The Tibetan Book of the Dead

by Padmasambhava, W.Y. Evans-Wentz (Editor)

Said to have its origins in the 'treasure texts' that were supposedly hidden away by Padmasambhava, the Lotus Guru, in Tibet in the 8th century, The Tibetan Book of the Dead was traditionally read aloud to the dying or recently deceased as a guide to the afterlife.

It explains how to recognize the true nature of the mind so that after death it will be possible to attain enlightenment and liberation from the suffering associated with the endless cycle of death and rebirth.

For many, reading The Tibetan Book of the Dead has been a revelatory experience on the path to finding a sense of spirituality and self-knowledge.

Genres: Buddhism, Religion, Philosophy, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Classics, Mythology

126 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1350

About the author

According to tradition, Padmasambhava was incarnated as an eight-year-old child appearing in a lotus blossom floating in Lake Dhanakosha, in the kingdom of Uddiyana, traditionally identified with the Swat Valley in present-day Pakistan. His special nature was recognized by the local king who married him to one of his daughters, Mandarava. She and Padmasambhava's other main consort, Yeshe Tsogyal, developed into realised practitioners. Many thangkas and paintings show Padmasambhava in between them.
Padmasambhava's ability to memorize and comprehend esoteric texts in a single hearing established his reputation as a master above all others. Knowing that the life force of the wife and son of evil minister was about to end, he constructed an accident which resulted in their death. As a result, Padmasambhava was banished from the court and exiled in a charnel ground. Transiting various heavens and hells, he developed the power to transcend the cycle of birth and death, accomplishing the so-called great transference.
His fame became known to Trisong Detsen, the 38th king of Tibet (742–797), whose kingdom was beset by evil mountain deities. The king invited Padmasambhava to Tibet where he used his tantric powers to subdue the evil deities he encountered along the way, eventually receiving the Emperor's wife, identified with the dakini Yeshe Tsogyal, as a consort. This was in accordance with the tantric principle of not eliminating negative forces but redirecting them to fuel the journey toward spiritual awakening. In Tibet he founded the first monastery in the country, Samye Gompa, initiated the first monks, and introduced the people to the practice of Tantric Buddhism.
In Bhutan he is associated with the famous Taktshang or "Tiger's Nest" monastery built on a sheer cliff wall about 500m above the floor of Paro valley. He flew there from Tibet on the back of Yeshe Tsogyal, whom he transformed into a flying tigress for the purpose of the trip. Later he travelled to Bumthang district to subdue a powerful deity offended by a local king. Padmasambhava's body imprint can be found in the wall of a cave at nearby Kurje Lhakhang temple.
According to Tibetan tradition, the Bardo Thodol (commonly referred to as the Tibetan Book of the Dead) was among many treasures hidden by Padmasambhava, subsequently discovered by a Tibetan terton, Karma Lingpa.

Reviews

[Fergus, Weaver of Autistic Webs · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You’ve really gotta read this book. Ram Dass says it’s SO Far Out!”

´Far Out’ was a much-bandied-about-by-hippies catchphrase in 1971, and was likewise prized among flower children like my friend Maria - who said those words to me back then.

But, Ram WHO?

Ram Dass, aka Professor Richard Alpert, had - like his buddy, Professor Timothy Leary - “tuned in, turned on and dropped out.”

And, not only that, but Leary had sworn this holy Tibetan book exactly mirrored the process of “turning on”, hence its enduring sacred value, and had written his own cult classic on how to emulate these ‘high’ sages.

In five easy hits.

Really? You mean all the great religions are derived from drug experiences?

Ahem...

Such, anyway, was the prevailing “ineffable teaching” of these gurus. And that, along with a buck fifty, may have even bought them a cup of coffee to wake up with.
***

Well, you may have noticed that I’m reviewing the Evans-Wertz translation.

For me that’s the one to get if you, in any way, see the process of dying as a journey to the beyond. It’s that for me, in the traditional Christian sense of Jeremy Taylor’s Holy Living and Dying.

And this book is obviously not Christian. So why am I reviewing it?

Because the peak experience of the Tibetan Book of the Dead is the vision of the Clear Light.

A Clear, Penetrating, No-Nonsense Light that is, naturally, annoyingly enervating to faithless agnostics.

Wakey-wakey, guys!

That’s it, nothing more or less.

