What do you think?
Rate this book
Mind Beyond Death
Mind Beyond Death is an indispensable guidebook through the journey of life and death. Using humorous analogies and his profound understanding of the Western mind, Dzogchen Ponlop makes the mysterious Tibetan teachings on the bardos--the intervals between waking and sleep, between life and death, and beyond--completely available to the modern reader. Drawing on a breathtaking range of material, this young, popular teacher shows us how the bardos can be used to conquer death. Working with the bardos means taking hold of life and learning how to live with fearless abandon, and Mind Beyond Death demonstrates that the secret to a good journey through death and beyond lies in how we live. Walking skillfully through the bardos of dream, meditation, and daily life, we then travel deep into the mysterious death intervals and become familiar with their dazzling mindscape. This tour de force gives us the knowledge to transform the greatest obstacle of death into the most powerful opportunity for enlightenment.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published March 15, 2007
130 people are currently reading
518 people want to read
About the author
Dzogchen Ponlop
23 books55 followersKarma Sungrap Ngedon Tenpa Gyaltsen was enthroned as the Seventh Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche by Rangjung Yeshe Dorje, Gyalwang Karmapa XVI, in 1968. A former Tibetan Buddhist monk, he remains a lay teacher in the Karma Kagyu lineage as well as the Nyingma tradition.
A graduate of Karma Shri Nalanda Institute for Higher Buddhist Studies (the monastic college at Rumtek) and Columbia University in New York, Rinpoche is a naturalized U.S. citizen.
A graduate of Karma Shri Nalanda Institute for Higher Buddhist Studies (the monastic college at Rumtek) and Columbia University in New York, Rinpoche is a naturalized U.S. citizen.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 11, 2015
I admit there is a problem where Dharma books get super high star ratings. That said, Mind Beyond Death seems to me now head and shoulders above other books I have given 5 stars.
This book was recommended to me by Jill Purce who is a western expert in such matters, along with Luminous Emptiness by Freemantle. The Freemantle book I find fluffy and am still dragging my way through, where Mind Beyond Death I would open at random and be uttterly consumed by the clarity and brilliance of the philosophy and practice instructions. This is really a must have if one has any other exposure to Bardo Thodal (Book of the Dead) teachings. This is one of the few books where the gushing description from the publishers is 100% true.
I will close with my favorite quote from this book: All practices are Phowa.
Very special.
This book was recommended to me by Jill Purce who is a western expert in such matters, along with Luminous Emptiness by Freemantle. The Freemantle book I find fluffy and am still dragging my way through, where Mind Beyond Death I would open at random and be uttterly consumed by the clarity and brilliance of the philosophy and practice instructions. This is really a must have if one has any other exposure to Bardo Thodal (Book of the Dead) teachings. This is one of the few books where the gushing description from the publishers is 100% true.
I will close with my favorite quote from this book: All practices are Phowa.
Very special.
July 5, 2015
A monumental tribute to the subject of Impermanence. The most comprehensive book out there on the subject of bardo, transitions, and the death process, from the view of the Tibetan Buddhist Vajrayana tradition. There is a chart in this book that catalogues the stages of dissolution, among other amazements. And the section on Dream Yoga is extraordinary, even life-altering. Anyone who will die someday should read this book.
April 12, 2025
Pema Chodron wrote a book ‘How We Live Is
How We Die’ that focused on bardos. The idea is that we pass through spaces not just time. These spaces are transitional between other spaces. This is a powerful concept for me because as a Westerner I am caught up in time rather than space. The idea of the bardo slows me down and helps me to relax into a situation rather than just barrel through it which is my typical approach.
She has a helpful list of recommended titles and ‘Mind beyond Death’ was one of them. This book is steeped in Buddhist concepts and contains an extensive useful glossary. However, I could comprehend most of the concepts without resorting to looking up the terms.
