A description of the dying process according to the Tibetan “Studies” When one’s life span has come to it’s natural end, the “very near” signs of death appear. Firstly the five sensory powers begin to fail. The external sign is vomiting and loss of appetite. The body begins to lose heat and, because of fear, one has difficulty lifting one’s head. The inner sensation is of one’s head falling down. Then the signs experienced with the withdrawal of each of the elements occur. The element of earth fails. Externally the flesh and bones shrink slightly. Internally the body feels heavy and one has the sensation of falling to earth from a height. Earth dissolves into water. Externally, one’s body loses its natural shape. Bodily strength fails, internally one fells dull and hazy. The internal water elements are blood and lymph. When they fail, this is a sign that the internal element of water has failed. Liquids flow from the mouth and nose, and one feels the sensations of thirst. This indicates that the water element has dissolved into fire. The internal sensation is one of warmth. Sometimes the mind is clear sometimes unclear. The internal fire element is bodily warmth and this is soon to dissolve. The eyes roll up in the head and one cannot recognize anyone. The power of the fire element withdraws into the element of air and therefore one’s bodily heat withdraws. The external wind element withdraws. Air is the element here and when it dissolves into the inner air element the breath begins to pass in gasps, and one’s limbs begin to quiver. As an internal sign, the mind becomes agitated. At the time perceives a vision of a mirage like appearance and wisp of smoke. The red female drop from one’s mother then moves up in the central channel (Conception channel) A colour red the fills the mind. This indicates that the mind of appearance has dissolved into the mind of increase. It is at this point that specific yoga’s can be applied, to cut off the conceptual mind. The original white sperm from one’s father moves down in the central channel. At this point the mind of increase has dissolved into the mind of attainment. The breath now passes in long slow sighs. The female drop now dissolves into the life-sustaining channel and comes to the heart. This is the stage called “radiantly black” and is followed by an appearance of falling into a ditch in pitch darkness. At that time the mouth opens and the eyes roll in the head, fully revealing the whites of the eyes. The external appearance is like the setting of the sun. All sensory recollections and appearances cease and one have a vision that all images suddenly dissolve into darkness, into an immense pool of blackness. The breath now moves very shallowly, and, internally, one experience a vision as of dusk and darkness.

Anthony Court

(Article reprinted from Combat and Healing magazine with kind permission from Master Erle Montaigue)