The Tibetan Book Of The Dead Part 14

If, at this time, the vital breath is moving through the left nostril, Then, for a period of three days, the breath will continue to move exclusively through the left nostril, But then on the fourth day it will change, And proceed to move through the right nostril for three days.

Thus it will alternate in this way every three days between the two nostrils.

[Observe this process and] count the number of days diligently, and do not make a mistake.

If no error is made [in the counting], and if the breath moves successively in this way, And then begins to move erratically after one and a half months, It is said that one may die after [a further] six months.

If the breath begins to move erratically after one month, It is said that severe misfortunes may occur.

If it begins to move erratically after two weeks, [It is said that] serious illness may occur.

If it moves erratically after five days,11 [It is said that] slander and calumny may occur.

If [the breath] does not alternate [from one nostril to the other] over a ten-day period, Then, as soon as it does change, one may die.

If it moves simultaneously through both nostrils and the mouth, [This indicates that] one may die after half a day.

And if it ceases to move through the nose and instead moves only through the mouth, It is said that one will die immediately.

Examination of the Signs of Death which Occur in Dreams12 [First, one should know that] those dreams which occur in the late evening or around midnight are unreliable, But if one dreams between dawn and daybreak that: One is riding a cat or a white monkey with a red face, While moving further and further towards the east, It is said that this is a sign of death caused by king spirits.13 If one dreams of riding a tiger, fox, or corpse, Or of riding a buffalo, pig, camel, or donkey, While moving further and further towards the south, This is a sign of death [indicating that] one has fallen into the hands of Yama.

Furthermore, if one dreams of eating faeces, Of wearing black clothes of yak hair, while plunging downwards, Of being trapped in a wicker-basket or snare, Of being bound with iron chains, Or of copulating repeatedly with a black figure or animal, These are [also] signs [which are indicative] of death.

If one dreams of being disembowelled by a fierce black woman, And that one's entrails are spilling out, Or that a black man arrives, wielding an iron mace, And coming into one's presence, he tells you to depart, Or [if one dreams] that one is being dragged along by a black rope attached to the neck, Or that one is inside a lofty red-coloured castle, Surrounded by a moat and perimeter wall, Or [if one dreams] of being decapitated and having one's head carried off by another, Or of being surrounded by crows, anguished spirits, or villains, Or of being willingly led away, or leaving [home] in a bridal procession, Of being naked, with one's hair cut off and beard shaved, Of constantly a.s.sociating with friends who have died, Of being dragged along by a crowd of dead people, Of jumping into water, sinking into mud, or being swallowed by fish, Of entering a womb and falling asleep, Of being overcome in a battle, in which the other side is victorious, Of wearing red clothing, and being adorned with red garlands, Of repeatedly picking red flowers, Of climbing a mountain of red sh.e.l.lac, Of having one's head wrapped in a red silk turban, Of twigs growing on the crown of your head, and birds nesting there, Of falling asleep repeatedly in a terrifying charnel ground, Of being old, and carrying a heavy burden, Of the sun and moon falling to the plains, leaving one shrouded in darkness, Of jumping headlong into a pit, Of dancing together with a host of ogres, Or setting out, thinking one will roam to unfamiliar distant lands, never to return - If such dreams and others like them occur when one is not sick, they are indefinite [with respect to the time of death], And one may be released [from their indications] by means of the [appropriate] ritual service.

If, however, such dreams continually recur, [This indicates that] one will die within a year.

If one should dream of the sun and moon being eclipsed, Falling to the plains, or repeatedly setting, One's father, mother, or teacher may die, And it is said that if they are sick at the time, Their death will be inevitable.

The above are called the 'internal signs of death', Which are slightly more difficult [to avert]

Through ritual deception than the aforementioned [external signs].

SECRET SIGNS OF DEATH.

The secret signs of death will [now] be described.

When the external and internal signs of death occur, They can be averted by repeatedly performing the Ritual Deception of Death.

If, however, the external and internal signs are not [successfully] reversed, One should then examine the secret signs in the following way: Having first generated the mind [aspiring] to supreme enlightenment,14 And then taken refuge and offered prayers, One should examine, on the morning of the first day of the month, The flow of one's s.e.m.e.n or menstrual blood.

