The ''Bardo Thodol'' (, "Liberation Through Hearing During the Intermediate State"), commonly known in

the West West is a cardinal direction or compass point. West or The West may also refer to: Geography and locations Global context * The Western world * Western culture and Western civilization in general * The Western Bloc, countries allied with NATO ...

as ''The Tibetan Book of the Dead'', is a terma text from a larger corpus of teachings, the ''Profound Dharma of Self-Liberation through the Intention of the Peaceful and Wrathful Ones'', revealed by

Karma Lingpa Karma Lingpa (1326–1386) was the tertön (revealer) of the Bardo Thodol, the so-called ''Tibetan Book of the Dead''. Tradition holds that he was a reincarnation of Chokro Lü Gyeltsen, a disciple of Padmasambhava. History Karma Lingpa was b ...

(1326–1386). It is the best-known work of

Nyingma Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and transl ...

literature. In 1927 the text was one of the first examples of both Tibetan and Vajrayana literature to be translated into a European language and arguably continues to this day to be the best known. The Tibetan text describes, and is intended to guide one through, the experiences that the consciousness has after death, in the

bardo In some schools of Buddhism, ''bardo'' ( xct, བར་དོ་ Wylie: ''bar do'') or ''antarābhava'' (Sanskrit, Chinese and Japanese: 中有, romanized in Chinese as ''zhōng yǒu'' and in Japanese as ''chū'u'') is an intermediate, transitio ...

, the interval between death and the next

rebirth Rebirth may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Film * ''Rebirth'' (2011 film), a 2011 Japanese drama film * ''Rebirth'' (2016 film), a 2016 American thriller film * ''Rebirth'', a documentary film produced by Project Rebirth * ''The Re ...

. The text also includes chapters on the

signs of death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

and rituals to undertake when death is closing in or has taken place. The text can be used as either an advanced practice for trained meditators or to support the uninitiated during the death experience.

Etymology

''Bar do thos grol'' () translates as: “Liberation (grol) through Hearing (thos) in the Intermediate State (bardo)” * The Tibetan ''bar'' and its Sanskrit cognate ''antarā'' mean ‘between.’ The Sanskrit ''bhava'' means a place of existence. Thus ''antarābhava'' means ‘an existence between,’ translated into Tibetan as ''bardo''. * ''thos grol'': ''thos'' means ''hearing''. ''Grol'' means ‘liberation,’ which may be understood in this context as being synonymous with the Sanskrit ''

bodhi The English term enlightenment is the Western translation of various Buddhist terms, most notably bodhi and vimutti. The abstract noun ''bodhi'' (; Sanskrit: बोधि; Pali: ''bodhi''), means the knowledge or wisdom, or awakened intellect ...

'', "awakening", "understanding", "enlightenment", as well as with the term ''nirvāṇa'', "blowing out", "extinction", "the extinction of illusion". ''Grol'' has connotations of freeing, liberating, unravelling, becoming undone.

Original text

Origins and dating

According to Tibetan tradition, the ''Liberation Through Hearing During the Intermediate State'' was composed in the 8th century by

Padmasambhava Padmasambhava ("Born from a Lotus"), also known as Guru Rinpoche (Precious Guru) and the Lotus from Oḍḍiyāna, was a tantric Buddhist Vajra master from India who may have taught Vajrayana in Tibet (circa 8th – 9th centuries)... According ...

, written down by his primary student,

Yeshe Tsogyal Yeshe Tsogyal (c. 757 or 777 – 817 CE) , also known as "Victorious Ocean of Knowledge", "Knowledge Lake Empress" (, ཡེ་ཤེས་མཚོ་རྒྱལ), or by her Sanskrit name ''Jñānasāgara'' "Knowledge Ocean", or by her clan na ...

, buried in the Gampo hills in central Tibet and subsequently discovered by a

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...

an terton,

, in the 14th century.

''bar do thos grol''

The Tibetan title is ''bar do thos grol'', ''Liberation Through Hearing During the Intermediate State''. It consists of two comparatively long texts: * "Great Liberation through Hearing: The Supplication of the Bardo of Dharmata" (''chos nyid bar do'i gsol 'debs thos grol chen mo''), the bardo of dharmata (including the bardo of dying); * "Great Liberation through Hearing: The Supplication Pointing Out the Bardo of Existence" (''strid pa'i bar do ngo sprod gsol 'debs thos grol chen mo''), the bardo of existence. Within the texts themselves, the two combined are referred to as ''Liberation through Hearing in the Bardo'', ''Great Liberation through Hearing'', or just ''Liberation through Hearing''.

