The Bardo Thodol – Bon Voyage
By John Power
“What is Durga, that is Vishnu and
that also is Siva
The wise know that they are not different from one another
The fool who thinks otherwise
Goes to the Rahrava Hell”
-Varaha Purana
As I get older I find myself having to read the “Tibetan Book of the
Dead” more often, for friends, relatives and even pets. One thing
that bothers me when doing this is that much of the imagery and
terminology relates to Buddhism and will not be familiar to those who
have not grown up in that tradition.
The Bar-do thos-grol (Anglicised as Bardol Thodol) of “Texts for Self
Liberation Through Hearing, During the Intermediate Period that Follows
Death” have origins back in the oral transmission of the Shamanistic
tradition of Tibet called Bonpo. Those dialects would be equally
alien to Westerners. The first attempts to set these principles
down in writing arose in the era of unreformed Buddhism and took the
form of the “Tantra of the Great Secret Union of the Sun and the Moon”,
which later evolved into “The Doctrine of the Six Lights” before
reaching an approximation of its present form. Essentially all of
the texts deal with approaching signs of death and the dissolution of
the mandala of the elements that have built the physical body, and the
Realisation of the Primary Clear Light into which the elements are
resolved. Obviously if awareness of these elements has been built
up during a lifetime when constructing a zonule for meditation and
magick they will mean more to the post mortem consciousness of a dead
person.
H.H.Dalai Lama has already addressed the problem of secularising the
imagery to be expected in the after-death state in the book “Advice on
Dying”, but as yet this has not been adapted into the secular book to
be read to the deceased. Apart from the universal relevance of
such a work, we can note a special relevance to the Uttara Kaula
tradition of India when we realise that the Zhang-Zhung Kingdom that
existed before the Eighth Century C.E. included parts of Tibet and also
part of Kashmir in the West, and Kashmir is the Uttara Pitha: the
Northern place where in legend part of Lord Siva’s spouse, Shakti, came
to earth in India.
This also helps to explain why the Uttara Tantrik Tradition blended so
well with Tibetan thought in the An uttara tradition of Highest Yoga
Tantra and Dzogchen meditation.
The Bardo Thodol deals with three bardos or levels of consciousness
experienced after death and the fourth Bardo, the Rang bzhin Bardo, is
that of Samsara in the world from birth to death. This is
sometimes further sub-divided into three life bardos. Once death
begins, we are in the Chikai Bardo and the spiritual elements begin to
build a new mandala of deities who can help grant Enlightenment.
Awareness of this begins three and a half days after physical death has
occurred and the physical elements have ceased to function. If
Enlightenment does not take place or if one chooses to follow the path
of reincarnation the spirit begins to build an illusory body in the
Chos Nyid Bardo of the Intermediate State and this body can move freely
in the realms of gods, humans, animals, hungry ghosts and demons, and
future directions are decided by Karma, and level of spiritual
practice. The Srid pa Bardo is the final state when the future
life is decided and karmic choice of parents and physical realm are
determined.
If anyone can remember past lives and bardo consciousness, it is
H.H.Dalai Lama. Both he and the “Tantra of the Great Secret Union
of the Sun and the Moon” go to great length to describe the signs of
approaching death, other than the immediate kind brought about by
physical accident, and how the elements of the body collapse: earth
into water, as the body loses weight: water into fire, as urine, blood,
sexual fluids and phlegm dry up and the throat becomes dry; Fire into
Air, as breathing becomes difficult and the body loses heat, via the
head (bad karma) or feet (good karma) first becoming cold; and Air into
ether, as the tongue becomes blue, the sense of touch is lost and
breathing gives way to only the machinations of the ‘internal winds’,
and the white (head), Clear Light can be experienced as space-like
consciousness. At this time, physical death is usually
considered to have occurred, but the elements continue to shut down
internally. The deceased experience visions like a Mirage as
Earth turns to Water; of Smoke as Water turns into Fire; of ‘fireflies’
as Fire turns into Air; of flickering light as air turns into pure
consciousness which then experiences a vivid white ‘sky’ symbolised by
the Moon; a vivid orange ‘sky’ symbolised by the Sun; vivid black of a
Moon, Sun and Starless ‘Sky’ and finally Primary Clear Light that
absorbs all.
It will be noted that the first four elements shut down widdershins or
anti-clockwise to the order of the mandala zonule of meditation.
I personally build this with white Siva/Buddha and yellow Shakti in the
East; Pale Blue Siva/Buddha and dark blue Shakti in the West; and Green
Siva/Pan/Buddha with brown Shakti in the North. White Ganesh and
Dati Mata preside over the Cthonic realms of growth below. I then
assume the Siva godform with the mantra “Sivoham” and invoke ‘Hrim
Lalita’ of the Sky realm. I feel this is the natural sequence in
England. They will vary in other parts of the world, as they do
slightly in the Tibetan sequence, but the Tibetan Lights can be seen as
background to the deities. Not only the mandala of the Chikhai
deities but also the building of the illusory body of Intermediate
State of the Chos nyid Bardo is formed from ‘Sky’, Sun, Moon and
elements in doesil or clockwise fashion, but dissolved widdershins
again before conception and finally built doesil physically in the
womb. Accidental death will cause a rapid shut down of elements
and direct thrust into Chikhai Bardo and is obviously not so easy to
prepare for.
Given these guiding principles, it is then possible to create a “Book
for Self Liberation Through Hearing During the Intermediate Period that
Follows Death”, which is secular, or universal, rather than relevant to
only one religious system. The whole process is symbolised as
being 49 days between Death and Birth, but there is no Earth Time in
the bardos and Karmic forces will cause the time, in Earth Time, to
vary.
Dr Timothy Leary was, in the Sixties, quick to spot that the after
death Bardos could be experienced as states of consciousness in high
doze sessions of L.S.D. experience, and these could equally be guided
by reading from a text which he has based on the ‘Bardo Thodol’ and
entitled “The Psychedelic Experience”. Instead of reincarnation,
the rebirth is the re-programming of the personality here. For
this pioneering work, Dr. Leary deserved the Nobel Peace Prize, but
instead the rest of his life became a struggle with forces of the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration. Pearls before Swine!
I have tried to use as little religious terminology as possible and the
ones I have used have passed into common usage since the 1960’s.
Mandalas are multi symmetrical patterns, to be found in various
traditions, and Carl Jung adopted the format as being foremost in the
symbols of the Collective Unconscious in his psychological
theorising. Karma, even hit the top ten with John Lennon, and is
the law of cause and effect in our actions. Dakinis are spirits
of the air, usually female, and some traditions might be tempted to
equate them with angels.
Yin and Yang are the Chinese names for the polarities of phenomenal
existence that find the balance and resolution in the Tao. A
Bodhisattva is the name that Buddhists give to someone who enters the
Light but who returns to the world to help others along the path.
It is my experience that this is possible while living. We can
presume this is not only possible in the Bardo of life but also in the
death bardos, although the Bardo Thodol presents Enlightenment and
reincarnation as alternatives.
On Mane Padme Hum:
The Jewel is in the Lotus.
The Bardo Thodol asserts that Memory is nine times stronger in the
after death Bardos, and that reading its text is beneficial even when
alive. And even if they are not fully understood, they will be
useful in the after death states. When read to the dead, it is
best done by the deceased’s guru, or next best by a learned person
aware of the meaning of the teachings. Failing this, they can be
read by anyone who reads clearly and distinctly. If the body has
been buried or cremated, they are best read from a deceased’s favourite
chair, environ, or with favourite objects of the deceased nearby.