But so FIRMLY embedded in the Western Christian Tradition is that vision - not only nowadays, where we see it recorded in NDE statements by unwillingly resuscitated patients, but in past great lines from our literary canon, like Shelley’s “white radiance of Eternity” or Vaughan’s “I saw Eternity the other night, like a great ring of endless light” - that it’s a part of us.

So the Clear Light experience resonates with us believing Westerners.

As perhaps it should: for Carl Jung wrote that this, and the entire work that we’re speaking of, is somehow embedded in our Collective Unconscious. And Jung even says its reverse sequence mirrors the process of regaining our true Selves.

And perhaps the Road to Hell?

Now, that’s as it may be, but for me the clincher is eschatological.

The Book of the Dead is an ancient self-help book aimed at calming the mind before death - if we can believe some accounts, the very time it’s most active. And to Christians its panacea for attaining peace may be summed up in two sentences:

“God (or Jesus) loves me. And HE’s in charge (Demons begone…)!”

This book, in fact, like Christianity, insists on us living a Good Life in order to gain the Ultimate Clear Light experience. If you want to go to Heaven, they say, you’ve GOTTA be good!

And here we all thought that was too corny.

It’s not.

It’s dead serious.

And yet that’s exactly what Christ said...

And the Catholics among us see in the Clear Light the classically Thomistic Vision of God.

So where are all these dead folks NOW? Well, as T.S. Eliot replies:

"I am here, there, or elsewhere -
In my Beginning…." the beginning of Good and Evil?
***

But to answer you, dear sometime-girlfriend Maria, once more back in 1971, I would now have to say:

“Yep. This book may be Far out. But it’s no piece of cake. And it’s NOT too far out for me to give it my Best Shot, as my Life’s Principal Quest! Getting there is not so difficult, Maria - IF YOU’RE GOOD.”

So keep your drugs, Ram Dass.

I’ll take plain, ordinary virtue:

The good, old-fashioned, Tried and True way to Heaven.

[Esteban Galarza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joseph Campbell escribió alguna vez que los libros sagrados no deben leerse en clave occidentalista sociohistórica, sino que la única forma de acceder a la luz que de ellos emana es tratarlos como textos poéticos. Así como sabemos que no debemos creer que el Génesis es una mentira solo porque sabemos que el mundo no fue creado en 7 días tampoco debemos creernos astutos cuando pedimos pruebas fehacientes de la existencia de las deidades hindúes o de que los infiernos sean tal cual son descriptos en esos textos.
El libro tibetano de los muertos es una belleza musical hipnótica que contiene fórmulas para que el espíritu acceda a instancias superiores del ser y en esos ritos deeben participar los seres queridos que el difunto deja en este mundo. El texto es antiquísimo y no cabe acá inscribirlo en las categorías que maneja Goodreads sobre si es bueno, malo, si aburre o está mejor o peor escrito. Es un texto sagrado y que proviene de una tradición oral de siglos. Sus orígenes se pierden en el tiempo no cronicado y nace de las ilusiones y temores del alma. Solo puede ser emparentado con los textos bíblicos, las cuevas de pintura prehistórica, los textos homéricos o el Gilgamesh, solo por mencionar algunas manifestaciones culturales humanas.
Esta poesía es trascendente y su luz brillante y opaca por momentos nos habla del punto en el que el alma alcanza la trascendencia, aunque los paisajes que en esos páramos halle no traigan necesariamente paz (¿reminiscencias lovecraftianas?). Creo que todos en algún momento debemos leer este libro y hacerlo del modo que lo hice yo: de noche, antes de irme a dormir y sin prisa. esa poesía irradia en esas horas de vigilia previas al sueño imágenes que luego se reproducen en la mente y nos llenan de revelaciones indescifrables y sublimes.

[Jenna Moquin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of the books on my Book Bucket List, and I'm glad I finally read it, but overall I was disappointed.

I disagreed with the teachings of this book. First, there is the assumption that being reborn into a new life is a bad thing, but some may find being in the cycle of sangsara to be enlightenment within itself.

Secondly, the book tells the deceased that the Peaceful and Wrathful deities are not real, and come from within the deceased's own mind, but then goes on to describe the deities in detail. If these deities are of the deceased's own imagination, then how can they describe exactly what they look like? Wouldn't they be imagined by the individual, and each person would have their own version of them? Not everyone would find an image of something with three faces and four feet wielding a blood-filled skull to be frightening...

This book instructs people to let go of their egos, but telling someone what to see and feel is pretty egotistical in itself.

