The Metaphysical View of Death and Life After Death Part 6

One of our personal experiences with our deceasedIt is well worth quoting the fundamental doctrines of
friend with whom we related previously wouldthe Bardo Thodol as summed-up by Evans-Wentz in
substantiate this principle as described by Swedenborg:the Tibetan Book of the Dead, as this will help us
We once decided to visit our friend in the heavenlyunderstand the bardo as well as give us some insight
regions. We had some joyful news that we wanted tointo Buddhistic beliefs:
convey to her--news that she was waiting to hear"1) That all possible conditions, or states, or realms of
while she was alive in the physical. Not knowing wheresangsaric existence, heavens, hells, and worlds, are
she was or able to directly manifest before her, weentirely dependent upon phenomena, or in other worlds,
were escorted by a guide to a lovely garden with aare naught but phenomena.
Greek temple in the midst of it. The garden was"2) That all phenomena are transitory, are unreal, and
empty, or so it seemed. But while adjusting our sight,non-existent save in the sangsaric mind perceiving
people appeared everywhere. They did not notice us,them.
however. It was as though we did not exist in their"3) That in reality there are no such beings anywhere
eyes. Our escort went into the building and momentsas gods, or demons, or spirits, or sentient creatures--all
later our friend came out all beaming with joy. "I'vealike being phenomena dependent upon a cause;
been waiting for you," she said. Then she looked more"4) That this cause is a yearning or thirsting after
closely at me and commented jocularly, "you are sosensations, after the unstable sangsaric existence;
bright, I could faint." After conveying to her our"5) That so long as this cause is not overcome by
message we bade farewell. As we were leaving, weEnlightenment, death follows birth and birth death
noticed that no one was yet aware of our presence;unceasingly--even as the wise Socrates believed.
however, a dark-skinned man who was sitting on a"6) That the after-death existence is but a continuation,
bench reached out and touched me to, perhaps,under changed conditions, of the phenomena-born
reassure himself of my presence and reality. Weexistence of the human world--both states alike being
smiled at each other.karmic.
After a lengthy stay in the astral or lower mental"7) That the nature of the existence intervening
heavens, and when one is about ready to reincarnatebetween death and rebirth in this or any other world is
through karmic necessity or choice, one first goes todetermined by antecedent actions;
the causal realms for a brief sojourn. Not all souls"8) That, psychologically speaking, it is a prolonged
experience this; however, some incarnate directly fromdream-like state, in what may be called the fourth
whatever realm they may be. In the causal world thedimension of space, filled with hallucinatory visions
soul experiences bliss and peace, and a real rest as adirectly resultant from the mental-content of the
reward for a soul-mission well done. One of thepercipient, happy and heaven-like if the karma be good,
purposes of this stay in the causal realms is themiserable and hell-like if the karma be bad;
transference of the positive qualities acquired by the"9) That, unless Enlightenment be won, rebirth in the
soul and recorded in the seed-atoms, to the causalhuman world, directly from the Bardo-world or from
body where it is stored as one's "treasure in heaven."any other world or from any paradise or hell to which
The positive deeds and virtues of the soul adorn thekarma has led, is inevitable.
causal body with a greater glory than its former"10) That Enlightenment results from realizing the
condition. Every incarnation offers a form ofunreality of sangsara, of existence;
nourishment to the causal body when its incarnated life"11) That such realizing is possible in the human world,
ends. This causal body is called in Masonry "the templeor at the important moment of death in the human
not made with hands." Other traditions call it "theworld, or during the whole of the after-death or
Chalice." When the soul is prepared to reincarnate forBardo-state, or in certain of the non-human realm;
new soul-experiences, it seeks out the appropriate"12) That training in yoga, i.e. in control of the training
parents, time and place to be reborn in the physicalprocess so as to be able to concentrate the mind in
world. This seeking is done with the help of spiritualan effort to reach Right Knowledge, is essential.
guides."13) That such training can best be had under a human
Reincarnation is a law for those not havingguru, or teacher.