There should also be no weeping or other distracting sounds as the
Spirit is summoned for the reading. “The Tantra of the Great
Secret Union of the Sun and Moon” goes into great detail as to the
signs of death. If these signs are complete and, in the unlikely
event in this day and age, that the body is still present, the reading
takes place close to the head. Incense and spring water
should be used to encircle the body. Then the readings are made
three or seven times on each of the forty-nine ‘days’ of the
bardos. The first reading can begin once the heart has stopped
and the lungs have ceased to function, but is said that the spirit is
unaware of the bodily death for three and a half days and the
forty-nine days are counted after this time. The forty-nine days
are symbolic of seven times seven traditional planets. There is no
‘time’ in the bardo. The ‘days’ set the course for the after death
period before rebirth.
Chikhai Bardo Call the name of the deceased.
“You may have heard words like these before
But may not yet recognise death
You may recognise death but not understand it
Know that if you concentrate on the words
You will perceive the Primary Clear Light
And could achieve freedom from other existences
Which form the Bardo Planes
If it is combined with good karma and earnest search for Truth”
May the compassionate forces of Bardo
Know that………is passing from worldly existence
Into the next
And bring help and Enlightenment
1 As
death has come
And they fall deeper into
the void
Surrounded by Karmic forces
Bring strength against
anxiety and fear
As the security of the worldly life fades
And they must go alone
May they be spared a long and painful Bardo
May they achieve
Enlightenment
2
Enlightened Ones, Fathers of the Way and Divine Mothers
Gurus, Gods, Spirits
and those who have gone before
Help to lead us along the Way
When we stray from the
path of Enlightenment
Fathers of knowledge inspire and strengthen us
Divine Mothers comfort
and sustain us
May we be spared a long and painful Bardo
May we achieve
Enlightenment
3
May the Teacher of mirror like wisdom
Inspire and strengthen
us
May his wise mother
Comfort and sustain us
May we be spared a long and painful Bardo
May we achieve
Enlightenment
4 May the Teacher of
Generosity
Inspire and strengthen
us
May his All-embracing Mother
Comfort and
sustain us
May we be spared a long and painful Bardo
May we achieve
Enlightenment
5 May the Teacher of
Meditation
Inspire and strengthen
us
May his Divine Mother
Comfort and
sustain us
May we be spared a long and painful Bardo
May we achieve
Enlightenment
6 May the Teacher of
Fearlessness
Inspire and
strengthen us
May his Divine Mother
Comfort and
sustain us
May we be spared a long and painful Bardo
May we achieve
Enlightenment
7 May the Teacher of
Universal Consciousness
Inspire and
strengthen us
May his All-seeing Divine Mother
Comfort and
sustain us
May we be spared a long and painful Bardo
May we achieve
Enlightenment
8 May the Fathers of
Clearest Perception
Inspire and
strengthen us
May their Divine Mothers
Comfort and
sustain us
May we be spared a long and painful Bardo
May we achieve
Enlightenment
9 May the Fathers of
Insightful Wisdom
Inspire and
strengthen us
May their Divine Mothers
Comfort
and sustain us
May we be spared a long and painful Bardo
May we achieve
Enlightenment
10
May the Eastern Realm be friendly to us
Where White God
and Yellow Goddess
Dwell in the Blue Sky
May the
Southern Realm be friendly to us
Where the Orange God and Red
Goddess
Glow in
the Yellow Sky
May the Western Realm be friendly
to us
Where the
Blue God and Turquoise Goddess
Dwell in the Red Sun-setting Sky
May the
Northern Realm be friendly to us
Where the Jade God and the Brown
Goddess
Dwell in
the Verdant Green surroundings
May the Central Realm be friendly
to us
Where the
White God and the Star encrusted Goddess
Dwell in the Light
May
the elements of all the realms befriend us
That we be one of the Celestial
Beings
May
the Bardo sights and sounds
Be one with our sights and sounds
In the bardo may
we recognise, accept and be one
With the Primal trinity of Yin,
Yang and Tao
*
11 When the Chikhai Bardo begins
avoid idleness
But
be attentive to your condition
Concentrate, listen, reflect
and meditate in what happens
Recognise, accept and be one with the Primordial Trinity
12 When the bardo ‘dream’ state
comes
Avoid the useless sleep of the dead
Focus all
consciousness with a clear mind
Avoid selfishness and remain alert
Recognise, accept, be
one with the Truth: the Pure Light
13
When the bardo meditation state is needed
Avoid distraction
Balance, knowledge of your condition and mystic equilibrium
Recognise, accept and
be one with the bardo stages
Concentrate with individual attention, free from misleading passions
14 When the Chikhai Bardo begins
Avoid
selfish feelings and worldly passions
Remain steadfast, perceive
Enlightenment
Be
one with the mystic state of the un-born
For it is time to leave your
earthly form behind
15 When the
Chonyid Bardo begins, avoid fear and negative emotions
Recognise, accept and be one with
what happens
Realise
these are realities of the Intermediate State
It is the mid point of the Bardo
planes
Do not
fear good and evil forms, be detached and let them pass
16 When the Sidpa Bardo begins
concentrate on your rebirth
Dedicate your thought to a positive future
The womb may be closed and you let it cause suffering
It
is time for love, faith and perseverance
Avoid selfishness and
meditate on the God/Goddess
Mother/Father polarities
17 If you have not realised the
inevitability of death
And
surrounded yourself with useless things and activities
You miss the greatest opportunity
And may
enter the bardos unprepared
Know that these teachings can
satisfy your needs
It is time
to listen and meditate on the words
18 Listen to these words with
meaning and dedication
If
they are not remembered and meditated on
The Knowledge of the Great
Tradition is lost
These
words are most important
*
19 When
destiny in life has been fulfilled
Friends and relatives will be of
no help
We must
wander alone in the Bardo planes
May the Gods, Goddesses, Teachers
and Deities of Feeling and Reason
Help you
overcome darkness and despair
20
Alone, without friends and loved ones
Alone but for
innermost mind and it’s thoughts
May the Enlightened Ones pour
infinite compassion
That you may
have no fear or terror
21
When the five wisdoms appear
May you
recognise them, accept them and be one with them
When good and evil forms appear to
you
May you
recognise them and accept them as being of the Bardo plane
22
When past bad deeds cause you to suffer
May the
Gods, Goddesses, Teachers and Deities of Feeling and Reason help you
When reality thunders in your ears
like a thousand storms
May it be
transformed into the sounds of Truth and Enlightenment
23
When you are vulnerable and karmic forces bear upon you
May the
Gods, Goddesses, Teachers and Deities of Feeling and Reason help you
24
When it is time for you to be reborn
May dark
thoughts and desires not affect you
When you are born according to
your wish
May you be
free from the influence of bad Karma
25
When animals roar in your ears
May you
hear: OM-MANI-PADME HUM
When there are storms and darkness
May you
see clearly with divine vision
26
May all who come to the Bardo planes
Seek
rebirth without malice, be re-born Enlightened
When suffering and misery come to them
May they
transcend pain
27
When you observe your future parents
May you
see them as the Divine Mother-Father
When you are free to choose your
own rebirth
May you
have a body with Enlightened signs and powers
28
When you have come to your new body
May you
Enlighten all who see or hear you
May bad karma have no influence on you
May good come to
you and be multiplied
29
At the moment of next birth
May the
Gods, Goddesses, Teachers and Deities of Feeling and Reason help
May you be alert in Enlightened
Consciousness from birth
May you
remember and not forget you previous existences
30
In all your learning, tasks and duties
May you master
them effectively
Wherever you are, let all be well
May all beings
you contact have happiness
31
Enlightened Ones of perfect mind and body
Of long
life and great influence
Whose names, even, are sacred
Be with
you and others that you may do well
32
With the compassion of the Gods, Goddesses, Teachers and Deities
of
Feeling
and Reason
With positive influence of the
Pure Light of Truth
With
deepest meditation on these teachings
May all you wish for come
true
*
May
your motives and intentions be pure
May all mothers everywhere
achieve Enlightenment
May
Enlightenment spread through the world
May these teachings be used
effectively by all
May virtue
and goodness grow forever
PREPARATION FOR WHAT IS TO COME: Can be read in the first
3½ days
The Chikhai Bardo
The time has come for you to enter into the Chikhai Bardo. Your
breathing is about to cease (or has ceased, if not present at
death). You will be able to see the Primary Clear Light: a
great void like a cloudless sky, or being immersed in a boundless
ocean. Your mind will float freely, alone, unaided. At this
time know your eternal self. Repeat 3 or 7 times
Do no let your mind wonder. Listen carefully, for this is the
time of your death. Use death as an advantage, the opportunity to
achieve Enlightenment. Do this by keeping your mind clear of all
negative thoughts and instead focus on the Light of Truth and the
positive thought of Enlightenment. Concentrate, for it is the
time of the Primary Clear Light. Meditate this: “Even if I
do not fully understand it, I accept the Chikhai Bardo. I will
earnestly try to be one with it for myself and all of humanity”.
