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The Metaphysical View of Death and Life After Death Part 6

One of our personal experiences with our
deceased friend with whom we related"2) That all phenomena are transitory, are
previously would substantiate this principleunreal, and non-existent save in the
as  described  by  Swedenborg:sangsaric  mind  perceiving  them.
We once decided to visit our friend in the"3) That in reality there are no such beings
heavenly regions. We had some joyful newsanywhere as gods, or demons, or spirits, or
that we wanted to convey to her--news thatsentient creatures--all alike being phenomena
she was waiting to hear while she was alivedependent  upon  a  cause;
in the physical. Not knowing where she was or
able to directly manifest before her, we were"4) That this cause is a yearning or
escorted by a guide to a lovely garden with athirsting after sensations, after the
Greek temple in the midst of it. The gardenunstable  sangsaric  existence;
was empty, or so it seemed. But while
adjusting our sight, people appeared"5) That so long as this cause is not
everywhere. They did not notice us, however.overcome by Enlightenment, death follows
It was as though we did not exist in theirbirth and birth death unceasingly--even as
eyes. Our escort went into the building andthe  wise  Socrates  believed.
moments later our friend came out all beaming
with joy. "I've been waiting for you," she"6) That the after-death existence is but a
said. Then she looked more closely at me andcontinuation, under changed conditions, of
commented jocularly, "you are so bright, Ithe phenomena-born existence of the human
could faint." After conveying to her ourworld--both  states  alike  being  karmic.
message we bade farewell. As we were leaving,
we noticed that no one was yet aware of our"7) That the nature of the existence
presence; however, a dark-skinned man who wasintervening between death and rebirth in this
sitting on a bench reached out and touched meor any other world is determined by
to, perhaps, reassure himself of my presenceantecedent  actions;
and  reality.  We  smiled  at  each  other.
"8) That, psychologically speaking, it is a
After a lengthy stay in the astral or lowerprolonged dream-like state, in what may be
mental heavens, and when one is about readycalled the fourth dimension of space, filled
to reincarnate through karmic necessity orwith hallucinatory visions directly resultant
choice, one first goes to the causal realmsfrom the mental-content of the percipient,
for a brief sojourn. Not all souls experiencehappy and heaven-like if the karma be good,
this; however, some incarnate directly frommiserable  and hell-like if the karma be bad;
whatever realm they may be. In the causal
world the soul experiences bliss and peace,"9) That, unless Enlightenment be won,
and a real rest as a reward for arebirth in the human world, directly from the
soul-mission well done. One of the purposesBardo-world or from any other world or from
of this stay in the causal realms is theany paradise or hell to which karma has led,
transference of the positive qualitiesis  inevitable.
acquired by the soul and recorded in the
seed-atoms, to the causal body where it is"10) That Enlightenment results from
stored as one's "treasure in heaven." Therealizing the unreality of sangsara, of
positive deeds and virtues of the soul adornexistence;
the causal body with a greater glory than its
former condition. Every incarnation offers a"11) That such realizing is possible in the
form of nourishment to the causal body whenhuman world, or at the important moment of
its incarnated life ends. This causal body isdeath in the human world, or during the whole
called in Masonry "the temple not made withof the after-death or Bardo-state, or in
hands." Other traditions call it "thecertain  of  the  non-human  realm;
Chalice." When the soul is prepared to
reincarnate for new soul-experiences, it"12) That training in yoga, i.e. in control
seeks out the appropriate parents, time andof the training process so as to be able to
place to be reborn in the physical world.concentrate the mind in an effort to reach
This seeking is done with the help ofRight  Knowledge,  is  essential.
spiritual  guides.
"13) That such training can best be had under
Reincarnation is a law for those not havinga  human  guru,  or  teacher.
transcended ignorance and earthly desire.
Although some religions do not openly teach"14) That the Greatest of Gurus known to
reincarnation, the concept or precept doesmankind in this cycle of time is Gautama the
appear  in some form in their holy scripture.Buddha.
