Tibetan Book of the Dead (Bardo Thodol)

Asangoham, 1/20/23; Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

How should we transmit esoteric knowledge? - Let's encode it in colored sand.

The Secret Teachings of The Tibetan Book of the Dead

(Asangoham) The Tibetan Book of the Dead, also known as the Bardo Thodol, is an ancient terma text that has its origins in the esoteric [heavily influenced by pre-Buddhist Bon] Vajrayana Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

The US of the 1960s loved Tibetan Buddhism

It is a guide to the intermediate state between death and rebirth. It is read or, more accurately, recited to someone who is dying or has recently died in order to help that person navigate the hallucinations and visions that occur during the dying process.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead offers a unique perspective on the nature of consciousness and the human experience of death and rebirth, teaching that consciousness is not limited to the body and that death is not the end, but rather a transition to a new state of being [actually of dynamic and never static becoming].

The Tibetan Book of the Dead's origins can be traced back to the 8th century when the Tibetan King Trisong Detsen [Emperor Tri Songdetsen, the 38th emperor of Tibet] directed the Indian Buddhist master Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) to bring the teachings of Buddhism [from ancient Brahminical (and Brahmin-influenced Mahayana Buddhist] India] to Tibet.

Padmasambhava, known also as "Guru Rinpoche," brought the teachings on the bardos, or the intermediate states between death and rebirth, from his teachers in India.

The teachings were later compiled into the text known today as The Tibetan Book of the Dead. However, the book is not considered Buddhist scripture [not taught by the Buddha or his immediate enlightened disciples or included in the canon of teachings] in the traditional sense.

Scriptures are texts that are the words of the Buddha or other enlightened beings, and these sources are considered to be the ultimate source of Buddhist teachings or the Dhamma or Dharma.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead is considered a terma, or "hidden [cultural] treasure." Termas are believed to contain teachings that are specifically suited to the Tibetan cultural context.

Tibet's church-state  mixes politics and religion.

[These might not be acceptable teachings or regarded as "treasure" in neighboring Buddhist or Himalayan cultures like the Nepalese, Bhutanese, Mongolian, Bangladeshi, and curious hill tribe peoples of South and Southeast Asia many of whom fell within the purview and influence of Potala Palace (a kind of imperial Rome that became the Vatican/Holy See and Catholic Church headquarters ever since the pre-Jesus worship of Mithras later erasing this god and replacing him with the figure of Jesus Christ, or "Ceasar's Messiah," but keeping many of the same myths and details), Lhasa, Tibet at one time].

#bardosthodol #tibetanbookofthedead #spirituality

• Script: Matt Mackane
• Voiceover: Andrea Giordani
• Editor: Aakash Chauhan
• Score: Epidemic Music

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