If death is apparent, but has not yet come, keep these teachings and
inspirational spiritual experiences from earthly life in mind.
Repeat if there are still signs of life
You are facing the Primary Clear Light be alert and attentive to all
that happens. You can now see and hear the Ultimate
Reality. Your mind is no longer restricted to your body. It
can join with the great stream of Universal Consciousness, the Unborn
Perfect Enlightenment. You can be beyond birth, beyond death,
free and immortal: one with the Primary Clear Light. Know
that life and also death are only limited reality. Only what you
experience is reality. At this time it is the Truth, the
Light. As you no longer recognise yourself as mortal you can be
one with the Light, the ultimate ground of reality. Recognise
this, accept this, and be one with it, and you will achieve
Enlightenment. Repeat 3 or 7 times
Call the deceased by name again and say:
“If you have not seen the Primary Clear Light, know that you can still
achieve Enlightenment through the Clear Light of the Chonyid Bardo
which follows. Meditate on your favourite Deity. Think of
them as if they are with you now. Be detached from the influence
of bad Karma. Concentrate and do not be distracted.”
The Chonyid Bardo – the Intermediate State
In this Bardo, there will be often frightening illusions based on
previous Karma. The reader must prepare the deceased for
them. They can see and hear, but no earthly eyes can see the
deceased. Call them by name and say:
Listen carefully with undivided attention. Do not be
distracted. There are six bardo states: in the womb and
childhood; the dream state; deep meditation in life and three stages in
death: the time of death; karmic illusions of the intermediate
state; and seeking rebirth. Of these, you have already passed
through the gate of death and the Primary Clear Light shone all around
you, and if you did not recognise it or have slipped from it, you are
now in the Intermediate State of karmic allusions.
Listen carefully now, be attentive and alert. Death has come to
you, and you have had to depart this world. While you have to
face this alone, know that death comes to us all.
Do not cling to life because of sentiment or fear to go on. You
have no power to stay. But there is no value in wandering as a
lonely spirit. Think instead of the teachings of the Enlightened
Ones who have gone before. Listen carefully so that you can be
saved from fear and terror in the Intermediate State. Meditate
thus:
When karmic allusions dawn upon me
And fear and terror can grow within me
May I realise that there are but reflections from
within me
May I realise that they are a natural part of the death experience
May I recognise this moment as one of great
opportunity
May I accept good and evil karmic illusions as being of my own making.
Think of these words as you go into the Intermediate State. Then when
illusions come you will be able to understand them. Do not forget
this secret insight. When your mind separated from your body you
were able to see the Primary Clear Light. It is like a mirage,
subtle but bright, dazzling in its radiance. Do not be afraid for
it is the same light that we all radiate. So be comfortable with
it. Within the Light is also the sound of Ultimate Reality, like
a thousand simultaneous thunderclaps: Om. Do not be afraid
of it, for this too is the sound that we all generate. Accept it
as such. The being you are now is a spirit, not a body. It
is mind, not flesh and blood and bones. Know that no sights and
sounds can hurt you. For now you cannot die: you are
immortal. Any illusions arise from your own mind. This is
part of the Intermediate State. If you cannot remember the
thoughts from your previous life and from within your present mind, the
source of good or terrifying visions will scare and you can wander
aimlessly through this Intermediate State. So listen carefully to
these teachings that will liberate you:
The 49 ‘days’
After the 3½ half days when the previous teachings are given,
the deceased is said to realise that they are dead and on each of the
following 49 Earth days a teaching is given to match the progress
through the after-death bardos. Call the deceased by name at the
beginning of each days reading then:
1st Day
For 3½ days you have been unaware of what is happening to
you. Concentrate, be alert, so you will now recognise what
happens. Realise that your existence and perception have
changed. You will see sights and hear sounds unlike Earthly
existence. They arise from the Mandala of the heart centre the
realm of Enlightened Realisation, where The Enlightened One abides in
dazzling White Light upon the Lion throne of the Eight-spoked Wheel
embraced by his Shakti, Divine Mother of Space, radiating the Pure Blue
Light of the cloudless sky. The light may shine so brightly that
you can hardly bear to look at it, and bad karma could even cause you
to fear it. Accept it for it can save you from a painful
Bardo. The Pure Blue Light can become mixed with the dull white
light of the Devas, the creators of Samsara illusion. Avoid the
dull white light, as it will lead to distractions on your
journey. Meditate thus:
When wandering in ignorance
Seeking the Enlightenment of Universal Consciousness
May the Light inspire and strengthen me
May the Divine Mother comfort and sustain me
May I be spared a long and painful Bardo
May I be one with the Central Realm
Of Universal Consciousness
The 2nd Day
This is the day of the Pure White Light of the Eastern Realm of
transcendent happiness and mirror like wisdom, Six Wisdom Deities in
halo of Rainbow Light. The immutable Enlightened One of the East
will come radiating Pure White Light as if from deep blue sky. He
rides on an elephant throne, holds a five pronged sceptre and is
embraced the Divine Mother of mirror like wisdom. They are
attended by male Deities of Love and Structure and female Deities of
Beauty and Becoming. The White Light shines do bright you can
hardly bear to look at it. It is mixed with the smokey grey-black
light of Hell. Bad karma can cause you to fear the Pure Light and
follow the dull light. Concentrate on the Pure White Light,
accept, be one with it, for it is the Pure Light of Wisdom and it can
save you from a painful Bardo. Following the dull light leads to
suffering and an uncertain future. Meditate thus:
When wandering with selfish passion
Seeking the Enlightenment of Mirror-like Wisdom
May the Pure White Light inspire and strengthen me
May the Divine Mother comfort and sustain me
May I be spared a long and painful Bardo
May I achieve Enlightenment
In the Eastern Realms of transcendent happiness
And mirror-like wisdom
The 3rd Day
It is the day of the Pure Yellow Light of the Southern Realm; the realm
of Enlightened one of the South will come like the Sun radiating Pure
Yellow Light. Six wisdom deities will appear in a halo of light.
