Luminous Emptiness A Guide to the Tibetan Book of the Dead

by FREMANTLE, FRANCESCA

• ISBN13: 9781570629259
• ISBN10: 1570629250
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-03-11
• Publisher: Shambhala

Summary

TheTibetan 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 Emptinessis a detailed guide to this classic work, elucidating its mysterious concepts, terms, and imagery. Fremantle relates the symbolic world of theTibetan Book of the Deadto 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, theTibetan Book of the Deadpresents 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 Chouml;gyam Trungpa on the 1975 translation of theTibetan 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 Emptinessfeatures 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

Author Biography

Francesca Fremantle received her doctorate from the School of Asian and African Studies at London University. She is a scholar and translator of Sanskrit and Tibetan works and was a student of Ch÷gyam Trungpa for many years.

Table of Contents

Illustrations	ix
Preface	xi
Acknowledgments	xxi
Part One FOUNDATIONS
Homage	3	(2)
A Book of the Living	5	(16)
Liberation: Uncoiling in Space	21	(22)
Hearing: The Power of Transmission	43	(10)
Bardo: The Experience of Nowness	53	(18)
The Rainbow of Elements	71	(20)
The Five-Step Process of Ego	91	(20)
The Display of the Awakened State	111	(30)
Six Styles of Imprisonment	141	(32)
The Threefold Pattern of the Path	173	(22)
The Great Perfection	195	(22)
Part Two THE TEXT
Luminosity of Death	217	(32)
Invincible Peace	249	(40)
Crazy Wisdom	289	(18)
Wrathful Compassion	307	(38)
At the Womb Door	345	(24)
Aspiration	369	(2)
Notes	371	(12)
Illustration Credits	383	(2)
Index	385