AKA: Tibetan Book of the Dead
Just for shits. Let's see what this book is all about.
So a Bardo is like a phase of awareness. Let's say you zone out and are day-dreaming. That could be described as a Bardo... a state of awareness. This book lists 6: When you are in the Womb, When you are dreaming, When you are Meditating/Focused, The Bardo of the Moment of Death, The Bardo of experiencing reality, and the Bardo of experiencing the opposite of this realm of suffering, Enlightenment? I guess.
First stage of this dying Bardo: Near death, recite the reminders to the dying. Remind the dying one of their practice in facing the light during life. It will remind them that the naked mind is the light. Remind them to recognize themselves when face-to-face.
IF THAT FAILS TO GUIDE THEM
Second Stage of this Bardo: After death the vitality/essence leaves the body and doesn't recognize that it is dead. Depending on the level of enlightenment of the deceased, speak the proper words to remind them. Kind of a psychic bonk on the head. The deceased will have attained a light-body but is confused. With proper recitation of the reminding words and guidance, karma will not affect the deceased and he will recognize the clear light face-to-face. Apparently karma, how you lived your life, affects how much time and effort is needed to bonk the person into recognizing enlightenment.
IF THAT FAILS TO GUIDE THEM
Third Stage of this Bardo: The deceased will be hanging around aware of what is going on but being unable to communicate with the mourners and will become displeased and try to leave, go beyond help.
Then begins the 49 days of ritual... at least that what I have gathered. Each day is a step. Looking forward to seeing what they have to say. Of course I don't really think any of this happens BUT
BUT
I do like the view they have of coming face-to-face. You die, your consciousness becomes void, but not empty void. The void they speak of is like the essence of reality. The light. The truth. You have to realize this void, this light is YOU. Your intellect is gone, but the essence is there. You are an aspect of reality looking upon itself. Face-to-face. Any illusions, dreams, pleasures, torments, etc. that you encounter on the voyage are just aspects of yourself that you need to recognize, understand, and move through with understanding and growth.
I have to give it to these guys, the rituals aren't for "conjuring" spirits or some sort of arcane spell casting. The rituals are really just reminders to the souls of the dead that "Look, this is what you learned or didn't learn during life, this is what is happening, don't be afraid it happens to everyone, this is what you need to keep in your mind while you face yourself and are given the opportunity to move on."
Beautiful and caring. Kneeling over a corpse and reciting words of wisdom in the chance the dead can hear and be helped by it. Most likely the dead can't hear the words, because they are dead, but the thought and respect afforded to the dead is staggering compared to our culture.
That's a lot better than digging a 6 foot hole and throwing a funeral and getting drunk.
I respect the hell out of this.
Just for shits. Let's see what this book is all about.
So a Bardo is like a phase of awareness. Let's say you zone out and are day-dreaming. That could be described as a Bardo... a state of awareness. This book lists 6: When you are in the Womb, When you are dreaming, When you are Meditating/Focused, The Bardo of the Moment of Death, The Bardo of experiencing reality, and the Bardo of experiencing the opposite of this realm of suffering, Enlightenment? I guess.
First stage of this dying Bardo: Near death, recite the reminders to the dying. Remind the dying one of their practice in facing the light during life. It will remind them that the naked mind is the light. Remind them to recognize themselves when face-to-face.
IF THAT FAILS TO GUIDE THEM
Second Stage of this Bardo: After death the vitality/essence leaves the body and doesn't recognize that it is dead. Depending on the level of enlightenment of the deceased, speak the proper words to remind them. Kind of a psychic bonk on the head. The deceased will have attained a light-body but is confused. With proper recitation of the reminding words and guidance, karma will not affect the deceased and he will recognize the clear light face-to-face. Apparently karma, how you lived your life, affects how much time and effort is needed to bonk the person into recognizing enlightenment.
IF THAT FAILS TO GUIDE THEM
Third Stage of this Bardo: The deceased will be hanging around aware of what is going on but being unable to communicate with the mourners and will become displeased and try to leave, go beyond help.
Then begins the 49 days of ritual... at least that what I have gathered. Each day is a step. Looking forward to seeing what they have to say. Of course I don't really think any of this happens BUT
BUT
I do like the view they have of coming face-to-face. You die, your consciousness becomes void, but not empty void. The void they speak of is like the essence of reality. The light. The truth. You have to realize this void, this light is YOU. Your intellect is gone, but the essence is there. You are an aspect of reality looking upon itself. Face-to-face. Any illusions, dreams, pleasures, torments, etc. that you encounter on the voyage are just aspects of yourself that you need to recognize, understand, and move through with understanding and growth.
I have to give it to these guys, the rituals aren't for "conjuring" spirits or some sort of arcane spell casting. The rituals are really just reminders to the souls of the dead that "Look, this is what you learned or didn't learn during life, this is what is happening, don't be afraid it happens to everyone, this is what you need to keep in your mind while you face yourself and are given the opportunity to move on."
Beautiful and caring. Kneeling over a corpse and reciting words of wisdom in the chance the dead can hear and be helped by it. Most likely the dead can't hear the words, because they are dead, but the thought and respect afforded to the dead is staggering compared to our culture.
That's a lot better than digging a 6 foot hole and throwing a funeral and getting drunk.
I respect the hell out of this.
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