The Enlightened One of the South will come like the sun radiating Pure
yellow Light. He rides a horse throne, holds a Jewel in his hand
and is embraced by the Divine Mother of all, embracing equality glowing
orange. They are attended by male Deities of Sky Structure and
Goodness and two female Deities of Patience and Reverence. The
Pure Yellow Light shines so bright you may find it difficult to look
at. It is mixed with the dull bluish light of Earthly
existence. Bad karma may cause you to fear the Clear Light,
accept it, be one with it and the Pure Light of Wisdom can save you
from a painful Bardo. Following the dull light leads to birth,
ageing, sickness and death without Enlightenment, a sad interruption to
your journey. Meditate thus:
When wandering with vanity and pride
Seeking the Enlightenment of giving-feeling equality
May the Pure Yellow Light inspire to strengthen me
May the Divine Mother comfort and sustain me
May I be spared a long and painful Bardo
May I achieve Enlightenment
May I be one with the Southern Realm of
giving-feeling equalility
The 4th Day
It is the day of the Pure Red Light of the Western realm of meditation,
perception and wisdom. Six Wisdom Deities will appear in a halo
of Rainbow Light.
The all-discriminating wise Enlightened One of the West will
come. His body is Red Light, like the setting Sun in a Radiant
Blue Sky. He is seated on a peacock throne, holds a lotus in his
hand and is embraced by the Divine Mother of Knowledge and Wisdom of
Radiant Blue Light. They are attended by male Deities of Mercy
and Virtue and two female Deities of Song and Light. The Pure Red
Light shines so brightly you can hardly bear to look at it. It is
mixed with the dull red light of Earthy existence. Bad karma can
cause you to fear the Pure Light and follow the dull light.
Concentrate on the Pure Red Light. Accept it, be one with it, for
the pure light of perceptive and discriminating wisdom can save you
from a painful bardo. The dull red light leads to the world of
unhappy spirits where there is no liberation and should be
avoided. Meditate thus:
When wandering selfishly and possessively
Seeking the Enlightenment of discriminating wisdom
May the Pure Red Light of the West inspire and
strengthen me
May the Divine Mother comfort and sustain me
May I be spared a long and painful Bardo
May I achieve Enlightenment
May I be one with the discriminating wisdom of the
Western Realm
The 5th Day
It is the day of the Pure Green Light of the Northern Realm of
Will-achieving Wisdom. Six Wisdom Deities will appear in a halo
of Rainbow Light. The fearless Achieving Enlightening One
of the North will come. His body is green and he radiates Green
Light. He rides a harpy throne, holds a four-headed equal armed
cross sceptre and is embraced by the Divine Mother of Constancy and
Resolution. They are attended by male Deities of Form and Clear
Perception and female Deities of Essence and Substance. The Pure
Green Light will shine so brightly you can hardly bear to look at
it. It is mixed with the dull green light of envy and
jealousy. Bad karma may cause you to fear the Pure Green Light
and follow the dull green light. Concentrate on the Pure Green
Light, accept it and be one with it for it is the Light of
All-achieving Wisdom. Avoid the dull green light as it leads to
the world of continual conflict and chaos, a sad interruption to your
journey. Meditate thus:
When wandering
with envy and jealousy
Seeking the Enlightenment of
All-Achieving Wisdom
May the Pure Green Light inspire and strengthen me
May the Divine Mother comfort and sustain me
May I be spared a long and painful Bardo
May I achieve Enlightenment
May I be one with the Northern Realm of
All-achieving Wisdom
The 6th Day
The Enlightened Ones have appeared to you one by one but bad karma,
fear, or distraction can cause you to remain in Chonyid Bardo, unable
to achieve Buddhahood. You could have joined the halo of Rainbow Light
and achieved Enlightenment. But listen now, concentrate, be alert
and attentive, for they will come again. The five divine colours,
white, yellow, red, blue and green will shine on you
simultaneously. Amid a halo of Rainbow Light the Enlightened Ones
will come with all their attendant deities as before. Forty-two
in all, including the great Father-Mother of All. They arise from
the love within you. They come from the four main regions, while you at
the centre make up the five realms. The deities will come in one
grand assembly. The colours will shine brightly upon you.
At the centre Pure Light will shine from inverted blue cups, surrounded
by smaller ones radiating Pure Blue Light. From the East, the
Pure White Light of Mirror-like Wisdom, like a radiant mirror,
surrounded by smaller and even smaller ones that radiate Pure White
Light. From the South shines the Pure Yellow Light of
all-embracing Wisdom, from inverted cups, surrounded by smaller and
even smaller cups. From the East the Pure Red Light shines from
inverted blue cups, surrounded by smaller and even smaller cups.
From the North shines the Pure Green of all-achieving Wisdom, but it
will not shine brightly because you have not yet achieved perfect
Enlightenment. All the deities will come to you at once, the
lights shining upon you. Do not move towards any of them but
remain as if afloat in a great ocean of Light, perceiving all, striving
to be one with all of them equally. In this way you will achieve
Enlightenment. You will know that they are reflections of your
own inner lights and achieve serenity of spirit. But the six dull
impure lights will shine with the Pure Divine Lights; dull white, dull
green, dull yellow, dull blue, dull red, and dull grey-black. Do
dot follow these dull lights. They lead to pain and suffering and
an uncertain future. If you have not followed these teachings,
you may fear the pure lights and be attracted to the dull lights. Guard
against this. As the deities have come to you out of compassion,
you come to them for refuge and Enlightenment. Meditate thus:
When wondering with lust, hate, stupidity,
selfishness and jealousy
Seeking the Enlightenment of the Five Wisdoms United
May the Enlightened Ones inspire and strengthen me
May the Divine Mothers comfort and sustain me
May I be saved from impure lights from other worlds
May I be spared a long and painful Bardo
May I be one with the Five Divine Realms
Meditate in this way, recognising your own Inner Light and be one with
it,
and not slip downwards into the realms of bad Karma.
The 7th Day
On this day you will see multi-coloured lights arising from your own
thoughts. At the same time, the deities of Feeling will come to
you from the Mandala of the throat centre, the realm of
Knowledge. Each carries symbols of blood, like the scythe or
blood-filled skull cups. From the mandela centre, surrounded by a
halo of Rainbow Light, the Supreme Knower, Lotus Lord of Dance, comes
dancing, radiating the five colours, embraced by his consort, the Red
Dakini. From Mandala East comes the Earth Knower, smiling,
dancing, white in colour, embraced by the White Dakini in a yellow
sky. From Mandala south comes the Life Knower, smiling, dancing,
yellow in colour, embraced by the Yellow Dakini in a red sky.
From Mandala West comes the Knower of the Great Symbol, smiling,
dancing, red in colour, embraced by The Red Dakini in a blue sky.