Lastly, there was the inherent misogyny. An example:

From the prayer "The Path of Good Wishes which Protecteth from Fear in the Bardo" -

"Obtaining for myself the body of a male, which is better"

There is a fatal flaw in everyone praying to be reborn as a male. What if all of the prayers were answered? No one will be reborn into anything; with no women around, there would be no such thing as birth.

Clearly, this isn't much better than Christianity. Men are still being revered as the higher class of being. I'll probably spend the rest of my life trying to figure out why men feel the need to treat women this way...

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to understand this book but I didn’t despite my best efforts. Emotionally, mentally, spiritually I got very little from it and feel sheepish that I genuinely didn’t get the philosophy/spirituality that was attempted to be conveyed to me.

[Vaishali · Rating 5 out of 5]

The how-to guide for transiting from this life to the next. In Tibet, the bridge in between is termed "bardo". Very useful for folks like me seeking precision in bardo-crossing :)

Interestingly, the scores of steps on this pathway take upto 5 days. The book was thus compiled so that a family member/priest could direct the spirit through the bardo's confusion. Pure, compassionate, and fearless thoughts are the key to successful transit.

Surprisingly, many Hindu deities are mentioned, though Buddhism is nontheistic and Tibet's language has no Sanskrit base. Circa 28 goddesses represent various emotions one experiences on the bardo.

I hope future scientific research sheds light on this ancient map.

Notes:
-------------

Six types of bardos :
1. birth
2. dreams
3. meditation
4. samadhi
5. dharmata
6. becoming

You will experience 3 states within a bardo :
1. Moment before death - full of various luminosities
2. Dharmata - full of peacefulness
3. Becoming




The newly dead are addressed as "Oh Child of Noble Family", then given instructions, including:
----------------------------------

"At this time your pleasure and pain are dependent on your own karma."

"The good conscious within you will collect all your good actions like white pebbles, and the bad conscious within you will collect all your evil actions like black pebbles. You will say, 'I have not sinned!' Then the Lord of Death will say: "I will look into the mirror of Karma". All your sins and virtues will appear, clearly and distinctly. The pebbles do not lie, and do not fear the Lord of Death."

"The six realms of light will shine, and the one that shines most brightly due to your previous life's karma is the one you'll be born into."
(SIx hues of Soft Light:)
1. white........... of the gods
2. red.............. of the jealous gods
3. blue............. of human beings
4. green.......... of the animals
5. yellow......... of the hungry ghosts
6. smoky......... of hell-beings

"Those who have not meditated properly will be confused, and quickly look for a womb to re-enter."

"Listen without distraction. Focus one-pointedly and try to close the womb of karma."

"Think: Now when the bardo of becoming dawns upon me, I will concentrate my mind one-pointedly, strive to prolong the results of good karma, close the womb entrance and think of resistance. This is the time when perseverance and pure thought are needed. Do not forget, do not be distracted. Now is the time which is the dividing line between going up or going down. Whatever you concentrate on will come about, so do not think of evil actions. Remember the teachings. Do not forget, do not be distracted. By slipping into laziness, even for a moment, you will suffer forever. Now is the time whereby if you concentrate one-pointedly, you will be happy forever."



.

[Emtiaj · Rating 4 out of 5]

এই বইটা পড়ার সাথে কষ্টকর কোন ভ্রমণের তুলনা করতে পারি। সিরিয়াস রকমের কষ্ট। প্রচুর টার্ম আছে, মনে রাখতে হয়। এক পৃষ্ঠায় পড়লাম তো পরের পৃষ্ঠা যেতে যেতেই ভুলে গেলাম। ব্যাপারটা খুব বিরক্তিকর। মূল অনুবাদে যাওয়ার আগে যে লেখাটা আছে সেটা পড়া মাত্রাতিরিক্ত কষ্টের। আসলে পড়া শেষে আমার কথা হচ্ছে, আবার পড়তে হবে।

আর একটা ব্যাপার হচ্ছে, খুব ক্ষুদ্র একটা সময়কে অসংখ্য ভাগে ভাগ করে সেই ক্ষুদ্র সময়ের বিশাল বর্ণনাকে কিভাবে দেখে কেউ? আমি এই বইটাকে আবদ্ধ ক্ষেত্রে ঘুরপাক খাওয়ার সাথেই তুলনা করতে পারি।