It is said that if the s.e.m.e.n of a man is blackish yellow, Or if the menstrual blood of a woman is whitish, Death may occur after two months.

If the s.e.m.e.n of a man is reddish, He may die or be subjected to slander after six months.

However, if its [natural] whiteness is undiminished, [This indicates that] there is no obstacle [to life], And [the s.e.m.e.n] should be inhaled through the nose, while it is still warm.

This is itself a rite a.s.sociated with the Ritual Deception of Death.

Furthermore, if s.e.m.e.n flows without any [blissful] sensation, And it is interspersed with quicksilver-like globules, the size of sesame seeds, It is said that one will die [imminently].

If the flow of a woman's menstrual blood is unceasing, And if at that time she dreams she is picking red flowers, [This indicates that] death will [soon] follow.

Moreover, if a man has continual spermatorrhoea, Even when not engaged in s.e.xual intercourse, It is said that he may die after four months.

If a black mole suddenly appears for the first time, At the orifice of the glans p.e.n.i.s, Or if one has an undistracted and constant [s.e.xual] desire, thinking only of women, And one allows one's commitments in respect of the third empowerment to degenerate,15 These are not only signs of death, But also omens that one will later proceed to [rebirth in] the indestructible h.e.l.ls.

[Therefore], if one does not confess [and repair] these [degenerations] fully, One will experience the fierce sufferings of the h.e.l.ls.

In order for the confession to be effective, however, You should perform the ritual deception pertaining to the secret [signs of] death, Yet [death] will be harder to deceive than in the two preceding categories.

The above are called the 'secret signs of death'.

SIGNS OF REMOTE DEATH.

The examination of the signs of death when it is [still] years or months away Should be made by scrutinising the 'shadow of one's lifespan', Optically projected onto the sky, in the way described below.

[These indications may show that] one will die, or that one will not die, And that the averting [of death] will be possible, or impossible.16 [To begin], offerings should be made to the spiritual teacher, and the Three Precious Jewels, Torma-offerings should be presented to the dkins and protectors of the [sacred] teachings; And then, after going for refuge and offering prayers, The examination should be made [as follows]: In an isolated and delightful place, In the morning or afternoon of the first day of the month, Or in the evening or at dawn of the fifteenth day,17 When the sky is clear and there is no wind, One should sit naked in a comfortable spot, And there, after praying fervently, One should repeat the following mantra one hundred times: OM AYUSE SAMHARAKESVARE HUM PHAT18.

Then, standing up, naked, one should bow down seven times To each of the G.o.ds of the [ten] directions, And then, directly stretching out one's four limbs, While holding in one's hand a rosary or suitable symbolic hand-implement,19 One should inscribe the letter A on the heart of one's shadow.20 [Next], without blinking, one should gaze fixedly at the letter A [drawn] at the heart [of the shadow], And focus one's awareness upon [the letter A].

Then, once the eyes have grown numb [through strain], One should look up into the centre of the cloudless sky, At which time one's own form should become visible in the sky.

One should then know that if the head and body of this [reflected image] are intact, and [the image] is pale in colour, This is an auspicious sign that there will be no obstacles and that one will not die [imminently].

If one's reflected image is not visible in the sky, [First], perform the rite for affirmation of vows, And, while sitting in the 'indestructible cross-legged posture', With the hands in the 'gesture of meditative equipoise',21 Look [for the image again], in the above manner.

If [one's reflected image] still does not appear, It may not be significant, as it may have been obscured by clouds or atmospheric winds, In which case, the examination should be postponed until the sky is clear.

[When the reflected image does become visible, however,]

Its examination entails three considerations: of completeness, shape, and colour.

First, the completeness [of the reflected image] should be examined as follows: When [a.s.sessing] the completeness of the image In relation to the number of years [one is yet to live], If the hand-held implement is missing, This [indication] is called the 'separation from the deity on whom one has relied',22 And it indicates that one's life may end in seven years' time.

If the right hand is missing, [This indicates that] one may die after five years.

If the left hand is missing, [This indicates that] one may die after three years.

If the right leg is missing below the knee, One may die after two years.

