The Tibetan Book of the Dead

by Padmasambhava, Karma-glin-pa, Gyurme Dorje (Translator)

One of the greatest works created by any culture and one of the most influential of all Tibetan Buddhist texts in the West, The Tibetan Book of the Dead has had a number of distinguished translations, but strangely all of these have been partial abridgements. Now the entire text has not only been made available in English but in a translation of quite remarkable clarity and beauty. A comprehensive guide to living and dying, The Tibetan Book of the Dead contains exquisitely written guidance and practices related to transforming our experience in daily life, on the processes of dying and the after-death state, and on how to help those who are dying. As originally intended this is as much a work for the living, as it is for those who wish to think beyond a mere conventional lifetime to a vastly greater and grander cycle.

Genres: Religion, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Buddhism, Death, Reference, Self Help

550 pages, Paperback

Published October 28, 2008

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

[Emelie]

‘’From beginningless time, without end, I have roamed throughout cyclic existence –
Led astray by the momentum of my mistaken past actions and improper past behaviour,
I have mistaken the path and become lost on the path.
I regret with powerful remorse the negative past actions I have committed, of any kind.
Drawn by the momentum of momentary yet violently resonant past acts,
I have sunk into this ocean of suffering, the sea of cyclic existence.
The fires of blazing hatred have unabatingly seared my mind,
The dense darkness of delusion has blinded my discriminative awareness,
The ocean coasts of desire have drowned my consciousness,
The mountain of fierce pride has entombed me in the lower existences (...)’’

Döden har väl alltid känts lite läskig, och kanske även svår att riktigt acceptera. Man har ju inte ett ordentlig grepp om den – man vet varken när den kommer att komma till en, eller exakt hur. Vilket såklart kan vara en extremt skrämmande tanke. Men samtidigt kan man inte göra särskilt mycket åt det. Enligt den tibetanska buddhismen så ser man på döden som något fullkomligt naturligt – en slags förändring som tillhör livscykeln. Och det råder en acceptans och rättframhet när man talar om den, vilket är himla befriande ändå. Bardo thodol innehåller detaljerade skildringar av hur man kan förbereda sig inför döden (bland annat genom utförligt beskrivna ritualer); hur man kan hantera den på avstånd (när någon nära går bort); samt även hur man allmänt kan leva ett bättre liv. Superspeciell läsupplevelse, men ändå fint på många vis. Alltså oavsett vad man själv tror på, eller inte tror på osv. Men tycker mycket om tanken på att inte klamra sig fast vid yttre omständigheter eller ting; utan att mer bara låta allt flöda genom en. Det gör ändå saker lite mer hanterbara, även sånt som egentligen inte är särskilt greppbart. Typ. Det är också fint hur det är av vikt att inte leva för mycket (eller överhuvudtaget faktiskt) i det förflutna eller i framtiden. Superbra och fin läsupplevelse.

[Claudi]

Frequently very confusing, it took nearly five years for me to finish ‘The Tibetan Book of the Dead’ - and yet, I think it changed some part of me. I’ve never encountered anything quite like it.

[Joseph]

When engaging a preliminary retreat, it is suggested to partake in four meditation sessions each day.

1. Early morning til dawn
2. After sunrise just before noon
3. From afternoon until just before sunset
4. Sunset until late evening

This routine is repeated 1,000 times just as a prerequisite!

Even if each meditation session lasted a minimum of 15 minutes each, it would take almost three years to complete 1,000 hours of focused meditation.

Finding a spiritual teacher is also extremely important to the entire process. "First however, before accepting anyone as a spiritual teacher, it is also regarded as essential that the practitioner examine and scrutinise the prospective teacher over a long period of time and accept him or her as a qualified teacher only when it is certain that the person meets the requirement of a spiritual teacher as set out in the authoritative sacred texts." (25)

More important components of "the process" include:

*solitary retreat
*the importance of confession to reach purity
*liberation of fear
*prayer at the time of death
*mantras

This book depicts 42 peaceful deities. 42 was also a significant number in Lewis Carroll's musings. There are 8 gatekeepers as well as 58 wrathful deities. This means according to the Tibetan Book of the Dead, that there are 16 more wrathful deities than peaceful deities.

I truly hope we aren't all destined for failure.

[Sabra Kadabra]

I find it difficult to rate books like this. As much as I may not believe in everything that it says, it's hard to rate it down because it's essential to Tibetan culture and Buddhist beliefs as a whole. It was incredibly insightful. I watched the "Tibet, the Buddhist trilogy " documentary on Youtube, alongside reading this, which enriched the whole experience. It was beautiful getting to know the Buddhist way of honouring the dead and dying. A powerful reminder of our own mortality and that our true nature is beyond our senses and ego.

[Maria Levato]

Definitely interesting. I enjoyed it a lot. It helped me learn a fair bit about Buddhism. This is by no means the first text I've read on the subject, but it did offer a lot of perspective and information about their beliefs.

[Kafkasfriend]

The most recent and complete English language translation of the Book of the Dead.

[Lulu]

c. 1350

Graphic Canon

[Dylan Rock]

An excellent translation of this classic buddhist text a wonderful poetic read for followers of the faith and non practitioners.