瓦法，遇到这种情况，人们不会来叫我。除非有人请求，否则不要自作主张替人修法。

According to the pith instructions that have been handed down
by the lineage, phowa practice can be of benefit to anyone except
those who have broken their samayas. Phowa doesn’t work for these
people, and not only doesn’t it work, it can actually be harmful for
the person who practices it for them. And it follows that if the lama
cannot practice phowa for them, neither can the vajra brothers and
sisters. The moment those people broke their samayas with their
lama, they also broke their samayas with their vajra brothers and
sisters. This question shows that you don’t know much about the
samayas and what the breakage of samaya means.

依传承流传下来的窍诀，颇瓦法能利益所有人，唯独违犯三昧耶者除外。颇瓦法对这些人不起作用，不但不起作用，还可能伤害代修者。因此，如果上师不能为他们修，金刚兄弟姐妹也不能。在他们违犯与上师之间三昧耶的那一刻，也违犯了与金刚兄弟姐妹之间的三昧耶。这个问题表明，你们对三昧耶，以及违犯三昧耶意味着什么，了解不多。

There are fourteen root samayas in the Secret Mantra Vajrayāna.
The first and foremost is the samaya that you have with the lama
who has given you empowerment and transmissions.

秘密真言金刚乘有十四条根本三昧耶。第一条，也是最首要的一条，是与赐予灌顶和传承的上师之间的三昧耶。

The Vajradhara said that accomplishments
Come from following the teacher,
So to disparage him or her
Is explained as the first root downfall.^[30]

金刚持曾说，
成就来自依止上师，
因此毁谤上师，
被解释为第一根本堕罪。^[30]

It is the first one because it is the most important. The second samaya
is to follow the instructions and commands that the lama gives you:

它列在第一，是因为最重要。第二条三昧耶，是遵从上师所给的教授与命令：

To transgress the words of the sugatas
Is taught to be the second downfall.

违越善逝言教，
说为第二堕罪。

Once you have received empowerment from a lama and rely upon
him/her as your root teacher, if you don’t follow his/her instructions,
that constitutes the second breakage of samaya. These days, some
people say that if the lama tells you to do something that is not in
accord with the dharma, you don’t have to follow their instructions.
This is absolutely wrong and contradicts the tantras. There are
hundreds of quotations from both the Sarma and Nyingma tantras
that can be cited to refute this. Having said that, I don’t believe
an authentic teacher would ask you to do something that was not
connected to the dharma in any way.

一旦从某位上师领受灌顶，依止他为根本上师，若不遵从其教授，就构成第二种三昧耶违犯。如今，有些人说，如果上师让你做不如法的事，就不必遵从。这完全错误，与密续相违。新派与宁玛密续中，可以引出数百处引文反驳。不过，话虽如此，我不相信真实的上师会让你做任何与佛法毫无关系的事。

In the Vinaya, it is said that the rules and vows need to be in
accord with the local situation and times, and can be changed if all
the senior-most fully ordained monks and nuns gather in a great
assembly and decide to do so. But I don’t think this has ever actually
happened. According to the Vinaya, it would be possible to do this,
to adapt the dharma. But it’s now been over two thousand years
since ordination was established and I don’t think this has happened
even once. I’ve never heard of it. The 250 vows of a fully ordained
monk have not changed since the time of the Buddha.
There was an Indian monk at a large gathering of the ordained
saṅgha in Vārāṇasī some years ago who said that some of the rules
of the Vinaya needed to be adapted to fit the current times. But the
senior monks from Burma wholly disagreed with him and said they
would never accept his proposal. The Dalai Lama wanted to propose
a change to the rules for the ordination of nuns, so that it would
be possible for them to receive vows of full ordination from a fully
ordained monk or abbot. He wanted to put forward this proposal to
a great gathering of senior monks so that a decision could be taken.
As a first step, a learned abbot from the Ministry of Religious Affairs
wrote to over 250 khenpos from the Tibetan tradition, all of whom
were very learned in the Vinaya, to ask their opinion. The only one
in favour of the change was Khenpo Pema Sherab. A few didn’t reply
but most of them said that this would not be possible.