If the left leg is missing, [This indicates that] one may die after one year.

Next, when [a.s.sessing] the completeness [of the image]

In relation to the number of months [one is yet to live]: If the right part of the head is missing, One may die after nine months.

If the left part of the head is missing, One may die after seven months.

If the head is missing above the neck, One may die after five months.

If the head and the neck are both missing, One may die after three months.

If the upper trunk is missing, One may die after two months.

If the lower trunk is missing, One may die after one month.

Next, when [a.s.sessing] the completeness [of the image]

In relation to the number of days [one is yet to live]: If the right side of the body is missing, One may die in twenty-nine days.

If the left side [of the body] is missing, One may die in twenty-one days.

Second, the [overall] shape [of the image] should be examined as follows: If [the image] is square, one may die after five months.

If it is round, one may die after four months.

If it is semicircular, one may die after three months, And if it is oblong, one may die after two months.

In all these cases, death may be averted by ritual deception.

However, if it is triangular, one will die after one month.

If it resembles a bundled corpse, one will die after half a month.

If it is upside down,23 one will die after ten days.

In these last three cases, death cannot be averted and is absolutely inevitable.

Third, the colour [of the image] should be examined as follows: If it is white in colour, and fades from the centre, This is a sign that one has displeased serpentine water spirits, king spirits, and G.o.ds.

If it is black in colour, and fades from the right, This is a sign that one has been overwhelmed by beguiling forces and imprecatory female spirits.

If it is red in colour, and fades from the left, This is a sign that one has been seized by martial haunting spirits, and by one's own lifelong companion G.o.ds, Or else that one will encounter woundings and diseases.

If it is yellow in colour, and fades from the head, This is a sign that one has been seized by serpentine water spirits, king spirits and bewitchers.

If it is blue in colour, and fades from the legs, This is a sign that one has been seized by serpentine water spirits and lake-dwelling medicinal spirits.

If it is hazy and diffuse, This is a sign that one has been seized by imprecatory female spirits and the acolytes of Yama.

If it appears yellowish and uneven, [This is a sign that one has been seized] by the spirit lords of the soil.

If it is garish, irregular, and variegated, [This indicates that] one has been seized by the eight cla.s.ses of spirits, Comprising the diverse beguiling forces of death.

All these are [the signs] recognised with respect to the colours [of the reflected image].

When any of the above signs of death occur, One should persevere with [the practices set down in] the Ritual Deception of Death, And then re-examine [the image], in the manner described above.

If the limbs are complete, [Death] may be ritually deceived.

But if the ritual deception of death fails to be effective, even after being applied three times, This is a sign that the time has come for one's life to end.

Therefore, those of highest [potential] should maintain the view, Which accords with the profound abiding nature [of reality],24 Those of average [potential] should meditate on the meditational deity, according to the generation and perfection stages, And those of lowest [potential] should persevere with the acc.u.mulation [of merit].

The above is the a.n.a.lysis of the reflected image in the sky.

SIGNS OF NEAR DEATH.

The a.n.a.lysis of the signs of near death is now presented.

The examination of [the signs] described so far should be made when one is in good health, For [at that time] there are [still] many possibilities [for recovery], because the signs of a remote death can be ritually deceived.

Here, however, with regard to a sick person, The signs indicative of [near] death arise as follows: If one's gums grow grimy and black, This is called the 'gathering of the personal demons of the elements', And it indicates that one may die after nine days.

If the nostrils sag inwards and deflate, This is called the 'blockage of the pa.s.sageway of the vital breath', And it indicates that one may die after nine days.

If the limbs are subject to repeated fits of expansion and contraction, This is called the 'scaling of the mountain of the elements', And it indicates that one may die after five days.

If the eyes stare fixedly, without blinking, This is called the 'escape of the mother-like vital breath',25 And it indicates that one may die after three days.

If the cheeks sag inwards, This is called the 'rupture of the edge of the earth element', And it indicates that one may die at daybreak, ten days later.

If breathing is repeatedly agitated, This is called the 'collision of vital energy and mind', And it indicates that one may die after six days.26 If the tip of the nose inclines to the right or left, This is called the 'cutting off of the bridge of the nose', And it indicates that one may die after seven days.