| One of our personal experiences with our deceased | | | | reasons of physical distance, an effigy is usually made |
| friend with whom we related previously would | | | | to represent the one undergoing transition with |
| substantiate this principle as described by | | | | personal effects surrounding it to attract by magnetic |
| Swedenborg:We once decided to visit our friend in the | | | | attunement the awareness-principle of the dying pilgrim. |
| heavenly regions. We had some joyful news that we | | | | The instructions of the Bardo Thodol may thus |
| wanted to convey to her--news that she was waiting | | | | telepathically be heard by the dying soul.It is well worth |
| to hear while she was alive in the physical. Not | | | | quoting the fundamental doctrines of the Bardo Thodol |
| knowing where she was or able to directly manifest | | | | as summed-up by Evans-Wentz in the Tibetan Book |
| before her, we were escorted by a guide to a lovely | | | | of the Dead, as this will help us understand the bardo |
| garden with a Greek temple in the midst of it. The | | | | as well as give us some insight into Buddhistic beliefs:"1) |
| garden was empty, or so it seemed. But while | | | | That all possible conditions, or states, or realms of |
| adjusting our sight, people appeared everywhere. They | | | | sangsaric existence, heavens, hells, and worlds, are |
| did not notice us, however. It was as though we did | | | | entirely dependent upon phenomena, or in other worlds, |
| not exist in their eyes. Our escort went into the building | | | | are naught but phenomena."2) That all phenomena are |
| and moments later our friend came out all beaming | | | | transitory, are unreal, and non-existent save in the |
| with joy. "I've been waiting for you," she said. Then she | | | | sangsaric mind perceiving them."3) That in reality there |
| looked more closely at me and commented jocularly, | | | | are no such beings anywhere as gods, or demons, or |
| "you are so bright, I could faint." After conveying to her | | | | spirits, or sentient creatures--all alike being phenomena |
| our message we bade farewell. As we were leaving, | | | | dependent upon a cause;"4) That this cause is a |
| we noticed that no one was yet aware of our | | | | yearning or thirsting after sensations, after the unstable |
| presence; however, a dark-skinned man who was | | | | sangsaric existence;"5) That so long as this cause is |
| sitting on a bench reached out and touched me to, | | | | not overcome by Enlightenment, death follows birth |
| perhaps, reassure himself of my presence and reality. | | | | and birth death unceasingly--even as the wise |
| We smiled at each other.After a lengthy stay in the | | | | Socrates believed."6) That the after-death existence is |
| astral or lower mental heavens, and when one is about | | | | but a continuation, under changed conditions, of the |
| ready to reincarnate through karmic necessity or | | | | phenomena-born existence of the human world--both |
| choice, one first goes to the causal realms for a brief | | | | states alike being karmic."7) That the nature of the |
| sojourn. Not all souls experience this; however, some | | | | existence intervening between death and rebirth in this |
| incarnate directly from whatever realm they may be. In | | | | or any other world is determined by antecedent |
| the causal world the soul experiences bliss and peace, | | | | actions;"8) That, psychologically speaking, it is a |
| and a real rest as a reward for a soul-mission well | | | | prolonged dream-like state, in what may be called the |
| done. One of the purposes of this stay in the causal | | | | fourth dimension of space, filled with hallucinatory |
| realms is the transference of the positive qualities | | | | visions directly resultant from the mental-content of the |
| acquired by the soul and recorded in the seed-atoms, | | | | percipient, happy and heaven-like if the karma be good, |
| to the causal body where it is stored as one's | | | | miserable and hell-like if the karma be bad;"9) That, |
| "treasure in heaven." The positive deeds and virtues of | | | | unless Enlightenment be won, rebirth in the human |
| the soul adorn the causal body with a greater glory | | | | world, directly from the Bardo-world or from any other |
| than its former condition. Every incarnation offers a | | | | world or from any paradise or hell to which karma has |
| form of nourishment to the causal body when its | | | | led, is inevitable."10) That Enlightenment results from |
| incarnated life ends. This causal body is called in | | | | realizing the unreality of sangsara, of existence;"11) |
| Masonry "the temple not made with hands." Other | | | | That such realizing is possible in the human world, or at |
| traditions call it "the Chalice." When the soul is prepared | | | | the important moment of death in the human world, or |
| to reincarnate for new soul-experiences, it seeks out | | | | during the whole of the after-death or Bardo-state, or |
| the appropriate parents, time and place to be reborn in | | | | in certain of the non-human realm;"12) That training in |
