But if the ritual deception does not take effect,
Despite being performed on three occasions,
Death is definite, for one’s lifespan is at its end.
MISCELLANEOUS SIGNS OF DEATH32
Here follows the presentation of the miscellaneous signs of death.
Regardless of whether one is sick or healthy,
If one cannot see the point of the nose with the eyes,
One may die after five months.
If one cannot see the tip of one’s own tongue,
One may die after three days even if one is not sick.
If, when one gazes at the surface of a clear mirror,
One cannot see with one’s left eye, one may die after seven months.
[Usually], when one breathes into the palm of one’s own hand [from close by], it will feel warm,
And when one does so [from a distance] it will feel cold,
But if these [sensations] are reversed,
One should know that one might die after ten days.
If, when one looks for one’s reflection in a vessel filled with water,
No reflections, images, or the like, are apparent,
This too is a sign of death.
If, when bathing, water does not cling to the area around the heart,
Or if the water dries out [quickly] around the heart, this may indicate death.
It is [also] said that if no sound is emitted when one snaps the fingers, this may indicate death;
And if the anklebones protrude from the legs,
It is said that one may die after one month.
[Furthermore], it is said that if one leaves no footprints in soft earth, this may indicate death,
And if one becomes weaker after having eaten nutritious food,
And if one’s shadow changes [its shape unnaturally], this too may indicate death.
When lice and nits [suddenly] gather or leave, this may indicate death.
If a former temperament, peaceful or wrathful, is reversed,
And if a former pattern of behaviour, good or bad, changes,
These too are signs indicative of a person’s death.
If one’s image reflected in water or in a mirror lacks a head or limbs,
This too may be a sign of death.
If there is a retraction of the penis and protrusion of the testicles, or vice versa,
If a previously unheard pulmonary wheezing sound occurs,
And if one cannot sense the smell of a dying butter lamp,
These are said to be signs that one will certainly die [imminently].
In addition to such signs, the following may also occur:
A turbid confusion and darkening of normal consciousness,
A loss of one’s former appetite,
Embarrassment and incapacity in undertaking virtuous acts,
A [restless] urge to leave, and an inability to stay in one place,
Discomfort in bed and inability to fall asleep,
Recurring amnesia and disorientation,
Recurring memories of one’s former kindred, and the desire to be with them [again],
Death wishes and the desire to commit suicide,
The desire to roam and travel alone, without companions,
Inertia, faintheartedness, and character changes,
Poor physique and the convergence of many different illnesses,
Dreams which are disturbed and recurringly negative,
The welling up of powerful mental anxiety,
Impious behaviour, which does not avoid the five poisonous, dissonant mental states,
Lack of clarity and loss of faith in the [sublime] instructions,
And incontinence or constant secretion of generative fluids.
Such are the [miscellaneous] signs that death is near.
Examine and scrutinise them with awareness!
Then, [if the time of death has arrived],
The transference of consciousness should be performed!33
SIGNS OF EXTREMELY NEAR DEATH
Now follows the presentation of the signs of extremely near death:
The five sense faculties dissolve sequentially,
And as a sign of this [imminent] demise of the sense faculties,
One will be unable to digest food and drink, and one may vomit.
Bodily warmth will diminish, the neck will not support the head,
And one will feel that the head is sinking downwards.
Then the five elements will dissolve as follows:34
The internal earth element comprises flesh and bone.
As an indication of its dissolution into the external earth element,
The body will grow heavy, and its skin will sag towards the ground,
Whereupon, as an internal sign, one will feel that the body is sinking into the earth.
Because the energy of earth will have dissolved into water,
One will be incapable [of supporting] one’s physical form.
Bodily strength will slip away, and consciousness will become clouded.35
The internal water element comprises blood and serum.
As an indication of its dissolution into the external water element,
Saliva and nasal mucus will be secreted,
While the throat and the tongue will become dry.
Because the energy of water will have dissolved into fire,
The warmth of the body will slip away,
And consciousness will oscillate between clarity and dullness.36
The internal fire element comprises warmth.
As an indication of its dissolution into the external fire element,
The eyes will roll upwards, and one will no longer recognise people.
Because the energy of fire will have dissolved into wind,
The warmth [of the body] will converge.37
The internal wind element comprises breath.
As an indication of its dissolution into the external wind element,
The breath will become wheezy, and the limbs will quiver.
