P'Howa Commentary (Instructions for The Practice of Consciousness Transference As Revealed By Rigdzin Longsal Nyingpo)

The Practice of P'howa, the transference of consciousness at the moment of death, has been one of my primary means of benefiting others since I was a child. In this life and indeed-from the stories I have heard - in my preceding lifetime, I seem to have had the power to accomplish p'howa.

When I left Tibet in exile in 1959, I realized that competence in p'howa would be extremely useful for my fellow refugees, faced as they were with aggression, deprivation, and unfamiliar conditions. I began to teach the practice widely.

In Nepal in 1978, when I taught the practice to a group of Western dharma students for the first time, my future wife, now known as Chagdud Khadro, was among them. She attained signs of accomplishment rather easily, and over the years she showed more and more interest in the practice. In 1986, on the basis of clear indications that arose in meditation, I authorized her to teach, and in 1997 I authorized her to give the necessary Amitabha empowerment. I feel confident she will not lead others astray, and I have seen tha those who practice with her achieve signs of successful practice. I hope that this compilation of teachings will enhance the confidence of those who have received p'howa instruction. I pray that they will find liberation into the pure realm of Dewachen at the moment of death.

Back Of The Book

P'howa is a Vajrayana Buddhist method by which one's consciousness is intentionally transferred to a pure realm at the moment of death. P'howa training enables one to approach death as a unique opportunity for liberation from cyclic existence rather than as an experience of fear and uncertainty. In this book, Chagdud Khadro explains the process of dying, the steps involved in p'howa training based on the hidden treasure text of the Buddhist meditation master Rigdzin Longsal Nyingpo, the means of accomplishing p'howa at the time of death either for oneself or for others, and integrating p'howa into one's daily meditation practice.

Chagdud Khadro is the wife of His Eminence Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche and a lama of the Nyingama school of Tibetan Buddhism, recognizing her signs of accomplishment in p'howa practice as well as her ability to help others achieve signs, Rinpoche authorized her to teach p'howa, which she has done in the United States, Europe, South America, and Australia. She is developing p'howa support groups among practitioners who make a commitment to assist each other at the time of dying.

His Eminence Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, a highly revered master of the Nyingma tradition, has taught widely throughout the world and has established many centers for the study and practice of Vajrayana Buddhism, His main center in North America is located at Rigdzin Ling in Junction City, California. He currently lives in Tres Coroas, Brazil, where he is establishing his South American seat.