বইটার বিষয়বস্তু কী? একটা মানুষ মরে গেল। সব কি শেষ? না তা নয়। আরো অনেক কিছু আছে। কি State, কিভাবে পার হতে হবে, জীবনের কর্মফল কিভাবে সাহায্য করবে না করবেনা, ধর্মীয় গুরুর মন্ত্র কি ঐ অবস্থায় মনে থাকবে? এগুলো নিয়েই বই।

Bardo। এই শব্দটার সাথে পরিচিতি লাগবে। দুই জন্মের মধ্যবর্তী সময়টাই হচ্ছে বারদো। ব্যাপারটা অবশ্য এতটা সরল না। শুরুতেই থাকা গুরুর লেখা পড়লে বোঝা যায়। কিন্তু এটাই মূল বিষয় এবং এ সময়টা নিয়ে যত আলোচনা।

সাধারণত কী হয় যখন একটা মানুষ মরে যাচ্ছে এ অবস্থায় আসে? মানুষ কান্নাকাটি করে। তিবেতিয়ান বুক অব ডেড বলছে কান্নাকাটি না করে অন্য কাজ করতে। এই যে মানুষটা মরে যাচ্ছে সে কিন্তু অন্য এ���টা স্তরে যাচ্ছে। তাকে সেই স্তরে পৌঁছাতে সাহায্য কর। সে যদি তার জীবনে ঠিকমত ধর্ম পালন করে তাহলে তো সমস্যা নেই কিন্তু না করলে বা করলেও কি সমস্যা থাকবেনা? সমস্যা হতেই পারে অতএব তার বন্ধু, তার ধর্মগুরুর দায়িত্ব তাকে সাহায্য করা। প্রয়োজনীয় মন্ত্রগুলো তার সামনে উচ্চারণ কর। একসময় সে মরে যাবে কিন্তু মনে করনা যে সে তোমাদের কোন কিছু আর অনুভব করতে পারছেনা। সে পারবে। সে একটা অন্যরকম অবস্থায় চলে যাবে, সে বুঝতে পারবেনা যে সে কি জীবিত না মৃত। কিন্তু একসময় (মোটামুটি) স্থিতিশীল অবস্থায় আসবে এবং সে (আত্মা) বিচরণ করবে। [এখানে আসলে অনেকগুলো ডট হবে!] একটা লক্ষ্য আছে তার, সে কি পারবে সেখানে পৌঁছাতে? বারদো State এ ঐ লক্ষ্যে পৌঁছানোর মন্ত্র সমৃদ্ধ বই-ই হচ্ছে এটা।

বইটাতে অনেক ইন্ট্রেস্টিং ব্যাপার আছে। আমি অবাক হয়েছি এর হিন্দু ধর্মীয় দেব-দেবীদের নাম দেখে। আর অনেক অনেক সংস্কৃত শব্দও মোটামুটি অবাক করেছে।

প্রতিটা মন্ত্রে পটভূমি আছে। মানে কেন, কোন সময় এগুলো পড়তে হবে এই আরকি! দুইটা মন্ত্র।

0 son of noble family, if you do not recognise your own projections, even though you have practised dharma for an aeon and are learned in all the siitras and tantras, you will not become a buddha. But if you recognise your projections, with one secret and one word you will become a buddha.

0 son of noble family, listen. If you ask what the six lights are: the soft white light of the gods will shine, and similarly the red light of the jealous gods, the blue light of human beings, the green light of the animals, the yellow light of the hungry ghosts, and the smoke-coloured light of hell-beings; these are the six lights. At that moment your body will also take on the colour of the place where you are going to be born.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Then the Lord of Death will drag you by a rope tied round your neck, and cut off your head, tear out your heart, pull out your entrails, lick your brains, drink your blood, eat your flesh and gnaw your bones; but you cannot die, so even though your body is cut into pieces you will recover."

If Buddhism was represented by a bunch of high school cliques, Tibetan Buddhism would be the hardcore bad-asses everyone’s afraid of.

This book is really hard to read simply because of what it’s about: your experiences after death.

To boil it down greatly, after you die, there are a bunch of days (49, in fact) when a bunch of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas come to you, and you have multiple, multiple chances to be instantly liberated. The book constantly says, "And even who is skeptic or stupid or really, just the dumbest person on the planet will recognize the truth and be liberated" which makes me feel kinda bad because if you’re reading this, you weren’t liberated! You were either sucked into the human realm or you went all 49 days wandering around, scared out of your wits, until finally you were forced to pick a womb and be born. (And even then, there are five ways to 'close the womb' so that you would be enlightened and yet, you still couldn’t get it right!)