Although not exhaustive, the above"15) That this doctrine is not unique, but is
information is sufficient enough to offer usthe same doctrine which has been proclaimed
some idea of the occult knowledge availablein the human world for the gaining of
concerning the after death state that issalvation, for the Deliverance from the Cycle
based on personal experiences of psychics andof Rebirth and Death, for the Crossing of the
mystics. In order to know more in aOcean of Sangsara, for the Realization of
convincing way, one would have to study andNirvana, since immemorial time, by a long and
master the art of soul-travel. Only in thisillustrious dynasty of Buddhas, who were
manner, through personal experience, will weGautama's  Predecessors.
satisfy our thirst for a greater knowledge of
God's many dimensions, the Cosmic laws, and"16) That lesser spiritually enlightened
the  purposes  of  life.beings, Bodhisattvas and gurus, in this world
or in other worlds, though still not freed
The  Tibetan  Traditionfrom the Net of illusion, can nevertheless,
bestow divine grace and power upon the sishya
Tibetan Buddhism declares that men are[student] who is less advanced upon the Path
enchained to a world of suffering and pain,than  themselves.
of illusion and ignorance. This they call
samsara. Samsara refers generally to the"17) That the Goal is and can only be
condition of the six worlds, but moreEmancipation  from  Sangsara.
specifically it refers to the physical plane.
To be liberated from samsara one had to"18) That such Emancipation comes from the
awaken to one's true Reality and the RealityRealization  of  Nirvana.
of the Cosmos called in Mahayana and
Vajrayana literature, the "Clear Light of the"19) That Nirvana is non-sangsaric, being
Void," "Sunyata," "Dharmakaya," etc. Tibetanbeyond all paradises, heavens, hells, and
Buddhism, or Vajrayana, declares that thereworlds.
are various ways of liberating oneself. One
may be liberated--if prepared beforehand"20)  That  it  is  the  ending  of  Sorrow.
through arduous spiritual work--through
initiation by a spiritual master where the"21)  That  it  is  Reality"  (1975:66-68)
Clear Light of one's true primordial nature
is introduced; or one may be liberatedMan, in general, is ignorant of his divinity.
through samadhi or meditation where the ClearHis mind and consciousness are veiled by the
Light dawns in the consciousness; liberationfalse light of Maya. Maya is the way we
may also be achieved through recognizing andperceive and interpret Reality. It translates
merging with the Clear Light duringin our consciousness cosmic vibrations into
transition  in  the first phase of the bardo.forms, colours and sensations--a world of
appearance. We perceive not what is, but what
Techniques have been formed by lamas andwe believe to be. Maya produces a deceiving
applied at the onset of transition to assiststate of duality, of object and subject. All
the dying to achieve Liberation. Theseappearances in the mind and consciousness as
techniques  are  called:a product of Maya are illusory and unreal.
The mind, not understanding the nature of
1) Liberation Through Taste, whereMaya, is indeed the slayer of the Real, as
consecrated pills are placed in the mouth tostated by Helena Blavatsky. This ignorance of
assist the soul to sustain consciousnessReality causes man's prolonged stay in
throughout the bardo so that it wouldsamsara. Recognition of the Clear Light, of
recognize  the  Clear  Light  when  it dawns.Reality, of the Unity of Being, releases man
from his spiritual bondage. Tibetan Buddhism
2) Liberation Through Contact, where thebelieve that the six worlds are transitory
ashes of burnt talismans are rubbed on theand that rebirth into any one of them is
heart  for  the  same  purpose  as the above.undesirable and should be avoided. Man's
loftiest aspiration should be directed to the
3) Liberation Through Listening, this is byawakening to Reality as the highest religious
far the most common practice. In this method,goal, and this illumination naturally
a manual-ritual such as the Bardo Thodol isterminates the ceaseless rounds of birth and
read to the dying to remind the person ofrebirth in the samsaric worlds. In Christian
what it had previously learnt of the bardoterms, this is the attainment of salvation
and  the  way  of  approaching  it.where the true follower of Christian
principles is made into a pillar in the
The  Bardo  Thodolkingdom  of  heaven  and  "goes no more out."
