The Rainbow Body
by Sogyal Rinpoche
Throughout the advanced practices of Dzogchen, accomplished
practitioners can bring their lives to an extraordinary and
triumphant end. As they die, they enable their body to be
reabsorbed back into the light essence of the elements that created
it, and consequently their material body dissolves into light and
disappears completely. {as typing this I hear the words 'dancing on
the rainbow' on TV 00:41.G.}
This process is known as the "rainbow body" or "body of light",
because the dissolution is often accompanied by spontaneous
manifestations of light and rainbows. The ancient Tantras of
Dzogchen, and the writings of the great masters, distinguish
different categories of this amazing, otherworldly phenomenon, for
at one time, if at least not normal, it was reasonably
frequent.
.....This may be very difficult for us now to believe, but the
factual history of Dzogchen lineage is full of examples of
individuals who attained rainbow light body, and as Dudjom Rinpoche
often used to point out, this is not just ancient history. Of the
many examples, I would like to choose one of the most recent, and
one of with which I have a personal connection. In 1952 there was a
famous instance of the rainbow body in the East of Tibet, witnessed
by many people. The man who attained it, Sonam Namgyal, was the
father of my tutor and the beginning of this book.
He was a very simple, humble person, who made his way as an
itinerant stone carver, carving mantras and sacred texts. Some say
he had been a hunter in his youth, and had received a teaching from
a great master. No one really knew he was a practitioner; he was
truly called a "hidden yogin."
....he then fell ill, or seemed to, but became strangely,
increasingly happy. When he illness got worse, his family called in
masters and doctors. His son told him he should remember,
'Everything is illusion, but I am confident that all is
well."
Just before his death at seventy-nine, he said " All I ask is that
when I die, don't move my body for a week." When he died his family
wrapped his body and invited Lamas and monks to come and practice
for him. They placed the body in a small room in the house, and
they could not help noticing that although he had been a tall
person, they had no trouble getting it in, as if he were becoming
smaller. At the same time, an extraodinary display of
rainbow-coloured light was seen all around the house. When they
looked into the room on the sixth day, they saw that the body was
getting smaller and smaller. On the eight day after his death, the
morning in which the funeral had been arranged, the undertakers
arrived to collect the body. When they undid its coverings, they
found nothing inside but his nails and hair.
My masters Jamyang Khyentse asked for these be brought to him, and
verified that this was a case of the rainbow body.
Tibetan Book of Living & Dying, Rider Pub., Sogyal Rinpoche
Ch.10 -p167-169
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Excerpt from Golden Letters: The Three Statements of Garab
Dorje
p140-141 -
With regard to the Das-rjes, in each case the master in question
attained the Body of Light at the time of his death, when he
dissolved his physical body into the dimension of the space of the
sky. And then, in response to the distress and lamentations of
their respective chief discilples, each master remanifested himself
in a sphere of rainbow light (thig-le) suspended in the sky,
whereupon he delivered his last testament to his astonished
disciple. Here in the 'Das-rjes collection are found the posthumous
teachings, delivered in the form of a last testament, of the
following masters:
1. Tshig gsum gnad du brdreg-pa, "The Three statements That Strike
the Essential Points, " of Prahevajra or Garab Dorje(dGa'-rad
rdorje)
2. sGom nyams drug-pa,"The Six Meditation Experiences," of
Manjushrimitra ('Jam dpal bshes-gnyen)
3. gZer-bu bdun-pa, "The Seven Important Points," of Shrisimha
(dPal gyi seng-ge mgon-po)
4. bZhags-thabs bzhi, "The Four Methods for Remaining in
Contemplation," of Jnanasutra (Ye-shes mdo)
more from 'The Golden Letters' The Three Statements of Garab
Dorje:
Rigpa integrates into the pure vision before one in space and
becomes that vision. One becomes a Rainbow Body, light without
shadow. This despite Jung's protestations to the contrary, occurs
because the obscurations or shadow (sgrib-pa), inherited from an
immemorial past, have become exhausted in the process of
purification by way of practicing contemplation. The causes for
obscuration have been eliminated, so no more obscurations need
arise to limit awareness - this is what "omniscience" means.
The Body of Light represents a complete and total and radical
transformation of one's status of being, a rediscovery of what was
primordially present, and this condition is permanent. It is
Awareness itself (rig-pa nyid) and is dependent on nothing else.
This may be compared to the various Christian notions of
transfiguration, resurrection, and ascension; but in the case of
Dzogchen, the methodology of how this is accomplished, namely the
realizing of the Body of Light, is presented in precise
terms.
There exist in history many examples of the successful completion
of this process. Even in recent years there have been a number of
Tibetan Lamas, both Buddhist and Bonpo, who attained realization of
the Rainbow Body ('ja-lus-pa) at the end of their lives and some of
these occurences were witnessed by Chinese Communist
officials.
Generally, there are three different ways in which this process may
occur
1. Rainbow Body of Light ('ja'lus) is attained at the time of death
by means of Trekchod practice. One's physical body is dissolved
into its subatomic constituents and becomes pure radiant energy,
leaving behind only hair and nails. The process generally takes
seven days, during which time the body progressively shrinks in
size.
2. The Body of Light ('od-lus) is realized at the time of death by
means of practice of Thodgal, as was the case with Garab
Dorje.
