A OM HUNG
At the moment when the impermanent illusory body dissolves
Surrounded by loved ones and relatives and material possessions
May the ties of attachment to them and the grasping mind be liberated.
May I achieve the great liberation
Excerpt from the Bardo Prayer by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Teachings & Practices to Open the Heart and Mind
According to the Tibetan spiritual traditions, living and dying are part of a sacred continuum. Recognizing the truth of impermanence and the certainty of death can deepen our appreciation for life and support authentic spiritual growth. With awareness, we begin to recognize how attachment contributes to suffering, and by gently loosening our grasping, we open to greater freedom, joy, and presence in each moment. Reflection on the bardo—the intermediate state between death and rebirth—helps us understand death not as an end, but as a sacred transition within a greater continuum.
In this section, you’ll find teachings and guided practices to support reflection and prepare the heart and mind for death.
Living in Joy, Dying in Peace
The Power of Awareness in Times of Transition
In this webcast, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche explores the power of awareness and offers guidance for resting in awareness while opening to the sacred potential within times of transition, including the transition of death.
Preparing for One’s Own Death or Offering Support as a Caregiver: Teachings on Inner Refuge
In the Bön tradition, the teachings guide us to open fully into our true nature—integrating body, awareness, and energy—so we live with greater presence, freedom, and clarity, and meet both life and death with ease and openness. In the guided practices and teachings below, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche offers guidance on resting in inner refuge.
Your Own Inner Refuge: Teaching by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche discusses the inner refuge in detail, explaining the difference between being at the door to the inner refuge and fully resting within.
Secret Refuge Prayer by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
This prayer invites us to turn inward to find a natural sense of calm, clarity, and support within ourselves.
To continue to explore inner refuge, look for teachings on Dzogchen on the homepage of Ligmincha International and books by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche.
Honoring Your Path: Creating a Dharma Will & Box to Guide Your Loved Ones Through Your Last Wishes
Preparing for death is an essential part of the spiritual path. Alongside engaging in reflection, prayer, and meditation, you may find it meaningful to create both a Dharma Will and a Dharma Box. A Dharma Will offers written guidance about the practices, prayers, and support you wish to receive at the end of life and after death. It can bring peace of mind to you and those who care for you, helping ensure your spiritual intentions are honored.
A Dharma Box complements this by gathering physical items—such as sacred images, mantras, and comforting sensory supports—that can create a familiar, soothing environment in your final days. Together, these offerings serve as a bridge between your practice and those who support you, allowing your final transition to be held in awareness, care, and love.
Creating Your Dharma Will
Preparing your Dharma Will can help you feel more at ease, knowing your wishes have been clearly shared. It also helps sangha members, family, and friends support you in a way that feels familiar and meaningful during your final days.
Download Dharma Will Instructions & the Dharma Will [Click here to download]
Download Dharma Will [LINK to complete]
Compiling A Dharma Box
A Dharma Box is a collection of spiritual supports meant to bring comfort and a sense of connection during your final days. It may include images, mantras, or other meaningful texts or objects that support calm, familiarity, and peace.
Essential Legal Documents to Prepare for End-of-Life Care
Preparing legal documents is an important part of end-of-life planning. Putting these documents in place helps ensure that your wishes—regarding medical care, comfort, and after-death arrangements—are respected and supported by those around you.
In the U.S. for example, a healthcare power of attorney and advance directive allow you to clarify your preferences around pain management and life-prolonging treatments. A Last Will and Testament can reflect your intentions for burial or cremation, funeral arrangements, and the distribution of your belongings or assets.
It is important to find out about and follow the regulations and legal documents in the country where you live.
One’s relation to death is not necessarily pleasant. It can be scary and uncomfortable. We all feel that. Do not run away from those feelings but be present with them. Do not elaborate your fears and thoughts but host them in openness, with awareness and warmth. Gradually, you will feel less discomfort, less pain. In time, you may begin to feel okay. A while later, quite comfortable. Then possibly, you may feel the presence of joy. It’s a sequence that takes time, but your experience can change.
–Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
VIDEO TEACHINGS BY TENZIN WANGYAL RINPOCHE
Bardo Teachings on Living and Dying
As the death toll continues to rise during the global pandemic, the Bardo teachings of Tibet can bring us more peace of mind. They also provide us with methods for reducing the suffering and enhancing the welfare of those who are dying or have passed away. The word “bardo” means “in between” in Tibetan, including the time between life and death, and the time between death and rebirth. In a live online broadcast, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche helps us to better understand these critical moments of transition and introduces prayers we can recite on behalf of our friends and loved ones who have died. He then recites the Great Mantra.
Whether you are preparing for a good night’s sleep, anticipating a long journey, or even facing death, you can ease the transition by finding a place of peace and calm within yourself beforehand. In this live Webcast, Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche teaches and guides a calming and centering meditation that can help you find inner refuge during times of transition. Recorded on April 17, 2011, at Ligmincha International’s Serenity Ridge Retreat Center in Nelson County, Virginia.
Rinpoche draws on ancient Tibetan wisdom as he explains how you can transcend fear and live more joyfully even during uncertain or threatening times. Rinpoche presents the ancient Bön teachings in a way that is fresh and relevant to modern daily life.
In two teaching sessions of a full-day online retreat, Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche guides you in shifting your attention to the source of all healing, the space of inner refuge. In two practice sessions, senior student Marcy Vaughn guides a meditation that helps you discover and rest deeply in the healing space of inner refuge.
THE DHARMA WILL
Consider what will support you in your final days and hours through your five senses. What images, smells, sounds, taste and touch would you like to have near you? Your dharma box will hold these and any additional supports for your practice.
Download Dharma Will Instructions & Dharma Will [Click here to download]
Download Sample Letter to Loved Ones [LINK to complete]
CREATING A DHARMA BOX
Consider what will support you in your final days and hours through your five senses. What images, smells, sounds, taste and touch would you like to have near you? Your dharma box will hold these and any additional supports for your practice.
You may find it helpful to create a dharma box containing practice supports for your final days and hours. Consider which images, smells, sounds, tastes, and touch sensations will offer you the most comfort. Your dharma box can hold these and any additional sacred supports, such as:
Photos of teachers and loved ones
Practice materials for your use or to be read to you
A device for playing mp3 recordings of mantras, teachings, or guided meditations, and headphones for listening
Candles with holder and lighter
Incense, incense burner, and lighter
A list of items to be brought to you from your home shrine
An extra mala in case yours is not nearby
A khata (offering scarf) to be placed on your body after death
Photos of yourself on a USB drive to be sent to a lama for powa practice and to your dharma friends for bardo prayers
For family members and friends who do not follow the Bön tradition, you
may wish to include a list of the contents of the box and a letter and/or instructions for how to use the materials it contains.
Note: This information is also included in the Dharma Will Instructions. [Click here to download]
Prayers and Mantras
Here is a list of downloadable audio and pdf files of prayers and mantras you may wish to have:
- Precious Garland
- Bardo Prayer by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
- MA TRI Mantra
Helpful Information
While the Dharma Will is a deeply meaningful guide for your spiritual wishes, it is not legally binding. It is intended to complement other legal documents that help ensure your practical end-of-life arrangements are understood and carried out.
Legal Documents
- Last Will and Testament – outlines your wishes for burial or cremation, funeral arrangements, and the distribution of your personal belongings and assets.
- Healthcare Power of Attorney – designates someone you trust to make healthcare decisions on your behalf, including preferences for pain management or life-prolonging treatments.
- Advance Directive / Living Will – clarifies specific medical decisions and care preferences, helping your family and caregivers honor your wishes.
The documents listed are merely listed as a support to complete the picture of how you want to shape your end-of-life experience .
Practical Considerations
- Share with your family or designated contacts where these documents are kept, along with any computer access or financial information they may need.
- Make it easy for those who will support you to follow your practical wishes, without confusion or delay.
An important note: Laws around wills, advance directives, and healthcare powers of attorney differ by country and state. It’s important to check with a qualified legal professional in your area to ensure your documents are current and valid. Ligmincha International cannot be responsible for legal requirements that may change or vary by location.
Helpful Websites
For those in the United States, Five Wishes may be a useful advance directive document. It’s available in multiple languages, includes a healthcare power of attorney, and is legally recognized in most U.S. states.
Another helpful site for those in the U.S. is Advanced Directives (also in Spanish) from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
A very useful self-paced course on (mostly) temporal aspects end-of-life planning considerations, is offered by hospice physician Karen Wyatt.