Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
1The mirror in his left hand is the Mirror of Karma, in which are reflected every good and evil act (cf. p. 166) of each of the dead who are being judged, one by one. There is written on the mirror, in Tibetan, ‘Hri) the 67, or chief, mantra of Chenrazee. Directly in front of Dharma-Raja is the Monkey-Headed One, Sprehu-gochan (Tib. Sfre-hu-mgo-chan), otherwise called Shinje (cf. pp. 36-7), holding the scales, on one side of which are heaped-up black pebbles, the evil deeds, and, on the other, heaped-up white pebbles, the good deeds. On the right of Shinje stands the Little White God, emptying a sack of white pebbles; on the other side, the Little Black God, emptying a sack of black pebbles (cf. p. 166). Guarding the weighing are the Bull-Headed One, Wang-gochan (Tib. Glang-mgo-chan), holding another mirror of farma, and the Serpent-Headed One, Dul-gochan (Tib. Sbrul-mgo-chan), holding a scourge and a noose. A yellow deity, on the right of Dharma-RaAja, holding a writing- tablet and a stilus, and a brown deity, on the left, holding a sword and a noose, are the two Advocates. The yellow advocate is the defender, the brown advocate is the accuser. The six deities, five of whom are animal-headed, sitting in the Court of Judgement, three on either side, like a jury of subordinate judges, supervise the proceedings in order to ensure regularity of procedure and impartial justice (cf. pp. 35-7). The first above on the right holds a mirror of karma and a skull-cup of blood, the second a battle-axe and a skull-cup of blood, the third anoose, The first above on the left holds a battle-axe and skull-cup of blood, the second a small vase of blossoms in his right hand, the third a dorje and a skull-cup of blood. Near the gate on the left and the gate on the right stands one of the avenging furies who act as warders. There are ten Tibetans in the foreground of the Court awaiting judgement. The one with a conical head-dress (in red) is a red-cap /ama; the one with a round head- dress (in yellow) is a government official. The others are ordinary people. The three gates, through which the condemned enter the Hells below, are guarded by three animal-headed porters, each holding a noose. Issuing from the Court, at either side of the Judge, are the Six Karmic Pathways, leading to the Six Buddhas of the Six Zoéas, in whom the Pathways end, each Pathway and Buddha in appropriate colour (cf. p. 124 and Illustration IV). Traversing the Pathways are twelve of the dead who have recently been judged. The highest one, upon the left, on the white light-path approaching the Buddha of the Deva Loka, is a yellow-cap /ama; next to him is a government official xxii ILLUSTRATIONS on the yellow light-path approaching the Buddha of the Human Loka; the highest upon the right, on the green light-path approaching the Buddha of the Asura Loka, is a red-cap lama.
2In the Lower World, at the bottom of the painting, typical punish- ments in various Hells are depicted, none of which, however, are everlasting. On the left, in the upper corner, where two sinners are immersed in a glacial region, the Eight Cold Hells are suggested. Near the edge of the painting, on the opposite side, a sinner amidst flames suggests the Eight Hot Hells. The commission of any of the ten impious acts, deliberately and from selfish motives, leads to pur- gation in the Cold Hells; any of the same acts done through anger lead to purgation in the Hot Hells. Just below the Cold Hells is the Hell of the ‘Spiked Tree’ or ‘ Hill of Spikes’ (Tib. Shal-ma-i), in which an evil-doer has been quartered and affixed to the spikes. Beside it, in charge of a hell-fury, is ‘The Doorless Iron House’ (Tib. Lehags-khang-sgo-med). Next to this there are four /amas held under the mountainous weight of an enormous Tibetan sacred book; they are being punished thus for having in their earth-life hurried through and skipped passages when reading religious texts. The triangle, in which an evil-doer is fixed, symbolizes the terrible Avitchi Hell, wherein one guilty of a heinous sin, such as using sorcery to destroy enemies or deliberate failure to fulfil Tantric vows, endures punishment for ages which are almost immeasurable. Close to the triangle, a hell-fury is pouring