''kar-gling zhi-khro''

It is part of a larger terma cycle, ''Profound Dharma of Self-Liberation through the Intention of the Peaceful and Wrathful Ones'' (''zab-chos zhi khro dgongs pa rang grol'', also known as ''kar-gling zhi-khro)'', popularly known as "Karma Lingpa's Peaceful and Wrathful Ones." The ''Profound Dharma of Self-Liberation'' is known in several versions, containing varying numbers of sections and subsections, and arranged in different orders, ranging from around ten to thirty-eight titles. The individual texts cover a wide range of subjects, including meditation instructions, visualizations of deities, liturgies and prayers, lists of mantras, descriptions of the signs of death, indications of future rebirth, and texts such as the ''bar do thos grol'' that are concerned with the bardo-state.

Three bardos

The ''Bardo Thodol'' differentiates the intermediate state between lives into three bardos: # The ''chikhai bardo'' or "bardo of the moment of death", which features the experience of the "clear light of reality", or at least the nearest approximation of which one is spiritually capable; # The ''chonyid bardo'' or "bardo of the experiencing of reality", which features the experience of

visions Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain un ...

of various

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...

forms, or the nearest approximations of which one is capable; # The ''sidpa bardo'' or "bardo of rebirth", which features karmically impelled hallucinations which eventually result in rebirth, typically yab-yum imagery of men and women passionately entwined. The ''Liberation Through Hearing During the Intermediate State'' also mentions three other bardos: # "Life", or ordinary waking consciousness; # "Dhyana" (meditation); # "Dream", the dream state during normal sleep. Together these "six bardos" form a classification of

states of consciousness Consciousness, at its simplest, is sentience and awareness of internal and external existence. However, the lack of definitions has led to millennia of analyses, explanations and debates by philosophers, theologians, linguisticians, and scient ...

into six broad types. Any state of consciousness can form a type of "intermediate state", intermediate between other states of consciousness. Indeed, one can consider any momentary state of consciousness a bardo, since it lies between our past and future existences; it provides us with the opportunity to experience reality, which is always present but obscured by the projections and confusions that are due to our previous unskillful actions.

English translations

Evans-Wentz's ''The Tibetan Book of the Dead''

The ''bar do thos grol'' has become known in the English speaking world as ''The Tibetan Book of the Dead'', a title popularized by

Walter Evans-Wentz Walter Yeeling Evans-Wentz (February 2, 1878 – July 17, 1965) was an American anthropologist and writer who was a pioneer in the study of Tibetan Buddhism, and in transmission of Tibetan Buddhism to the Western world, most known for publishin ...

's edition, after the Egyptian Book of the Dead, though the English title bears no relationship with the Tibetan, as outlined above. The Evans-Wentz edition was first published in 1927 by

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

. According to John Myrdhin Reynolds, Evans-Wentz's edition of the ''Tibetan Book of the Dead'' introduced a number of misunderstandings about

Dzogchen Dzogchen (, "Great Perfection" or "Great Completion"), also known as ''atiyoga'' ( utmost yoga), is a tradition of teachings in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and Yungdrung Bon aimed at discovering and continuing in the ultimate ground of existence. ...

. In fact, Evans-Wentz collected seven texts about visualization of the after-death experiences and he introduced this work collection as "The Tibetan Book of Death." Evans-Wentz was well acquainted with Theosophy and used this framework to interpret the translation of ''The Tibetan Book of the Dead'', which was largely provided by two Tibetan lamas who spoke English, Lama Sumdhon Paul and Lama Lobzang Mingnur Dorje. Evans-Wentz was not familiar with Tibetan Buddhism, and his view of Tibetan Buddhism was "fundamentally neither Tibetan nor Buddhist, but

Theosophical Theosophy is a religion established in the United States during the late 19th century. It was founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Categorized by scholars of religion a ...

and Vedantist." He introduced a terminology into the translation which was largely derived from

