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The Tibetan Book of the Dead: A Biography
How an eccentric spiritualist from Trenton, New Jersey, helped create the most famous text of Tibetan Buddhism
The Tibetan Book of the Dead is the most famous Buddhist text in the West, having sold more than a million copies since it was first published in English in 1927. Carl Jung wrote a commentary on it, Timothy Leary redesigned it as a guidebook for an acid trip, and the Beatles quoted Leary's version in their song Tomorrow Never Knows. More recently, the book has been adopted by the hospice movement, enshrined by Penguin Classics, and made into an audiobook read by Richard Gere. Yet, as acclaimed writer and scholar of Buddhism Donald Lopez writes, The Tibetan Book of the Dead is not really Tibetan, it is not really a book, and it is not really about death. In this compelling introduction and short history, Lopez tells the strange story of how a relatively obscure and malleable collection of Buddhist texts of uncertain origin came to be so revered--and so misunderstood--in the West.
The central character in this story is Walter Evans-Wentz (1878-1965), an eccentric scholar and spiritual seeker from Trenton, New Jersey, who, despite not knowing the Tibetan language and never visiting the country, crafted and named The Tibetan Book of the Dead. In fact, Lopez argues, Evans-Wentz's book is much more American than Tibetan, owing a greater debt to Theosophy and Madame Blavatsky than to the lamas of the Land of Snows. Indeed, Lopez suggests that the book's perennial appeal stems not only from its origins in magical and mysterious Tibet, but also from the way Evans-Wentz translated the text into the language of a very American spirituality.
The Tibetan Book of the Dead is the most famous Buddhist text in the West, having sold more than a million copies since it was first published in English in 1927. Carl Jung wrote a commentary on it, Timothy Leary redesigned it as a guidebook for an acid trip, and the Beatles quoted Leary's version in their song Tomorrow Never Knows. More recently, the book has been adopted by the hospice movement, enshrined by Penguin Classics, and made into an audiobook read by Richard Gere. Yet, as acclaimed writer and scholar of Buddhism Donald Lopez writes, The Tibetan Book of the Dead is not really Tibetan, it is not really a book, and it is not really about death. In this compelling introduction and short history, Lopez tells the strange story of how a relatively obscure and malleable collection of Buddhist texts of uncertain origin came to be so revered--and so misunderstood--in the West.
The central character in this story is Walter Evans-Wentz (1878-1965), an eccentric scholar and spiritual seeker from Trenton, New Jersey, who, despite not knowing the Tibetan language and never visiting the country, crafted and named The Tibetan Book of the Dead. In fact, Lopez argues, Evans-Wentz's book is much more American than Tibetan, owing a greater debt to Theosophy and Madame Blavatsky than to the lamas of the Land of Snows. Indeed, Lopez suggests that the book's perennial appeal stems not only from its origins in magical and mysterious Tibet, but also from the way Evans-Wentz translated the text into the language of a very American spirituality.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
About the author
Donald S. Lopez Jr.
75 books62 followersDonald Sewell Lopez, Jr. (born 1952) is the Arthur E. Link Distinguished University Professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies at the University of Michigan, in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures.
Son of the deputy director of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Donald S. Lopez.
Son of the deputy director of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Donald S. Lopez.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 19, 2017
Donald S. Lopez Jr. immediately hits the "Tibetan Book of the Dead" out of the gate as not properly speaking a book, not really Tibetan, and not really about death. Now, it must be clear, that the several different collections of terma texts that up the various editions of the Nyingma text, the Bardo Todol, are Tibetan, but it isn't one text and there isn't even a set collection. Instead, the "Tibetan Book of the Dead" is largely a creation of theosophist and semi-professional orientalist, Walter Evans-Wentz.
Lopez starts us with a history of American crypto-archeology around religious texts starting with Joseph Smith in New York's "burnt over" district and the revelation of reformed Egyptian and lost golden plates. This history comprises the first chapter, and the next chapters gives us context for Buddhism, and then compares implicitly compares the history of Mahayana textual "findings" and the specific Vajrayana traditions that involve finding "hidden" texts for later revelation and, again, the even more specific Nyingma traditions around terma, which were hidden scriptures that are found through reincarnations and access to Dakinis.
In a way, this contrast is both a condemnation and apologia for Evans-Wentz's theosophical creation of "The Tibetan Book of the Dead" based off some obscure manuscripts in Tibetan found in the British protectorate of Sikkim at the end of the Victorian period that played against the Victorian schemas placing Theravada as a purer form of Buddhism and making the original Buddha a rationalist. This myth, one that still uses up today in popular Buddhist writings, is in some ways just as misleading as Evans-Wentz/Blavatsky theosophical story about Hindu hidden masters in Tibet.