spoonfuls of molten metal into a woman condemned for prostitution. The person ‘next to her, bowed under the weight of a heavy rock tied to his back, is being punished in that manner for having killed small living creatures like vermin or other insects. The sinner whom a hell-fury is holding stretched out on a floor of spiked iron while another hell-fury is preparing to hack him to pieces (cf. p. 166) has been found guilty of another of the ten impious acts. So also has been the woman who is about to be sawn in two lengthwise ; her sin has been murder. As in Dante’s Jnferno, other evil-doers, incapable, as our text explains, of succumbing to the process (cf. p. 166), are being cooked in the iron cauldron at the lower right-hand corner. Three hell-furies (one brown, one yellow, one blue in the original) are to be seen holding by the end of nooses and leading and dragging along (cf. p. 166) to appropriate punishments three of the dead who have just been cast into Hell. At the top of the picture, in the centre, on an enhaloed lotus and lunar throne, with the moon (white) at his right and the sun (gold) at his left, presiding over all, is Dorje Chang (blue), the Divine Guru of the Red-Hat School ot Padma Sambhava; for he is held to be the Ever-living and Spiritual Source whence continue to emanate, as in the days of the Buddha Shakya Muni, all the Esoteric Doctrines ILLUSTRATIONS xxiii underlying the Bardo Thédol, which are referred to on pages 133 to 134 of our translation. EMS LENS 1. THE INDIAN WHEEL OF THE LAW (Dharma-Chakra) on back of book
3EMS LENS 1. THE INDIAN WHEEL OF THE LAW (Dharma-Chakra) on back of book From designs sculptured on the Sanchi Topes, dating from about 500 B.C. to 100 A. D. 2. THE LAMAICCROSSED DORJE ._._ on front cover of book Symbolical of equilibrium, immutability, and almighty power. (Cf. pp. 63, 1161.) 3. THE TIBETAN WHEEL OF THE LAW (Ch’os-’k’or-bskor) sacing p. 119 The Eight-Spoked Wheel (cf. p. 106), on a lotus throne and enhaloed by Flames of Wisdom, is representative of the Thousand- Spoked Wheel of the Good Law of the Buddha, symbol of the symmetry and completeness of the Sacred Law of the Dharma, or Scriptures. The design at the centre, called in Tibetan rgyan-’k’yil, composed of three whirling segments, symbolizes—as does the svastika at the centre of the Indian Wheel of the Law—the Sangsara, or ceaseless change or ‘becoming’. 4. THE DORJE, THE LAMAIC SCEPTRE . . facing p. 137 A type of the Thunderbolt of Indra, the Indian Jupiter, used in most /amaic rituals (cf. pp. 10, 108%, 137-8, 142-5), symbolical of dominion over sangsaric (or worldly) existence. 1 It should be noted that each of the dead possesses a body suited to the paradise realm or hell-world in which karma brings about birth ; and that when any of the after-human-death states of existence ends there is again a death process and a casting off of a body (cf. pp. 155-8, and Book II passim). The Bardo is the intermediate state whence one may be reborn in this world in a human body, or in the ghost-world in a ghost body, or in one of the paradise realms, such as the deva-loka, in a god body, or in the asura-loka in an asura body, or in one of the hells in a body capable of enduring suffering and incapable of dying there until the purgation is complete. Following death in a hell, or in any other of the after-human-death states, the normal process is to be reborn on earth as a human being. The True Goal, as the Bardo Thédol repeatedly explains, is beyond all states of embodiment, beyond all hells, worlds, and heavens, beyond the Sangsdra, beyond Nature; it is called Nirvana (Tib. Myang-hdas), See Addenda, V, pp. 224-32. XXiv EMBLEMS 5. THE MANTRA OF CHENRAZEE (Avalokiteshvara) facing p. 167 In Ranja or Lantsa Indian characters of about the seventh century A.D. Lantsa characters, slightly modified, are used in Tibetan manu- scripts, commonly on title-pages. In Tibetan characters the sacred 9. a NO Mantra is WANA % which means literally: ‘Om! The Jewel in the Lotus! Him!’ (Cf. pp. 134’, 149', 206.) PORE WO KD BY SIR JOHN WooDROFFE THE SCIENCE OF DEATH! ‘Strive after the Good before thou art in danger, before pain masters thee and thy mind loses its keenness,’—Kularnava Tantra, I. 27.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