律藏中说，规矩与戒律应符合当地情况及时代，如果所有最资深的具足戒比丘、比丘尼齐集大会，作出决定，就可以改变。但我不认为这实际发生过。依律藏，原本可以这样调整佛法；然而，自受戒制度确立至今已有两千多年，我不认为这曾发生过，甚至一次也没有听说。具足戒比丘的二百五十条戒，自佛陀时代以来未曾改变。
几年前，瓦拉纳西举行大型出家僧团集会时，一位印度僧人说，某些律藏规定需要调整，以适应当前时代。但缅甸长老们完全不同意，表示绝不接受其提议。达赖喇嘛希望提议修改尼众受戒规定，使她们能够从具足戒比丘或堪布处受具足戒。他想将这一建议提交长老大会，以作决定。作为第一步，宗教事务部门一位博学的堪布，写信给藏传佛教中两百五十多位精通律藏的堪布，征求意见。唯一赞成改变的，是堪布白玛谢饶。少数没有答复，但多数表示，这不可行。

My point here is that the Buddha himself said it would be possible
to adapt the rules of the Vinaya. And the way this should be done is
to convene a great assembly of the most revered elders and monks,
and to propose the changes there. If the proposal is repeated three
times and all the monks remain silent during each repetition, then it
is agreed. It would only take one monk to disagree, however, for the
proposal to be rejected.

这里，我要说的是，佛陀自己说过，律藏规定可以调整。方法是召集最受尊敬的长老与僧众大会，在会上提出更改。如果提议重复三次，每一次全体僧人都保持沉默，就表示通过。但只要一位僧人反对，提议就会被否决。

Concerning the Vajrayāna, we must follow the original wisdom
intent of the tantras and this cannot be changed. This is because the
teachings of the tantra are the natural sound of the dharmatā. They
were not written by ordinary human beings and cannot be changed
simply by thinking about them.

至于金刚乘，我们必须遵循密续原有的智慧密意，不能改变。因为密续教法是法性的自然之声，并非凡夫所写，不能仅凭思考就加以改动。

The third samaya is to maintain pure perception towards one’s
vajra brothers and sisters.

第三条三昧耶，是对金刚兄弟姐妹保持清净观。

Out of anger, to speak ill
Of one’s vajra siblings is the third.
There’s a lot to explain in relation to this samaya. A breakage of
this samaya can be on the level of the mind, i.e. you have negative
thoughts towards your vajra brothers and sisters, or on the level of
speech, things you actually say to them. It can also be on the bodily
level, when you act upon those negative thoughts and physically
abuse your vajra brothers and sisters. That’s the third samaya and
there are eleven more that follow.

因嗔恨而恶言毁谤，
金刚兄弟姐妹，是第三条。
关于这条三昧耶，有许多可讲。违犯可以在意的层面，即对金刚兄弟姐妹生起恶念；也可以在语的层面，即实际对他们说出的话；还可以在身的层面，即付诸恶念，以身体伤害金刚兄弟姐妹。这是第三条三昧耶，后面还有十一条。

When those samayas are broken, what can we do? Confession—
and it’s best if you do this before the end of the day. If your lama is
present, you confess in his/her presence. Or failing that, to your vajra
brothers and sisters. If you’re unable to do this on the same day, your
confession should at least happen within one month. If not then,
within a year. The tantra says, however, that if you have committed
breakages of samaya and fail to confess them within three years, they
cannot be restored.

违犯了这些三昧耶，该怎么办？忏悔，而且最好当天结束前就做。若上师在，就当面忏悔；否则，向金刚兄弟姐妹忏悔。如果无法当天做，至少应在一个月内；若还做不到，就在一年内。可是，密续说，若违犯三昧耶后三年内仍未忏悔，就无法恢复。

This is what you can do for breakages of the fourteen root
samayas. There are also twenty-five secondary samayas. These can
be restored on the tenth and twenty-fifth days of the lunar month
when you offer tsok, invoke the maṇḍala of the deities, and receive
their empowerment. In this way, you can purify all the breakages of
samaya that you have committed.

以上，是违犯十四根本三昧耶后可以做的事。此外，还有二十五条支分三昧耶。农历初十、二十五，献荟供、迎请坛城诸尊、领受其灌顶时，可以恢复这些戒。如此，便能净化所犯的一切三昧耶违犯。

In your question you seem to be saying that this person has
broken samayas with their lama but not with their vajra brothers and
sisters. But that isn’t possible. In the Vajrayāna, we don’t make any
distinctions in the maṇḍala of the teacher and the students, we see
them as equally pure.