transcended ignorance and earthly desire. Although"14) That the Greatest of Gurus known to mankind in
some religions do not openly teach reincarnation, thethis cycle of time is Gautama the Buddha.
concept or precept does appear in some form in their"15) That this doctrine is not unique, but is the same
holy scripture.doctrine which has been proclaimed in the human
Although not exhaustive, the above information isworld for the gaining of salvation, for the Deliverance
sufficient enough to offer us some idea of the occultfrom the Cycle of Rebirth and Death, for the Crossing
knowledge available concerning the after death stateof the Ocean of Sangsara, for the Realization of
that is based on personal experiences of psychics andNirvana, since immemorial time, by a long and illustrious
mystics. In order to know more in a convincing way,dynasty of Buddhas, who were Gautama's
one would have to study and master the art ofPredecessors.
soul-travel. Only in this manner, through personal"16) That lesser spiritually enlightened beings,
experience, will we satisfy our thirst for a greaterBodhisattvas and gurus, in this world or in other worlds,
knowledge of God's many dimensions, the Cosmicthough still not freed from the Net of illusion, can
laws, and the purposes of life.nevertheless, bestow divine grace and power upon
The Tibetan Traditionthe sishya [student] who is less advanced upon the
Tibetan Buddhism declares that men are enchained toPath than themselves.
a world of suffering and pain, of illusion and ignorance."17) That the Goal is and can only be Emancipation
This they call samsara. Samsara refers generally tofrom Sangsara.
the condition of the six worlds, but more specifically it"18) That such Emancipation comes from the
refers to the physical plane. To be liberated fromRealization of Nirvana.
samsara one had to awaken to one's true Reality and"19) That Nirvana is non-sangsaric, being beyond all
the Reality of the Cosmos called in Mahayana andparadises, heavens, hells, and worlds.
Vajrayana literature, the "Clear Light of the Void,""20) That it is the ending of Sorrow.
"Sunyata," "Dharmakaya," etc. Tibetan Buddhism, or"21) That it is Reality" (1975:66-68)
Vajrayana, declares that there are various ways ofMan, in general, is ignorant of his divinity. His mind and
liberating oneself. One may be liberated--if preparedconsciousness are veiled by the false light of Maya.
beforehand through arduous spiritual work--throughMaya is the way we perceive and interpret Reality. It
initiation by a spiritual master where the Clear Light oftranslates in our consciousness cosmic vibrations into
one's true primordial nature is introduced; or one mayforms, colours and sensations--a world of appearance.
be liberated through samadhi or meditation where theWe perceive not what is, but what we believe to be.
Clear Light dawns in the consciousness; liberation mayMaya produces a deceiving state of duality, of object
also be achieved through recognizing and merging withand subject. All appearances in the mind and
the Clear Light during transition in the first phase of theconsciousness as a product of Maya are illusory and
bardo.unreal. The mind, not understanding the nature of Maya,
Techniques have been formed by lamas and appliedis indeed the slayer of the Real, as stated by Helena
at the onset of transition to assist the dying to achieveBlavatsky. This ignorance of Reality causes man's
Liberation. These techniques are called:prolonged stay in samsara. Recognition of the Clear
1) Liberation Through Taste, where consecrated pillsLight, of Reality, of the Unity of Being, releases man
are placed in the mouth to assist the soul to sustainfrom his spiritual bondage. Tibetan Buddhism believe
consciousness throughout the bardo so that it wouldthat the six worlds are transitory and that rebirth into
recognize the Clear Light when it dawns.any one of them is undesirable and should be avoided.
2) Liberation Through Contact, where the ashes ofMan's loftiest aspiration should be directed to the
burnt talismans are rubbed on the heart for the sameawakening to Reality as the highest religious goal, and
purpose as the above.this illumination naturally terminates the ceaseless
3) Liberation Through Listening, this is by far the mostrounds of birth and rebirth in the samsaric worlds. In
common practice. In this method, a manual-ritual suchChristian terms, this is the attainment of salvation
as the Bardo Thodol is read to the dying to remind thewhere the true follower of Christian principles is made
person of what it had previously learnt of the bardointo a pillar in the kingdom of heaven and "goes no
and the way of approaching it.more out."
