Book of the Dead (Tibetan)

The Tibetan Book of the Dead: First Complete Translation (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

The first complete translation of the classic Buddhist text

One of the greatest works created by any culture and overwhelmingly the most significant of all Tibetan Buddhist texts in the West, The Tibetan Book of the Dead has had a number of distinguished but partial translations. Now the entire text has not only been made available in English but also in a translation of remarkable clarity and beauty. Translated with the close support of leading contemporary masters, this complete edition faithfully presents the insights and intentions of the original work. It includes one of the most detailed and compelling descriptions of the after-death state in world literature, practices that can transform our experience of daily life, guidance on helping those who are dying, and an inspirational perspective on coping with bereavement.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead (The Great Book of Natural Liberation Through Understanding in the Between)

Imagine that as you leave your body at death, you hear the voice of a loved one whispering in your ear explanations of everything you see in the world beyond. Unlike other translations of Bar do thos grol (or The Tibetan Book of the Dead), Robert Thurman's takes literally the entire gamut of metaphysical assumptions. Thurman translates Bar do thos grol as The Great Book of Natural Liberation through Understanding in the Between. It is one of many mortuary texts of the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism and is commonly recited to or by a person facing imminent death. Thurman reproduces it for this purpose, explaining in some depth the Tibetan conception of postmortem existence. Over as many as 12 days, the deceased person is given explanations of what he or she sees and experiences and is guided through innumerable visions of the realms beyond to reach eventual liberation, or, failing that, a safe rebirth. Like a backpacker's guide to a foreign land, Thurman's version is clear, detailed, and sympathetic to the inexperienced voyager. It includes background and supplementary information, and even illustrations (sorry, no maps). Don't wait until the journey has begun. Every page should be read and memorized well ahead of time. --Brian Bruya

The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead (Citadel Underground)

The Tibetan Book of the Dead (Book and Audio-CD Set) (Book & CD)

To listen to an audio excerpt online in MP3 format, click here.

In this classic scripture of Tibetan Buddhism—traditionally read aloud to the dying to help them attain liberation—death and rebirth are seen as a process that provides an opportunity to recognize the true nature of mind.

This book-and-audio set offers a new way to encounter the profound meaning of this sacred text. The package contains a complete edition of The Tibetan Book of the Dead with an introduction by Francesca Fremantle and insightful commentary by Chögyam Trungpa, written in clear concise language, that explains the text and offers a psychological perspective on its teachings.

Also included here is a set of three audio CDs with an introduction by Fremantle and a translation of The Tibetan Book of the Dead, both read by the actor Richard Gere.

3 CDs, with a 192-page book

The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Or The After-Death Experiences on the Bardo Plane, according to Lama Kazi Dawa-Samdup's English Rendering

The Tibetan Book of the Dead is one of the texts that, according to legend, Padma-Sambhava was compelled to hide during his visit to Tibet in the late 8th century. The guru hid his books in stones, lakes, and pillars because the Tibetans of that day and age were somehow unprepared for their teachings. Now, in the form of the ever-popular Tibetan Book of the Dead, these teachings are constantly being discovered and rediscovered by Western readers of many different backgrounds--a phenomenon which began in 1927 with Oxford's first edition of Dr. Evans-Wentz's landmark volume. While it is traditionally used as a mortuary text, to be read or recited in the presence of a dead or dying person, this book--which relates the whole experience of death and rebirth in three intermediate states of being--was originally understood as a guide not only for the dead but also for the living. As a contribution to the science of death and dying--not to mention the belief in life after death, or the belief in rebirth--The Tibetan Book of the Dead is unique among the sacred texts of the world, for its socio-cultural influence in this regard is without comparison.
This fourth edition features a new foreword, afterword, and suggested further reading list by Donald S. Lopez, author of Prisoners of Shangri-La: Tibetan Buddhism and the West. Lopez traces the whole history of the late Evans-Wentz's three earlier editions of this book, fully considering the work of contributors to previous editions (C. G. Jung among them), the sections that were added by Evans-Wentz along the way, the questions surrounding the book's translation, and finally the volume's profound importance in engendering both popular and academic interest in the religion and culture of Tibet. Another key theme that Lopez addresses is the changing nature of this book's audience--from the prewar theosophists to the beat poets to the hippies to contemporary exponents of the hospice movement--and what these audiences have found (or sought) in its very old pages.

Luminous Emptiness: A Guide to the Tibetan Book of the Dead

Francesca Fremantle, who many years ago helped produce a translation of The Tibetan Book of the Dead, has now taken it upon herself to unravel its complexities. Fortunately, she begins with the basic tenets of Buddhism, including karma and reincarnation, then gradually moves out to more complicated notions such as bardo (in-between state), the nonmaterial side of the elements, the ego, and psychological imprisonment. Before we even get to the text itself, we understand that as much as The Tibetan Book of the Dead is about the death experience, it also symbolizes the processes of life. Only while living can we prepare for death. In the final third of Luminous Emptiness, Fremantle begins to follow the step-by-step processes of the after-death experience, explaining difficult notions and adding background information. Anyone serious about using The Tibetan Book of the Dead will find Luminous Emptiness the next best thing to having one's own personal guru. --Brian Bruya

The Tibetan Book of the Dead, a best-seller for three decades, is one of the most widely read texts of Tibetan Buddhism. Over the years, it has been studied and cherished by Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. Luminous Emptiness is a detailed guide to this classic work, elucidating its mysterious concepts, terms, and imagery. Fremantle relates the symbolic world of the Tibetan Book of the Dead to the experiences of everyday life, presenting the text not as a scripture for the dying, but as a guide for the living. According to the Buddhist view, nothing is permanent or fixed. The entire world of our experience is constantly appearing and disappearing at every moment. Using vivid and dramatic imagery, the Tibetan Book of the Dead presents the notion that most of us are living in a dream that will continue from lifetime to lifetime until we truly awaken by becoming enlightened. Here, Fremantle, who worked closely with Chögyam Trungpa on the 1975 translation of the Tibetan Book of the Dead (Shambhala), brings the expertise of a lifetime of study to rendering this intriguing classic more accessible and meaningful to the living. Luminous Emptiness features in-depth explanations of: The Tibetan Buddhist notions of death and rebirth The meaning of the five energies and the five elements in Tibetan Buddhism The mental and physical experience of dying, according to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition

The Tibetan Book of the Dead (Shambala Pocket Classics)

In this classic scripture of Tibetan Buddhism—traditionally read aloud to the dying to help them attain liberation—death and rebirth are seen as a process that provides an opportunity to recognize the true nature of mind. This unabridged translation of The Tibetan Book of the Dead emphasizes the practical advice that the book offers to the living. The insightful commentary by Chögyam Trungpa, written in clear, concise language, explains what the text teaches us about human psychology. This book will be of interest to people concerned with death and dying, as well as those who seek greater spiritual understanding in everyday life.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead for Reading Aloud

The Tibetan Book of the Dead for Reading Aloud is famed playwright Jean-Claude van Itallie’s poetic adaptation of traditional Tibetan passages used to aid and comfort at the time of death. His lyrical and insightful poetry is accompanied by Gerry Vezzuso’s vivid photographs, Tibetan art, and other images evocative of this process. This text leads us through the stages we experience after death and helps us to overcome the ambitions, desires, jealousies, and fears that can obscure our understanding of ourselves and our transition into the next life.

Living, Dreaming, Dying: Wisdom for Everyday Life from the Tibetan Book of the Dead

The Tibetan Book of the Dead is one of the best-known Tibetan Buddhist texts. It is also one of the most difficult texts for Westerners to understand. In Living, Dreaming, Dying, Rob Nairn presents the first interpretation of this classic text using a modern Western perspective, avoiding arcane religious terminology, keeping his explanations grounded in everyday language. Nairn explores the concepts used in this highly revered work and brings out their meaning and significance for our daily life. He shows readers how the Tibetan Book of the Dead can help us understand life and self as well as the dying process. Living, Dreaming, Dying helps readers to "live deliberately"—and confront death deliberately. One thing that prevents us from doing that, according to Nairn, is our tendency to react fearfully whenever change occurs. But if we confront our fear of change and the unknown, we can learn to flow gracefully with the unfolding circumstances of life rather than be at their mercy. Of course, change occurs throughout our life, but a period of transition also occurs as we pass from the waking state into sleep, and likewise as we pass into death. Therefore the author's teachings apply equally to living as well as to dreaming and dying. Through meditation instructions and practical exercises, the author explains how to: Explore the mind through the cultivation of deep meditation states and expanded consciousness Develop awareness of negative tendencies Use deep sleep states and lucid dreaming to increase self-understanding as well as to "train" oneself in how to die so that one is prepared for when the time comes Confront and liberate oneself from fear of death and the unknown

The Collected Works of Chogyam Trungpa, Volume 6: Glimpses of Space-Orderly Chaos-Secret Beyond Thought-The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Commentary-Transcending Madness-Selected Writings

The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa brings together in eight volumes the writings of one of the first and most influential and inspirational Tibetan teachers to present Buddhism in the West. Organized by theme, the collection includes full-length books as well as articles, seminar transcripts, poems, plays, and interviews, many of which have never before been available in book form. From memoirs of his escape from Chinese-occupied Tibet to insightful discussions of psychology, mind, and meditation; from original verse and calligraphy to the esoteric lore of tantric Buddhism—the impressive range of Trungpa's vision, talents, and teachings is showcased in this landmark series. Volume Six contains advanced teachings on the nature of mind and tantric experiences. Chögyam Trungpa's commentary on the Tibetan Book of the Dead explains what this classic text teaches about human psychology. Transcending Madness presents a unique view of the Tibetan concept of bardo. Orderly Chaos explains the inner meaning of the mandala. Secret Beyond Thought presents teachings on the five chakras and the four karmas. Glimpses of Space consists of two seminars: "The Feminine Principle" and "Evam." In the article "Femininity," the author presents a playful look at the role of feminine energy in Buddhist teachings. "The Bardo," based on teachings given in England in the 1960s, has not been available in published form for many years.