| the physical world. This seeking is done with the help | | | | yoga, i.e. in control of the training process so as to be |
| of spiritual guides.Reincarnation is a law for those not | | | | able to concentrate the mind in an effort to reach |
| having transcended ignorance and earthly desire. | | | | Right Knowledge, is essential."13) That such training can |
| Although some religions do not openly teach | | | | best be had under a human guru, or teacher."14) That |
| reincarnation, the concept or precept does appear in | | | | the Greatest of Gurus known to mankind in this cycle |
| some form in their holy scripture.Although not | | | | of time is Gautama the Buddha."15) That this doctrine |
| exhaustive, the above information is sufficient enough | | | | is not unique, but is the same doctrine which has been |
| to offer us some idea of the occult knowledge | | | | proclaimed in the human world for the gaining of |
| available concerning the after death state that is | | | | salvation, for the Deliverance from the Cycle of |
| based on personal experiences of psychics and | | | | Rebirth and Death, for the Crossing of the Ocean of |
| mystics. In order to know more in a convincing way, | | | | Sangsara, for the Realization of Nirvana, since |
| one would have to study and master the art of | | | | immemorial time, by a long and illustrious dynasty of |
| soul-travel. Only in this manner, through personal | | | | Buddhas, who were Gautama's Predecessors."16) |
| experience, will we satisfy our thirst for a greater | | | | That lesser spiritually enlightened beings, Bodhisattvas |
| knowledge of God's many dimensions, the Cosmic | | | | and gurus, in this world or in other worlds, though still |
| laws, and the purposes of life.The Tibetan | | | | not freed from the Net of illusion, can nevertheless, |
| TraditionTibetan Buddhism declares that men are | | | | bestow divine grace and power upon the sishya |
| enchained to a world of suffering and pain, of illusion | | | | [student] who is less advanced upon the Path than |
| and ignorance. This they call samsara. Samsara refers | | | | themselves."17) That the Goal is and can only be |
| generally to the condition of the six worlds, but more | | | | Emancipation from Sangsara."18) That such |
| specifically it refers to the physical plane. To be | | | | Emancipation comes from the Realization of |
| liberated from samsara one had to awaken to one's | | | | Nirvana."19) That Nirvana is non-sangsaric, being |
| true Reality and the Reality of the Cosmos called in | | | | beyond all paradises, heavens, hells, and worlds."20) |
| Mahayana and Vajrayana literature, the "Clear Light of | | | | That it is the ending of Sorrow."21) That it is Reality" |
| the Void," "Sunyata," "Dharmakaya," etc. Tibetan | | | | (1975:66-68)Man, in general, is ignorant of his divinity. His |
| Buddhism, or Vajrayana, declares that there are | | | | mind and consciousness are veiled by the false light of |
| various ways of liberating oneself. One may be | | | | Maya. Maya is the way we perceive and interpret |
| liberated--if prepared beforehand through arduous | | | | Reality. It translates in our consciousness cosmic |
| spiritual work--through initiation by a spiritual master | | | | vibrations into forms, colours and sensations--a world |
| where the Clear Light of one's true primordial nature is | | | | of appearance. We perceive not what is, but what we |
| introduced; or one may be liberated through samadhi | | | | believe to be. Maya produces a deceiving state of |
| or meditation where the Clear Light dawns in the | | | | duality, of object and subject. All appearances in the |
| consciousness; liberation may also be achieved through | | | | mind and consciousness as a product of Maya are |
| recognizing and merging with the Clear Light during | | | | illusory and unreal. The mind, not understanding the |
| transition in the first phase of the bardo.Techniques | | | | nature of Maya, is indeed the slayer of the Real, as |
| have been formed by lamas and applied at the onset | | | | stated by Helena Blavatsky. This ignorance of Reality |
| of transition to assist the dying to achieve Liberation. | | | | causes man's prolonged stay in samsara. Recognition |
| These techniques are called:1) Liberation Through | | | | of the Clear Light, of Reality, of the Unity of Being, |
| Taste, where consecrated pills are placed in the mouth | | | | releases man from his spiritual bondage. Tibetan |
| to assist the soul to sustain consciousness throughout | | | | Buddhism believe that the six worlds are transitory and |
| the bardo so that it would recognize the Clear Light | | | | that rebirth into any one of them is undesirable and |
| when it dawns.2) Liberation Through Contact, where | | | | should be avoided. Man's loftiest aspiration should be |
| the ashes of burnt talismans are rubbed on the heart | | | | directed to the awakening to Reality as the highest |
| for the same purpose as the above.3) Liberation | | | | religious goal, and this illumination naturally terminates |
