The Tibetan Book of the Dead — ed. W. Y. Evans-Wentz

When the mind realizes that the phenomena of life are not real phenomena, the Lord Buddha may then be clearly perceived.’—(Chinese Annotation : ‘ The spiritual Buddha must be realized within the mind, otherwise there can be no true perception of the Lord Buddha.’)

1 If, when dying, one be familiar with this state, in virtue of previous spiritual (or yogic) training in the human world, and have power to win Buddhahood at this all-determining moment, the Wheel of Rebirth is stopped, and Liberation instantaneously achieved. But such spiritual efficiency is so very rare that the normal mental condition of the person dying is unequal to the supreme feat of holding on to the state in which the Clear Light shines; and there follows a progressive descent into lower and lower states of the Bardo existence, and then rebirth. The simile of a needle balanced and set rolling on a thread is used by the /a@mas to elucidate this condition. So long as the needle retains its balance, it remains on the thread. Eventually, however, the law of gravitation affects it, and it falls. In the realm of the Clear Light, similarly, the mentality of a person dying momentarily enjoys a condition of balance, or perfect equilibrium, and of oneness. Owing to unfamiliarity with such a state, which is an ecstatic state of non-ego, of subliminal consciousness, the consciousness-principle of the average human being Jacks the power to function in it; karmic propensities becloud the consciousness-principle with thoughts of personality, of individualized being, of dualism, and, losing equilibrium, the consciousnessprinciple falls away from the Clear Light. It is ideation of ego, of self, which prevents the realization of Nirvana (which is the ‘blowing out of the flame of selfish longing’); and so the Wheel of Life continues to turn.

3069 O

p. 98

Clear Light, which dawneth in somewhat more than a mealtime period after that the expiration hath ceased.’

According to one’s good or bad karma, the vital-force floweth down into either the right or left nerve and goeth out through any of the apertures [of the body].2_ Then cometh a lucid condition of the mind.*

To say that the state [of the primary Clear Light] endureth for a meal-time period [would depend upon] the good or bad condition of the nerves and also whether there hath been previous practice or not [in the setting-face-to-face].

When the consciousness-principle getteth outside [the body, it sayeth to itself], ‘Am I dead, or am I not dead?’ It cannot determine. It seeth its relatives and connexions as it had been used to seeing them before. It even heareth the wailings, The terrifying karmic illusions have not yet dawned. Nor have the frightful apparitions or experiences caused by the Lords of Death * yet come.

During this interval, the directions are to be applied [by the lama or reader]:

There are those [devotees] of the perfected stage and of the

Nor
have the frightful apparitions or experiences caused by the
Lords of Death * yet come.

During this interval, the directions are to be applied [by the lama or reader]:

There are those [devotees] of the perfected stage and of the

1 Immediately after the passing of the vital-force into the median-nerve, the person dying experiences the Clear Light in its primitive purity, the Dharma- Kaya unobscured; and, if unable to hold fast to that experience, next experiences the secondary Clear Light, having fallen to a lower state of the Bardo, wherein the Dharma-Kaya is dimmed by karmtc obscurations.

SEC apesorxs

8 Text: shes-pa, rendered here as ‘mind’. The translator has added the following comment: ‘The vital-force, passing from the navel psychic-nerve centre, and the principle of consciousness, passing from the brain psychic-nerve centre, unite in the heart psychic-nerve centre, and in departing thence from the body, normally through the Aperture of Brahma, produce in the dying person a state of ecstasy of the greatest intensity. The succeeding stage is less intense. In the first, or primary, stage, is experienced the Primary Clear Light, in the second stage, the Secondary Clear Light. A ball set bounding reaches its greatest height at the first bound; the second bound is lower, and each succeeding bound is still lower until the ball comes to rest. Similarly is it with the consciousness-principle at the death of ahuman body. Its first spiritual bound, directly upon quitting the earth-plane body, is the highest; the next is lower. Finally, the force of karma having spent itself in the after-death state, the consciousness-principle comes to rest, a womb is entered, and then comes rebirth in this world.’

* Text: Gshin-ye (pron. Shin-je): ‘Lord of Death’; but the plural form is allowable and preferable here.

p. 99

visualizing stage. If it be one who was in the perfected stage, then call him thrice by name and repeat over and over again the above instructions of setting-face-to-face with the Clear Light. If it be one who was in the visualizing stage, then read out to him the introductory descriptions and the text of the Meditation on his tutelary deity,! and then say,

O thou of noble-birth, meditate upon thine own tutelary deity.—[Here the deity’s name is to be mentioned by the reader.”]_ Do not be distracted. LEarnestly concentrate thy mind upon thy tutelary deity. Meditate upon him as if he were the reflection of the moon in water, apparent yet inexistent [in itself]. Meditate upon him as if he were a being with a physical body.

So saying, [the reader will] impress it.

If [the deceased be] of the common folk, say,

Meditate upon the Great Compassionate Lord.®

By thus being set-face-to-face even those who would not be expected to recognize the Bardo [unaided| are undoubtedly certain to recognize it.

So saying, [the reader will] impress it.

If [the deceased be] of the common folk, say,

Meditate upon the Great Compassionate Lord.®

By thus being set-face-to-face even those who would not be expected to recognize the Bardo [unaided| are undoubtedly certain to recognize it.

Persons who while living had been set face to face [with the Reality] by a guru, yet who have not made themselves familiar with it, will not be able to recognize the Lardo clearly by themselves. Either a guru or a brother in the Faith will have to impress vividly such persons.*

1 Cf. the following, from The Craft to Know Well to Die, chap. [V, Comper’s ed. (p. 73): ‘And after he [the person dying] ought to require the apostles, the martyrs, the confessors and the virgins, and in special all the saints that he most loved ever.’

2 The favourite deity of the deceased is the tutelary (Tib. y#-dawz), usually one of the Buddhas or Bodhisattvas, of whom Chenrazee is the most popular.

3 Text: Jo-vo-thugs-rje-chen-po (pron. Jo-wo-thu-ji-chen-po) : ‘ Great Compassionate Lord’, synonymous with Tib. Spyan-ras.gzigs (pron. Chen-ré-si): Skt. Avalokiteshvara.

4 A person may have heard a detailed description of the art of swimming and yet never have tried to swim. Suddenly thrown into water he finds himself unable to swim. So with those who have been taught the theory of how to act in the time of death and have not applied, through yogic practices, the theory : they cannot maintain unbroken continuity of consciousness; they grow bewildered at the changed conditions ; and fail to progress or to take advantage of the opportunity offered by death, unless upheld and directed by a living guru. Even with all that a guru can do, they ordinarily, because of bad Zarma, fail to recognize the Bardo as such.

pale

p. 100

There may be even those who have made themselves familiar with the teachings, yet who, because of the violence of the disease causing death, may be mentally unable to withstand illusions. For such, also, this instruction is absolutely necessary.

Again [there are those] who, although previously familiar with the teachings, have become liable to pass into the miserable states of existence, owing to breach of vows or failure to perform essential obligations honestly. To them, this [instruction] is indispensable.

If the first stage of the Bardo hath been taken by the forelock, that is best. But if not, by application of this distinct recalling [to the deceased], while in the second stage of the Bardo, his intellect is awakened and attaineth liberation.

While on the second stage of the Bardo, one’s body is of the nature of that called the shining illusory-body.}