Excerpt
As he made his rounds in the deepest chambers of the lamasery, Tenzin held a butter oil lamp in one hand and an intricately carved jadestone rod in the other. His ancient, weathered face glowed as he navigated a narrow circular passageway giving access to eight windowless cells sealed with disks of stone. Each door bore a silver inlay of one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols, brightly reflecting the circle of light cast by the lamp. Using his stone rod, he tapped three times on each door and waited for a response. Two dull thuds answered from all but the cell marked with the Sign of the Conch. With furrowed brow, Tenzin rolled the silent door aside with a heave of his shoulder. Pushing the lamp into the dark gap with an outstretched arm, he squeezed through the opening, his robes scraping on rough-hewn stone. The lamplight revealed Brother Norbu’s headless body slumped on the floor. No blood flowed from the cauterized stump of neck. Nearby, upon a cushion, lay a severed head with Norbu’s face bearing a serene smile and half-closed eyes. Tenzin sighed, saddened by the loss of another brother, but Norbu’s smile was some consolation; perhaps at least a minor blow had been struck for Shambala’s cause. Still, it was a serious loss, as the ranks of the Kalacakra masters grew thinner each day; he doubted there would be another ready soon enough to replace his lost brother. Tenzin set down his lamp and jadestone rod. He lovingly picked up the severed head and recited the Bardo prayers to guide his brother’s spirit on the journey to his next incarnation.
“Brother Norbu, listen carefully and without distraction. Now, pure luminosity of Dharmata is shining before you, recognize it. O child of noble family, at this moment your state of mind is by nature pure emptiness. When you recognize this pure nature of your mind as the Buddha, looking into your own mind is resting in the Buddha-mind…”