| Through Listening, this is by far the most common | | | | the ceaseless rounds of birth and rebirth in the |
| practice. In this method, a manual-ritual such as the | | | | samsaric worlds. In Christian terms, this is the |
| Bardo Thodol is read to the dying to remind the person | | | | attainment of salvation where the true follower of |
| of what it had previously learnt of the bardo and the | | | | Christian principles is made into a pillar in the kingdom |
| way of approaching it.The Bardo ThodolThe "Bardo | | | | of heaven and "goes no more out."Tibetan Buddhism is |
| Thodol," or the Tibetan Book of the Dead, as | | | | not the only religion that possesses manuals to be |
| Christianized by Evans-Wentz, deals with the phases | | | | read to the dying. To the Hindus, the Garuda Purana |
| of the bardo that the soul would undergo and what it | | | | fulfills the same purpose. Ancient Egyptians, too, had |
| should do in order to liberate itself from samsara. It | | | | their death-manuals such as the one translated by |
| provides a unique psychology of the death process | | | | Wallis Budge, the Book of the Dead, or "The Coming |
| and the attitudes that the soul should assume in order | | | | Forth From Day," to give its original title. This title |
| to escape rebirth in the lower realms. Recognition of | | | | suggests the acquaintance of the ancient Egyptians |
| the Clear Light in the first bardo phase is stressed in | | | | with the Clear Light of the bardo. In this manual, taken |
| the manual, because it is the only means for the soul | | | | from hieroglyphical murals painted in tombs, says that |
| to save itself from experiencing the subsequent | | | | death is followed by the soul's entry into the "clear light |
| phases of the bardo, which from the viewpoint of | | | | of day." Experience of the bardo is universal and |
| Tibetan metaphysics, lead to rebirth and a prolonged | | | | fundamental to the human psyche, therefore, manuals |
| stay in the samsaric worlds. Thus, the Clear Light that | | | | such as the Bardo Thodol or the Book of the Dead |
| dawns in the first phase of the bardo offers a chance | | | | that possesses keys to spiritual portals, are relevant to |
| for the soul to redeem and free itself from the | | | | human psychological and spiritual integration. The |
| shackles of samsara. This Clear Light is the grace of | | | | relevance of such texts are not to be confined to its |
| God that offers death-bed salvation--salvation from | | | | place of origin in time or in space. Adaptations may be |
| one's so-called "sins," or liberation from karma.In Tibet | | | | made for western society with its world-wide |
| there are many manuals composed as guides for the | | | | influence. The phenomenon of the Clear Light with its |
| dying or the newly departed soul. The Bardo Thodol is | | | | inherent nature of spiritual grace is for all human beings |
| one of the most well-known among them in the | | | | regardless of race, sex or creed. In one sense, this |
| Western world. It is said to have been written down in | | | | Clear Light may be seen as the "comforter" promised |
| the 8th century by the Precious Guru, | | | | by the Piscean Master to his followers.The Bardos and |
| Padmasambhava. The teachings and doctrines of the | | | | Tibetan Practices Related to DyingBefore continuing, it |
| Bardo Thodol as an oral tradition, however, are much | | | | is appropriate that we define here the word "bardo." |
| older. It is believed that Bon, the indigenous religion of | | | | Bardo is often translated as "intermediate state," an |
| Tibet, transmitted much knowledge to Tibetan | | | | interval, or a period between two conditions, planes, or |
| Buddhism concerning the death process.Unlike the | | | | states of consciousness in the samsaric worlds. |
| Christian forms of prayers of burial-rituals recited on | | | | Basically, it refers to the following four states:1) |
| behalf of the newly-departed (and also the living), the | | | | Between two states of consciousness2) Transitional |
| Bardo Thodol is more of an instruction manual read to | | | | state3) Uncertain state4) Twilight stateTibetan |
| the dying by a spiritual guide, that it may understand | | | | teachings refer to these 4 states as the psychological |
| the psychological processes that it would undergo | | | | nature of the following six bardos:1) Bardo of Life (Kye |
| through transition. It is of especial value to those who | | | | Ne Bardo)2) Bardo of Dreams (Milam Bardo)3) Bardo |
| practice and follow Buddhistic doctrines, or teachings | | | | of Meditation (Samten Bardo)4) Bardo of the |
| similar to it because of certain inherent concepts. The | | | | Transition Process (Chikai Bardo)5) Bardo of State |
| underlying doctrine of Tibetan Buddhism is that man, a | | | | After Death (Chonyid Bardo)6) Bardo of Rebirth into |
| slave to samsara--the wheel of birth and rebirth, or | | | | Samsara (Sidpa Bardo)The word Bardo, as is |
| reincarnation--is able to liberate himself through being | | | | commonly used and understood, refers to the general |