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

, as well as from his Theosophical beliefs. The third revised and expanded Evans-Wentz edition of The Tibetan Book of the Dead contains a psychological commentary by

Carl Jung Carl Gustav Jung ( ; ; 26 July 1875 – 6 June 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology. Jung's work has been influential in the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, philo ...

in an English translation by R. F. C. Hull. The same analysis appears in Jung’s Collected Works. Jung applied his extensive knowledge of eastern religions to craft a commentary specifically aimed at a western audience unfamiliar with eastern religious tradition in general and Tibetan Buddhism specifically. He does not attempt to directly correlate the content of the Bardo Thodol with rituals or dogma found in occidental religions, but rather highlights karmic phenomena described on the Bardo plane and shows how they parallel unconscious contents (both personal and collective) encountered in the West, particularly in the context of analytical psychology. Jung’s comments should be taken strictly within the realm of psychology, and not that of theology or metaphysics. Indeed, he warns repeatedly of the dangers for western man in the wholesale adoption of eastern religious traditions such as yoga.

Other translations and summaries

* Conze, Edward (1959) ''Buddhist Scriptures''. Harmondsworth: Penguin (includes a précis) * MacHovec, Frank (1972) ''The Tibetan Book of the Dead''. Mount Vernon: Peter Pauper Press * Fremantle, Francesca &

Chögyam Trungpa Chögyam Trungpa (Wylie transliteration, Wylie: ''Chos rgyam Drung pa''; March 5, 1939 – April 4, 1987) was a Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhist meditation master and holder of both the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, the 11th ...

(1975) ''The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Great Liberation through Hearing in the Bardo by

Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava ("Born from a Lotus"), also known as Guru Rinpoche (Precious Guru) and the Lotus from Oḍḍiyāna, was a tantric Buddhist Vajra master from India who may have taught Vajrayana in Tibet (circa 8th – 9th centuries)... According ...

according to

''. Boulder: Shambhala , (reissued 2003) * Thurman, Robert (1994) ''The Tibetan Book of the Dead, as popularly known in the West; known in Tibet as "The Great Book of Natural Liberation Through Understanding in the Between"''; composed by Padma Sambhava; discovered by

; foreword by the

Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current Dal ...

London: Harper Collins * Hodge, Stephen & Martin Boord (1999) ''The Illustrated Tibetan Book of the Dead: A New Translation and Commentary''. New York: Sterling * Dorje, Gyurme (trans.); Graham Coleman and

Thupten Jinpa Thupten Jinpa Langri (born 1958) is a Tibetan Buddhist scholar, former monk and an academic of religious studies and both Eastern and Western philosophy. He has been the principal English translator to the Dalai Lama since 1985. He has translated ...

(eds.) (2005) ''The Tibetan Book of the Dead'' nglish title ''The Great Liberation by Hearing in the Intermediate States'' ibetan title composed by Padma Sambhava: revealed by

. London: Penguin Books Also: New York: Viking Penguin, NY, 2006. (hc); (pbk) Reprinted in Penguin Classics; London: Penguin Books (2005) (As of 2022, this remains the only translation of the complete cycle of texts of which the ''Tibetan Book of the Dead'' is part. Here it comprises chapter 11.) *Related (from the same terma cycle) ** ''Natural Liberation''. 1998.

. B. Alan Wallace (translator), with commentary by Gyatrul Rinpoche. Wisdom Publications. ''Natural Liberation'' is from the same terma cycle and gives detailed instructions for practice within the six bardos.

Popular influence

''The Psychedelic Experience''

The Psychedelic Experience ''The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on The Tibetan Book of the Dead'' (commonly referred to as ''The Psychedelic Experience'') is a 1964 book about using psychedelic drugs that was coauthored by Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner and Richard ...

'', published in 1964, is a guide for LSD trips, written by

Timothy Leary Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was an American psychologist and author known for his strong advocacy of psychedelic drugs. Evaluations of Leary are polarized, ranging from bold oracle to publicity hound. He was "a her ...

Ralph Metzner Ralph Metzner (May 18, 1936 – March 14, 2019) was a German-born American psychologist, writer and researcher, who participated in psychedelic research at Harvard University in the early 1960s with Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert (later named ...

and

Richard Alpert Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert; April 6, 1931 – December 22, 2019), also known as Baba Ram Dass, was an American spiritual teacher, guru of modern yoga, psychologist, and author. His best-selling 1971 book '' Be Here Now'', which has been ...