Lopez then goes through the origins of the various introductions--Western converts without proper ordination claiming to be Lamas, Jung's psychologizing and mythologizing of the text, the 70s re-translations and introduction of depth psychology even by Tibetan exiles to make an otherwise hyper-obscure text more appealing. The turning of the text into a self-help manual, and lastly, the more complete recent translation with a proper contextualization by the current Dalai Lama.
Now this is NOT a history of the Bardo Todol in Tibetan or its various manuscripts. That is handled by Bryan J. Cuevas "The Hidden History of the Tibetan Book of the Dead." However, it is important to note that Cuevas and Lopez cite each other and are clearly in dialogue. Like so many of Lopez's books, this is an excellent demystification if it can be dry in the minutiae it must go into to make its point.
Lopez starts us with a history of American crypto-archeology around religious texts starting with Joseph Smith in New York's "burnt over" district and the revelation of reformed Egyptian and lost golden plates. This history comprises the first chapter, and the next chapters gives us context for Buddhism, and then compares implicitly compares the history of Mahayana textual "findings" and the specific Vajrayana traditions that involve finding "hidden" texts for later revelation and, again, the even more specific Nyingma traditions around terma, which were hidden scriptures that are found through reincarnations and access to Dakinis.
In a way, this contrast is both a condemnation and apologia for Evans-Wentz's theosophical creation of "The Tibetan Book of the Dead" based off some obscure manuscripts in Tibetan found in the British protectorate of Sikkim at the end of the Victorian period that played against the Victorian schemas placing Theravada as a purer form of Buddhism and making the original Buddha a rationalist. This myth, one that still uses up today in popular Buddhist writings, is in some ways just as misleading as Evans-Wentz/Blavatsky theosophical story about Hindu hidden masters in Tibet.
Lopez then goes through the origins of the various introductions--Western converts without proper ordination claiming to be Lamas, Jung's psychologizing and mythologizing of the text, the 70s re-translations and introduction of depth psychology even by Tibetan exiles to make an otherwise hyper-obscure text more appealing. The turning of the text into a self-help manual, and lastly, the more complete recent translation with a proper contextualization by the current Dalai Lama.
Now this is NOT a history of the Bardo Todol in Tibetan or its various manuscripts. That is handled by Bryan J. Cuevas "The Hidden History of the Tibetan Book of the Dead." However, it is important to note that Cuevas and Lopez cite each other and are clearly in dialogue. Like so many of Lopez's books, this is an excellent demystification if it can be dry in the minutiae it must go into to make its point.
November 2, 2019
Quite insightful on it’s own but it also saved me from reading what is essentially the worst form of crookery.
February 28, 2021
A little too much about non-Tibetan, non-Book issues, apparently to cover for the lack of good information on the actual history of this rather insignificant Tibetan work which has only found wide currency (in the West) through the Theosophy-inspired Wentz's publication, translated for him by a Tibetan Buddhist. A fascinating story, truly, but too all over the place.
March 2, 2021
super entertaining ... I only hope all research could be this much fun! fascinating. from karma to collective unconscious
November 15, 2017
This was a wonderful read, connected the dots between the Theosophists and The Tibetan Book of the Dead. Turns out The Tibetan Book of the Dead is not really Tibetan, not really a book, and not really about death. The central character, Evans-Wentz, was a spiritual seeker from New Jersey, didn't know the Tibetan language and never visited Tibet, though he crafted and named the book. He owed a greater debt to Theosophy and Madame Blavatsky. Remember that name from our class with Richard?
This was a really great read, I learned so much about the history of the book (history of Buddhism, Theosophy, our own home grown religions like Mormonism) how the book was used by Timothy Leary and others over the ages. It has humor and depth.
This was a really great read, I learned so much about the history of the book (history of Buddhism, Theosophy, our own home grown religions like Mormonism) how the book was used by Timothy Leary and others over the ages. It has humor and depth.
October 1, 2025
Donald S. Lopez Jr. offers a well researched and insightful examination of The Tibetan Book of the Dead, tracing its origins, interpretations, and cultural impact. Rather than presenting a simple summary, he situates the text within both Tibetan traditions and its reception in the West, showing how it has been reimagined over time.
The book balances accessibility with depth, making it valuable for both general readers interested in religion and scholars seeking context. While it occasionally leans heavily on academic detail, the clarity of Lopez’s writing ensures that the central themes remain approachable.