From Mandala North comes the Immediate Insight Knower, half smiling,
half frowning, dancing, green in colour, embraced by the Green Dakini,
also in a clear blue sky. Surrounding them, there are a multitude
of deities and dakinis with trumpets and drums, banners and canopies,
burning incense, dancing freely, making music that resonates
thunderously everywhere. They come to reward good Karma and judge
bad Karma. From the Deities of Feeling, the Pure Five-coloured
Light of Wisdom shines so bright you can hardly look at it. At
the same time, the dull blue light of the animal world shines
forth. Bad Karma may cause you to fear the Pure Light and to
follow the dull light. Avoid this, for following it leads to
suffering and a long painful Bardo.
Accept the Pure Light of Wisdom. Be one with it. It is your
wisdom and within it Truth resonates like a thousand thunders.
Meditate thus:
And I now fervently appeal to them for help
The Five Enlightened Ones have come to me
But I have been unable to be one with them
May the Deities of Feeling prevent me slipping downwards
May I be one with them
May the Dakinis comfort and sustain me
May I be spared a long and painful Bardo
May I enter the Paradise Realms
The 8th day
Be attentive and listen carefully. It is the day of the Masculine
Enlightened One of the mind mandala centre. He comes because you
could not be one with the deities, which came before. He is dark
brown and radiantly aflame. Between and above his eyes, he has
the third eye of Transcendent Knowledge. His face is red, white
and brown, adorned with skulls and symbols of the Sun and Moon.
His left hand holds a sword of war and his right hand a bell of
peace. His face is frightening and his voice loud and
piercing. He is embraced by the Mother of Femininity. They
both stand on one leg while the other is wrapped around the partner and
they radiate brightly. They are borne on a platform carried by
half eagles, half humans.
Fear not, they are the Enlightened Ones of the Central Realm.
Know that they arrive in the form of your own thoughts. Recognise
them, accept them, be one with them and you will attain Enlightenment
The 9th day
This is the day of the Thunderbolt Deity of the East. He comes
because you were not one with the deities as they appeared to you
before. He is white and radiantly aflame. His hands hold
symbols of Conflict and Peace. He is embraced by the Divine
Thunderbolt Mother, drinking blood. Fear not. Do not be
confused. They are really the Enlightened Ones of the East and
their forms arise from your own thoughts. Recognise them, be one
with them and you will attain Enlightenment.
The 10th day
This is the day of the Jewelled Deity of the South. He comes
because you could not be one with the deities as they appeared to you
before. He is yellow and radiantly aflame. His hands hold
symbols of Conflict and Peace. He is embraced by the Divine
Jewelled Mother, drinking blood. Fear not. Do not be
confused. They are really the Enlightened Ones of the South and
their forms arise from your own thoughts. Recognise them, be one
with them and you will attain Enlightenment.
The 11th day
This is the day of the Lotus Deity of the West. He comes because
you were not one with the deities as they appeared to you before.
He is dark red and radiantly aflame in a sea of blue and holds in his
hands, symbols of Conflict and Peace. He is embraced by the
Divine Lotus Mother, drinking blood. Fear not. They are
really the Enlightened Ones of the West. Know that their forms arise
from your own thoughts. Recognise them, and accept them, be one
with them and you will attain Enlightenment.
The12th day
This is the day of the Lord of the Karma of the North. He is dark
green and radiantly aflame in a blue sky. He is accompanied by
goddesses, some in human form and some in animal form. His hands
hold symbols of conflict and peace. He is embraced by the Divine
Mother of Karma, drinking blood. Fear not, do not be
confused. These are really the Enlightened Ones of the
North. Know that their forms are of your own mind’s making.
Recognise them, accept them, be one with them, merge your light with
theirs and you will receive Enlightenment
The 13th day
On this day, many fearful deities will come. First eight death
goddesses come from the eight directions of the Mind Mandela. A white
death goddess holds a corpse in her hand against a yellow sky, like a
club, while drinking blood from the other hand. A yellow death
goddess comes from the South and a red sky with bow and arrow ready to
shoot. A red death goddess comes from the West and an ocean of
blue, waving the banner of a crocodile. A black death goddess
comes from the north and a dark green/brown landscape, carrying a
sceptre and drinking blood. A red death goddess comes from the
Southeast eating intestines. A green death Goddess comes from the
Southwest with a sceptre and drinking blood. A yellow/white death
goddess comes from the Northeast also eating a corpse. A blue
death goddess comes from the Northeast also eating a corpse. The
eight death goddesses surround the five Deities of Reasoning that have
previously come to you. Outside those, come eight animal deities:
a dark brown lion from the east shaking a corpse in his mouth; a red
tiger from the South, snarling, showing fangs: a black fox from the
west eating entrails; a dark blue wolf from the North tearing at a
corpse. A yellow/white vulture comes from the Southeast with a
half a skeletal corpse; a dark red bird from the Southwest comes with a
corpse in it’s beak; a black crow comes from the Northwest carrying a
skull and eating heart and lungs; a dark blue owl comes from the
Northeast, skull in it’s claws chewing offal. Do not fear these
deities. Know that their forms are created from your own
mind. Recognise them for this, be one with them, and you will
attain Enlightenment.
The 14th Day
On this day the doorkeepers come. The White Tiger Goddess of the
East with pointed stick and drinking blood. The yellow sow
goddess of the South carries a noose. The red lion goddess of the
West carries a chain. The green snake goddess of the North carries a
bell. They are joined by the deities and the divine mothers,
death goddesses and animal deities: thirty deities in all. Do not
fear them. Know that they are forms of your own thoughts.
Recognise and accept them as such. Others will come.
From each of the cardinal directions six animal goddesses come.
From the East comes the dark brown yak, the red/yellow snake, the
green/black leopard, the blue monkey, the red bear, and the white
bear. From the south comes the yellow bat, the red crocodile, the
red scorpion, the white hawk, the dark green fox and the yellow black
tiger. From the West comes the green/black vulture, the red
horse, the white eagle, the yellow dog, the red bird and the green
stag. From the North comes the blue wolf, the red goat, the black
sow, the red crow, the green/black elephant and the blue snake.
In addition, the four mystic goddesses of the door will come from the
East. From the East the black cuckoo; from the South the yellow
goat; from the west the red lion and from the North the green/black
snake. They appear many times your own size. Recognise them
and accept them. Know that they arise from your own thoughts and
recognise them and you will achieve Enlightenment.
Enlightenment has to occur at the right time and the right time for you
could be now. Flee from this and you will wander down into a long
and painful bardo and an uncertain future. The Lord of Death can
fill your mind with terrifying deities: glassy eyes, protruding teeth,
big bellied, carrying your karmic record, shrieking “kill, kill ,kill”
in judgement, eating brains, drinking blood, tearing out hearts,
tearing off heads. But do not be afraid.
Your existence is now only spiritual and you cannot be killed or
injured in an earthly sense. The deities are not of earthly
matter. Knowing this will eliminate fear. Meditate thus:
The Deities of Reasoning have come to help me
And now I fervently appeal to them for help
Appeal also to your favourite form of deity and your
spiritual teacher.