The book is structured around six bardos that extend beyond life and death. (Buddhism loves numbered lists!) #1 is the natural bardo of this life. #2 is the bardo of dreams #3 is the bardo of meditation #4 is the painful bardo of dying, #5 is the luminous bardo of dharmata #6 is the karmic bardo of becoming. The last three bardos relate to after-death states.
The goal is to transcend to emptiness which for us Westerners means going to hell. It would be like waiting in line at the DMV without distractions to avoid experiencing the moment. This connects to the ultimate wisdom of Buddhism which is to shift from seeing life as about the productive use of time to being able to enjoy and value staring out the window with a blank mind.
To get there requires much mediation and other practices. The goal being to dissolve the meditating layer of turning every experience in a concept that that then relates to other concepts and keeps the mind busy. Pure luminosity requires a direct experience of sensations without saying in our head, ‘I am looking out at a beautiful lake.’
I highly recommend this book. It provides a pathway for me to see the tremendous value of being rather than doing. It sounds easy but often feels impossible.
How We Die’ that focused on bardos. The idea is that we pass through spaces not just time. These spaces are transitional between other spaces. This is a powerful concept for me because as a Westerner I am caught up in time rather than space. The idea of the bardo slows me down and helps me to relax into a situation rather than just barrel through it which is my typical approach.
She has a helpful list of recommended titles and ‘Mind beyond Death’ was one of them. This book is steeped in Buddhist concepts and contains an extensive useful glossary. However, I could comprehend most of the concepts without resorting to looking up the terms.
The book is structured around six bardos that extend beyond life and death. (Buddhism loves numbered lists!) #1 is the natural bardo of this life. #2 is the bardo of dreams #3 is the bardo of meditation #4 is the painful bardo of dying, #5 is the luminous bardo of dharmata #6 is the karmic bardo of becoming. The last three bardos relate to after-death states.
The goal is to transcend to emptiness which for us Westerners means going to hell. It would be like waiting in line at the DMV without distractions to avoid experiencing the moment. This connects to the ultimate wisdom of Buddhism which is to shift from seeing life as about the productive use of time to being able to enjoy and value staring out the window with a blank mind.
To get there requires much mediation and other practices. The goal being to dissolve the meditating layer of turning every experience in a concept that that then relates to other concepts and keeps the mind busy. Pure luminosity requires a direct experience of sensations without saying in our head, ‘I am looking out at a beautiful lake.’
I highly recommend this book. It provides a pathway for me to see the tremendous value of being rather than doing. It sounds easy but often feels impossible.
October 10, 2023
“We have a choice: to prepare ourselves to face the most uncomfortable moment of our lives, or to meet that moment unprepared...The way to meet death fully is to die every day, to every moment, to everything; to our thoughts, to our agony, to our emotions, to our loving relationships—even to our joy. We cannot meet death if we don’t die every day!”
I read this as a requirement for a class on the bardo’s of living and dying. This is an indispensable guidebook through the journey of life and death. A must read for those who really want to learn about the bardo’s of living and dying.
I read this as a requirement for a class on the bardo’s of living and dying. This is an indispensable guidebook through the journey of life and death. A must read for those who really want to learn about the bardo’s of living and dying.
August 22, 2023
I'd give it 5 stars if I were a Vajrayana/Tibetan aspect kinda guy - but otherwise I give it 4.5, which rounds up anyway. Uniquely precise in describing the bardos and clear in answering the questions of practice and post-life perspective.
June 22, 2011
very accessible dharma. begins with excellent overview, then goes into very detailed explanation of bardo states and how to prepare for them and what to do when you're in them. this may sound weird, but i thought this book was neat.
April 17, 2018
Read during a long retreat during which teachings on the bardos were given. This is a practical, accessible approach to the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
February 12, 2011
Snow Lion cited this book in their Dharma quote of the week, as follows. Given my mother's circumstances, the passing of my father and of my brother, and everything else going on in my life as a book person in a digital world, I feel I need to read this book.
