Illuminating Sunshine

Buddhist Funeral Rituals of Avalokiteshvara By Padma Trinley Translated by Martin Boord Illustrations by Robert Beer and Jamji ShiwahAccording to our author Padma Phrin-las (1641-1718), disciple of the Great Fifth Dalai Lama and fourth incarnation of the gter-ston Rig-dzin rgod-ldem, there are three main stages in the care of those who have come to the end of their lives. These consist of facilitating the transference of consciousness (pho ba) at the moment of death, performing postmortem rituals in order to guide the deceased along pathways of escape from the six modes of unhappy rebirth in samsara, and cremating the corpse with due dignity. Associated rites include prayers of good wishes for the deceased to be reborn in the pureland of Amitabha's Blissful Paradise (Sukhavati), and the casting of small votive images (tsa tsas) from any fragments of bone that may remain after the cremation has been completed. Taken as a whole, such rites are designed to ensure that the good karma of th