When I wander full of overpowering illusions
Seeking Enlightenment, may I avoid fear and confusion
May the Enlightened Ones, Deities of Feeling and Reason, inspire and
strengthen
me
May the Divine Mothers comfort and sustain me
May I achieve Enlightenment
When I wander alone and
When illusions arise within me
May the Enlightened Ones with their power and compassion
Save me from fear and confusion
May the Five Pure Lights of Wisdom shine
May I recognise, accept and be one with them
When the Deities of Feeling and Reason come
When I suffer from bad Karma
May my favourite deity help me
When reality thunders like a thousand thunders
May I hear OM-MANI-PADME-HUM
When I suffer from my own bad Karma
May the Compassionate One help me
May the Primary Clear Light come to me
May the five Elements be friends to me
May I recognise, accept and be one with the five
Wisdoms
May I achieve Enlightenment
Sidpa Bardo – The Bardo of becoming – The Intermediate State
The 15th Day
If you did not become one with the Self Projection Deities of the
Chonyid Bardo, you will find yourself in the Sidpa Bardo. Birth
into this Bardo is unlike that on Earth. You did not know that
you were dead for three and a half days, then your consciousness was
reborn like a trout jumping from water.
Your Bardo body seems to resemble your physical body
With all senses and the ability to move at will
With Supernatural Karmic power
Able to see or to be seen by Bardo beings
Your Bardo body has certain forms of perfection. It is born of
hopes and desires and signs of what is to come. This will include
visions of the realm of your future existence. Do not be
attracted to them, they lead to a long and painful Bardo. You
have not been able to be one with the Deities of the Chonyid Bardo and
now it is most urgent that you keep your consciousness clear of all
distractions. Do this and you will be liberated without entering
the womb. Meditate on your favourite deity and spiritual teacher
as if they were at the crown of your head.
“With all senses and the ability to move at will” means while even if
you were disabled when you were living, it will feel as if all your
senses and functions have been restored and you can move freely, even
more freely than on Earth. Walls, rocks and suchlike will not be a
barrier to movement. This proves you are in the Sidpa
Bardo. Beware of this: you are no longer restricted by a physical
body.
“ To see and be seen by Bardo beings” means not only that you can see
Bardo beings but also those with whom you will share the next
existence. You will be able to see the Gods, if you have prepared
yourself with meditation. Do not dwell on these things but
meditate on your guru, his teachings or the compassionate Enlightened
One. You will see and hear those who are still in earthly
existence. If you speak to them they cannot hear your voice or
see you. If you see those mourning your loss, you can do nothing
for them so do not bring them suffering. Concentrate on your
favourite deity or spiritual teacher. At all times you will
perceive a grey/white light. You could be up to seven weeks in
this state but the effects of Karma will affect the effects of
time. The wind of Karma is behind you, pushing you on. Do
not fear it. Your past life has created it. There is
darkness ahead and terrifying sights and sounds. These too,
arise from within and your own fears. These can take the form of
attacking demons, wild animals, storm and other natural disasters or
angry mobs pursuing you. Flight could find you hanging over a
cliff looking down white black and red canyons of selfishness,
stupidity and anger. This is further proof of the Sidpa
Bardo. Meditate on the Compassionate One, master of the
Primordial Trinity of Yin,Yang and Tao, and asked to be saved from
suffering. If you have meditated on these things while you were
alive, you will experience happy sights and sounds. You may find
yourself in a neutral indifferent state, if you have not lived at the
extremes of good or bad Karma. Whatever your experience, do not
be attracted to it. Keep your thoughts on the Compassionate One
and the Primordial Trinity. You may be restless, roaming from one
temple to another. Consciousness may seem dim and hopelessness and
despair affect your feelings. Strive for clear
consciousness. You cannot eat but partake in terrestrial
offerings. Friends cannot help you by affecting your Karma
state. It is yours alone. Happiness and suffering are your
own making. Sighting of your home, family or even your own corpse
may sadden you, cause you to desire an earthly body again, and set you
wandering in search of such a body. Your old body is beyond use,
even if you enter it. Be patient and attain the yoga state of
clear consciousness.
The Judgement
Suffering is due to bad Karma, nothing more. Meditate on your
favourite deity, the Primordial Trinity or your spiritual
teacher. If you cannot hold to this meditation, a spirit of your
earthly age at death will come and count your bad deeds with white
pebbles. There are projections of your life and how you judge
your past deeds. The Lord of Death will come back with the Magick
Mirror that reflects your past deeds and their Karmic influence.
Then the Lord of Death may appear to put a noose around your neck, drag
you off and chop off your head, tear out your heart and intestines, eat
your brains, drink your blood, chew your flesh and gnaw your
bones. Remember you cannot die. Your mystic Bardo body can
re-materialise, and the counting and dismembering begin again. Do
not be afraid or try to lie to yourself. This judgement scene arises
from your own thoughts and past actions. It is not made of
Earthly matter and matter cannot harm you
Be aware that you are in the final Bardo of the inter-Earth
consciousness. Concentrate on your favourite deity or spiritual
teacher. Your state of voidness is really the radiant state of
your own primordial mind.
In an instant, a great change can be effected
In an instant Enlightment can be achieved
Up to now, the beings of Bardo consciousness have come to you and if
you have not been able to be one with them, this has caused
suffering. But you can still attain liberation. Think of
suffering in bardos as tests for your understanding. Fear not and
speak the Truth to the Lord of Death.
The Importance of Realisation
Your emotions are intense and can change rapidly from joy to
sorrow. Accept these moods but do not surrender to them. If your
next existence is higher than your last, you will see visions of
it. If you see sights that cause you anger, you will be reborn
with the hell beings. Avoid anger. If you remember and
desire your earthly possessions or envy those who now have them, you
will be born a hungry ghost. Worldly goods are of no use
now. Think of them as offerings to the Primordial Trinity.
Seek yogic free-flowing consciousness. If you see religious
services carried out in your name but think them done badly, you will
be born among the hell beings. This is a protection of your own
doubt. Meditate to strengthen the certainty of spiritual
truth. When your mind is free of the body, thoughts have great
strength. Meditate on your favourite deity and thus:
When wandering, alone, friendless
When my Bardo spirit body is born
May the Enlightened Ones in their compassion
Save me from fear, confusion and suffering
If I suffer because of bad Karma
May my favourite deities help me
May I hear: OM-MANI-PADME-HUM.
When the Karma comes and I am defenceless
May the Compassionate One protect me
If I am tempted to create bad Karma
May the Primary Clear Light come to me.
The Six Worlds
As you did not become one with the previous teachings, your previously
earthly existence dims in your memory. Your future existence now
becomes clearer and clearer. This may sadden you as you feel
driven far and wide to find a new body. You will see the lights
of the six worlds. The one that shines brightest is the world of
your next existence. It is bright because of the power of past
karma. Dull white light radiates from the world of pleasure
seeking gods; dull green light shines from the world of warring giants;
dull yellow light shines from the world of rational humans; dull blue
light shines from the world of wild animals, where the law of the
jungle prevails; dull red light shines from the world of wandering
unhappy spirits and the dull grey light emanates from the all-purging
hell realms. Concentrate on the brightest light and recognise it
as the Compassionate One as he appears in your being. Meditate on your
favourite deity and feel that they are one with you: the pure illusory
form. Then meditate in the highest state you can attain
meditation. In this way, you can be one with the Primary Clear
Light. After that, let your consciousness fade inward. Know
that wherever there is space, there is consciousness. If you
become one with that prevailing space you will attain Enlightenment.