The Bardo ThodolTibetan Buddhism is not the only religion that
The "Bardo Thodol," or the Tibetan Book of the Dead,possesses manuals to be read to the dying. To the
as Christianized by Evans-Wentz, deals with theHindus, the Garuda Purana fulfills the same purpose.
phases of the bardo that the soul would undergo andAncient Egyptians, too, had their death-manuals such
what it should do in order to liberate itself fromas the one translated by Wallis Budge, the Book of the
samsara. It provides a unique psychology of the deathDead, or "The Coming Forth From Day," to give its
process and the attitudes that the soul should assumeoriginal title. This title suggests the acquaintance of the
in order to escape rebirth in the lower realms.ancient Egyptians with the Clear Light of the bardo. In
Recognition of the Clear Light in the first bardo phasethis manual, taken from hieroglyphical murals painted in
is stressed in the manual, because it is the only meanstombs, says that death is followed by the soul's entry
for the soul to save itself from experiencing theinto the "clear light of day." Experience of the bardo is
subsequent phases of the bardo, which from theuniversal and fundamental to the human psyche,
viewpoint of Tibetan metaphysics, lead to rebirth and atherefore, manuals such as the Bardo Thodol or the
prolonged stay in the samsaric worlds. Thus, the ClearBook of the Dead that possesses keys to spiritual
Light that dawns in the first phase of the bardo offersportals, are relevant to human psychological and
a chance for the soul to redeem and free itself fromspiritual integration. The relevance of such texts are
the shackles of samsara. This Clear Light is the gracenot to be confined to its place of origin in time or in
of God that offers death-bed salvation--salvation fromspace. Adaptations may be made for western society
one's so-called "sins," or liberation from karma.with its world-wide influence. The phenomenon of the
In Tibet there are many manuals composed as guidesClear Light with its inherent nature of spiritual grace is
for the dying or the newly departed soul. The Bardofor all human beings regardless of race, sex or creed.
Thodol is one of the most well-known among them inIn one sense, this Clear Light may be seen as the
the Western world. It is said to have been written"comforter" promised by the Piscean Master to his
down in the 8th century by the Precious Guru,followers.
Padmasambhava. The teachings and doctrines of theThe Bardos and Tibetan Practices Related to Dying
Bardo Thodol as an oral tradition, however, are muchBefore continuing, it is appropriate that we define here
older. It is believed that Bon, the indigenous religion ofthe word "bardo." Bardo is often translated as
Tibet, transmitted much knowledge to Tibetan"intermediate state," an interval, or a period between
Buddhism concerning the death process.two conditions, planes, or states of consciousness in
Unlike the Christian forms of prayers of burial-ritualsthe samsaric worlds. Basically, it refers to the following
recited on behalf of the newly-departed (and also thefour states:
living), the Bardo Thodol is more of an instruction1) Between two states of consciousness
manual read to the dying by a spiritual guide, that it2) Transitional state
may understand the psychological processes that it3) Uncertain state
would undergo through transition. It is of especial value4) Twilight state
to those who practice and follow Buddhistic doctrines,Tibetan teachings refer to these 4 states as the
or teachings similar to it because of certain inherentpsychological nature of the following six bardos:
concepts. The underlying doctrine of Tibetan Buddhism1) Bardo of Life (Kye Ne Bardo)
is that man, a slave to samsara--the wheel of birth and2) Bardo of Dreams (Milam Bardo)
rebirth, or reincarnation--is able to liberate himself3) Bardo of Meditation (Samten Bardo)
through being aware of his primordial nature4) Bardo of the Transition Process (Chikai Bardo)
represented by the Clear Light which appears in the5) Bardo of State After Death (Chonyid Bardo)
early stages of the bardo. Recitation of texts such as6) Bardo of Rebirth into Samsara (Sidpa Bardo)
the Bardo Thodol reminds the departing soul, theThe word Bardo, as is commonly used and
"awareness-principle," what it had previously learnt ofunderstood, refers to the general framework of the
the bardo and its liberating potential while still alive in thedeath process. In this section we will be considering the
physical plane.nature of the last three bardos listed above. But
Although dissociated from the physical body, thebefore we do, however, it would be interesting to note
awareness-principle still retains its sensory faculties. Incertain practices related to the art of dying and the
the disembodied state its psychic senses are acutepsycho-somatic processes of dying as occultly
and enhanced and is able to register and perceiveobserved by spiritual practitioners of Lamaism
physical surroundings--to listen to the bardo-guidancethroughout the centuries.