你的问题似乎在说，这个人违犯了与上师之间的三昧耶，却没有违犯与金刚兄弟姐妹之间的三昧耶。但这是不可能的。金刚乘中，我们不在师徒坛城中作区别，而视其同样清净。

Q. If we are unconscious at the moment of death, for example in a
coma, how can we practice phowa?
A. I don’t know much about the state of coma, you’d have to ask
a doctor. Some doctors say that you can still experience sensations
when you’re in a coma, that you’re still responsive on some level. If
that’s the case, it might be possible for you to do phowa. Dzongsar
Khyentse Rinpoche told me that even though some people stay in a
coma for several years, they still have some level of sensory experience.
You can sit next to them, talk to them, and give them various kinds
of treatments. At least, this is what some doctors say.

问：如果死亡时没有意识，例如处于昏迷中，如何修颇瓦法？
答：我对昏迷状态了解不多，你得问医生。有些医生说，昏迷时仍能体验感受，在某个层次仍有反应。如果如此，也许可以修颇瓦法。宗萨钦哲仁波切告诉我，有些人虽然昏迷数年，仍有某种程度的感官体验。你可以坐在他身边，与他交谈，给予各种治疗。至少，有些医生这样说。

Nowadays there are many conditions and illnesses like this. At
the time the texts on phowa practice were written, I don’t think such
conditions were known about. What those texts dealt with was when
someone’s external breathing had ceased, but inner breath was still
present. Is that similar to a coma? I don’t know, you’d have to ask the
doctors. They would know if there was still movement in the vein at
the throat—that would be a sign of whether external breathing had
ceased and the person was beyond being revived. Phowa practice is
intended for someone who cannot be resuscitated. Some people say
that patients can emerge from a coma, so I really don’t know.

如今，有许多这样的状况和疾病。我想，撰写颇瓦法文本时，人们还不了解这些情况。那些文本所处理的，是外呼吸已止而内呼吸仍在的状态。那与昏迷相似吗？我不知道，你得问医生。他们会知道喉部脉道是否仍有搏动，那可以表明外呼吸是否停止，以及此人是否已无法救活。颇瓦法是为无法复苏的人而修的。有些人说，病人能从昏迷中醒来，所以我确实不知道。

Q. What can I do if I have a sudden accident, for example I’m
run over by a truck, and death is instantaneous, there’s no time to
practice phowa?
A. Actually if you train well in the practice, it can still be possible
for you to practice phowa in such a situation. You can do it there
and then, in that instant. I know cases of Dzogchen practitioners
who remained in tukdam even after they were killed in an accident.
They were still able to meditate. If you remember the instructions
in that moment, you will be able to practice. It’s also possible for
someone else to do the practice for you at such times. Often after a
car accident, for example, the corpse is left on the road for some time
afterwards. But if you have trained well, you will be able to practice
even if your death is sudden.

问：如果突遭意外，例如被卡车撞倒，当场死亡，来不及修颇瓦法，我能怎么办？
答：实际上，如果训练得好，在这样的情况下，仍可能修颇瓦法。你可以就在当下那一瞬间修。我知道，有些大圆满行者在事故中丧生后，仍安住禅定，他们依然能修。若当时记得教授，就能修持。这种情况下，也可以由别人代修。例如，车祸后，遗体往往还会在路上停留一段时间。但如果训练充分，即使突然死亡，仍然能够修。

Q. When I practice phowa for another person, do I visualize both
myself and the other person as Vajrayoginī, or just myself?
A. Both. There’s a tradition of phowa where you consider yourself
and the deceased person to be one and the same, indivisible, and
merge your two consciousnesses together. But you’re advised not to
practice that too much. So it’s better you visualize both yourself and
the dead person as Vajrayoginī, and eject both your consciousnesses,
while focussing more on the dead person than yourself. But you do
it together, for both of you.

问：为别人修颇瓦法时，要把自己与对方都观为金刚瑜伽母，还是只观自己？
答：两者都观。有一种颇瓦法传统，观想自己与亡者同一无别，将两个心识融合。但教授劝告，不要太多修这种。因此，最好将自己与亡者都观为金刚瑜伽母，同时射出双方的心识，只是更专注亡者，而非自己。不过，是两个人一起做，为双方而修。

Q. There’s an increased risk nowadays that we might die suddenly,
for example by a bomb going off. If that happens to me, I hope I
will be able to think of all the other people who died at the same
time as me. If I practice phowa at such a time, can I bring all the
other people with me?
A. That would depend on the power of your practice. This applies
to everything—it depends on your ability. If you are a powerful
practitioner, then probably you would be able to help the other people
who died alongside you. It is said in the Dzogchen teachings that
when you reach enlightenment, you are able to bring four thousand
other beings with you. Some texts even say whole countries. It
depends on your capacity as a practitioner.