(later known as Ram Dass), loosely based on Evan-Wentz's translation of the ''

Tibetan Book of the Dead The ''Bardo Thodol'' (, "Liberation Through Hearing During the Intermediate State"), commonly known in the West as ''The Tibetan Book of the Dead'', is a terma text from a larger corpus of teachings, the ''Profound Dharma of Self-Liberation ...

''.

Aldous Huxley Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. He wrote nearly 50 books, both novels and non-fiction works, as well as wide-ranging essays, narratives, and poems. Born into the prominent Huxley ...

introduced the ''Tibetan Book of the Dead'' to Timothy Leary. According to Leary, Metzner and Alpert, the ''Tibetan Book of the Dead'' is They construed the effect of LSD as a "stripping away" of ego-defenses, finding parallels between the stages of death and rebirth in the ''Tibetan Book of the Dead'', and the stages of psychological "death" and "rebirth" which Leary had identified during his research. According to Leary, Metzner and Alpert it is:

Musical, cinematic, and literary works

* French composer

Pierre Henry Henry at his home (January 2008) Pierre Georges Albert François Henry (; 9 December 1927 – 5 July 2017) was a French composer and pioneer of musique concrète. Biography Henry was born in Paris, France, and began experimenting at the age of ...

based his pioneering 1963 electroacoustic ballet work ''Le Voyage'' on the narrative of the text. A recording of the work was released by Philips in 1967. * The 1969 novel ''

Ubik ''Ubik'' ( ) is a 1969 science fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick. The story is set in a future 1992 where psychic powers are utilized in corporate espionage, while cryonic technology allows recently deceased people to be maintain ...

'' by Philip K. Dick is inspired by The Tibetan Book of the Dead and features a direct quote from it by one of the characters. * The late 1960s band The Third Bardo took their name from the Tibetan Book of the Dead. * in 1974 Finnish composer

Erik Bergman Erik Valdemar Bergman (24 November 1911, in Nykarleby – 24 April 2006, in Helsinki) was a composer of classical music from Finland. Bergman's style ranged widely, from Romanticism in his early works (many of which he later prohibited from bein ...

composed a work titled Bardo Thödol for a speaker, mezzo-soprano, baritone, mixed choir and orchestra; the text was based on a German translation of the Book of the Dead * 1985 2-part documentary filmed in Ladakh and the States, first part entitled "The Tibetan Book of the Dead: A Way of Life"; the second part "The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Great Liberation" was a co-production between NHK (Japan), Mistral (France) and FBC (Canada). Narration in the English version is by

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

. * Between 1983 and 1993 French composer

Éliane Radigue Éliane Radigue (born January 24, 1932) is a French electronic music composer. She began working in the 1950s and her first compositions were presented in the late 1960s. Until 2000 her work was almost exclusively created with the ARP 2500 modul ...

created her three-hour work of electronic music, ''Trilogie de la Mort''. Her Tibetan Buddhist meditation practise, including engagement with the Bardo Thodol after the deaths of her son and her meditation teacher, are central to this piece, in particular the first section entitled "Kyema (Intermediate States)". * Screenwriter and film producer

Bruce Joel Rubin Bruce Joel Rubin (born March 10, 1943) is an American screenwriter, meditation teacher, and photographer. His films often explore themes of life and death with metaphysical and science fiction elements. Prominent among them are '' Jacob's Ladder' ...

, who once lived in a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, considers his 1990 film ''

Jacob's Ladder Jacob's Ladder ( he, סֻלָּם יַעֲקֹב ) is a ladder leading to heaven that was featured in a dream the biblical Patriarch Jacob had during his flight from his brother Esau in the Book of Genesis (chapter 28). The significance of th ...

'' a modern interpretation of the ''Bardo Thodol''. * Space rock band

Bardo Pond Bardo Pond are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1991, and who are currently signed to London-based label Fire Records. The current members are Michael Gibbons (guitar), John Gibbons (guitar), Isobel Sollenberger (flute and vocals), Cl ...