The Process of Rebirth
As you reached this stage in the bardos and have not achieved
liberation because of the teachings, but because of Karma, you feel you
are ascending, descending or remaining on a level. You should try
to meditate on the Enlightened One. Again, if you experience high
winds, storms, pursuit of mobs, or the like, or if you have a good
Karma and experience happy sights and sounds, these are only
projections of your own self-made being. So will also be the
signs you see of your next birthplace. As you have not recognised
and been one with the previous teachings, listen carefully, for every
one can understand what follows:
Preventing Entry into the Womb
Meditate on your favourite deity, as you would contemplate the moon’s
refection on still water: real yet unreal. If you have no
favourite deity, meditate on these words. The let the image of
the deity fade inwards from the extremities. Meditate on the
Primary Clear Light. This prevents entry into the womb.
First Method of Closing the Womb Door
If you have failed in the previous teaching, the womb door will remain
open.
Meditate thus:
At this time, in the midst of the Sidpa Bardo
I concentrate on one single thought
Being one with the mainstream of good Karma
I oppose bad Karma and close the womb door
And meditate on the Guru Father-Mother Deities
If you cast no reflection or shadow, you are still in Sidpa
Bardo. Concentrate on the Enlightened Ones who have gone before
single-mindly. Failure to do so means a long and painful Bardo.
Second Method of Closing the Womb Door
You will see men and women in sexual union. Do not distract them
as they are the Divine Father-Mother, but ask for guidance and the womb
door should close. Meditate on them as your favourite deities and
make mental offerings.
Third Method of Closing the Womb Door.
There is birth by egg, by womb or from seeds and spores. Of
these, birth by egg and womb, have much in common. Again you will
see males and females in sexual union. Entering a womb now, a
cave, or an egg could cause you to be born a horse, a bird, a dog or
other animal. If you are to be a male, you will be attracted to
the mother: if you are to be a female, you will be attracted to the
father and enter his seed. You may emerge from embryo to discover
you are an animal or insect and have the mental capacity and physical
attributes of that creature. Or you may remain in the Bardo to
wander amongst the hell beings or hungry ghosts in pain and
suffering. If attraction or repulsion to one or other of the love
making couples occurs, be firm and resolute and meditate. The
womb door will be closed by firm meditation alone.
Fourth Method of Closing the Door
This is the method of unreal illusion. Know that the couple in
sexual union and the other sights and sounds of the Bardo are unreal
illusions, life dreams, mirages or reflections: they only exist in the
mind. Why seek them or why be repulsed by the? If you have
chosen up to now, to see the real as unreal, the illusory as true, or
the intangible as tangible and continue to do so now, you may wander
for ages in fear and suffering in the six worlds. Concentrate on
this teaching: that all you see and hear is unreal illusion and the
womb door will close.
Fifth Method of Closing the Womb Door
If the womb door remains open it is because you still believe the
unreal is real! Listen and learn of the Primary Clear
Light: “All sights and sounds arise from within myself. Even my
mind is unborn, undying in the Light.” Allow your mind to float
serenely, like pouring water into water: Turn off your mind, relax and
float downstream. Do this and the four kinds of birth will close.
Choosing the womb
If you have not recognised, accepted and been one with the previous
clear and powerful teachings in the heightened consciousness of the
after death state, the womb door is open to you and it is time to enter
within. Choose the womb carefully, according to these teachings.
You will see signs of the continent of your birth. If you are to
be born on an ‘Eastern’ continent, you will see a lake with
swans. Do not enter there now. There is happiness and
comfort but spiritual truth is weak. If you are to be born in a
‘Southern’ continent, you will see impressive mansions. Enter if
you can. If you are to be born in a ‘Western’ continent, you will
see a lake with grazing horses on the shore. Do not enter
there. There is wealth and abundance but spiritual truth is
weak. If you are to be born in a ‘Northern’ continent, you will
see a lake surrounded by trees and cattle grazing on the shore.
Do not enter these now. There is long life and many advantages
but spiritual truth is weak. If you are to be born as a
Pleasure-Seeking God, you will see temples full of gold and
jewels. Enter there if you can. If you are born to be a
warring giant, you will see a great forest or rings of fire revolving
in opposite directions. Do not enter there. If you are to
be born in the animal world, you will see caves and deep pits shrouded
in mist or fog. Do not enter there. If you are to be born a
hungry ghost you will see barren deserts, desolate planes,
impenitratable jungles, thick forests and shallow caverns. Do not
enter here. If you are to be born among the hell beings, you will
hear enchanting songs carrying the force of your Karma. You will
feel a strong incitement to enter, but resist it with all your
strength. You will see black horses, white horses, white
houses, black roads and deep pits. There you will suffer for ages
the extremes of heat and cold. Do not enter there.
Escaping Karmic Torment
Behind you is the terrifying raging fire of karma, driving you on,
engulfing you. Storms, blasts of rain, snow and hail, assail
you. There are terrifying sounds that make you want to
flee. Seeking refuge, you see mansions, caves, lush jungles and
gigantic lotus blossoms. You enter a lotus and the petals close
over you. There is peace and quiet. You do not want to
leave. To do so means returning to the terrifying Karmic forces
you fled from. You are afraid to enter a womb because it may lead
you to a life of suffering, perhaps with an imperfect body. When
these terrifying forces engulf you, focus your attention on the
Wrathful Deity who can exorcise evil spirits. Recognise, accept
and be one with one of these deities and you will have the power to
choose the womb door which will benefit you. Know that these
deities are born of deep meditation while in the Bardo state.
Ponder the unreal illusions of your mind’s creation and do not be
attracted or repulsed by your own visions. But be one with free-
floating yogic consciousness or meditate on your favourite deity.
Preparing for Rebirth
If Karmic forces cause you to enter a womb, follow these teachings to
select a womb door. Do not enter the first womb that presents
itself to you. If evil forces try to force you to enter, be one
with the Wrathful Deity with the power of exorcism. You have seen
the continents where you may be born. Choose wisely now: a pure
realm of higher existence or impure realm of worldly woes. To
attain birth in a higher realm: Meditate thus:
“How painful now for me that I could not be one with the sacred
principles of my mind. The six worlds have confused and
frightened me so that I must flee from them. I act now so that I
will be born of a lotus blossom, at the feet of the Enlightened One, in
the Western Realm of the transcendent happiness” Meditate
thus:
Concentrate on that realm you earnestly wish to enter, using this
same form of lotus meditation. Do so and you will be born at once
in that realm. If birth on a higher place is not possible, or if
you prefer to enter a worldly womb door, listen carefully. You
have seen the continents you can be born in. Choose one where
spiritual truth is strong and enter it. You will be drawn to the
proper womb by its sweet smell. This means the womb is ready for
entry. What ever you see, remember it may not be what it seems,
and choose carefully. Meditate thus:
“I want to be born the son of a yogi, or a family of high calling and
virtue in pursuit of spiritual truth, so that I may be of benefit to
others.” Enter the womb only after you consider carefully your
choice if birth, so that the womb is transformed into a holy
temple. As you enter, meditate on your favourite deity or the
Enlightened Ones. Do not let bad Karma fool you into thinking a
good birth will come from a bad choice. Be impartial, free of
bias, and what appears a bad womb, may lead to a good birth.