问：如今突然死亡的风险增加了，例如炸弹爆炸。如果发生在我身上，我希望能想到同时死亡的其他人。若在那时修颇瓦法，能否把其他人都带走？
答：这取决于你的修持力量。任何事情都一样，取决于能力。如果是有力量的行者，大概就能帮助一同死亡的人。大圆满教法说，成佛时能带四千个其他众生一起解脱。有些文本甚至说，能带整个国家。要看行者自己的能力。

There’s a story which can illustrate this, about the previous
incarnation of Choktrul Rinpoche. Some people came to see one of
Choktrul Rinpoche’s main students, who himself was an important
lama. They told him that there was a big risk that his teacher,
Choktrul Rinpoche, might die that year. The lama then replied that
it would indeed be better if his teacher did pass away. They were
absolutely astounded by his answer and couldn’t believe what he
said. They turned to him and said, “You’re one of his main students,
how can you possibly say it would be better for him to pass away?”

有个关于前世秋珠仁波切的故事，可以说明这一点。一些人去见他的一位主要弟子，这位弟子本身也是重要上师。他们说，他的上师秋珠仁波切那一年很可能会圆寂。那位上师回答说，上师若圆寂，倒确实更好。他们听了极其震惊，难以置信，便对他说：“你是他的主要弟子之一，怎么能说他圆寂更好？”

A great deal of practice was being done for Choktrul Rinpoche’s
long life at that time. All the lamas, monks and lay people of the
Golok region had gathered to offer a longevity ceremony (tenshyuk)
to him. The people from Golok have a special character, they can be
very very insistent. One lama said to Choktrul Rinpoche, “You need
to live to be at least 108 years old. You have to, you’ve no choice. You
can’t refuse me. This is my oath.” Choktrul Rinpoche was taken
back and impressed by his request and replied, “Yes, okay. Perhaps
not for 108 years, though. I’ll stay here until all of you think that this
old man should have died the year before.”

当时，大家正为秋珠仁波切长寿，修许多法。果洛地区所有上师、僧人和在家众聚集，为他献长寿仪式。果洛人性格特别，可以非常、非常坚持。一位上师对他说：“您至少需要活到一百零八岁。您必须这样，没有选择，不能拒绝我。这是我的誓言。”他的请求让秋珠仁波切吃惊，也很受触动，于是回答：“好吧，可以。不过，或许不到一百零八岁。我会留在这里，直到你们所有人都想，这个老人去年就该死了。”

A few years later, the Chinese came and imprisoned all the lamas
and monks from the area, including Choktrul Rinpoche. One day, the
prisoners were rounded up by the guards and told that on the following
day, they would all have to deliver a strong beating to Choktrul
Rinpoche. They were then sent away. Afterwards, Choktrul Rinpoche
approached them and asked what had happened. When they explained
what the guards had ordered them to do, he turned to them and said,
“I told you a few years ago that it would be better if I passed away, but
you all made oaths and insisted that I shouldn’t die. So I told you that I
would stay until such time that all of you thought, ‘He should have died
last year.’ Tomorrow, you’re going to have to beat me up. For me, it’s no
problem, but throughout my whole life I’ve given you empowerments,
transmissions and explanations of the tantras—if you beat me up, what
do you think the result of that will be for you?” They pleaded with him,
“But what can we do? Is there any way that you could actually pass
away now?” Choktrul Rinpoche then recited the phowa practice from
the Nam Chö tradition once, and immediately passed away. Many of
his students who were present with him then also passed away at the
same time. This is a well known story in Golok. There were so many
dead bodies for the authorities to dispose of, it became a huge problem
for them. They couldn’t handle so many corpses all at the same time.
So it seems if you are a powerful enough practitioner, you can liberate
other people at the same time as yourself.

几年后，中国人来到当地，把所有上师、僧人，包括秋珠仁波切，都关进监狱。一天，狱卒召集囚犯，告诉他们，第二天每个人都必须狠狠殴打秋珠仁波切，随后让大家散去。之后，秋珠仁波切走近他们，问发生了什么。他们解释狱卒的命令后，他说：“几年前，我告诉你们，若我圆寂会更好，但你们都发誓，坚持不让我死。所以，我说会留到你们都想‘他去年就该死了’的时候。明天，你们必须打我。对我来说，没有问题；但我一生都在为你们传授灌顶、传承、解释密续，如果殴打我，你们觉得自己会得到什么结果？”他们哀求：“可我们能怎么办？您现在是否真有办法圆寂？”秋珠仁波切随即念了一遍南却传统的颇瓦法，立即圆寂。当时在场的许多弟子，也同时去世。这是果洛广为人知的故事。有关部门一下子要处理那么多遗体，成了巨大问题，根本应付不了那么多尸体。因此，看来如果行者力量足够强，就能在自己解脱的同时，让其他人也解脱。