As an internal indication, consciousness will become turbulent,
While mirage-like flashing and fleeting [visions] will arise,
And [concurrently] all lice and nits will leave the body.38
[Then], the red ‘generative essence’ derived from one’s mother will rise upwards,
And the phenomenon called ‘redness’ will occur,
Wherein all appearances are suffused by redness.
At that point, appearances will dissolve into the ‘[subtle mental consciousness of] increasing [redness]’,
And the forty patterns of conceptual thought that originate from attachment will cease.39
[Then], the white ‘generative essence’ derived from one’s father will fall downward,
And the phenomenon called ‘whiteness’ will occur,
Wherein all appearances are suffused by whiteness.
At that point, the ‘increasing [redness]’ will dissolve into the ‘[subtle mind of] attainment’,
And the thirty-three patterns of conceptual thought that originate from aversion will cease.
[During this process, each exhalation of] breath will become increasingly protracted,
While all the blood of the body will converge in the ‘life channel’,40
And then a single drop of blood will form at the heart-centre.
In this way, the phenomenon called ‘blackness’ will occur,
Engulfing the suffocating mind in blackness,
And one will experience the sensation of falling into darkness, as if into an abyss.
At that point, ‘attainment’ will dissolve into the ‘[subtle mind of] near attainment’,
And the seven patterns of conceptual thought that originate from delusion will cease.
[During this process], the mouth will open, and the eyes will roll upwards,
[Exposing] their pale underside.
External appearances [will fade], as during the setting of the sun,
>
And [finally] the sense faculties, memory, and perceptions will all cease,
Whereupon, all [external] appearances will be absorbed into blackness.
At that point, the [exhaled] breath will extend [from the body] by a cubit,
And [all] internal appearances will [also] come to resemble darkness.
Then, the blood in the heart will form two drops,
The head will stoop,
And the [exhaled] breath will extend [from the body] by an arrow-length.
Following this, the blood in the centre of the heart will form three drops,
And, with HIKA-like gasps, the [exhaled] breath will extend [from the body] by a double arm-span.41
[Then], the external breath will cease, and, engulfed by blackness, one will become unconscious.
Then, the white and red ‘generative essences’ will meet together at the heart,
And, as this occurs, one will swoon into a state of blissfulness.
Thus, consciousness dissolves into inner radiance,42
Engendering the experience of the ‘co-emergent delight’.
[At this point], awareness dissolves into actual reality, at the centre of the heart, [like the meeting of] mother and child.43
[It is at this time that] the inner breath will [also] cease,44
And the vital energy and mind will rest in the central channel.
[At this moment], the inner radiance of the ground dawns upon all sentient beings,
And, in the case of a few yogins who have achieved realisation,
At this moment, the inner radiance of the path meets [the inner radiance of the ground],45
Like a [meeting of] a mother and child,
And [thus, now], instantaneously, in an ascending and core-penetrating manner,
These [yogins] will actualise the uncreated Buddha-body of Reality,
And through the Buddha-bodies of Perfect Resource and Emanation,
They will perform inestimable actions for the sake of all beings.
[Thus], the three buddha-bodies will be spontaneously present,
And buddhahood will have been attained.
Because of this, one should understand the significance of obtaining a human body,
And cherish the experiential cultivation of the profound [sacred] teachings.
For, even though the genuine inner radiance [of the ground] will [always] arise [at the moment of death],
In the case of all beings who have not [already] realised the [inner radiance of the path],
It will not be recognised.
The [past] births that one has assumed and left behind are countless and infinite,
And, although the inner radiance has indeed arisen an indescribable [number of times],
It has been obscured [again and again] by the dense [fog of] coemergent ignorance,
And [thereby], one has come to wander endlessly through cyclic existence.
This is why it is important to achieve such a secure level [of realisation in this life].
[SIGNS INDICATING THE PLACE OF SUBSEQUENT REBIRTH]
At the moment, [as described above], when the outer breath is about to cease,
Signs will also occur [which indicate] the place of subsequent rebirth.
If [when dying] the right hand quivers, one talks nonsensically,
And bodily warmth recedes from under the right armpit,
[This indicates that] one will be born as an antigod.
If nasal mucous and vital wind flow through the left nostril,
And bodily warmth recedes from the left eye,
[This indicates that] one will be born as a human being.
If animal sounds are emitted from the mouth, urine is secreted from the urethra,
And bodily warmth recedes from the genitals,
[This indicates that] one will be born as an animal.