Dharma Quote of the Week
The bardo* of this life does not last forever. We know that, like a guest in a hotel, our mind is only temporarily sheltered in this body. As we face the challenges of this life and the impending challenges of the bardos to come, how does engaging in the three-stage process of study, contemplation and meditation help us? By applying ourselves to these three, we acquire the skills to stabilize our mind and we develop actual insight into how our mind functions. First we gain an understanding of the nature of mind; then, we experience that nature; and finally, we arrive at the ultimate benefit, which is fully realizing that nature.
When we practice these stages of the path, it is like accumulating the exact things we will need to take with us on our trip. When we are ready to pack our suitcase, we will have what we need without looking further. We will not have to go out at the last minute and buy a map or a guidebook. We will not have to worry about whether we are forgetting something crucial.
We have knowledge and experience that has blossomed into realization; therefore we can handle any situation. We have confidence in ourselves, in the teachings, and the guidance of our lineage teachers. At this point, we can let go of all our doubt and hesitation. We can simply relax and be who we are, wherever we are. (p.58)
* in-between state, interval
--from Mind Beyond Death by the Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, published by Snow Lion Publications
Mind Beyond Death • Now at 5O% off
(Good through February 18th).
Dharma Quote of the Week
The bardo* of this life does not last forever. We know that, like a guest in a hotel, our mind is only temporarily sheltered in this body. As we face the challenges of this life and the impending challenges of the bardos to come, how does engaging in the three-stage process of study, contemplation and meditation help us? By applying ourselves to these three, we acquire the skills to stabilize our mind and we develop actual insight into how our mind functions. First we gain an understanding of the nature of mind; then, we experience that nature; and finally, we arrive at the ultimate benefit, which is fully realizing that nature.
When we practice these stages of the path, it is like accumulating the exact things we will need to take with us on our trip. When we are ready to pack our suitcase, we will have what we need without looking further. We will not have to go out at the last minute and buy a map or a guidebook. We will not have to worry about whether we are forgetting something crucial.
We have knowledge and experience that has blossomed into realization; therefore we can handle any situation. We have confidence in ourselves, in the teachings, and the guidance of our lineage teachers. At this point, we can let go of all our doubt and hesitation. We can simply relax and be who we are, wherever we are. (p.58)
* in-between state, interval
--from Mind Beyond Death by the Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, published by Snow Lion Publications
Mind Beyond Death • Now at 5O% off
(Good through February 18th).
October 8, 2015
This is a seminal work by any measure in capturing the very esoteric Bardo journey. I thoroughly enjoyed Sogyal Rinpoche's classic "The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying," but was completely flummoxed by his Bardo state portion. That is widely read and I would suppose similar confusion is common and that is where "Mind Beyond Death," excels in bringing a combination of practical and academic teaching to the
death and life journey. It is stunning in it's detail regarding the actual experiential Bardo journey with practical advice shedding brilliant light in the formerly darkest places.
death and life journey. It is stunning in it's detail regarding the actual experiential Bardo journey with practical advice shedding brilliant light in the formerly darkest places.
October 24, 2018
An excellent book describing the Buddhist path from birth, old age to death and beyond. Ponlop Rinpoche is an accomplished teacher, who obviously understands the nature of mind and can describe that in terms that western student can grasp. One of the best works on the bardo experience and the stages of death.
February 15, 2009
This is a clear articulation of the Bardos and is a great companion read to any and all translations of the Tibetan Book of the Dead or of Living and Dying depending on the translator.
October 21, 2023
Book of the Day – Mind Beyond Death
Today’s Book of the Day is MIND BEYOND DEATH, written by Dzogchen Ponlop in 2007 and published by Snow Lion.
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche is a prominent Tibetan Buddhist teacher and scholar, and a meditation master. He is an abbot of Dzogchen Monastery, founder and spiritual director of Nalandabodhi, and founder of Nītārtha Institute for Higher Buddhist Studies. He is one of the highest tülkus in the Nyingma and Karma Kagyu lineage.
I have chosen this book because it represents one of the best introductions to esoteric Buddhist concepts.