Q. This is a question about the phowa visualization. After I transfer
my consciousness into the heart of Amitābha, at what point do I
then re-emerge in a lotus flower?
A. You don’t need to worry about that! Once you’ve reached
Sukhāvatī, the only rebirth you can possibly take is in the heart of
a lotus flower. It will just happen. When you dissolve into the heart
of Amitābha, that is the dharmakāya, which corresponds to death.
But once you’ve reached the dharmakāya, you then need to arise
once more as a nirmāṇakāya, in order to benefit sentient beings.
That’s when you will be miraculously reborn in the heart of a lotus
flower. If you have some hesitation about being reborn as a human,
you might stay in the lotus flower for as long as five hundred years.
But even still, you will only experience a state of happiness and bliss
while you’re there. You won’t, however, be able to see the face of the
buddha during that time, you will only be able to hear his words.

问：这是关于颇瓦法观想的问题。将心识迁入阿弥陀佛心间之后，什么时候再从莲花中显现？
答：不必担心这个！一旦到了极乐世界，唯一可能的投生，就是莲花心中，它自然会发生。融入阿弥陀佛心间时，就是法身，对应死亡。但一旦达到法身，就需要再次显为化身，以利益众生。此时，便会在莲花心中化生。如果对于投生为人有所迟疑，可能在莲花中住上五百年。但即便如此，在那里也只会经历幸福与安乐。不过，期间不能见佛尊颜，只能听到佛的言语。

Q. I would just like to check something about the visualization. I
understand that as I recite Hrīḥ, I should visualize the bindu and
Hrīḥ syllable moving upwards through my central channel. On the
last recitation of Hrīḥ, the syllable reaches the crown of my head.
Then I shout ‘Phaṭ!’ and eject my consciousness into the heart of
Amitābha. When you did the practice, however, you recited Phaṭ
five times in quick succession. What are you supposed to visualize
during those five repetitions of Phaṭ?
A. It says in the text that the first Phaṭ is for the nirmāṇakāya,
the second for the saṃbhogakāya, the third for the dharmakāya,
the fourth for the unchanging vajrakāya, and the fifth for the
abhisaṃbodhikāya. Therefore you say Phaṭ five times. This is a
special feature of the Longchen Nyingtik phowa—in other phowa
traditions, it usually says to simply recite Phaṭ as many times as
you want. But you shouldn’t mix instructions—if you mix together
the different pith instructions from the different practice lineages,
you will end up with something like a beggar’s bowl of tsampa.
It just won’t work. There are some phowa practices in which you
expel the stale air, inhale and retain the breath, and then eject your
consciousness as you exhale. You associate the practice with the
control of your inner air or lung. The phowa from the Longchen
Nyingtik is relatively easy to understand and practice, and is related
to the approach of Dzogchen. Whichever practice you do, you
should apply the pith instructions that relate to that tradition. You
shouldn’t mix up different instructions. Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo
made some additions to clarify the practice, which are of course fine
to follow.

问：我想核对一下观想。据我理解，念 Hrīḥ 时，应观想明点和 Hrīḥ 字沿中脉向上移动。最后一遍 Hrīḥ 时，种子字到达头顶。随后喊“Phaṭ！”，把心识射入阿弥陀佛心间。但您修时，很快连续念了五遍 Phaṭ。这五遍中，该观想什么？
答：文中说，第一个 Phaṭ 为化身，第二个为报身，第三个为法身，第四个为不变金刚身，第五个为现前菩提身。因此，念五遍 Phaṭ。这是龙钦心髓颇瓦法的特点；其他颇瓦法传统，通常只是说，想念多少遍 Phaṭ 都可以。但不要混杂教授。如果把不同修持传承的窍诀混在一起，最后就像乞丐碗中的糌粑，根本不起作用。有些颇瓦法中，先排浊气，吸气、持气，然后呼气时射出心识，将修法与内气或风的控制结合。龙钦心髓颇瓦法比较容易理解、修持，与大圆满的方式相关。无论修哪一法，都应运用与该传统相应的窍诀，不要混杂不同教授。蒋扬钦哲旺波为澄清修法作了一些补充，当然可以遵循。

Whether you need to say Phaṭ many times or once depends on
your capacity as a practitioner. For some, just once is enough. Dilgo
Khyentse Rinpoche used to say Phaṭ many times. But this would
vary according to who he was practicing for—for some people he
would say it many times, for others just a few.

