Theos-Talk Archives (October 2001 Message tt00438)

<<<Jerry do you consider the Phowa of the Dzogchen a useful practice?
Cheers
Nos>>>

NOS, phowa (consciously projecting the mind to another location and thus
resulting in one's own physical death) is from Naropa's Six Yogas (a Kagyu
teaching), and is not part of Dzogchen (a branch of Ningmapa).

Phowa has two aspects: (1) directing your mind to a heaven world as your
body dies, and (2) directing your mind to another physical body as your own
body dies.

I agree that aspect 1 is useful because the last thoughts at death tend to
influence experiences afterwards, just like the last thoughts before falling
asleep tend to influence dreams. I don't subscribe to the second, although
Judge is said to have done this himself (Lobsang Rampa is probably the most
famous self-proclaimed phowa subject). Both, however, seem to me to be a tad
selfish, but thinking good thoughts and trying to concentrate on love and
compassion just before going to sleep and just before your own death just
seems like common sense to me.

Jerry S.