, formed in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

in 1991, take their name in part from the Bardo Thodol. * In 1991 ''

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying ''The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying'', written by Sogyal Rinpoche in 1992, is a presentation of the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism based on the '' Tibetan Book of the Dead'' or ''Bardo Thodol''. The author wrote, "I have written ''The Tibetan B ...

'' by Sogyal Rinpoche was published as an updated version of the Bardo Thodol. * In 1996,

Delerium Records Delerium Records was a British independent record label, that specialised in psychedelic music and which existed from 1991 to 2003, and was notable in promoting the careers of bands including Porcupine Tree, Ozric Tentacles, Kava Kava (band), ...

released the ''Liberation Thru' Hearing'' CD which contains spoken/chanted readings from the Bardo Thodol set to music. * In episode 9 of the second season of

Twin Peaks ''Twin Peaks'' is an American Mystery fiction, mystery serial drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It premiered on American Broadcasting Company, ABC on April 8, 1990, and originally ran for two seasons until its cance ...

, the protagonist loosely quotes the ''Tibetan Book of the Dead'' while one of the characters is dying. * ''

Enter the Void ''Enter the Void'' is a 2009 English-language experimental art film written and directed by Gaspar Noé and starring Nathaniel Brown, Paz de la Huerta, and Cyril Roy. It is a psychological drama fantasy film set in the neon-lit nightclub env ...

'', a 2009 French film written and directed by

Gaspar Noé Gaspar Noé (, ; born 27 December 1963) is an Argentine filmmaker based in Paris, France. He is the son of Argentine painter, writer, and intellectual Luis Felipe Noé. In the early 1990s, Noé along with his wife Lucile Hadžihalilović were ...

, is loosely based on the ''Tibetan Book of the Dead''. * Electronic group Demdike Stare released an album in 2010, '' Liberation Through Hearing'', featuring a track titled "Bardo Thodol". * Alternative rock group

Live Live may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Live!'' (2007 film), 2007 American film * ''Live'' (2014 film), a 2014 Japanese film *'' ''Live'' (Apocalyptica DVD) Music *Live (band), American alternative rock band * List of albums ...

has a song called "T.B.D." on their 1994 album ''

Throwing Copper ''Throwing Copper'' is the third studio album by American alternative rock band Live, released on April 26, 1994, on former MCA Records subsidiary Radioactive Records. It was produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads and was recorded at Pach ...

'', which the singer Ed Kowalczyk explained on "The Public Affection" bootleg, stands for "Tibetan Book of the Dead". The songs' lyrics also refer to a state "when the brain is dead". * ''

Lincoln in the Bardo ''Lincoln in the Bardo'' is a 2017 experimental novel by American writer George Saunders. It is Saunders's first full-length novel and was the ''New York Times'' hardcover fiction bestseller for the week of March 5, 2017. The novel takes place d ...

'' is a 2017

experimental novel Experimental literature is a genre that is, according to Warren Motte in his essa"Experimental Writing, Experimental Reading" "difficult to define with any sort of precision." He says the "writing is often invoked in an "offhand manner" and the ...

by American writer

George Saunders George Saunders (born December 2, 1958) is an American writer of short stories, essays, novellas, children's books, and novels. His writing has appeared in ''The New Yorker'', '' Harper's'', ''McSweeney's'', and '' GQ''. He also contributed a w ...

. It is Saunders's first full-length novel and was ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' hardcover fiction bestseller for the week of March 5, 2017.

Notes

References

Sources

* * * * Cuevas, Bryan J. ''The Hidden History of the Tibetan Book of the Dead''. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

''Bardo Thodol – The Tibetan Book of the Dead'' – Public Domain PDF ebook''The Tibetan Book of the Dead: A Way of Life''
nbsp;– First part of a documentary filmed in Ladakh by NHK, Mistral and CFB
''The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Great Liberation''
nbsp;– Second part of a documentary filmed in Ladakh by NHK, Mistral and CFB
"The Life, Death and Rebirth of The ''Tibetan Book of the Dead''"
Donald S. Lopez Jr.,
Berfrois
', 13 April 2011 {{Buddhism topics 8th-century books Nyingma texts Tibetan Buddhist treatises Cultural aspects of death Books adapted into films Buddhism and death Books about death Funerary texts