Phaṭ 需要念多遍还是一遍，取决于行者的能力。有些人只一遍就够。顶果钦哲仁波切常念许多遍 Phaṭ，但会依所修对象而不同：有些人需要念很多遍，有些只需几遍。

Q. When you become old and start to see signs of a degenerative
disease such as dementia, or a condition that is very painful, could
you ask another practitioner to practice phowa for you to end your
life? Like a sort of suicide.
A. I don’t think anyone would do that for you, if you were to ask
them. But there are people who do that for themselves. I’ve seen this
many times. I had one teacher who was a khenpo from the Sakya
tradition, who I received many teachings and empowerments from.
He developed an incurable condition that affected his feet. I took him
to a hospital for a full check-up and the doctors said that he would
need to have his toes amputated. He agreed to have the operation.
Some time later, he became sick again. I was not with him at that
time, but someone else took him to a hospital in Mandi. This time
when the doctors examined him, they said it would be necessary to
amputate his legs above his knees, and he agreed to have that done.
But when some time later they told him that they needed to perform
yet another amputation, this time further up the leg, he said that was
enough, he didn’t want any more treatment. He asked his attendants
to make him some momos, so they went out, bought some meat,
and prepared them as he liked. He ate them with relish. After he’d
finished, he sat up in his bed and recited the phowa of Khecarī; he
then immediately passed away. It didn’t take even five minutes. His
name was Khenpo Chime and he was a student of Khyentse Chökyi
Lodrö. There are many such stories. So this is something that you
might choose to do yourself. That’s what we call freedom, right?

问：年老时，如果开始出现失智症等退化性疾病的征兆，或者患上非常痛苦的病，能否请另一位行者为自己修颇瓦法，结束生命？有点像自杀。
答：我想，即使你开口，也不会有人替你这样做。但确有人自己这样做，我见过许多次。我有一位老师，是萨迦派堪布，我从他那里领受过许多教法与灌顶。他患了一种无法治愈、影响双脚的病。我带他去医院全面检查，医生说，需要截去脚趾。他同意手术。过了一段时间，他又病了。当时我不在身边，别人带他去曼迪医院。这次，医生检查后说，需要从膝盖以上截去双腿，他也同意了。但后来又被告知，需要进一步往上截肢时，他说，够了，不想再治疗。他请侍者给他做些馍馍；侍者便出去买肉，依他的口味做了。他吃得津津有味。吃完后，坐直在床上，念空行金刚瑜伽母颇瓦法，立即圆寂，连五分钟都不到。他叫堪布奇美，是钦哲确吉罗卓的弟子。这样的故事很多。因此，这可能是你会自己选择做的事。这就是我们所说的自由，对吧？

I don’t think it’s quite the same as suicide. Suicide is something
more common here in the West. If someone can die merely by
shouting ‘Phaṭ!’, would you call that suicide? I doubt whether legally
it would be called as such. There are of course a lot of different
opinions about this topic, but I don’t think we have time for this
now.

我不认为这与自杀完全一样。自杀在西方这里更常见。如果一个人只喊一声“Phaṭ！”就能死去，你会称之为自杀吗？我怀疑法律上是否会如此称呼。当然，关于这个问题有许多不同意见，但现在恐怕没有时间讨论。

Q. Rinpoche, you said that when you are reborn in Sukhāvatī,
you’re not liberated straight away and still have to go through all
the stages of the path. Whereas if you are reborn in Zangdokpalri,
you meet Guru Rinpoche face-to-face and become fully liberated
there and then. So wouldn’t it be better for us to be reborn in
Zangdokpalri?
A. To be honest with you, I don’t know. When you give a dharma
teaching, you need to follow the specific tradition that it comes from
and to present the instructions accordingly. So when you teach the
Longchen Nyingtik phowa, you need to talk about Sukhāvatī. There
are other phowa traditions where you are reborn in Zangdokpalri,
the Copper-Coloured Mountain, but they are different. Karma
Chakmé, Raga Asé, said it was more beneficial to be reborn in
Sukhāvatī than in Zangdokpalri, and presented many reasons to
support that view. This was in the context of his teachings on the
special qualities of Sukhāvatī.