| aware of his primordial nature represented by the | | | | framework of the death process. In this section we will |
| Clear Light which appears in the early stages of the | | | | be considering the nature of the last three bardos |
| bardo. Recitation of texts such as the Bardo Thodol | | | | listed above. But before we do, however, it would be |
| reminds the departing soul, the "awareness-principle," | | | | interesting to note certain practices related to the art |
| what it had previously learnt of the bardo and its | | | | of dying and the psycho-somatic processes of dying |
| liberating potential while still alive in the physical | | | | as occultly observed by spiritual practitioners of |
| plane.Although dissociated from the physical body, the | | | | Lamaism throughout the centuries.Physiologically |
| awareness-principle still retains its sensory faculties. In | | | | speaking, when one undergoes a natural death the |
| the disembodied state its psychic senses are acute | | | | physical senses fail one by one. First the sense of |
| and enhanced and is able to register and perceive | | | | vision blurs, then the sense of hearing is impaired, next |
| physical surroundings--to listen to the bardo-guidance | | | | the sense of smell fails; this is followed by the |
| and instructions as given by the spiritual guide or lama, | | | | deterioration of the sense of taste and touch. There is |
| for instance. In the death process, as the physical | | | | also a feeling or sensation of pressure, followed by |
| senses grow dull the psychic senses grow more | | | | coldness, heat, and a sense of being blown to bits. |
| keen.The recitation of the bardo text to the departed | | | | Dissolution of the senses and its varied sensations are |
| may last for a total of 49 days. This is done at first in | | | | symbolically described in Tibetan Buddhism as the |
| the presence of the corpse but later a representation | | | | merging of the elements one into the other until it sinks |
| of it. The 49 days is supposed to be the maximum | | | | into the primal substance. This is the process of |
| length of days the soul would spend in the bardo. This | | | | Thimrim. To describe the illustrative process above in |
| given figure is probably symbolic, representing as it | | | | symbolical detail:First, "earth sinks into water;" second, |
| does the number 7 squared. The number 7 is the | | | | "water sinks into fire;" third, "fire sinks into air;" fourth, "air |
| mathematical and geometrical principle in which our | | | | sinks into space."As for the external signs of the |
| solar system is based. We have many indications of | | | | approach of death that may be observed by an |
| the number seven as creative manifestations, for | | | | outsider, they may include sagging facial muscles, |
| instance, the seven colours of the light spectrum, and | | | | coldness in the extremities, blueness beneath the nails, |
| the seven notes in an octave. Forty-nine days of the | | | | difficulty in breathing, and glazed eyes.This merging of |
| bardo may also refer to soul-progression and evolution | | | | the elements are accompanied by internal and external |
| within the 49 realms of the cosmic physical plane. In | | | | phenomena or signs which the dying is taught to |
| Indonesia, 40 days is referred to as the period it takes | | | | recognize. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche explains certain |
| for the soul to complete its wandering in the borderland | | | | inner signs as cited in the Bardo Guidebook:"First the |
| between the physical and higher worlds before settling | | | | earth element starts to disintegrate. One feels very |
| in its destined home in the subtle spheres. In other | | | | heavy. That's when people say `Please lift me up, raise |
| traditions, three days and three nights after transition | | | | me up. I feel like I'm sinking.' When the water element |
| are considered to be of some importance to the soul. | | | | dissolves then one feels very cold and says, `Please |
| For instance, the Hadhokht Nask, one of the scriptures | | | | warm me up. It's too cold in here.' When the fire |
| of Zoroastrianism, declares that the soul remains near | | | | element dissolves one feels very thirsty and wants |
| its body for such a period. This 3-day lingering is | | | | water, one's lips are drying up. When the wind element |
| probably based on the occult fact that sometimes the | | | | dissolves one feels as if one is floating at the brink of |
| sutratma may still be connected to the body after the | | | | an abyss, not anchored anywhere. When |
| pronouncement of "death," meaning that the so-called | | | | consciousness dissolves into space it means that |
| corpse is actually in a comatose state and that revival | | | | everything grows very big and completely ungrounded. |
| may occur.Being symbolic, in reality the 40 or 49 days | | | | The outer breath has stopped but the inner breathing is |
| may take just a few moments or several days. Should | | | | still taking place. |
| the spiritual guide be unable to attend to the dying for | | | | |