A thoughtful contribution to the Lives of Great Religious Books series and a useful guide for anyone seeking to understand why this text continues to fascinate across cultures.
The book balances accessibility with depth, making it valuable for both general readers interested in religion and scholars seeking context. While it occasionally leans heavily on academic detail, the clarity of Lopez’s writing ensures that the central themes remain approachable.
A thoughtful contribution to the Lives of Great Religious Books series and a useful guide for anyone seeking to understand why this text continues to fascinate across cultures.
November 2, 2026
Donald S. Lopez Jr. delivers a fascinating exploration of the history, origins, and Western interpretation of this influential Buddhist text. Through engaging storytelling and historical insights, he challenges popular assumptions while revealing how different cultures have shaped its meaning. An enlightening read for anyone interested in Buddhism, spirituality, and religious history.
June 8, 2017
Amazing Book.
November 17, 2017
Best introduction to this Diamond-Vehicle classic!
July 22, 2018
A western POV that dissects a culture without a true understanding of the practice.
March 21, 2023
the mormon parts are particularly interesting.
February 20, 2025
Absolutely fascinating look at a misunderstood text and the role theosophy played in the initial anglophone misunderstanding of the type of text it was.
September 15, 2025
Brilliant book! Highly recommend.
February 1, 2026
What a story! The ending shift from objective voice to reporting of the prophetic voice felt a little weird.
September 7, 2026
Perhaps the most insane last sentence name drop I’ve ever encountered in a book?
February 4, 2017
Most Westerners are introduced to Tibet through one of two means, often connected: either through the Dalai Lama and the Free Tibet movement, or The Tibetan Book of the Dead (and the Dalai Lama's Tibetan Buddhism).
Lopez's criticism (especially after JUST reading it, and being excited to read a historical commentary on the book) is harsh. He calls out the treasure-revealers of Tibet (gter ston) comparing them to the well-known hack and serial liar and child-molestor Joseph Smith. Because, well, he did a lot of the same treasure-revealing that led to the creation of entire religious traditions. And as someone who is currently in school for Tibetology, it was mildly unsettling to think of my subject area being compared to Mormonism.
That said, Lopez doesn't go so far as to criticize Mormonism (as I just did above) but rather calls into question how and why we believe what we believe. Many Westerners (and at certain levels I have and still do fall into this spectrum) are ready to believe something because it comes from "the East," regardless of what exactly it is. This idea, is merely remnant Orientalism: an upholding of the East as an exotic "other," for better or for worse.
But Lopez, as uncomfortably close as he compares Tibetan Buddhism to Mormonism, has a very good point to make. It's kind of his shtick. Lopez also wrote *Prisoners of Shangri-La* the whole premise of which was to evaluate how the myth of a pristine Himalayan wonderland presented by Madame Blavatsky, among many, maaany others, has been hurting the public understanding of Tibet and the Himalayas. Throw a rock into Tibetology and you're less likely to hit well-translated, good-reasoned, interesting, and nuanced texts about Tibetan history, culture, and relations with the outside world, and far, FAR more likely to hit starry-eyes, weirdly-pious, la-la hippie wonderland territory.
My favorite example of this is when the Dalai Lama came out against homosexuality, and then was asked by a loyal San Franciscan community to please clarify his comments because pious San Franciscans were concerned about this. Well, if San Francisco's casual white Buddhist community bothered to actually hear what His Holiness had to say, or what classical Tibetan spirituality was about, they wouldn't have had to inconvenience the man's time when he came to California and explained that traditionally, Tibetan spirituality was oriented around the purity of various orifices and became a pretty awkward introduction into (Newsflash!) Tibetan culture is different from American culture.
I would highly recommend this book to people who have any vague interest in Tibetan culture. Donald Lopez explains 1) aspects of Tibetan culture, 2) aspects of American perception of Tibetan culture, and 3) how a Tibetan Buddhism through the lens of late 19th, early 20th century American Spiritualism is both ok for America, and wrong for Tibet, and it's necessary to move onto a new phase of understanding about the Himalayas and Tibet.
Lopez's criticism (especially after JUST reading it, and being excited to read a historical commentary on the book) is harsh. He calls out the treasure-revealers of Tibet (gter ston) comparing them to the well-known hack and serial liar and child-molestor Joseph Smith. Because, well, he did a lot of the same treasure-revealing that led to the creation of entire religious traditions. And as someone who is currently in school for Tibetology, it was mildly unsettling to think of my subject area being compared to Mormonism.
