Preparing for Death (DVD)

Description

As soon as we are born we embark upon a journey that leads inevitably to death. It would be in one’s best interest to educate oneself in order to be prepared for that experience. Considered in this teaching are the necessary conditions and resources that will enable us to ensure that the journey to death will be the best possible one we can make. The entire transition between an individual’s death and their being reborn is comprised of three phases. The interval from the time the outer breathing ceases until the inner breathing ceases is the first phase of The Intermediate State of the Death Experience. Once the inner respiration has ceased and all breathing has stopped, the ensuing phase is called The Intermediate State of Reality. Approximately twenty one days later begins The Intermediate State of Rebirth. All three of these phases are covered in depth by Khenpo Ugyen Tenzin in these teachings given over two weekends in September 2012 and May 2013.
Khenpo Ugyen Tenzin guides us through an exploration of what happens in the death process and how the after-death experience manifests for every individual. Drawing from Guru Rinpoche’s Great Liberation Through Hearing in the Intermediate States, known in modern times as The Tibetan Book of the Dead, he gave a complete overview of the key instructions from this famous cycle of treasure teachings--the very instructions that reveal how we can discover the potential for liberation and awakening within the death experience itself.
Khenpo Ugyen Tenzin was enrolled in the first class of Karma Shri Nalanda Institute at Rumtek Dharma Chakra Center where he studied under Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche and Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche. He received the Acharya degree from Nalanda Institute and Sampumanand Sanskrit University, jointly, in 1991. As a khenpo, he taught at Nimalung Monastery in Bhutan. He served as senior abbot and principal teacher at Nalanda Institute at Rumtek from 1997 to 2002. In 2002, he returned to Bhutan to go into retreat . He left retreat, following the request of His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, to serve as a resident teacher at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, Woodstock, New York.
Translation was provided by Jigme Nyima. He used as a reference The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The First Complete Translation, translated by Gyurme Dorje in Penguin Classics. Jigme has been translating for KTD lamas since 2007, and in particular has traveled as the interpreter for Khenpo Ugyen Tenzin to KTD affiliate centers. Prior to coming to KTD, he worked and trained as a resident at Kagyu Thubten Choling, directed by Lama Norlha Rinpoche.
Ten talks on ten DVDs.

Features

Chapter Pointing on DVD video recordings
On this recording, chapter points have been set at each transition from Tibetan to English and from English to Tibetan. Because Rinpoche sometimes speaks in Tibetan for long periods at a time, some viewers may wish to jump forward to the English translation (at any time) by using the Next Chapter button (>>|) on their DVD player’s remote control. Also, for those who primarily speak Tibetan, the same process works for jumping from the English to the Tibetan.