The greatest thing about this is their view on enlightenment. There’s none of this accept-me-and-you’re-saved… even if a skeptic is read to from the Bardo Thodol, they are saved, because the Bardo Thodol contains the ultimate truth. The ultimate truth just is, and if you encounter it, you are automatically taken in by it, due to the nature of the truth itself.

It still doesn’t make your experiences after death any less scary, though! (Take a deep breath… they’re just your mindful projections… and you’re dead so they can’t hurt you!)

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this book. Better than I expected, and actually easy to read. Although I'm pretty doubtful that these things exactly happen to you after you die (just how exactly does the author know about all these intricate details!), I still believe in a lot of the concepts it presents, not only for thinking about post-death, but also in this lifetime. The worst thing to fear is fear itself! And your after-life is dictated by the state of your mind in the present life. If you are an angry or jealous person, you will be haunted by the projections of your mind's anger and jealousy after you die. So, think happy thoughts & be at peace.

If that really is the case (your current mindset affects your afterlife), it is interesting to ponder whether a peaceful/happy murderer (if such a thing could exist) would suffer in the after-life. Or what would happen to the person (true story) who got in a car accident, damaged their brain, and then was so convinced that his parents were robots that he decapitated his dad to search for the battery. Also interesting to think about religious extremists who believe they are doing the nobel thing. However I think most, if not all, 'sane' people that are willing to go to the length of murder must have a very conflicted and tortured mind.

Also interesting to think about in the context of dreams. If you are dreaming and afraid, it is the perfect time to try and remember that everything you see if just a projection of your mind, you have no body, no reflection, no shadow. If you do remember to think this in your dreams, it would probably result in frequent lucid dreams, since I imagine you'd then realize you were dreaming (or dead).

All in all, def a cool book.

[Seon Ji (Dawn) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Explains what exactly happens when you die.

For those who follow Tibetan, Hindu and Buddhist teachings it will be more comprehensible. This may not be agreeable to most people's belief systems,... fair warning.

This is a sacred text, once hidden for protection, then found at the appropriate time.

It will either engross you, or you will reject it. I embrace it and have found it eye opening. I will read it over and over.

It amazes me how many chances the universe gives us to self realize, both in life as we know it and the afterlife. It shows how deeply veiled in illusion we sentient beings are, and how we must stand up against our fears, recognizing them as products of the mind and nothing more.

I pray whoever reads this holds the teachings as sacred and valuable as I do.

May everyone be released from illusion and suffering in this lifetime. Kwan Seum Bosal

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

The introduction and the commentary served as a great setup for the text itself, though still didn't prepare me for what I was in for. At first it seemed very different from other Buddhist texts I've read. It definitely didn't have the almost warm-fuzzy, reassuring feeling I get when reading Thich Nhat Hanh's books. But then I was reading through, starting to think the ideas were getting repetitive - I had an epiphany. It's personal and detailed, but it blew open a part of mind. The psychological metaphors offered in the book are truly transformative. I finished reading it yesterday, and I still don't think it's done sinking in.

[Marla]

I want Goodreads to have an "unable to read" selection. How I looked forward to reading these books. So many people spoke so highly of these books, how they devoured them. I now doubt the veracity of their claims. This book had a prologue, a forward, an index to the plates, a commentary...all taking up the first 150 pages of the book. Then the book. The first 10 pages made Alan Watts read like Dr. Seuss. Unreadable. Incredibly dated. Borders on mysticism and New Age (although it predates the New Age era). And not for the feint of heart. With so many accessible books on Buddhism, these are going into my never to be read pile. No rating, I couldn't finish.

[Little Miss Esoteric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really don't want to write reviews anymore, providing data for amazon, but I seriously wish I'd read this book earlier. Puts metaphysical concepts into context. Also, I'm really not interested in nit picking over the merit of alternate translations. It's clear enough, no matter which way it's told.

[Eric Slon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basicamente es 12 pasos para no nacer de nuevo
Y sino 7 pasos para no convertirse en fantasma
y sino 3 pasos para nacer un poco mejor
y sino, 1 truco de aceptacion para la vida q te toco.
Q tipos pacientes la verdad, yo te habria dejado re tirado al segundo paso

Ahhh tremenda las deidades, son muy gráficas muy interesantes

[Edward Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

the essential preparation to death. Every spiritual seeker must try to understand this extraordinary wisdom and knowledge

[Coleccionista de finales tristes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un poco irregular para mí gusto.