If the skin turns yellowish and lustreless,
And there is salivation, accompanied by sensations of hunger,
While reproductive fluid is secreted,
[This indicates that] one will be reborn as an anguished spirit.
If the right leg shakes, defecation takes place,
Anger is felt, and bodily warmth recedes from the soles of the feet,
It is said that this person will be born in the hells.
If one experiences intense pride, bodily warmth recedes from the ears,
And consciousness is emitted via the ears,
[This indicates that] one will be born as a yakṣa.46
If good circumstances prevail [at the time of death],
And if there is minimal impairment of the vital organs, and clear mindfulness,
And if one’s spiritual teacher and fellow practitioners gather together, with an inspired perspective,
And if serum and other signs appear at the crown of the head,
And consciousness is transferred from the crown of the head,
Then, it is said that one will achieve liberation, or take birth among the higher realms.47
Therefore, it is most important [to create] the right circumstances at the time of death.
Furthermore, there are indications and signs of a higher or lower rebirth
That arise after the death of a sentient being.
These relate to changes occurring in the sky, which should be examined over [an appropriate] number of days:
If the sky turns dark brown, or vaporous [clouds] well up,
Or if there are winds, chilling breezes, blizzards and so forth,
All these are indications that the [deceased] will be born among the hell realms.
If a lustreless mist hangs in the sky, and the sun and moon fade,
If there is no wind or breeze, and the sun is obscured,
Or if there are traces of rain, or else if it rains in the evening,
All these are indications that the [deceased] will be born among the realms of anguished spirits.
If the sky turns brownish, and there is unbroken black cloud,
Or if there is a mist and an unpleasantly brown sky,
All these are indications that the [deceased] will be born among the animal realms.
If the clouds in the sky turn yellowish black and assume terrifying forms,
And hurtle fiercely back and forth, driven by the wind,
Or if there is thunder and lightning, and the sun and moon become invisible,
All these are indications that the [deceased] will be born among the antigod realms.
If the sky is bright and the sun and moon are clearly visible,
[Or the atmosphere is] utterly clear, without wind or breeze,
All these are indications that the [deceased] will be born among the god realms.
If the sky is bright and clear, and fine white silken clouds appear,
Or if the sun and moon are encircled by aureoles of light,
All these are the indications that the [deceased] will be born among the human realms.
Whichever of the above indications arise,
They signify that the [deceased] will be born in one or other of the six [mundane] realms.
These [signs] will occur either two, three, or seven days after death,
As it is explained in the Tantra of the Cremation of Corpses.48
The indications that one has attained the three buddha-bodies with a pure rebirth,
Or that one has attained liberation in the manner of the sky-farers,
Are explained in the Tantra of the Cremation of Corpses, and in the Liberation by Wearing.49
One should therefore consult these sources in detail.
CONCLUSION
Since living beings do not know when they will die,
These signs of death should be looked for again and again.
When the signs occur, indicating that one is certainly to die,
Then one should renounce whatever possessions one has,
And clearly call to mind the spiritual teacher,
One’s fellow practitioners, asse
mbled around one, and the oral teachings.
Especially, one should prepare to apply the transference [of consciousness],50
And listen to and reflect on the teaching of the Liberation by Hearing in the Intermediate States.51
[However], when the external, internal, and secret signs of death do occur,
If one does not perform the Ritual Deception of Death,52
One will incur the downfall of abandoning the assemblies of the Peaceful and Wrathful Deities,
Who are the Conquerors, present within one’s own body.53
As a result, one’s commitments will degenerate, and one will proceed to the hells.
It is said that this is even more negative than the [five] inexpiable crimes.
Therefore one should diligently persevere in the practices of the Ritual Deception of Death.
[Furthermore], if consciousness is transferred [too soon],
When [only] one or other of the external or internal signs of death is present,
This is called the ‘slaying of the deities’.
One must not allow this to occur, because the downfall will be extremely great.
But if all the signs of death are completely present, and cannot be averted,
Then, and only then, should one apply the instructions of consciousness transference.
It is said, in the tantras, with regard to the advantages of the timely application of consciousness transference,
That even one who has committed an inexpiable crime
Will proceed to higher rebirths and blissful states,
And can attain liberation, [through the timely application of the instructions on transference].
EMA! I have here presented the Natural Liberation through [Recognition of] the Visual Indications and Signs of Death,
The Tibetan Book of the Dead Page 20
