“If you study Phowa, then when death approaches, you will feel no fear or despair, but rather be filled with a quiet confidence.” –Marpa Translator
“Death is inevitable, but how you die – terrified and confused, or with confidence and spiritual mastery – is within your control.” ~Choeje Ayang Rinpoche
Yesterday, I read the news on social media that on December 4th, the Phowa master, Ayang Rinpoche (1942-2024) had passed away at the age of 82 years old in Mysore, Karnataka India. Many people, including myself, will know Ayang Rinpoche from the his group Phowa (Transference of consciousness) teachings and practice sessions held annually in Bodh Gaya, India. He is a lineage-holder of both the Nyingma and Drigung Phowa, and has done extensive retreat on the practice.
Brief biography: Holder of Nyingma and Kagyu lineage and Phowa
HE Ayang Rinpoche was recognized at a young age by a delegation of high lamas , including the Sixteenth Gyalwang Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje and Yongzin Jabra Rinpoche, as the wisdom incarnation of Terton Rigzin Choegyal Dorje. Following his early education at Drikung Thil Changchub Ling, the main monastery of Drikung, he continued his studies at Nyingma Thangra, the Drigung philosophical college. He received all the initiations of Rinchen Terdzo and Kagyu Nagdzod and the teachings of the Six Yogas of Naropa and Mahamudra. He also received all Nyingthig initiations and teachings as well as his first Phowa teaching (this of the Nyingma tradition) from a Nyingma Yogi, Rahor Chodra Rinpoche.
After finishing his studies in Tibet, he went on pilgrimage in Tibet to many of the holy places of Guru Rinpoche, doing a lengthy retreat at Phulung, where Guru Rinpoche practiced Phowa for a long time. At the end of the retreat, he performed an offering puja which was attended by many naga, who came with offerings and circumambulated his retreat while performing mantras of Guru Rinpoche. Ayang Rinpoche felt that this was a great sign and felt it might mean that in the future he would be teaching Phowa in foreign countries.
After leaving Tibet, in Rumtek, the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa gave him the initiations and oral transmissions of Chagchen Kundzod Chigshe Kundrol and a special Mahamudra introduction. From Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche in Bhutan, he received the Dam Ngag Dzod.
Here is a short documentary film (1997) with Ayang Rinpoche talking about his life and founding of a Kagyu monastery.
Personal connection with HE Ayang Rinpoche: Phowa in Bodh Gaya, India and the loud bellowing laughter
Other than those of the 17th Karmapa, Ayang Rinpoche’s Phowa teachings was one of the first main Vajrayana/Tibetan Buddhist I received in the sacred Buddhist pilgrimage place of Bodh Gaya India. It happened in the first year of attending the Kagyu Monlam there in 2005/6 (the year I first met the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa and took my first refuge vows in private audience with him) and had my first highest yoga tantra empowerments in India with Thrangu Rinpoche (Vajrasattva) and 17th Karmapa (Chakrasamvara). Here is a short film someone took of Rinpoche in Bodh Gaya teaching the Phowa in 2005 and here.
The Phowa teaching (held in a tent just behind the Bodhi tree/temple) was a very joyous, magical, simple and profound event in many ways, not only for the place, but also a couple of hundred Tibetans (monastic and lay) all gathered to listen to his oral transmission and explanation of how to practice Phowa, a sacred yet important practice on how to ‘die well’ with meaning and to ideally be re-born in Amitabha’s pure land.
At that time, I had read a few books on Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, nature of mind, and the famous Bardo Thodrol (a text that graphically describes what happens to our consciousness when dying, and how to help someone who is dying take a favourable re-birth) but not studied Tibetan language or spent much time with Tibetan Buddhists in India, but I felt very at home among the Tibetans, the old ladies and men, the nomads with their tsampa and butter tea, paleb bread, huge toothy smiles and “Tashi Deleks”! Like coming home!
In particular, when we all practised the Phowa together, and said a loud HRIH! as the subtle consciousness was brought to the top of our crowns through the central channel, one small boy dressed in raggedy monk robes sitting right next to me grinning from ear to ear (at the front right near Rinpoche’s seat), would let out a massive giggle, which due to his energy, and the energy of subtle consciousness expelled into the expanse and abiding in Amitabha above our crowns, caused me to uncontrollably burst out laughing too. In fact, the more he did it, the louder and more uncontrollable my laughter became. The more I laughed the more the boy laughed, it was infectious indeed. None of the Tibetans there seemed to mind at all either, although I was trying to control it.
At that time, I had no idea about loud bellowing dakini laughter (of Chod practice, which is closely connected to Phowa) and the qualities of spontaneous joy in Buddha Nature. All I knew was I was laughing a loud belly ache laugh for no reason and something felt very blessed and amazing about the teaching, practice and experience. Not laughing at something or someone, but coming from deep within the central channel and space expanse, joining in a HUGE resounding bellowing laugh! it was also my first introduction to the Amitabha short re-birth aspiration, which we all recited after the Phowa practice.
So, although I never followed Ayang Rinpoche as a devoted student (I was completely devoted and immersed in the 17th Karmapa and Karma Kagyu at that time, before things seemed to get very worldly and degenerate at the Monlams post 2015), I felt very grateful to have been given such a great gift and blessing of Phowa transmission and practise, together with the ‘taste’ of the laughter of the dakinis. It is one I will never forget and I hope will have some benefit at the time of death too.
So, although his followers will feel sad he has passed away, I suspect that Ayang Rinpoche is currently residing with Buddha Amitabha laughing and smiling too. For a teaching by 8th Garchen Rinpoche (another Drigung Kagyu teacher) on the practice of Phowa given by Buddha Amitabha to Guru Padmasambhava who passed it on to the Tibetan King, Trisong Detsen, see here.
Music for this commemoration is Guru Rinpoche mantra chanted by Ayang Rinpoche, Re-birth in Sukhavati Aspiration chanted by 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Dechen Monlam by Metog Lhadron, and the The Way We Were by Barbara Streisand.
As I played the Streisand song writing this, tears of remembrance, joy and sadness overcame me and yet again, I found myself this time fighting back the uncontrollable tears arising from the depths of the heart, as if Ayang Rinpoche were there with me yet again. “but it’s the laughter we will remember, when we remember the way we were….” That is how I will remember Ayang Rinpoche, for his priceless gift of Phowa, and my first ‘taste’ of Tibetan Buddhist culture, the haunting, blessed melodies of the Tibetan chanting and people in Bodh Gaya, simple, joyful, direct and inclusive. A place that felt like a real home for the heart.
With love, gratitude and laughter, this small commemoration offering was written by Adele Tomlin, 7th December 2024.