That said, Lopez doesn't go so far as to criticize Mormonism (as I just did above) but rather calls into question how and why we believe what we believe. Many Westerners (and at certain levels I have and still do fall into this spectrum) are ready to believe something because it comes from "the East," regardless of what exactly it is. This idea, is merely remnant Orientalism: an upholding of the East as an exotic "other," for better or for worse.
But Lopez, as uncomfortably close as he compares Tibetan Buddhism to Mormonism, has a very good point to make. It's kind of his shtick. Lopez also wrote *Prisoners of Shangri-La* the whole premise of which was to evaluate how the myth of a pristine Himalayan wonderland presented by Madame Blavatsky, among many, maaany others, has been hurting the public understanding of Tibet and the Himalayas. Throw a rock into Tibetology and you're less likely to hit well-translated, good-reasoned, interesting, and nuanced texts about Tibetan history, culture, and relations with the outside world, and far, FAR more likely to hit starry-eyes, weirdly-pious, la-la hippie wonderland territory.
My favorite example of this is when the Dalai Lama came out against homosexuality, and then was asked by a loyal San Franciscan community to please clarify his comments because pious San Franciscans were concerned about this. Well, if San Francisco's casual white Buddhist community bothered to actually hear what His Holiness had to say, or what classical Tibetan spirituality was about, they wouldn't have had to inconvenience the man's time when he came to California and explained that traditionally, Tibetan spirituality was oriented around the purity of various orifices and became a pretty awkward introduction into (Newsflash!) Tibetan culture is different from American culture.
I would highly recommend this book to people who have any vague interest in Tibetan culture. Donald Lopez explains 1) aspects of Tibetan culture, 2) aspects of American perception of Tibetan culture, and 3) how a Tibetan Buddhism through the lens of late 19th, early 20th century American Spiritualism is both ok for America, and wrong for Tibet, and it's necessary to move onto a new phase of understanding about the Himalayas and Tibet.
February 22, 2015
It's not really Tibetan; it's not a "book" in any precise sense; and it's more concerned with rebirth than with death. To a large extent, the entity I encountered in the sixties under the title is the creation of Walter Evans-Wentz, an orientalist with deep interests in late 19th/early 20th century spiritualism, who more or less made it all up. That doesn't quite mean there's nothing to the philosophical/religious tradition that filtered through in such a bizarre form. There is a body of thought and texts about the "bardos" that can be traced back to a variety of Buddhist sources; a bitter name for that body than TBotD would be "Bardo Todol," as the Dalai Lama refers to it in his introduction to a 2005 version that I haven't yet read, but will. My fascination with the TBotD rests primary on the concept of the bardos: the "in between" places associated with the passage of the soul from life to death, from death to rebirth, and from rebirth back into life. I've found the "bardos" a useful way of thinking about the various aspects of one's karma--the things one should reflect on when one weights one's thoughts, acts, etc. One thing I learned from Lopez is that, as is the case with my understanding of the I Ching, my take is very much modern, western and Jungian; the states of being reflected in the source text transmuting into metaphorical expressions of psychic realities. That doesn't bother me, but it's useful and important to be reminded not to confuse them with the "ancient wisdom of the east."
Like the other books in this series I've read (focusing on the I Ching and the Bhagvad Gita," this small book focuses primarily on textual history, providing just a sprinkling of reflection on the text itself. Lopez does a workmanlike job revealing the bizarre status of the book that arrived in the 20th century West. While it makes sense to connect Evans-Wentz with the spiritualist milieu, I'm much less convinced of the appropriateness of Lopez's choice to frame his discussion of the TBotD with fairly lengthy (for such a short book) discussions of Joseph Smith and Mormonism. Just about gave it two stars as a result, but decided that it's easy enough to ignore that material (which seems gratuitous i this context and not fully developed) and concentrate on what's here.
Like the other books in this series I've read (focusing on the I Ching and the Bhagvad Gita," this small book focuses primarily on textual history, providing just a sprinkling of reflection on the text itself. Lopez does a workmanlike job revealing the bizarre status of the book that arrived in the 20th century West. While it makes sense to connect Evans-Wentz with the spiritualist milieu, I'm much less convinced of the appropriateness of Lopez's choice to frame his discussion of the TBotD with fairly lengthy (for such a short book) discussions of Joseph Smith and Mormonism. Just about gave it two stars as a result, but decided that it's easy enough to ignore that material (which seems gratuitous i this context and not fully developed) and concentrate on what's here.
