The Six Bardos of the Tibetan Book of the Dead

by Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche; Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche

• ISBN13: 9798888501290
• ISBN10: 8888501290
• eBook ISBN(s): 9798888501306
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2024-10-15
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• More Book Details
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Summary

A guide to implementing the teachings of the bardos of life and death from the classic text, The Tibetan Book of the Dead

• Shares ancient Tibetan wisdom to help readers break through the process of “ego-clinging” to find deeper freedom and escape from feelings of lack and scarcity

• Offers authentic guidance and support for confidence in overcoming challenges, bravery in caring for the self and others, as well as fearlessness in the face of dying

• Examines key concepts and history in Dzogchen Buddhism, including a guide to the Vajrayana teachings, the Bardo teachings, and the role of the five elements

According to the Buddha, all sentient beings are naturally enlightened and have been pure since the beginning. However, in waking life, grasping and fear develop into ego-clinging and a cyclic state of delusion. This interval from the beginning of delusion until we return to our primordial nature is known as the bardo. Until we rediscover enlightenment, everything we feel, know, and experience is bardo phenomena.

Exploring this understanding, so essential to the myriad schools of Buddhism, in rich and practical detail, renowned Dzogchen masters Ven. Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Ven. Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche offer a guide to implementing the teachings of the bardos of life and death from the Bardo Thodrol, commonly known as The Tibetan Book of the Dead. Drawing on their Dzogchen background—a Buddhist lineage focused on resting and abiding in our true nature—the authors explore key ideas from the famous Tibetan text, including the Vajrayana teachings, the five elements, peaceful and wrathful deities, and the nature of the six bardos (with particular emphasis on the bardo of dying). The authors provide practical advice for deeper self-awareness, improved care of the self and others, and confronting challenges fearlessly, especially the process of dying.

The teachings offered by the authors in this guide are truly universal, offering a path out of delusion and allowing us all to “ignite our inner light” and rediscover our inner buddha nature as we move forward on the path to enlightenment.

Author Biography

Ven. Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche (1938–2010) was a lama, teacher, and Dzogchen master in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. Ven. Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche is an accomplished scholar and Vajrayana master. He travels extensively worldwide to teach. Together the two brothers founded the Padmasambava Buddhist Center in upstate New York, which now has centers around the world.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Foreword: Awakening to Our True Nature
by Paul Levy

Preface

Introduction to the Six Bardos

Lineage of the Bardo Teachings

First Bardo of Birth and Life

Second Bardo of the Dream State

Third Bardo of Meditation

Fourth Bardo of Dying

Fifth Bardo of the Luminosity of the True Nature

Sixth Bardo of Becoming

Full Circle and the Importance of Practice

APPENDICES

Questions and Answers on the Six Bardos

Dedication of Merit

Meditation on Absolute Wisdom:
The Moment of Death Sutra

Glossary

Index

About the Authors

Books and Publications by the Authors

Padmasambhava Buddhist Center