[Hans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure books like this one can accurately be reviewed. Death is one of the ultimate topics of contemplation and maybe one has to have been up close and personal with it to fully appreciate a book of this magnitude. It should definitely be categorized as a “Holy Book” because through the contemplation of death one can come to a better appreciation of life and what it means to live. This is also a wonderful meditation on the relationship between the body and the soul. You’ll know when it’s time to read this text, it’s not for casual reading you’ll be wasting your time. Instead wait for the right moment, you’ll know when that is.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have some basic knowledge of Buddhism and was hoping that this would provide more insight into this belief system by translating and explaining its main texts. Sadly while this did provide a translation of the Book of the Dead it didn't provide much in the way of explanation. And the translation itself came across old fashioned and out dated (it was very Old English), which made it all the more difficult to read. I'm glad I've read it but feel that this could've been much better.

[D.L. Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

a must if you have any interest to what begins of your mind, body and soul when you die

[marta · Rating 3 out of 5]

date idea : walicie wiadro i czytacie to z podzialem na role

[Justė Knygu_gurmane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tai knyga padedanti suprasti mirties esmę, pasiruošti jos sutikimui ir palengvinti tarpsnį tarp mirties ir atgimimo. Tai tarsi gidas, kuris veda žmogaus sąmonę ir nurodo būdus kaip pasirinkti teisingai ir nepaklysti pomirtiniame etape.

Tai tarsi knyga knygoje. Pirmiausia supažindinama su Tibeto istorija, filosofija, pagrindinėmis budizmo tiesomis, idėjomis bei aksiomomis. Tibetas - tai dvasios civilizacija - visiškai unikali ir kitokia nuo likusio pasaulio. Tad tam, kad geriau ją suprastume ir suvoktume šios knygos svarbą, autorius pirmiausia paaiškina tam tikras žodžių ir posakių reikšmes, ir taip padeda pamatus ant kurių galime susidaryti išsamų ir suprantama vaizdą apie tai kaip tibetiečiai įsivaizduoja mirtį.
Kaip jau minėjau Tibetas - tai tarsi dvasios civilizacija. Jie gilinasi į vidinę visatą. Kaip astronautai tyrinėję visatą esančia už mūsų planetos ribų, taip tibetiečiai gilinasi į sielos vidų, teigdami jog žmogaus vidus yra toks pat gilus ir neišmatuojamas kaip ir visata. Jie domisi dvasios pergalėmis, vidiniu kosmosu, kurio paslaptys glūdi už mirties ribų.

Yra tikima, jog knygą “Tibeto mirusiųjų knyga” parašė (tiksliau padiktavo savo mokinei) pusiau legendinis asmuo Guru Rinpočė Padmasambhava VIII a. antroje pusėje. Šį veikalą, kaip ir daugelį kitų, buvo paslėpęs, kad atėjus tinkamam laikui jis būtų atrastas. Ir tik apie 1400m šis kūrinys išvydo dienos šviesą. Kodėl Guru Rinpočė taip elgėsi? Yra manoma, jog jo filosofija, jo dvasios pasiekimai gerokai peržengė to meto ribas. Jis suprato, kad viskam yra savas laikas ir, kad tam jog žmonės suprastų ir įvertintų apie ką jis kalba, jie turi tam tarsi subręsti. Tad apie 1400 metus jau buvo plačiai kalbama, domimasi pomirtiniu tarpsniu ir tai buvo tas laikas kai tibetiečiai buvo pasirengę priimti šias žinias. Skamba mistiškai, tiesa? :)

Man labai patiko, jog knyga neskatina visus pereiti prie budizmo, kaip vienintelio teisingo gyvenimo kelio, o pripažįsta visas kitas religijas ir gerbia laisvamanius, kuriems jokia religija nepriimtina. Tiesiog pagrindinius aspektus priartina prie kiekvieno (nesvarbu kokio tikėjimo ar netikėjimo žmogus yra) ir pataria kaip geriau pasinaudoti knygos patarimais kiekvienam!

