Phowa Retreat with Ayang Rinpoche

Phowa Retreat guided by Ayang Rinpoche

« Transference of consciousness at the time of death»
from Wednesday 1st December to Thursday 9th December 2010

At Rigdzin Swiss- Thegchok Ling Centre
Ch. du Trabandan 51
1006 Lausanne

His Eminence Ayang Rinpoche who is considered to be the world’s living Phowa master, accepted Namkha Rinpoche's invitation to give a nine days Phowa course in the new Thegchok Ling center in Switzerland. It was an extraordinary week for all participants. Ayang Rinpoche gave an Amithaba empowerment, Phowa practices Lung and elaborate explanations and descriptions on the practices and visualisation on the Phowa practice, for both Drikung and Nyingma lineages. Rinpoche also gave an elaborate teaching on the Vajrasattva meditation, on the three exellences and on how to practice Phowa for ourself and for others.
Ayang Rinpoche requested Namkha Rinpoche to help him spreading the Phowa teachings, mentionning that he has not asked such task to any lama before. Namkha Rinpoche invited Ayang Rinpoche to come every year to the Rigdzin Community centers to give his wonderfull teachings.

Phowa, or ‘transference of consciousness at the time of death’ is a simple and direct Buddhist method to attain enlightenment at the specific moment of death. Through a combination of breath, mantra and visualization techniques applied at the time of death, the consciousness is ejected from the Brahma aperture, avoiding rebirth in one of the six realms of cyclic existence. This practice is especially relevant in the present day, when most of us lack the luxury of lengthy solitary meditative practice. Because of this lack, as well as the overwhelming path that is simple and direct, and which enables us to transform the stresses of modern life into a vital force that cuts through attachment to illusory objects and awakens in us the realization of our own Buddha nature. Life is very short and can end suddenly without warning. When death comes we have no escape, neither our accumulated wealth nor our dear ones can help us. Nothing can, except the precious teaching.

Pictures of the event