1The mirror in his left hand is the Mirror of Karma, in which are reflected every good and evil act (cf. p. 166) of each of the dead who are being judged, one by one. There is written on the mirror, in Tibetan, ‘Hri) the 67, or chief, mantra of Chenrazee. Directly in front of Dharma-Raja is the Monkey-Headed One, Sprehu-gochan (Tib. Sfre-hu-mgo-chan), otherwise called Shinje (cf. pp. 36-7), holding the scales, on one side of which are heaped-up black pebbles, the evil deeds, and, on the other, heaped-up white pebbles, the good deeds. On the right of Shinje stands the Little White God, emptying a sack of white pebbles; on the other side, the Little Black God, emptying a sack of black pebbles (cf. p. 166). Guarding the weighing are the Bull-Headed One, Wang-gochan (Tib. Glang-mgo-chan), holding another mirror of farma, and the Serpent-Headed One, Dul-gochan (Tib. Sbrul-mgo-chan), holding a scourge and a noose. A yellow deity, on the right of Dharma-RaAja, holding a writing- tablet and a stilus, and a brown deity, on the left, holding a sword and a noose, are the two Advocates. The yellow advocate is the defender, the brown advocate is the accuser. The six deities, five of whom are animal-headed, sitting in the Court of Judgement, three on either side, like a jury of subordinate judges, supervise the proceedings in order to ensure regularity of procedure and impartial justice (cf. pp. 35-7). The first above on the right holds a mirror of karma and a skull-cup of blood, the second a battle-axe and a skull-cup of blood, the third anoose, The first above on the left holds a battle-axe and skull-cup of blood, the second a small vase of blossoms in his right hand, the third a dorje and a skull-cup of blood. Near the gate on the left and the gate on the right stands one of the avenging furies who act as warders. There are ten Tibetans in the foreground of the Court awaiting judgement. The one with a conical head-dress (in red) is a red-cap /ama; the one with a round head- dress (in yellow) is a government official. The others are ordinary people. The three gates, through which the condemned enter the Hells below, are guarded by three animal-headed porters, each holding a noose. Issuing from the Court, at either side of the Judge, are the Six Karmic Pathways, leading to the Six Buddhas of the Six Zoéas, in whom the Pathways end, each Pathway and Buddha in appropriate colour (cf. p. 124 and Illustration IV). Traversing the Pathways are twelve of the dead who have recently been judged. The highest one, upon the left, on the white light-path approaching the Buddha of the Deva Loka, is a yellow-cap /ama; next to him is a government official xxii ILLUSTRATIONS on the yellow light-path approaching the Buddha of the Human Loka; the highest upon the right, on the green light-path approaching the Buddha of the Asura Loka, is a red-cap lama.
2In the Lower World, at the bottom of the painting, typical punish- ments in various Hells are depicted, none of which, however, are everlasting. On the left, in the upper corner, where two sinners are immersed in a glacial region, the Eight Cold Hells are suggested. Near the edge of the painting, on the opposite side, a sinner amidst flames suggests the Eight Hot Hells. The commission of any of the ten impious acts, deliberately and from selfish motives, leads to pur- gation in the Cold Hells; any of the same acts done through anger lead to purgation in the Hot Hells. Just below the Cold Hells is the Hell of the ‘Spiked Tree’ or ‘ Hill of Spikes’ (Tib. Shal-ma-i), in which an evil-doer has been quartered and affixed to the spikes. Beside it, in charge of a hell-fury, is ‘The Doorless Iron House’ (Tib. Lehags-khang-sgo-med). Next to this there are four /amas held under the mountainous weight of an enormous Tibetan sacred book; they are being punished thus for having in their earth-life hurried through and skipped passages when reading religious texts. The triangle, in which an evil-doer is fixed, symbolizes the terrible Avitchi Hell, wherein one guilty of a heinous sin, such as using sorcery to destroy enemies or deliberate failure to fulfil Tantric vows, endures punishment for ages which are almost immeasurable. Close to the triangle, a hell-fury is pouring spoonfuls of molten metal into a woman condemned