问：仁波切，您说，往生极乐世界后，并非立即解脱，仍须经历道的一切阶段。但若往生桑多巴日，亲见莲花生大师，就当下完全解脱。那么，对我们而言，往生桑多巴日岂不是更好？
答：坦白说，我不知道。讲授佛法时，需要遵循它所属的具体传统，依此介绍教授。因此，讲龙钦心髓颇瓦法，就需要谈极乐世界。其他颇瓦法传统中，有往生桑多巴日、铜色吉祥山的，但那是不同的传统。噶玛恰美，也就是惹嘎阿瑟，说往生极乐比往生桑多巴日更有利益，并提出许多理由支持这一观点。这是在他讲解极乐世界殊胜功德的语境中所说。

There are five buddha fields related to the five buddha families:
the buddha fields of the Fully-Arrayed, Consummate Activity,
Manifest Joy, and so on. Raga Asé said it is difficult to be reborn
in those buddha fields—for that to happen, you need to have a
high level of realization and to have accumulated many causes and
conditions. But Sukhāvatī is much easier for you to reach. In order to
be reborn there, you just need to bring your hands together and pray
to Amitābha, and to hear his name and the name of his buddhafield.
In Sukhāvatī, you will find incredible pleasure, joy and happiness—
everything described in the prayer that Karma Chakmé wrote.^[31]

五佛部各有佛土：密严、事业圆满、妙喜等等。惹嘎阿瑟说，很难投生这些佛土，需要高度证悟，并积累许多因缘。但极乐世界容易得多。要往生那里，只需合掌祈请阿弥陀佛，听闻佛名及其佛土之名。在极乐世界，会有不可思议的愉悦、欢喜与幸福，正如噶玛恰美所作祈愿文中描述的一切。^[31]

It is said:

其中说：

The duration of this fortunate eon
Is one day in Sukhāvatī.
Throughout countless eons, there is no death.
May I always remain in that realm.

此贤劫之长，
仅为极乐一日。
无数劫中，没有死亡，
愿我常住彼刹。

The entire duration of the Good Kalpa, our present age, that began
with the first buddha Krakucchanda and will end with the 1002th
buddha, Vairochana, corresponds to just one day in Sukhāvatī. That
is what Karma Chakmé wrote in his Prayer of Aspiration to be Reborn
in Sukhāvatī. The prayer continues,

我们当前时代的贤劫，从第一尊拘留孙佛开始，到第一千零二尊毗卢遮那佛结束，其全部时长，仅相当于极乐世界的一天。这是噶玛恰美在《往生极乐愿文》中所写。祈愿文接着说：

From Maitreya up to Rocana, when all the buddhas
Of this fortunate eon come to this world,
May I come here with miraculous powers,
Present offerings to those buddhas,
Listen to the genuine dharma,
And return unimpeded
To the realm of Sukhāvatī.

从弥勒直到楼至，
此贤劫一切诸佛来此世间时，
愿我以神变来到此处，
向彼诸佛献供，
听闻真实正法，
然后无碍返回，
极乐世界。

He said that when the buddhas of the Good Kalpa appear and turn the
wheel of the dharma, you will travel from Sukhāvatī to listen to their
teachings and return back straight after. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
once explained this prayer to me, but I’m the type of person who has
all kinds of thoughts and questions, so I said to him, “But if that’s
true, doesn’t it mean that in a single day you have go and come back
to Sukhāvatī one thousand times, just to receive those teachings?” He
really laughed when I said that. If you occupy your mind with a lot of
thinking, you end up asking questions like that! We have all sorts of
strange thoughts and ideas now in this degenerate age.

他说，贤劫诸佛出世、转法轮时，你会从极乐世界前来听法，之后立即返回。顶果钦哲仁波切曾为我解释这篇祈愿文，但我是那种有各种想法与疑问的人，所以问他：“可是，如果这样，岂不意味着，为领受这些教法，一天之内要往返极乐世界一千次？”他听了哈哈大笑。如果心里想很多，就会问出这种问题！如今末法时代，我们有各种奇怪的念头和想法。

In any case, Sukhāvatī is an extraordinarily sacred and blessed
place. Karma Chakmé said that it is easy to be reborn in the
Copper-Coloured Mountain, but the benefits are small. For one
thing, Zangdokpalri is not a celestial realm but is located on the
earth. Another point is that in order to benefit as many beings as
possible, and especially the people of Tibet, Guru Rinpoche has
sent a large number of armies there. This has its complications. You
will encounter the five degenerations and many obstacles there, and
the kinds of situation in which it is difficult to accomplish Guru
Rinpoche’s commands. You will need to deal with all of that and
many other difficulties. This is what Karma Chakmé said and that’s
why he thinks it’s better to be reborn in Sukhāvatī.