October 17, 2015
I bought this little gem at the Asian Culture Museum in Singapore thinking it might provide insight about Buddhism (I was drawn to the many Buddhist sculptures and scriptures on display there). While it met that challenge in a very brief overview, it provided so much more. The author's succinct and artfully written "biography" of The Tibetan Book of the Dead reveals the many layers of interpretation inextricably entangled with these (select) religious texts.
The ultimate lesson is one of being wary of one culture's embrace of another's philosophy, no matter how well meaning (which might not apply wholeheartedly to The Tibetan Book of the Dead). But the author also manages to tie the interpretation of centuries-old texts to more recent religious and spiritual history in the US, and makes an excellent case for their entanglement.
So much more than the story of a single text, this little volume teaches much about interlinkages among seemingly disparate concepts.
It is also a decent introduction to basic tenets of Buddhism.
The ultimate lesson is one of being wary of one culture's embrace of another's philosophy, no matter how well meaning (which might not apply wholeheartedly to The Tibetan Book of the Dead). But the author also manages to tie the interpretation of centuries-old texts to more recent religious and spiritual history in the US, and makes an excellent case for their entanglement.
So much more than the story of a single text, this little volume teaches much about interlinkages among seemingly disparate concepts.
It is also a decent introduction to basic tenets of Buddhism.
August 7, 2012
I loved this book. I have not read the Tibetan Book of the Dead; but, plan on reading it this fall. I was interested in getting a little background on it and this book delivered. It is written in a very clean prose making it easy to read and understand. It was surprising compelling as the author laid out the relationships between the various people who were instrumental in bringing the Tibetan Book of the Dead to the Western world and what motivated them. While Lopez is very opinionated about the role that spiritualism and The Theosophical Society had on the interpretations of the text, it did not get in the way of enjoying the book or creating a good beginner's foundation on the historical context and placement of the book in Buddhist theology. This book is part of a series of books that are "biographies" of the "lives of great religious books" published by Princeton University Press.
March 28, 2012
This book was a short, fast read full of lots of fun history concerning the texts known as the Tibetan Book of the Dead. It does hit on some key points of Tibetan Buddhism and history, but it also discusses certain beliefs and activities of late 19th/early 20th century occultists. Enlightening and enjoyable.
September 2, 2011
I finished it and thought "hmm, interesting, but really, who cares?" It could have been done in 1/5 of the pages, without page after page after page of bewildering description of arcane and detailed rituals and beliefs from India and Tibet.
August 17, 2011
Very interesting. Much different from the sort of book I thought it was.
However, I like the information it presents.
However, I like the information it presents.
Read
February 24, 2018The Tibetan Book of the Dead is the most famous Buddhist text in the West, having sold more than a million copies since it was first published in English in 1927. Carl Jung wrote a commentary on it, Timothy Leary redesigned it as a guidebook for an acid trip, and the Beatles quoted Leary's version in their song "Tomorrow Never Knows." More recently, the book has been adopted by the hospice movement, enshrined by Penguin Classics, and made into an audiobook read by Richard Gere. Yet, as acclaimed writer and scholar of Buddhism Donald Lopez writes, "The Tibetan Book of the Dead is not really Tibetan, it is not really a book, and it is not really about death." In this compelling introduction and short history, Lopez tells the strange story of how a relatively obscure and malleable collection of Buddhist texts of uncertain origin came to be so revered--and so misunderstood--in the West.
The central character in this story is Walter Evans-Wentz (1878-1965), an eccentric scholar and spiritual seeker from Trenton, New Jersey, who, despite not knowing the Tibetan language and never visiting the country, crafted and named The Tibetan Book of the Dead. In fact, Lopez argues, Evans-Wentz's book is much more American than Tibetan, owing a greater debt to Theosophy and Madame Blavatsky than to the lamas of the Land of Snows. Indeed, Lopez suggests that the book's perennial appeal stems not only from its origins in magical and mysterious Tibet, but also from the way Evans-Wentz translated the text into the language of a very American spirituality.
The central character in this story is Walter Evans-Wentz (1878-1965), an eccentric scholar and spiritual seeker from Trenton, New Jersey, who, despite not knowing the Tibetan language and never visiting the country, crafted and named The Tibetan Book of the Dead. In fact, Lopez argues, Evans-Wentz's book is much more American than Tibetan, owing a greater debt to Theosophy and Madame Blavatsky than to the lamas of the Land of Snows. Indeed, Lopez suggests that the book's perennial appeal stems not only from its origins in magical and mysterious Tibet, but also from the way Evans-Wentz translated the text into the language of a very American spirituality.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews