Former Ganden Tripa Stays on 'Thukdam' (death meditation) for 18 Days

[Big Uncle]

Former Ganden Tripa Stays on 'Thukdam' for 18 Days
Phayul[Tuesday, October 07, 2008 12:38]


Dharamshala, October 6 – Doctors and researchers at the Drepung monastery were amazed to witness a rare spectacle in the south Indian Tibetan settlement of Mungod. His eminence Lobsang Nyima, the former Gaden Tripa, who passed away on September 14, stayed in Thukdham for 18 days, till 1st October.

Thukdham, as per Tibetan Buddhist Tantric practice, is explained as a stage in which a highly learned lama or practitioner with his life time practice of meditation is able to meditate on the ‘Clear Light Stage’, an ultimate process of inner dissolution of five elements and consciousness. The practitioners, while in Thukdham, are able to control their body from decomposition and to maintain the internal body heat.

Tenzin Namdul, a Tibetan doctor at the Men-Tsee-Khang, and Dr. Yangzom Dolker of Delek hospital, were sent to Mundgod, South India to scientifically investigate the effect of Thukdham on Trisur Rinpoche's body. Thukdham project was initiated last December in collaboration with Dr. Richard Davidson's brain imaging laboratory at University of Wisconsin under the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, says Dr. Namdul. The doctors measured the effect of Thukdham on Rinpoche's body through EEG, ECG and body temperature using latest scientific equipment.

Tibetans as well as Indians thronged Drepung for Rinpoche’s blessing. A team of researchers and scientists from Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation from Bangalore arrived to witness what they later termed as a "scientific breakthrough in the effect of intense meditation". Another team of senior doctors and neuroscientists from Belgaum’s KLES Prabhakar Kore Hospital where Rinpoche breathed his last also arrived to witness the spectacle.

“The doctors commented this is something they need to see to believe and now that they have witnessed it, they said they are simply surprised and speechless. Both the team expressed strong desire in initiating a collaborative project on this important and complex subject”, Dr. Namdul said.

Some say that longer period of meditation will prolong the arrival of his reincarnation. Dalai Lama had asked the attendants of Gaden Trisur to allow the mediation to continue. Earlier, the Tibetan leader had said that scientists should examine the state of thukdham of Tibetan masters and Lamas.

Under guidance of Dalai Lama, Trisur Rinpoche's body will be mummified so that people can have his audience and be blessed by his presence, Dr. Namdul said.

[RedLantern]

Thukdam,as per Tibetan Buddhist Tantric practice,is explained as a stage in which a highly learned lama or practitioner with his lifelong practice of meditation is able to meditate on the 'clear light stage' an ultimate process of inner dissolution of 5 elements and consciousness.
The practitioners, while in Thukdam are able to control their body from decomposition and to maintain the internal body heat.Some say the longer period of meditation will prolong the arrival of his reincarnation.
Under guidance of Dalai Lama,Trisur Rinpoche 's body will be mummified so that people can have his audience
and be blessed by his presence.
Trisur Rinpoche must be a super master,to be able to remain in Thukdam for 18 days.

[bambi]

18 days! Its amazing to read about all these supernatural cases. How attained those masters are! I found this author which also talk about death meditation and he is an author http://www.andrewholecek.com/ 
Andrew has a strong scientific background, including training in biology and physics. This has instilled a healthy skeptical nature, one that has inspired him to go directly to the source to obtain his education and meditative training in Buddhism.

http://www.andrewholecek.com/2012/12/exclusive-presentation-on-mind-beyond-death/

At the request of The Dalai Lama, a team of scientists has been assembled to study this unusual occurrence. Scientists and scholars in the Thukdam Project include experts in these fields:
-Brain electrical and metabolic activity in coma and brain death, to help determine the most informative measurements of brain electrical activity around death.
-Cellular metabolism and hypoxia-induced cell death, to help determine any informative measurements of unusual changes in postmortem autolysis of peripheral tissues.
-Traditional Tibetan medicine and meditation practice, to provide accurate accounts of the phenomena claimed by the tradition.
-Medical anthropology among Tibetans, to help improve procedures for field research.
-Forensic pathology or taphonomy, to help determine what measurements or observations could identify whether the normal decomposition process has been altered.

[DS Star]

"What is Thukdam?" His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama was asked.

He replies "At the time of death, the heart beating stop, brain dead, but still the subtle level of consciousness is still there. There has been 30-40 cases of Thukdam recorded in India for over the past 50 years. The longest being 4 weeks so far."

Many high lamas had showed the level of their attainments during the time of death, especially how they endure physical pains without showing any sign of mental sufferings, and they can stay in Thukdam for days and weeks.

Here is a very inspiring story of a female dharma practitioner named Mayum Kunsang Dechen, the consort of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche.

She is affectionately called "Yum Kusho-la" by her son, Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche who recounted the 'miracle signs' of his mother when enduring cancer-induced pains and her death. "Yum Kusho-la passed away quietly on the morning of April 24th. My father, my brother, and I were present at her bedside at that time. She was 65.

The morning and afternoon were spent in prayer as our family members and a few monks sat with her. My mother's face was relaxed. She was in the very high meditative state called thuk-dam which arises when a good practitioner encounters the moment of death. The mind lingers in the body during this period of contemplation, and the body itself retains warmth in the area around the heart, flexibility, and a rosy countenance.

At about 3:00PM, a rainstorm arose quite suddenly and lasted until almost sunset. During that time, Yum Kusho-la's face changed. She started to smile gently and she appeared very peaceful. Those who saw her remarked on her radiance. As the skies cleared outside, a rainbow appeared above the monastery. Yum Kusho-la remained in thuk-dam for three days."