The "Bardo Thodol," or the Tibetan Book ofTibetan Buddhism is not the only religion
the Dead, as Christianized by Evans-Wentz,that possesses manuals to be read to the
deals with the phases of the bardo that thedying. To the Hindus, the Garuda Purana
soul would undergo and what it should do infulfills the same purpose. Ancient Egyptians,
order to liberate itself from samsara. Ittoo, had their death-manuals such as the one
provides a unique psychology of the deathtranslated by Wallis Budge, the Book of the
process and the attitudes that the soulDead, or "The Coming Forth From Day," to give
should assume in order to escape rebirth inits original title. This title suggests the
the lower realms. Recognition of the Clearacquaintance of the ancient Egyptians with
Light in the first bardo phase is stressed inthe Clear Light of the bardo. In this manual,
the manual, because it is the only means fortaken from hieroglyphical murals painted in
the soul to save itself from experiencing thetombs, says that death is followed by the
subsequent phases of the bardo, which fromsoul's entry into the "clear light of day."
the viewpoint of Tibetan metaphysics, lead toExperience of the bardo is universal and
rebirth and a prolonged stay in the samsaricfundamental to the human psyche, therefore,
worlds. Thus, the Clear Light that dawns inmanuals such as the Bardo Thodol or the Book
the first phase of the bardo offers a chanceof the Dead that possesses keys to spiritual
for the soul to redeem and free itself fromportals, are relevant to human psychological
the shackles of samsara. This Clear Light isand spiritual integration. The relevance of
the grace of God that offers death-bedsuch texts are not to be confined to its
salvation--salvation from one's so-calledplace of origin in time or in space.
"sins,"  or  liberation  from  karma.Adaptations may be made for western society
with its world-wide influence. The phenomenon
In Tibet there are many manuals composed asof the Clear Light with its inherent nature
guides for the dying or the newly departedof spiritual grace is for all human beings
soul. The Bardo Thodol is one of the mostregardless of race, sex or creed. In one
well-known among them in the Western world.sense, this Clear Light may be seen as the
It is said to have been written down in the"comforter" promised by the Piscean Master to
8th century by the Precious Guru,his  followers.
Padmasambhava. The teachings and doctrines of
the Bardo Thodol as an oral tradition,The Bardos and Tibetan Practices Related to
however, are much older. It is believed thatDying
Bon, the indigenous religion of Tibet,
transmitted much knowledge to TibetanBefore continuing, it is appropriate that we
Buddhism  concerning  the  death  process.define here the word "bardo." Bardo is often
translated as "intermediate state," an
Unlike the Christian forms of prayers ofinterval, or a period between two conditions,
burial-rituals recited on behalf of theplanes, or states of consciousness in the
newly-departed (and also the living), thesamsaric worlds. Basically, it refers to the
Bardo Thodol is more of an instruction manualfollowing  four  states:
read to the dying by a spiritual guide, that
it may understand the psychological processes1)  Between  two  states  of  consciousness
that it would undergo through transition. It
is of especial value to those who practice2)  Transitional  state
and follow Buddhistic doctrines, or teachings
similar to it because of certain inherent3)  Uncertain  state
concepts. The underlying doctrine of Tibetan
Buddhism is that man, a slave to samsara--the4)  Twilight  state
wheel of birth and rebirth, or
reincarnation--is able to liberate himselfTibetan teachings refer to these 4 states as
through being aware of his primordial naturethe psychological nature of the following six
represented by the Clear Light which appearsbardos:
in the early stages of the bardo. Recitation
of texts such as the Bardo Thodol reminds the1)  Bardo  of  Life  (Kye  Ne  Bardo)
departing soul, the "awareness-principle,"
what it had previously learnt of the bardo2)  Bardo  of  Dreams  (Milam  Bardo)
and its liberating potential while still
alive  in  the  physical  plane.3)  Bardo  of  Meditation  (Samten  Bardo)
Although dissociated from the physical body,4) Bardo of the Transition Process (Chikai
the awareness-principle still retains itsBardo)
sensory faculties. In the disembodied state
its psychic senses are acute and enhanced and5) Bardo of State After Death (Chonyid Bardo)
is able to register and perceive physical
surroundings--to listen to the bardo-guidance6) Bardo of Rebirth into Samsara (Sidpa
and instructions as given by the spiritualBardo)
guide or lama, for instance. In the death
process, as the physical senses grow dull theThe word Bardo, as is commonly used and
psychic  senses  grow  more  keen.understood, refers to the general framework
of the death process. In this section we will
The recitation of the bardo text to thebe considering the nature of the last three
departed may last for a total of 49 days.bardos listed above. But before we do,
This is done at first in the presence of thehowever, it would be interesting to note
corpse but later a representation of it. Thecertain practices related to the art of dying
49 days is supposed to be the maximum lengthand the psycho-somatic processes of dying as
of days the soul would spend in the bardo.occultly observed by spiritual practitioners
This given figure is probably symbolic,of  Lamaism  throughout  the  centuries.
