Living Meaningfully, Dying Joyfully: The Profound Practice of Transference of Consciousness

Fantastic book which clearly elucidates the basic and vital information for Buddhist practitioners to benefit those who are dying or recently deceased as well as essential advice of Buddha concerning preparing our mind for death by practicing the Five Forces, accumlating virtue, abandonibg delusion and so forth. These practices are meant to be integrated into our daily lives as we practice Dharma so that when the time of death finally arrives we will be prepared. This practice derives from the special presentation found in the Six Yogas of Naropa and this practice is derived from the lineage of these instuctions which passed through Je Tsongkapa, as Geshe Kelsang states in the book. On a personal note, before, during and after my grandfather's death I was able to perform the included sadhanas, or prayers for the accomplishment of spiritual attainment, for him. I felt like I was repaying a small amount of the kindness he had shown me during the times when our lives overlapped. Also, my grandfather's death mirrored the process described in the book quite closely. That made me think!

This book gives a very clear explanation on the Buddhist practice of transfer of consciousness. I personally know of many people who have died extremely peacefully using the instructions contained in here. This is especially suitable for those who have had the blessing empowerment of the Buddha of Compassion.

I have read many books by this author, one of the greatest teachers to help people live a meaningful and pure life, as well as how to cross over with great merit, so we never have to come back to negativity as a result of bad karma. Dying is a part of physical life, however Geshela's teachings go far beyond this fact, as the soul is eternal, and we ALL have to come to the realization that our motives and actions carry with us, even when we depart physical life. They just come right with us on the other side. For a negative reviewer below, I shall share that Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's teachings are pure, with the motive to bring the teachings out of suffering that were taught by Buddha, in plain English that anyone can understand, so they can apply the teachings, and truly be free from suffering permanently in this life. The teachings have made an immeasurable difference in my life - suffering has vanished, and that was no small feat! I credit this to the teachings that have so eloquently been translated into English. Other fantastic books by this author that I HIGHLY recommend are: "Universal Compassion" "Transform Your Life" "Joyful Path of Good Fortune" "The New Meditation Handbook" They are all incredibly and immeasurably helpful for permanent benefit to all who wish to attain full awakening. HIGHLY Recommended!

An objective analysis of the Tibetan people clearly shows that they know about the process of death and what happens afterwards. They have it down to a "mind-science." Only a fool would not study this book if he had the opportunity. Because we can bank on one thing. Death is getting closer to us by the very second. It's a frightening and horrible thought, I know. But still it remains... And when I finish this review, I will be closer to death. So what do we do? ... If we are evil, we can think pragmatically about cheating God. The Tibetans believe in "powa", a technique of transferring one's conciousness into a pure land. A pure land is like heaven. Once there, we can choose our rebirth. We can choose our parents. Our family. Our place of human rebirth. Ifwe want a human rebirth. So there are an infinite number of possiblities once we reach a pure land. Geshe Kelsang Gyatsogives us instructions on how to do this. "Powa" is "transferenceof counciousness." And most of you badly need this book! I badly need this book! I have this book. Buy this book! Thelast half teaches us in the training of virtue. It is assumed that we want to make our transition in death easier. But what is really incredible is Gyatso's precise description of the death process and what happens afterwards. It's a map. Gyatsois the best writer of Buddhism in the twentieth century. He issimply a great man who has survived false accusations from thehenchmen of the Dali Lama. This book will make you steady and straight. You might find the visualiztion of powa extremely difficult at first. When ordering this book, also order "TheMedition Handbook" and "Joyful Path to Good Fortune" by the same author. Just do it. Just go ahead and do it.

After I read "Living Meaningfully....." I was even more thankful that I have this human life and I understand more fully what my responsibilities are in the world. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso has written many books, and I have read almost all of them, but this is by far my favorite. Geshla brings the most difficult things for the western mind to comprehend right into our consciousness in a practical way. With clear and understandable language The Author takes us step by step through the process of death and rebirth and he then tells us how to live and die, both without the resounding fear that can grip us as we journey through samsara. To expound here on what the author reveals about the joy of life and how to find and maintain that joy would be unfair. You should read the book for yourself and like me, you may read it over and over again. At the end of the book are prayers to Avalokitesvara, The Bodhisattva of Compassion. You can sense His/Her presence when you recite the Avalokitesvara mantra. There is also a service for the dead and for those who are dying at the back of the book. Geshla couldn't have given the wonderful gift to the world at a more important time.