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

ix.g), And yet on Ceylon’s Sacred Mount of Mihintale still stands, as witness of a purer Buddhism, the ancient edict, cut on a stone slab, prohibiting—as the Edicts of Asoka prohibit—the slaying of any animal, either in sacrifice or for food.

rae!) TEE DIRECTING OF THOUGHT rj

Again, when any recitation of the Kamkani Mantra is being made on thy behalf as a funeral rite, or when any rite for the absolving of bad karma liable to bring about thy birth in lower regions is being performed for thee, the sight of their being conducted in an incorrect way, mixed up with sleep and distraction and non-observance of the vows and lack of purity [on the part of any officiant], and such things indicating levity—all of which thou wilt be able to see because thou art endowed with limited Larmic power of prescience *—thou mayst feel lack of faith and entire disbelief {in thy religion]. Thou wilt be able to apprehend any fear and fright, any black actions, irreligious conduct, and incorrectly recited rituals? In thy mind thou mayst think, ‘ Alas! they are, indeed, playing me false’. Thinking thus, thou wilt be extremely depressed, and, through great resentment, thou wilt acquire disbelief and loss of faith, instead of affection and humble trustfulness. This affecting the psychological moment, thou wilt be certain to be born in one of the miserable states.

Such [thought] will not only be of no use to thee, but will do thee great harm. However incorrect the ritual and improper the conduct of the priests performing thy funeral rites, [think], ‘What! mine own thoughts must be impure! How can it be possible that the words of the Buddha should be incorrect? It is like the reflection of the blemishes on mine own face which IJ see in a mirror; mine own thoughts must [indeed] be impure. As for these [i.e. the priests], the Sangha is their body, the Dharma their utterance, and in their mind they are the Buddha in reality: I will take refuge in them’.

1 This mantra is believed to have the magical power of so transmuting food sacrificed to the dead as to make it acceptable to them.

2 In its fullness, this power of prescience includes knowledge of the past, present, and future, the ability to read others’ thoughts, and the unobscured knowing of one’s own capabilities and limitations. Only highly developed beings, such, for example, as adepts in yoga, enjoy such complete power of prescience. On the Bardo plane—unlike the human world—every being possesses, in virtue of freedom from the impeding gross physical body, a certain degree of the power, as the text makes clear.

3 That is, fear and fright, or impropriety, or carelessness on the part of any person conducting the funeral rites.

2, BARDO OF SEEKING REBIRTH [Book Ir

3 That is, fear and fright, or impropriety, or carelessness on the part of any person conducting the funeral rites.

2, BARDO OF SEEKING REBIRTH [Book Ir

Thus thinking, put thy trust in them and exercise sincere love towards them. Then whatever is done for thee [by those] left behind will truly tend to thy benefit. Therefore the exercise of that love is of much importance; do not forget this.

Again, even if thou wert to be born in one of the miserable states and the light of that miserable state shone upon thee, yet by thy successors and relatives performing white! religious rites unmixed with evil actions, and the abbots and learned priests devoting themselves, body, speech, and mind, to the performance of the correct meritorious rituals, the delight from thy feeling greatly cheered at seeing them will, by its own virtue, so affect the psychological moment that, even though thou deservest a birth in the unhappy states, there will be brought about thy birth on a higher and happier plane. [Therefore] thou shouldst not create impious thoughts, but exercise pure affection and humble faith towards all impartially. This is highly important. Hence be extremely careful.

O nobly-born, to sum up: thy present intellect in the Intermediate State having no firm object whereon to depend, being of little weight and continuously in motion, whatever thought occurs to thee now—be it pious or impious—will wield great power; therefore think not in thy mind of impious things, but recall any devotional exercises ; or, if thou wert unaccustomed to any such exercises, [show forth] pure affection and humble faith; pray to the Compassionate One, or to thy tutelary deities; with full resolve, utter this prayer :

‘ Alas! while wandering alone, separated from loving friends,? When the vacuous, reflected body of mine own mental ideas dawneth upon me, May the Buddhas, vouchsafing their power of compassion, Grant that there shall be no fear, awe, or terror in the Bardo. When experiencing miseries, through the power of evil karma, May the tutelary deities dispel the miseries. 1 “White’ as opposed to ‘ black’ (as in black magic or sorcery). * Cf. the following from the Orologium Sapientiae, Comper’s ed. (p. 119) :

‘Where is now the help of my friends? Where be now the good behests of our kinsmen and others?’

PART I] PRAYER FOR GUIDANCE 173

When the thousand thunders of the Sound of Reality reverberate,

May they all be sounds of the Six Syllables.

When Karma follows, without there being any protector,

May the Compassionate One protect me, I pray.

When experiencing the sorrows of karmic propensities here,

May the radiance of the happy clear light of Samadhi shine upon me.’

Earnest prayer in this form will be sure to guide thee along; thou mayst rest assured that thou wilt not be deceived. Of great importance is this: through that being recited, again recollection cometh; and recognition and liberation will be achieved.

Of great importance is this: through that being recited, again recollection cometh; and recognition and liberation will be achieved.

(tHe DAWNING OF THE LIGHTS OF tilt ols LOLKAS

[Instructions to the Officiant] : Yet—though this [instruction ] be so oft repeated—if recognition be difficult, because of the influence of evil karma, much benefit will come from repeating these settings-face-to-face many times over. Once more, | then, | call the deceased by name, and speak as follows:

O nobly-born, if thou hast been unable to apprehend the above, henceforth the body of the past life will become more and more dim and the body of the future life will become more and more clear. Saddened at this [thou wilt think], ‘O what misery I am undergoing! Now, whatever body I am to get, I shall go and seek [it]’. So thinking, thou wilt be going hither and thither, ceaselessly and distractedly. Then there will shine upon thee the lights of the Six Sangsaric Lokas. The light of that place wherein thou art to be born, through power of karma, will shine most prominently.

O nobly-born, listen. If thou desirest to know what those six lights are: there will shine upon thee a dull white light from the Deva-world, a dull green light from the Asuraworld, a dull yellow light from the Human-world, a dull blue

1 See p, 149).

p. 174

light from the Brute-world, a dull red light from the Prezaworld, and a smoke-coloured light from the Hell-world.* At that time, by the power of karma, thine own body will partake ‘ of the colour of the light of the place wherein thou art to be born.

O nobly-born, the special art of these teachings is especially important at this moment: whichever light shineth upon thee now, meditate upon it as being the Compassionate One; from whatever place the light cometh, consider that [place] to be [or to exist in] the Compassionate One. This is an exceedingly profound art; it will prevent birth. Or whosoever thy tutelary deity may be, meditate upon the form for much time,— as being apparent yet non-existent in reality, like a form produced by a magician. That is called the pure illusory form. Then let the [visualization of the] tutelary deity melt away from the extremities, till nothing at all remaineth visible of it; and put thyself in the state of the Clearness and the Voidness *—which thou canst not conceive as something— and abide in that state for a little while. Again meditate upon the tutelary deity; again meditate upon the Clear Light: do this alternately. Afterwards, allow thine own intellect also to melt away gradually,’ [beginning] from the extremities.

Wherever the ether* pervadeth, consciousness pervadeth ; wherever consciousness pervadeth, the Dharma-Kaya pervadeth. Abide tranquilly in the uncreated state of the Dharma-Kaya. In that state, birth will be obstructed and Perfect Enlightenment gained.