The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

by Sogyal; Gaffney, Patrick; Harvey, Andrew; Rinpoche, Sogyal

• ISBN13: 9780062507938
• ISBN10: 0062507931
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1992-10-09
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publications

Summary

In this major and comprehensive work, Buddhist meditation master and international speaker Sogyal Rinpoche brings together the ancient wisdom of Tibet with modern research on death and dying and the nature of the universe. With unprecedented scope, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying clarifies the majestic vision of life and death that underlies The Tibetan Book of the Dead. Sogyal Rinpoche presents simple yet powerful practices from the heart of the Tibetan tradition that anyone, whatever their religion or background, can do to transform their lives, prepare for death, and help the dying. Rinpoche shows the hope there is in death: how we can go beyond denial and fear to discover what it is in us that survives death and is changeless. He presents a lucid, inspiring, and complete introduction to the practice of meditation, to karma and rebirth, and to the trials and rewards of the spiritual path. He gives advice on how to care for the dying with love and compassion and offer them spiritual assistance. Rinpoche presents his own vision of the near-death experience from the Tibetan perspective. He explains in detail the "bardos," those states of consciousness after death that have fascinated and tantalized Western artists, psychologists, scientists, doctors, and philosophers ever since the publication of The Tibetan Book of the Dead in 1927. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying is not only a spiritual masterpiece but also a manual, a guide, a work of reference, and a source of sacred inspiration. It has been written to inspire all who read it to begin the journey to enlightenment and so become "servants of peace," working in the world with joy, wisdom, and compassion to take part in safeguarding the future of humanity.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Preface
Living
In the Mirror of Death	p. 3
Impermanence	p. 15
Reflection and Change	p. 28
The Nature of Mind	p. 41
Bringing the Mind Home	p. 56
Evolution, Karma, and Rebirth	p. 82
Bardos and Other Realities	p. 102
This Life: The Natural Bardo	p. 111
The Spiritual Path	p. 127
The Innermost Essence	p. 150
Dying
Heart Advice on Helping the Dying	p. 173
Compassion: The Wish-Fulfilling Jewel	p. 187
Spiritual Help for the Dying	p. 209
The Practices for Dying	p. 223
The Process of Dying	p. 244
Death and Rebirth
The Ground	p. 259
Intrinsic Radiance	p. 274
The Bardo of Becoming	p. 287
Helping after Death	p. 299
The Near-Death Experience: A Staircase to Heaven?	p. 319
Conclusion
The Universal Process	p. 339
Servants of Peace	p. 356
Appendix 1: My Teachers	p. 367
Appendix 2: Questions about Death	p. 371
Appendix 3: Two Stories	p. 378
Appendix 4: Two Mantras	p. 386
Notes	p. 392
Selected Bibliography	p. 406
Acknowledgments	p. 409
Index	p. 415
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.