无论如何，极乐世界是格外神圣、具大加持的地方。噶玛恰美说，往生铜色吉祥山容易，但利益小。其一，桑多巴日不在天界，而在地上。另一点是，为尽可能利益众生，尤其西藏人，莲花生大师在那里派出了许多军队。这就带来复杂情况。在那里会遇到五浊、许多障碍，以及难以完成莲花生大师命令的种种处境。你需要处理所有这些，还有许多其他困难。这是噶玛恰美所说，也因此，他认为往生极乐世界更好。

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche himself, however, prayed to be reborn
in the Copper-Coloured Mountain. His consort, Khandro Lhamo,
preferred Sukhāvatī. She would pray twenty-four hours a day to be
reborn there. When she woke up at night, she would immediately
start to recite the prayer, “Emaho! Amitābha, magnificent Buddha
of Boundless Light…” When they ate together, one would take the
side of Sukhāvatī, and the other Zangdokpalri. She would repeat
what Karma Chakmé had written, as I just told you: “Things are
complicated with the Copper-Coloured Mountain. He will send you
back to fight in wars.” To which one day Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
said, “You do know that Trulshik Rinpoche prefers Sukhāvatī to the
Copper-Coloured Mountain, don’t you?” Trulshik Rinpoche was
eating with them at the time. I was there too. He immediately said
to Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, “Oh, please pray that I will be reborn
in Sukhāvatī.” Khyentse Rinpoche said, “Okay. I’ll do that.”

然而，顶果钦哲仁波切本人，祈愿往生铜色吉祥山。他的佛母空行拉姆，则更喜欢极乐世界，一天二十四小时都祈愿往生那里。夜里醒来，她立即就开始念：“Emaho！阿弥陀佛，庄严的无量光佛……”两人一起吃饭时，一个站在极乐这边，一个站在桑多巴日那边。她会重复噶玛恰美写过、我刚才告诉你们的话：“铜色吉祥山的事情很复杂，他会送你回来打仗。”有一天，顶果钦哲仁波切回答：“你知道吧，楚西仁波切比起铜色吉祥山，也更喜欢极乐世界？”当时，楚西仁波切正与他们同桌吃饭，我也在场。他立即对顶果钦哲仁波切说：“噢，请为我祈愿往生极乐世界。”钦哲仁波切说：“好，我会的。”

A few minutes later Khyentse Rinpoche said to both of them, “It
was Karma Chakmé who said that if you go to Zangdokpalri, Guru
Rinpoche will send you back to fight in wars, whereas if you go
to Sukhāvatī, you will never come back, right?” Trulshik Rinpoche
replied, “Yes.” Khyentse Rinpoche continued, “It’s said in Karma
Chakmé’s biography that after he passed away, he went to Sukhāvatī
and took all his students with him, including even their dogs. But
they didn’t all stay in Sukhāvatī, did they? There’s a tulku of Karma
Chakmé here in Nepal. And now that he’s back, he has to deal
with all the problems that his children have created, getting drunk,
fighting, and so on. Isn’t that so? Karma Chakmé’s tulku came back,
didn’t he?” Neither Trulshik Rinpoche nor Khandro Lhamo had
anything to say to that!

过了几分钟，钦哲仁波切对他们两人说：“是噶玛恰美说，如果去桑多巴日，莲花生大师会送你回来打仗；如果去极乐世界，就永远不再回来，对吧？”楚西仁波切回答：“对。”钦哲仁波切继续说：“噶玛恰美的传记说，他圆寂后去了极乐世界，还把所有弟子，甚至他们的狗，也一起带走。但他们并没有全都留在极乐，对吧？噶玛恰美有位祖古就在尼泊尔。既然回来了，现在就得处理子女惹出的所有麻烦：喝醉、打架等等。不是吗？噶玛恰美的祖古回来了，对吧？”对此，楚西仁波切与空行拉姆都无话可说！

We’ve focussed on the Longchen Nyingtik phowa this time
and therefore we’ve only talked about Sukhāvatī. But actually, you
shouldn’t think that the different buddha fields such as the Copper-
Coloured Mountain and Sukhāvatī are any different. That’s a very
gross way to think, if you believe that. You shouldn’t see them as
being different in any way. The moment you reach a pure buddha
field, you will cease to have any gross, impure thoughts like that.

这次，我们着重讲龙钦心髓颇瓦法，因此只谈极乐世界。但实际上，不应认为铜色吉祥山、极乐世界等不同佛土，有什么差别。若这么认为，就是非常粗浅的想法。不应从任何方面将它们看作不同。一到清净佛土，这类粗重、不净的念头就会止息。