representing as it does the number 7 squared.
The number 7 is the mathematical andPhysiologically speaking, when one undergoes
geometrical principle in which our solara natural death the physical senses fail one
system is based. We have many indications ofby one. First the sense of vision blurs, then
the number seven as creative manifestations,the sense of hearing is impaired, next the
for instance, the seven colours of the lightsense of smell fails; this is followed by the
spectrum, and the seven notes in an octave.deterioration of the sense of taste and
Forty-nine days of the bardo may also refertouch. There is also a feeling or sensation
to soul-progression and evolution within theof pressure, followed by coldness, heat, and
49 realms of the cosmic physical plane. Ina sense of being blown to bits. Dissolution
Indonesia, 40 days is referred to as theof the senses and its varied sensations are
period it takes for the soul to complete itssymbolically described in Tibetan Buddhism as
wandering in the borderland between thethe merging of the elements one into the
physical and higher worlds before settling inother until it sinks into the primal
its destined home in the subtle spheres. Insubstance. This is the process of Thimrim. To
other traditions, three days and three nightsdescribe the illustrative process above in
after transition are considered to be of somesymbolical  detail:
importance to the soul. For instance, the
Hadhokht Nask, one of the scriptures ofFirst, "earth sinks into water;" second,
Zoroastrianism, declares that the soul"water sinks into fire;" third, "fire sinks
remains near its body for such a period. Thisinto  air;"  fourth,  "air sinks into space."
3-day lingering is probably based on the
occult fact that sometimes the sutratma mayAs for the external signs of the approach of
still be connected to the body after thedeath that may be observed by an outsider,
pronouncement of "death," meaning that thethey may include sagging facial muscles,
so-called corpse is actually in a comatosecoldness in the extremities, blueness beneath
state  and  that  revival  may  occur.the nails, difficulty in breathing, and
glazed  eyes.
Being symbolic, in reality the 40 or 49 days
may take just a few moments or several days.This merging of the elements are accompanied
Should the spiritual guide be unable toby internal and external phenomena or signs
attend to the dying for reasons of physicalwhich the dying is taught to recognize. Tulku
distance, an effigy is usually made toUrgyen Rinpoche explains certain inner signs
represent the one undergoing transition withas  cited  in  the  Bardo  Guidebook:
personal effects surrounding it to attract by
magnetic attunement the awareness-principle"First the earth element starts to
of the dying pilgrim. The instructions of thedisintegrate. One feels very heavy. That's
Bardo Thodol may thus telepathically be heardwhen people say `Please lift me up, raise me
by  the  dying  soul.up. I feel like I'm sinking.' When the water
element dissolves then one feels very cold
It is well worth quoting the fundamentaland says, `Please warm me up. It's too cold
doctrines of the Bardo Thodol as summed-up byin here.' When the fire element dissolves one
Evans-Wentz in the Tibetan Book of the Dead,feels very thirsty and wants water, one's
as this will help us understand the bardo aslips are drying up. When the wind element
well as give us some insight into Buddhisticdissolves one feels as if one is floating at
beliefs:the brink of an abyss, not anchored anywhere.
When consciousness dissolves into space it
"1) That all possible conditions, or states,means that everything grows very big and
or realms of sangsaric existence, heavens,completely ungrounded. The outer breath has
hells, and worlds, are entirely dependentstopped but the inner breathing is still
upon phenomena, or in other worlds, aretaking place.
naught  but  phenomena.



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