Mind Beyond Death can be seen and understood as a guidebook through the Buddhist idea of one’s journey of life and death. Dzogchen Ponlop brings in this book his profound knowledge of both Tibetan and Western knowledge and traditions, mixing profound concepts with a pleasant series of fun examples.
The author introduces the readers to the esoteric Tibetan Buddhist teachings on the bardos in a way that allows even those completely new to the subject to understand it. Bardos are the intervals between waking and sleep, between life and death, and beyond. Bardo can be translated as gap, interval, intermediate state, or transitional process and usually refers, in Tibetan culture and philosophy, to the gap between lives. According to the teachings, there are (at least) six bardos: the bardo of this life (or birth), the bardo of dreaming, the bardo of meditation, the bardo of dying, the bardo of dharmata (or reality), and the bardo of existence (or becoming).
Knowing and understanding these transitions allows the practitioners to take control of their lives and become aware of how is it possible to live them with calm, thoughtfulness, and a sort of tranquil abandon which comes from the absence of fear of these events.
Everyone’s life thus becomes an awakened journey through the bardos of birth, dreams, meditation, and daily life, until the journey arrives at the death bardos. This intimate journey gives the practitioners the knowledge to transform what others consider an obstacle into the most powerful opportunity for enlightenment.
One of the key strengths of this book is its ability to elucidate complex and esoteric concepts in a clear and accessible manner. Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche’s writing is both scholarly and compassionate, making the teachings within the book approachable for a wide range of readers, from beginners to experienced practitioners.
The core themes of death and impermanence of life are central elements in Buddhist philosophy. Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche provides a comprehensive guide to understanding the process of death, dying, and the transition into the bardos.
The book also explores the intricacies of the nature of mind, the essential role of meditation and mindfulness into fostering spiritual development, and how one can start his/her path to enlightenment. Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche draws from his deep knowledge of the Nyingma and Kagyu traditions, making the book a valuable resource for anyone interested in these Tibetan Buddhist lineages.
Mind Beyond Death is a significant contribution to the literature on Tibetan Buddhism, especially for those interested in understanding the intricacies of death, the nature of mind, and the path to enlightenment. It represents a valuable resource for practitioners at all levels.
Today’s Book of the Day is MIND BEYOND DEATH, written by Dzogchen Ponlop in 2007 and published by Snow Lion.
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche is a prominent Tibetan Buddhist teacher and scholar, and a meditation master. He is an abbot of Dzogchen Monastery, founder and spiritual director of Nalandabodhi, and founder of Nītārtha Institute for Higher Buddhist Studies. He is one of the highest tülkus in the Nyingma and Karma Kagyu lineage.
I have chosen this book because it represents one of the best introductions to esoteric Buddhist concepts.
Mind Beyond Death can be seen and understood as a guidebook through the Buddhist idea of one’s journey of life and death. Dzogchen Ponlop brings in this book his profound knowledge of both Tibetan and Western knowledge and traditions, mixing profound concepts with a pleasant series of fun examples.
The author introduces the readers to the esoteric Tibetan Buddhist teachings on the bardos in a way that allows even those completely new to the subject to understand it. Bardos are the intervals between waking and sleep, between life and death, and beyond. Bardo can be translated as gap, interval, intermediate state, or transitional process and usually refers, in Tibetan culture and philosophy, to the gap between lives. According to the teachings, there are (at least) six bardos: the bardo of this life (or birth), the bardo of dreaming, the bardo of meditation, the bardo of dying, the bardo of dharmata (or reality), and the bardo of existence (or becoming).
Knowing and understanding these transitions allows the practitioners to take control of their lives and become aware of how is it possible to live them with calm, thoughtfulness, and a sort of tranquil abandon which comes from the absence of fear of these events.
Everyone’s life thus becomes an awakened journey through the bardos of birth, dreams, meditation, and daily life, until the journey arrives at the death bardos. This intimate journey gives the practitioners the knowledge to transform what others consider an obstacle into the most powerful opportunity for enlightenment.