3. The Great Transfer ('pho-ba chen po) is accomplished also by way
of Thodgal, but there is no necessity of going through the process
of dying. Padmasambhava, Vimalamitra, and the Bonpo master
Taphihritsa are all examples according to tradition, of individual
masters who realized the Great Transfer.
p159:
But before one can practice Thodgal, one must first purify the
twofold obscurations and master the state of contemplation throught
Trekchod practice, a releasing or a cutting through of all one's
tensions and rigidities. If one does not first perfect Thekchod as
an absolutely necessary prerequisite, then the Thodgal practice
will be little better than watching a cinema show. Although one
practices Thodgal not in the state of ordinary consciousness but in
the state of contemplation, there is nevertheless the ever-present
danger that one will become attached to the visions that
arise.
Excerpt from: The Golden Letters : The Three Statements of Garab
Dorje, the First Teacher of Dzogchen, Together With a Commentary
Garab Dorje, John Myrdhin Reynolds (Translator) (co.uk / com
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Miraculous event - 16th Karmapa
For several years, those thought to be responsible for finding the
reincarnation of the 16th Karmapa were apparently left without
instructions. Over time this led to turmoil within the Kagyu
lineage. It was assumed that those believed to be holding the
mantle of Karmapa's spiritual power, Shamar Rinpoche, Jamgon
Kongtrul Rinpoche, Tai Situ Rinpoche, and Gyaltsap Rinpoche, all
renowned Kagyu lamas, would shoulder the task of finding and
recognizing his reincarnation. However, trouble was brewing even
before the funeral of the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa was over. During the
cremation at Rumtek monastery in Sikkim, a miraculous event
occurred which is common only to the very highest of accomplished
Buddhist yogis. Under a cloudless blue sky bearing a circular
rainbow around the sun, Karmapa's heart rolled from the flames to
the edge of the cremation stupa. It appeared as a fiery ball of
electric blue-black material where, upon the advice of Lopon Tsechu
Rinpoche, it was retrieved. Karmapa's eyes and tongue were also
found unburned by the flames and they too were saved.
Traditionally, such an occurrence indicates that body, speech and
mind aspects have come together to be preserved as timeless relics,
imparting intense enlightened transmission and blessing to all
beings in the future. Such an event also occurred during the
funeral of Gampopa and the 2nd Karmapa.
Those who witnessed the 16th Karmapa's cremation, saw the heart
come out to the spot where Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche, Drongu Nondrub,
Namkai Dorje, Kurt Nubling and Khenpo Chodrak Rinpoche, among
others, were stationed. Many people were therefore quite surprised
that Tai Situ Rinpoche proclaimed at a meeting after the cremation,
that the heart had "fallen in his lap." Later, in 1992, such a
claim became the basis Situ Rinpoche gave as to why he was the one
person with the authority to recognize the reincarnation of the
17th Karmapa. Situ Rinpoche had in fact taken the heart from those
who had retrieved it and took it to his own room after the
cremation. Later, many gold and silver pearls, Buddha images and
other precious substances were also found among Karmapa's relics.
Since then a fantastic golden stupa has been built to contain
Karmapa's heart, which is kept at Rumtek monastery.
1981 Taking Leave of Karmapa In July 1981 Karmapa began the
reconstruction of temples and meditation centers. He had thousands
of Dharma texts printed and distributed, among these 500 copies of
the Dege-edition of the Kanjur. Even during the last months of his
life he worked hard to spread the Dharma. He died in the USA in a
hospital in Zion near Chicago on November 5th, 1981, at 8:30 p.m.
local time. His death was a last teaching on impermanence for
everybody present, and indeed for all of us. As death approached,
he had taken a half-dozen deadly diseases upon himself. Using his
yogic power, he removed much of their harmfulness, at least for
those in his powerfield. He also allowed the physicians to test
their medicines on him. Some of their findings were amazing: even
the highest doses of sedatives had absolutely no effect on him. He
cared for their well-being and never talked about himself. On the
evening of November 5th, the day of Liberatrice, the doctors had
routinely entered his room. Seeing that his machines had apparently
turned themselves off, all had the same thought, "He's playing a
joke on us." At the very moment, they started up again, worked for
five minutes and then stopped completely. The next morning, when
the staff wanted to remove his body from the bed, the lineage
holders asked if all signs of death were present. They were not.
Karmapa's body was still warm and supple, and especially his heart
center was so hot that one could feel it at a good distance. This
is how he stayed. On November 9th, a helicopter landed at the
military airport, on the other side from Rumtek of the large Sikkim
valley. A line of cars left the airport, and about an hour later
Karmapa arrived at Rumtek on a Mercedes truck. All four lineage
holders sat next to the driver on its narrow seat. Karmapa's body
was put into a concentric structure - a mandala - in the upstairs
hall in the Rumtek monastery. The cremation took place one and a
half months later. Instead of falling apart during the forty-five
days, Karmapa had shrunk and was now sitting in a two-foot high
box, which had a window so one could see inside. A thin veil
covered his face, which was of a deep grey hue and somewhat
shrunken. The rest of the formerly powerful man was the size of a
small child. After the "Diamond Songs of the Kagyu Masters" was
read, and a meditation on the eight Karmapa, the box was carried
outside and inserted into a recently built clay stupa on the
monastery's roof terrace. Then a monk who had never had any contact
with this Karmapa and was called upon to light the masses of dry
sandalwood underneath the stupa.[/code]