Phowa

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Tibetan name
Tibetan script :
འཕོ་ བ་ གྲོང་ འཇུག
Wylie transliteration :
'pho ba grong' jug
Pronunciation in IPA :
[ pʰowa ʈʂʰoŋtɕuk ]
Official transcription of the PRCh :
Powa Chongjug
THDL transcription :
Powa Drongjug
Other spellings:
Phowa
Chinese name
Traditional :
借尸還魂 、 往生 奪 舍
Simplified :
借尸还魂 、 往生 夺 舍
Pinyin :
jiè shī huán hún,
wǎng shēng duó shě

Phowa ( Tibetan ) is a special meditation practice of Tibetan Buddhism . It is generally counted among the Six Yogas of Naropa . However, not all Phowa transmissions come from Naropa .

Phowa variants

There are several types of phowa:

  • Phowa for attaining Dharmakaya , a Phowa for practitioners with the highest mental abilities
  • Phowa for obtaining Sambhogakaya , a Phowa for practitioners of high skill
  • Phowa of Immeasurable Compassion, a Phowa for intermediate level students
  • Phowa of the Pure Land , a Phowa for ordinary people with no special qualifications.
  • Phowa of the iron hook (meaning: guide hook of the elephant leader), a phowa to enable beings who cannot do phowa themselves to access a pure land through the practice of a qualified practitioner. Just as the elephant handler steers the elephant in the right direction with his hook, the iron hook directs spiritually untrained people.

Pure Land Phowa

Buddha Amitabha in Tibetan Buddhism , traditional thangka .

With the Pure Land Phowa, or zab lam 'pho ba , the transmission of consciousness to Sukhavati , the Pure Land of Buddha Amitabha , should be trained during one's lifetime . According to the view of Tibetan Buddhism, after death, consciousness leaves the body through one of nine body orifices (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, urethra and anus). These are also seen as gateways to the six traditional areas of rebirth. The body opening associated with this Pure Land is the 10th body opening of the transmission of consciousness, this is also called "Brahmanic opening". It lies on the center of the head, on the fontanel . Phowa can now be used to train the transmission of consciousness during one's lifetime and this 10th gate can be opened for the exit of consciousness.

The sign of a successful Phowa practice is the emergence of a drop of blood or secretion directly from the center of the head. In Tibet, a blade of Kusha grass was also inserted into the small opening in the fontanel to demonstrate successful practice. The practice serves to prepare the practitioner for the actual time of death.

Initiation and instruction

Correct practice requires initiation and careful guidance from a qualified Vajrayana master who is authorized within a lineage to transmit this practice. Usually he tests the student thoroughly to determine whether he is suitable for receiving the teachings.

credentials

  1. ↑ The opening in the skull

literature

  • Chagdud Khadro, P'howa Commentary - Instructions for the Practice of Consciousness Transference as Revealed by Rigdzin Longsal Nyingpo , Padma Publishing, Junction City CA 1998, ISBN 1-881847-10-1
  • Lu K'uan Yü, Secrets of Chinese Meditation
  • Lama Ole Nydahl, From death and rebirth , Verlag Knaur MensSana HC, 2011, ISBN 978-3-426-66598-5

Web links