for prostitution. The person ‘next to her, bowed under the weight of a heavy rock tied to his back, is being punished in that manner for having killed small living creatures like vermin or other insects. The sinner whom a hell-fury is holding stretched out on a floor of spiked iron while another hell-fury is preparing to hack him to pieces (cf. p. 166) has been found guilty of another of the ten impious acts. So also has been the woman who is about to be sawn in two lengthwise ; her sin has been murder. As in Dante’s Jnferno, other evil-doers, incapable, as our text explains, of succumbing to the process (cf. p. 166), are being cooked in the iron cauldron at the lower right-hand corner. Three hell-furies (one brown, one yellow, one blue in the original) are to be seen holding by the end of nooses and leading and dragging along (cf. p. 166) to appropriate punishments three of the dead who have just been cast into Hell. At the top of the picture, in the centre, on an enhaloed lotus and lunar throne, with the moon (white) at his right and the sun (gold) at his left, presiding over all, is Dorje Chang (blue), the Divine Guru of the Red-Hat School ot Padma Sambhava; for he is held to be the Ever-living and Spiritual Source whence continue to emanate, as in the days of the Buddha Shakya Muni, all the Esoteric Doctrines ILLUSTRATIONS xxiii underlying the Bardo Thédol, which are referred to on pages 133 to 134 of our translation. EMS LENS 1. THE INDIAN WHEEL OF THE LAW (Dharma-Chakra) on back of book
3EMS LENS 1. THE INDIAN WHEEL OF THE LAW (Dharma-Chakra) on back of book From designs sculptured on the Sanchi Topes, dating from about 500 B.C. to 100 A. D. 2. THE LAMAICCROSSED DORJE ._._ on front cover of book Symbolical of equilibrium, immutability, and almighty power. (Cf. pp. 63, 1161.) 3. THE TIBETAN WHEEL OF THE LAW (Ch’os-’k’or-bskor) sacing p. 119 The Eight-Spoked Wheel (cf. p. 106), on a lotus throne and enhaloed by Flames of Wisdom, is representative of the Thousand- Spoked Wheel of the Good Law of the Buddha, symbol of the symmetry and completeness of the Sacred Law of the Dharma, or Scriptures. The design at the centre, called in Tibetan rgyan-’k’yil, composed of three whirling segments, symbolizes—as does the svastika at the centre of the Indian Wheel of the Law—the Sangsara, or ceaseless change or ‘becoming’. 4. THE DORJE, THE LAMAIC SCEPTRE . . facing p. 137 A type of the Thunderbolt of Indra, the Indian Jupiter, used in most /amaic rituals (cf. pp. 10, 108%, 137-8, 142-5), symbolical of dominion over sangsaric (or worldly) existence. 1 It should be noted that each of the dead possesses a body suited to the paradise realm or hell-world in which karma brings about birth ; and that when any of the after-human-death states of existence ends there is again a death process and a casting off of a body (cf. pp. 155-8, and Book II passim). The Bardo is the intermediate state whence one may be reborn in this world in a human body, or in the ghost-world in a ghost body, or in one of the paradise realms, such as the deva-loka, in a god body, or in the asura-loka in an asura body, or in one of the hells in a body capable of enduring suffering and incapable of dying there until the purgation is complete. Following death in a hell, or in any other of the after-human-death states, the normal process is to be reborn on earth as a human being. The True Goal, as the Bardo Thédol repeatedly explains, is beyond all states of embodiment, beyond all hells, worlds, and heavens, beyond the Sangsdra, beyond Nature; it is called Nirvana (Tib. Myang-hdas), See Addenda, V, pp. 224-32. XXiv EMBLEMS 5. THE MANTRA OF CHENRAZEE (Avalokiteshvara) facing p. 167 In Ranja or Lantsa Indian characters of about the seventh century A.D. Lantsa characters, slightly modified, are used in Tibetan manu- scripts, commonly on title-pages. In Tibetan characters the sacred 9. a NO Mantra is WANA % which means literally: ‘Om! The Jewel in the Lotus! Him!’ (Cf. pp. 134’, 149', 206.) PORE WO KD BY SIR JOHN WooDROFFE THE SCIENCE OF DEATH! ‘Strive after the Good before thou art in danger, before pain masters thee and thy mind loses its keenness,’—Kularnava Tantra, I. 27.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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