Bendrai tariant knyga skirta vidutinių gabumų praktikuotojiems. Tai reiškia, jog nebūtina skirti viso gyvenimo meditacijai ar mirties mokslo studijavimui. Šiais pamokymais gali pasinaudoti absoliučiai visi. Užtenka net gi to, jog žmogui mirštant vienas iš jo artimųjų skaitytų ją garsiai. Tibetiečiai tiki, jog žmogaus kūnui mirštant, jo sąmonė yra budri ir gali vadovautis girdimais pamokymais. Tad ši knyga būtent ir buvo parašyta tam, kad padėti daugumai paprastų žmonių sutikti mirtį ir ją suprasti. Vadinasi ir kiekvienas iš mūsų galime ja pasinaudoti ;)

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems a little unfair to rate an ancient treasure written by the great Padmasambhava. What kind of jerk gives Manchu Picchu three stars?

I chose this version because earlier versions are said to have some pretty significant flaws in the translation, and this one was done with the blessing and help of Chogyal Norbu, the main living Dogzchen rippoche and Tibetan scholar. The text is clear, easy to understand, and flows well. The introductions in the beginning are helpful to set the historical and contextual stage of the text.

The text itself is somewhat of a Lonely Planet guide if you or someone you know are relocating to being dead. The text gives directions for what to chant, what do to when you encounter the deities, how to manage your fear and what loved ones can do to help the process. It explains the six states of existence and how to not be reborn into a hell dimension and the specific directions to help the dead find liberation from cyclical existence.

This a dense read and though they recommend you read it daily, so that when death comes it will be at the forefront of your mind, I was only able to pick out a few things that were immediately of use. The first was recognizing the six intermediate states of existence: rebirth, living, dreaming, meditation, dying, and reality. Dreaming, as it turns out, is an opportunity to experience the clear light, so I need to work on that one a little bit, and meditation is the place where I practice tapping into my true nature so I can bring it into the world. This I will also need to practice.

I also loved the two chants at the end: The Invocation That Protects from Fear of the Intermediate States, and The Root Verses of the Six Intermediate States. These are something I could read every day and will add to my meditation practice.

I am treating this first read as a beginning, not an end, and look forward to what I pick up the next go round.

[SusanAhh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who are you really?

I have both the kindle and hardback copy of this ancient text. The hardback book is a beautiful presentation... a jewel on your bookshelf.

The text increased my understanding of the Divine. It is not the easiest of reads. It takes a bit of work to decipher the meaning for yourself. For me... It was a revelation that affirmed my belief in God, Love and the Light, and the nature of "the self" beyond the illusion we call reality.

[Malum · Rating 3 out of 5]

According to The Tibetan Book of the Dead, the afterlife is a game of Hues and Cues.

Better start practicing now.

[Murat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okuduğum versiyon: RM (Ruh ve Madde) Yayınları, 1991 (2.Baskı)

Kitap tam adıyla: TİBET'İN ÖLÜLER KİTABI - Bardo Plânında Ölümden Sonraki Deneyimler

Çevirmen: Suat Tahsuğ (Lama Kazi Dawa SAMDUP Dr.W.Y.EVANS-WENTZ'in İngilizce aslından, Fransızcaya: Marguerite La FUENTE ve buradan Türkçeye çeviren)

Kitap çok faydalı ve detaylı bir önsözle verilmiş, orijinal metne verilen dipnotların yanı sıra, kitabın sonunda kavramların anlaşılabilmesi için yine uzun açıklamalar mevcut. 170 sayfalık kitabın belki yarısı bu açıklamalardan oluşuyor, çevirmenin belirttiği şekliyle: "Kitap hakkında ayrıntılı olarak, bir ön bölümle genel açıklamalarda bulunmayı gereksiz buldum. Yeri geldikçe edinebildiğim fikirleri şu notlara sıralayacağım. Amacım, bilgiçlik taslamak veya tutarlı bir sistematik kurma yerine, esas metni anlaşılır biçime getirmektir."

Kitap özetle; ölüm ve yeniden doğum arasındaki geçiş sürecinde ruhun yolculuğunu anlatıyor. Ölen kişinin bilincine rehberlik ederek, aydınlanmaya ulaşması veya olumlu bir yeniden doğuş sağlaması için yapılacakları anlatıyor. Süreç 3 "Bardo"'dan oluşuyor:

Chikhai Bardo (Ölüm Anı Bardosu): Ölüm anında yaşanan bilinç geçişi; kişi, saf aydınlanma ışığını algılayabilir, ancak bunu fark edemezse sonraki bardoya geçer.

Chönyid Bardo (Gerçeklik Deneyimi Bardosu): Ölen kişinin zihninde barışçıl ve öfkeli ilahi varlıkların vizyonları belirir; bu vizyonları kendi zihninin yansımaları olarak tanıyarak kurtuluşa ulaşabilir.

