Bardo Thodol Tibetan Book of the Dead, the Wisdom That Liberates from Guru Rinpoche

Why is the Bardo Thodol considered a spiritual treasure from the Enlightened Mind of the Second Buddha Padmasambhava? Why is a Book of the Dead considered nothing less than a profoundly liberating teaching? Why do teachers explain that the Bardo Thodol mirrors the Highest Yoga Practices in Buddhism such as Guyasamaja, Chakrsamvara, or Vajrayogini? Why did noted psychiatrist Carl Jung believe the Bardo Thodol was foundational to his own system of psychology? Let’s start with the title. Tibetan Book of the Dead was an early -- and incorrect -- translation of Bardo Thodol, by a non-Buddhist translator. Robert Thurman, the noted scholar and teacher, explains: “Bardo simply means between state. There is no Tibetan phrase that translates as Book of the Dead. Bardo means “between“ and Thos Grol (usually transcribed Thodol) means the “wisdom that liberates.“ ART CREDIT: Enlightenment Thangka: A much better translation is the book of natural liberation through understanding in the between, as translated by notable teacher Robert Thurman. It may not be as thrilling a title, but it is an important correction. “Bardo“ translates best as the “Between“ -- a vital concept in Vajrayana Buddhism, as important as understanding Samsara, rebirth and the Bodhichitta intention to benefit all sentient beings. Another translation of the longer title is Great Liberation through Hearing: The Supplication Pointing Out the Bardo of Existence. Tibetan Book of the Dead is more of a Westernized nickname than a serious title, conceptualized by an early translator likely influenced by Egyptian myth, or Dante’s inferno. Whatever you call the great teaching text, the question is: “Why study what happens “Between“ one life and the other?“ And how does knowing that, help us now? “Between lives“ can be taken as a  literal translation, or as a metaphor for a person who is “between“ the state of non-realization and the state of realization. In other words, most of us. Liberation, whether in this life, or “in between“ -- which is the Bardo -- is the same process of wisdom. By describing the process we go through “between our lives“ we illustrate the process we are now going through in our samsaric current life. To liberate ourselves from suffering, in this life, or in the Bardo, we try to sever our attachments, habits, clinging, and poisonous emotions such as anger. We also learn to face all these things as a Dharma hero, and to realize their illusory nature. In The Book of liberation through understanding the between, the glorious Lotus Born elaborates on a process of purification of negative karma baggage we all carry from our actions in the past. This is, ultimately, a path to liberation. We can, and should apply the metaphorical concepts in our current life. And, of course, he teaches us what to expect as we transition “in-between“ lives. The Book of Liberation Through Understanding the Between, is not merely a guide for the deceased but equally, a manual for serious spiritual practice in this life. The book, known as Bardo Thodol, treats death as a transformative process – a premise that the modern spiritual seeker can apply in everyday Buddhist practice. In the foreword to Robert Thurman’s excellent translation, the Dalai Lama described the Bardo Thodol this way: “The Bardo Thodol is a profound guide for spiritual transformation and realization.“ He went on to explain: “The reality of death has always been a major spur to virtuous and intelligent action.“ As we age, we realize the folly of our youthful activities, our wasted time, our selfishness, our anger, and we mellow, mature and start to think about others. As we come to grips with our mortality, we ripen our compassion, our altruism, our kindness. We have also developed more wisdom with age. These are some of the lessons we find in the Bardo Thodol. We are bound to impermanence. It is for this reason and the concept of transformation that teachers compare Bardo Thodol with the Highest Yoga practices of Unexcelled Yogas in Buddhism. In Highest Yoga Tantras, the meditation is mostly an “inner“ journey that mirrors closely the process described in the Bardo Thodol. These yogas, such as Guhyasamaja or Heruka Chakrasamvara, Vajrayogini, Hayagriva, Chittamani Tara, and so on, are inner body journeys where we visualize great mandalas of Enlightened Deities, then dissolve them into Emptiness. #Tibetanbookofthedead #bookofthedead #bardothodol #gururinpoche #buddhaweekly #buddhistteachings