One of the key strengths of this book is its ability to elucidate complex and esoteric concepts in a clear and accessible manner. Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche’s writing is both scholarly and compassionate, making the teachings within the book approachable for a wide range of readers, from beginners to experienced practitioners.
The core themes of death and impermanence of life are central elements in Buddhist philosophy. Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche provides a comprehensive guide to understanding the process of death, dying, and the transition into the bardos.
The book also explores the intricacies of the nature of mind, the essential role of meditation and mindfulness into fostering spiritual development, and how one can start his/her path to enlightenment. Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche draws from his deep knowledge of the Nyingma and Kagyu traditions, making the book a valuable resource for anyone interested in these Tibetan Buddhist lineages.
Mind Beyond Death is a significant contribution to the literature on Tibetan Buddhism, especially for those interested in understanding the intricacies of death, the nature of mind, and the path to enlightenment. It represents a valuable resource for practitioners at all levels.
November 1, 2023
"Mind Beyond Death" is about non-theistic Buddhist traditions and beliefs. This book may be difficult for the average Westerner. The author emphasizes the importance of controlling our minds and bodies in this life because in the next clarity and composure of thoughts will be essential in managing the fine astral planes. The author emphasizes how we live is crucial in the death process and beyond. In summary, this book is a good academic review of Tantric Buddhism but falls short from a teaching perspective. The visualizations and meditating techniques are obscure, difficult and well beyond the capacity of the typical layman. It seems clear that a qualified teacher is necessary if one is to pursue this tradition.
December 22, 2024
In a nutshell the book says "Keep calm and carry on."
Skip the first 150 pages, skip pages 277 to the end.
The rest of the book describes very clearly what your mind will experience as your body starts to shut down and beyond your last actual breath.
Up to 49 days of mental images could scare you and anger you but you will eventually be lead to to your next birth.
How well you have trained your mind will determine where you will next take birth (or not).
The training will likely take many lifetimes to master so don't be in a rush.
Having read this book is a good start even if 2/3 of it was too difficult to take in without a lot more previous Buddhist background.
Skip the first 150 pages, skip pages 277 to the end.
The rest of the book describes very clearly what your mind will experience as your body starts to shut down and beyond your last actual breath.
Up to 49 days of mental images could scare you and anger you but you will eventually be lead to to your next birth.
How well you have trained your mind will determine where you will next take birth (or not).
The training will likely take many lifetimes to master so don't be in a rush.
Having read this book is a good start even if 2/3 of it was too difficult to take in without a lot more previous Buddhist background.
January 26, 2025
Some good informational content on the mind during the death process. I lost enthusiasm when I read about the teacher. I am having trouble trusting tho nothing out there in the public domain that is negative. Worth returning too for info as needed tho. / Audible.
Read
November 2, 2023Really in depth thorough coverage of the bardos
September 2, 2025
quite detailed but too repetitive and lengthy
September 27, 2025
Forget "Tibetan Book of the Dead" or any other complex western commentary on it, this is the book to get for clarity and ease of understanding.
May 5, 2009
A good introduction in to the baroque world of Tibetan afterlife teaching. It casts light on their science of cosciousness and the various conscious states (bardos). This is the only ancient religion I am aware of that practices Lucid Dreaming as a preparation for dealing with the afterlife.
November 2, 2015
Cada momento, ¡Este momento! una oportunidad para la iluminación. Ponlop Rinpoche nos muestra compasiva y generosamente el viaje de la mente más allá de la muerte y nos brinda una guía para deshacernos de la insatisfacción y del miedo en cada momento. ¡Muchas gracias!
January 18, 2008
One of the finest dharma books ever. Death is not just that end of the road thing, but happens constantly. Rinpoche is the Buddha
March 30, 2011
Absolutely wonderful explanation of some of the most difficult to understand Dharma concepts, including the bardos of living and "between" lives.
January 27, 2015
The teachings are so profound yet accessible.
Read
March 29, 2018Not for me
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews