What are some important messages revealed in the "Tibetan book fo the Dead"??

Question

Perhaps around 3-7 spiritual messages you recall reading which describes what a person experiences once they 'reach the other side' [life review?]--what else does it claim?
thx

Answer 1

The Bardo Thodol (Tibetan book of the Dead) is recited by lamas over a dying or recently deceased person, or sometimes over an effigy of the deceased. It has been suggested that it is a sign of the influence of shamanism on Tibetan Buddhism. The name means literally "liberation through hearing in the intermediate state".

The Bardo Thodol actually differentiates the intermediate states between lives into three bardos (themselves further subdivided):

the chikhai bardo or "bardo of the moment of death"
the chonyid bardo or "bardo of the experiencing of reality"
the sidpa bardo or "bardo of rebirth".

The chikhai bardo features the experience of the "clear light of reality", or at least the nearest approximation to it of which one is spiritually capable.

The chonyid bardo features the experience of visions of various Buddha forms (or, again, the nearest approximations of which one is capable).

The sidpa bardo features karmically impelled hallucinations which eventually result in rebirth. (Typically imagery of men and women passionately intwined.)

One can compare the descriptions of the Bardo Thodol with accounts of certain "out of the body" near-death experiences described by people who have nearly died in accidents or on the operating table - these typically contain accounts of a "white light", experienced as, somehow, a living being, and of helpful figures corresponding to that person's religious tradition.

The Bardo Thodol also mentions three other bardos: those of "life" (or ordinary waking consciousness), of "dhyana" (meditation), and of "dream". Thus together the "six bardos" form a classification of states of consciousness into six broad types, and any state of consciousness forms 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 due to our previous unskillful actions.

According to Tibetan tradition, the Bardo Thodol was composed by Padmasambhava, written down by his wife, Yeshe Tsogyal, buried in the Gampo hills in central Tibet and subsequently discovered by a Tibetan terton, Karma Lingpa.

Answer 2

The Book of the Dead is the common name for ancient Egyptian funerary texts known as The Book of Coming [or Going] Forth By Day. The name "Book of the Dead" was the invention of the German Egyptologist Karl Richard Lepsius, who published a selection of the texts in 1842.

According to R.O. Faulkner, The Book of the Dead was used by the ancient Egyptians as a set of instructions for the afterlife. Not all the spells were used for every burial, but a selection depending on the individual's wealth and status. Some spells were gifts to the gods, while other were used so the person could walk, a spell for not dying again in the afterlife, and even a spell 'For preventing a man from going upside down and from eating feces'(chapter 189)

The book is therefore not, contrary to popular belief, spells to raise the dead, but rather teachings on what the afterlife would contain and how to overcome the obstacles which stood in the way of reaching the field of reeds (or field of peace), the ultimate goal for an Egyptian in the afterlife.

The text can also be seen as initiation literature into the mystery of the afterlife. The afterlife is mostly a mystery to the average Egyptian, but by obtaining a Book of the Dead, he would be able to read it and would be part of the elite group which knew what the afterlife contained.

The earliest known versions date from the 16th century BCE during the New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty (ca. 1550-1292 BCE). It partly incorporated two previous collections of Egyptian religious literature, known as the Coffin Texts (ca. 2000 BC) and the Pyramid Texts (ca. 2600 BC-2300 BC), both of which were eventually superseded by the Book of the Dead. The Book of the Dead for Scribe Ani, the Papyrus of Ani, was originally 78 ft (28 m), and was separated into thirty seven sheets at appropriate chapter and topical divisions.

The text was often individualized for the deceased person, so no two copies contain the same text. However, "book" versions containing similar features are generally categorized into four main divisions – the Heliopolitan version, which was edited by the priests of the college of Annu (used from the 5th to the 11th dynasty and on walls of tombs until about 200); the Theban version, which contained hieroglyphics only (20th to the 28th dynasty); a hieroglyphic and hieratic character version, closely related to the Theban version, which had no fixed order of chapters (used mainly in the 20th dynasty); and the Saite version which has strict order (used after the 26th dynasty).

Chapter 125 is probably the best-known segment of the Book of the Dead. It deals with the dead soul's judgment by Osiris and his 42 judge deities.

The deceased soul must recite the "declaration of innocence" which is addressed to Osiris and consists of the denial of a series of wrong-doings in order to assure Osiris that he has lived a decent life. The deceased must then address the 42 judges by name and deny a further 42 transgressions (one per judge). If the deceased is subsequently found worthy he will be taken before Osiris who will lead him to the realm of the blessed.

The content of some of the statements of denial or the 'negative confession' (I have done no falsehood, I have not robbed, I have not killed men) has led some scholars to hypothesis that Chapter 125 may be the basis for the Biblical Ten Commandments.

Some other views which the Tibetans see death are:

Human life is characterized by being halfway between excessive pain and excessive pleasure.

Anyone can die at any time under any circumstances.

Tibetans are highly individualistic and unpredictable.

Body, mind and speech: There are ten basic laws (3 of the body; four of speech; and three of the mind.) Once a person achieves all three the triad becomes The Three Buddha Bodies, ordinary body becoming the Emanation Body, speech the Beatific Body, and mind the Truth Body.

The body laws are not to kill, steal or commit sexual misconduct.
The speech laws are not to lie, slander, chatter or revile.
The mind laws are not to covet, hate, or hold misguided views.

Answer 3

The Tibetan book of the dead refers to the reparations that should take place prior to one’s death. Provides guidance to the exiting being regarding:
- Thol-Grol (self-liberation)
- Bardo of death (the hour of death)
- Assistance by the dakini
- Focus of consciousness
- Control of fear
- Assisting deities
Once the person has crossed over, the Akashic records are available for review and evaluation. If the deeds in life were good (the amplified perception of good) then the being is offered the option to re-incarnate back to the life cycle or move to a higher plane of existence. If the deeds in life were evil (harmful to self and others) then a new purpose has to be decided by the being and re-incarnation is mandatory.

Answer 4

I agree with Mary B . I have a copy of the tibetian book of the dead and i have no bowl problems at all. i beleive that it was interpreted in the 1800's by WY evans-Wentz (who by the way wrote an excellent book on fairy religions in celtic countries before any neo-Paganism had revived).While i havent read the whole thing i agree it is a primer on how to ready yourself for death.

Answer 5

John Lennon and I learned that "Tomorrow Never Knows".

It also taught me that "Ego Death" experienced under the influence of LSD and other psychedelic drugs is essentially similar to the dying process and requires similar guidance.

Answer 6

Why not just read it? It's here, in English.
http://www.lib.virginia.edu/small/exhibits/dead

Answer 7

i dont know but if some one on here could tell me then i will feel good .... i hope you find out too

Answer 8

The Tibetans never had a book of the dead, Only the Egyptians did... And anyone that says differently is full of Castor oil.......................................................................