and instructions as given by the spiritual guide or lama,Physiologically speaking, when one undergoes a natural
for instance. In the death process, as the physicaldeath the physical senses fail one by one. First the
senses grow dull the psychic senses grow more keen.sense of vision blurs, then the sense of hearing is
The recitation of the bardo text to the departed mayimpaired, next the sense of smell fails; this is followed
last for a total of 49 days. This is done at first in theby the deterioration of the sense of taste and touch.
presence of the corpse but later a representation of it.There is also a feeling or sensation of pressure,
The 49 days is supposed to be the maximum lengthfollowed by coldness, heat, and a sense of being
of days the soul would spend in the bardo. This givenblown to bits. Dissolution of the senses and its varied
figure is probably symbolic, representing as it does thesensations are symbolically described in Tibetan
number 7 squared. The number 7 is the mathematicalBuddhism as the merging of the elements one into the
and geometrical principle in which our solar system isother until it sinks into the primal substance. This is the
based. We have many indications of the numberprocess of Thimrim. To describe the illustrative
seven as creative manifestations, for instance, theprocess above in symbolical detail:
seven colours of the light spectrum, and the sevenFirst, "earth sinks into water;" second, "water sinks into
notes in an octave. Forty-nine days of the bardo mayfire;" third, "fire sinks into air;" fourth, "air sinks into
also refer to soul-progression and evolution within thespace."
49 realms of the cosmic physical plane. In Indonesia, 40As for the external signs of the approach of death
days is referred to as the period it takes for the soulthat may be observed by an outsider, they may
to complete its wandering in the borderland betweeninclude sagging facial muscles, coldness in the
the physical and higher worlds before settling in itsextremities, blueness beneath the nails, difficulty in
destined home in the subtle spheres. In other traditions,breathing, and glazed eyes.
three days and three nights after transition areThis merging of the elements are accompanied by
considered to be of some importance to the soul. Forinternal and external phenomena or signs which the
instance, the Hadhokht Nask, one of the scriptures ofdying is taught to recognize. Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
Zoroastrianism, declares that the soul remains near itsexplains certain inner signs as cited in the Bardo
body for such a period. This 3-day lingering is probablyGuidebook:
based on the occult fact that sometimes the sutratma"First the earth element starts to disintegrate. One
may still be connected to the body after thefeels very heavy. That's when people say `Please lift
pronouncement of "death," meaning that the so-calledme up, raise me up. I feel like I'm sinking.' When the
corpse is actually in a comatose state and that revivalwater element dissolves then one feels very cold and
may occur.says, `Please warm me up. It's too cold in here.' When
Being symbolic, in reality the 40 or 49 days may takethe fire element dissolves one feels very thirsty and
just a few moments or several days. Should thewants water, one's lips are drying up. When the wind
spiritual guide be unable to attend to the dying forelement dissolves one feels as if one is floating at the
reasons of physical distance, an effigy is usually madebrink of an abyss, not anchored anywhere. When
to represent the one undergoing transition withconsciousness dissolves into space it means that
personal effects surrounding it to attract by magneticeverything grows very big and completely ungrounded.
attunement the awareness-principle of the dying pilgrim.The outer breath has stopped but the inner breathing is
The instructions of the Bardo Thodol may thusstill taking place.
telepathically be heard by the dying soul.