Sidpa Bardo (Yeniden Doğuş Bardosu): Ruh, yeni bir bedende reenkarne olacağı bir yaşamı seçer; bu süreçte karmaya bağlı olarak bilinçli bir seçim yapılabilir veya istemsiz bir yeniden doğuş yaşanır.

Kitapta ve süreçlerde dikkatimi çeken ve hoşuma giden; görüntülerin ve yaşananların insanın kendi düşünce kalıplarından ibaret olduğunun vurgulanması.

Ey soylu oğul, Chönyid Bardo'da seni hangi korku ve dehşet sararsa sarsın, bu kelimeleri unutma; anlamlarım kalbinde tut, ilerle; bu kelimelerde bilginin canlılık veren sırrı vardır:

'Heyhat! Gerçeğin tecrübesi üstümde parıldarken
Görünüşlerin dehşet ve korkusu atıldıktan sonra;
Her tezahürün kendi şuurumun bir yansıması
olduğunu bilmeliyim;
Bardo'daki görüntülerin gerçek tabiatının bu olduğunu bilmeliyim;
Büyük bir gayeyi tahakkuk ettirmenin çok önemli anında.
Gördüğüm Sakin ve Kızgın Tanrılar'ın sadece
kendi düşünce-kalıplarımdan ibaret olduğunu bilmeliyim.'

[Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

To review a book of this nature and significance seems inappropriate, so I give it 5 stars.

[Stephen Yoder · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a rather odd experience to write a book review on a religious/spiritual text. Bible: "I feel the multiple authors of this odd collection of short stories, sometimes connected, sometimes not, should have been given more credit. Plus I got bogged down in all the begats." Koran: "Inspirational text, although I feel I should have more knowledge of the culture from which it sprung before I pass judgement on this passionate work." Et cetera.

Anyway, even given that I am not a Buddhist this book touched something in me. Or should I say I found myself interconnected beyond this earthly samsara to fantastical realms? I can't get too florid here. I'm a bit too tired for that.

It is a comfort to encounter, even from my Western mind which is rather ignorant of Buddhism & Hinduism, a broader structure encompassing the death process as well as the methods by which one can either prevent reincarnation (so as to be liberated from the suffering inherent in an embodied existence) or get reincarnated into the best situation possible. Perhaps I wasn't paying attention in Sunday school decades ago but I never received word of any comparable structure in another belief system.

I don't know, perhaps you, the reader, are immortal, but I am not, so this book is a comfort to me even if it isn't provable. There's a process out there--sometimes circular, sometimes a loop then an ascension--and we may, if we were to believe, chant, and pray, participating in that process.

[Ron Grunberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

What book do I remember reading with more fascination, more dread, more mind-boggling interest? The book takes you on a journey, from the Tibetan perspective, past death, to the journey, according to them, each of us is to take after our lives here. There are long poetic passages, songs, as it were, to be sung by those watching over your body during the aftermath of your life, to help guide you into the nettlesome spiritual world that awaits. Are you prepared? Do you want to be--in case? Well, this book is a good guide. Why? Not just for the "mumbo jumbo" poetry, but Evans-Wentz, a Brit who spent forever in Tibet with monks, writes clearly about their customs and presents, with astute understanding, a synopsis of the byways to a safe passage, through the dark unknown...

[Víctor Sampayo · Rating 5 out of 5]

La minuciosa descripción de los estados que debe atravesar un difunto desde el momento de su muerte hasta los momentos previos a la reencarnación (en caso de que no alcance la liberación mediante los diversos consejos que se le revelan por medios auditivos), es decir, durante su vagabundeo en el samsara, según la concepción budista-tibetana, convierten a este libro en un indispensable de todos los tiempos.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The foreword(s) in this book are particularly compelling, giving good insight into the author and his sensibilities. Being Christian, I drew parallels to my own religion, something I have always done but enjoyed seeing written out. It makes you wonder about all religious texts, and is something I would recommend to expand your mind.

[Richard S · Rating 1 out of 5]

Transmigrate my soul to steal another child's body. The Tibetans are kind of a weird decadent religion devoted to occult meditation. Enlightenment as a means to immortality. There is nothing here unless you've devoted your life to going down this odd path, but who would ever want to? All of the great yogis and masters can't stop the Sri Lanka bombings. Sorry, it's selfish and bogus.