Meditate on the Primary Trinity and choose the Middle Way. Your
past loved ones cannot help you now.
If you are still in the Bardo when you hear this, listen intently to
this for it is the final teaching: Concentrate with undivided attention
on the Compassionate Enlightened One. Be one with him. Know
yourself to be one with the White Light of the Pleasure Seeking Gods or
the Yellow Light of the human world. Enter, if you can, among the
temples of gold with beautiful gardens and Enlightenment can be
achieved. All the Enlightened ones of past, present and future
cannot transcend these teachings of the Bardos, which liberate the
dead. They are now complete.
Om-Mane-Padme-Hum
The Bardo Thodol – Bon Voyage
“What is Durga, that is Vishnu and that also is Siva
The wise know that they are not different from one another
The fool who thinks otherwise
Goes to the Rahrava Hell”
Varaha Purana
As I get older I find myself having to read the “Tibetan Book of the
Dead” more often, for friends, relatives and even pets. One thing
that bothers me when doing this is that much of the imagery and
terminology relates to Buddhism and will not be familiar to those who
have not grown up in that tradition.
The Bar-do thos-grol (Anglicised as Bardol Thodol) of “Texts for Self
Liberation Through Hearing, During the Intermediate Period that Follows
Death” have origins back in the oral transmission of the Shamanistic
tradition of Tibet called Bonpo. Those dialects would be equally
alien to Westerners. The first attempts to set these principles
down in writing arose in the era of unreformed Buddhism and took the
form of the “Tantra of the Great Secret Union of the Sun and the Moon”,
which later evolved into “The Doctrine of the Six Lights” before
reaching an approximation of its present form. Essentially all of
the texts deal with approaching signs of death and the dissolution of
the mandala of the elements that have built the physical body, and the
Realisation of the Primary Clear Light into which the elements are
resolved. Obviously if awareness of these elements has been built
up during a lifetime when constructing a zonule for meditation and
magick they will mean more to the post mortem consciousness of a dead
person.
H.H.Dalai Lama has already addressed the problem of secularising the
imagery to be expected in the after-death state in the book “Advice on
Dying”, but as yet this has not been adapted into the secular book to
be read to the deceased. Apart from the universal relevance of
such a work, we can note a special relevance to the Uttara Kaula
tradition of India when we realise that the Zhang-Zhung Kingdom that
existed before the Eighth Century C.E. included parts of Tibet and also
part of Kashmir in the West, and Kashmir is the Uttara Pitha: the
Northern place where in legend part of Lord Siva’s spouse, Shakti, came
to earth in India.
This also helps to explain why the Uttara Tantrik Tradition blended so
well with Tibetan thought in the An uttara tradition of Highest Yoga
Tantra and Dzogchen meditation.
The Bardo Thodol deals with three bardos or levels of consciousness
experienced after death and the fourth Bardo, the Rang bzhin Bardo, is
that of Samsara in the world from birth to death. This is
sometimes further sub-divided into three life bardos. Once death
begins, we are in the Chikai Bardo and the spiritual elements begin to
build a new mandala of deities who can help grant Enlightenment.
Awareness of this begins three and a half days after physical death has
occurred and the physical elements have ceased to function. If
Enlightenment does not take place or if one chooses to follow the path
of reincarnation the spirit begins to build an illusory body in the
Chos Nyid Bardo of the Intermediate State and this body can move freely
in the realms of gods, humans, animals, hungry ghosts and demons, and
future directions are decided by Karma, and level of spiritual
practice. The Srid pa Bardo is the final state when the future
life is decided and karmic choice of parents and physical realm are
determined.
If anyone can remember past lives and bardo consciousness, it is
H.H.Dalai Lama. Both he and the “Tantra of the Great Secret Union
of the Sun and the Moon” go to great length to describe the signs of
approaching death, other than the immediate kind brought about by
physical accident, and how the elements of the body collapse: earth
into water, as the body loses weight: water into fire, as urine, blood,
sexual fluids and phlegm dry up and the throat becomes dry; Fire into
Air, as breathing becomes difficult and the body loses heat, via the
head (bad karma) or feet (good karma) first becoming cold; and Air into
ether, as the tongue becomes blue, the sense of touch is lost and
breathing gives way to only the machinations of the ‘internal winds’,
and the white (head), Clear Light can be experienced as space-like
consciousness. At this time, physical death is usually
considered to have occurred, but the elements continue to shut down
internally. The deceased experience visions like a Mirage as
Earth turns to Water; of Smoke as Water turns into Fire; of ‘fireflies’
as Fire turns into Air; of flickering light as air turns into pure
consciousness which then experiences a vivid white ‘sky’ symbolised by
the Moon; a vivid orange ‘sky’ symbolised by the Sun; vivid black of a
Moon, Sun and Starless ‘Sky’ and finally Primary Clear Light that
absorbs all.
It will be noted that the first four elements shut down widdershins or
anti-clockwise to the order of the mandala zonule of meditation.
I personally build this with white Siva/Buddha and yellow Shakti in the
East; Pale Blue Siva/Buddha and dark blue Shakti in the West; and Green
Siva/Pan/Buddha with brown Shakti in the North. White Ganesh and
Dati Mata preside over the Cthonic realms of growth below. I then
assume the Siva godform with the mantra “Sivoham” and invoke ‘Hrim
Lalita’ of the Sky realm. I feel this is the natural sequence in
England. They will vary in other parts of the world, as they do
slightly in the Tibetan sequence, but the Tibetan Lights can be seen as
background to the deities. Not only the mandala of the Chikhai
deities but also the building of the illusory body of Intermediate
State of the Chos nyid Bardo is formed from ‘Sky’, Sun, Moon and
elements in doesil or clockwise fashion, but dissolved widdershins
again before conception and finally built doesil physically in the
womb. Accidental death will cause a rapid shut down of elements
and direct thrust into Chikhai Bardo and is obviously not so easy to
prepare for.
Given these guiding principles, it is then possible to create a “Book
for Self Liberation Through Hearing During the Intermediate Period that
Follows Death”, which is secular, or universal, rather than relevant to
only one religious system. The whole process is symbolised as
being 49 days between Death and Birth, but there is no Earth Time in
the bardos and Karmic forces will cause the time, in Earth Time, to
vary.
Dr Timothy Leary was, in the Sixties, quick to spot that the after
death Bardos could be experienced as states of consciousness in high
doze sessions of L.S.D. experience, and these could equally be guided
by reading from a text which he has based on the ‘Bardo Thodol’ and
entitled “The Psychedelic Experience”. Instead of reincarnation,
the rebirth is the re-programming of the personality here. For
this pioneering work, Dr. Leary deserved the Nobel Peace Prize, but
instead the rest of his life became a struggle with forces of the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration. Pearls before Swine!
I have tried to use as little religious terminology as possible and the
ones I have used have passed into common usage since the 1960’s.
Mandalas are multi symmetrical patterns, to be found in various
traditions, and Carl Jung adopted the format as being foremost in the
symbols of the Collective Unconscious in his psychological
theorising. Karma, even hit the top ten with John Lennon, and is
the law of cause and effect in our actions. Dakinis are spirits
of the air, usually female, and some traditions might be tempted to
equate them with angels.
Yin and Yang are the Chinese names for the polarities of phenomenal
existence that find the balance and resolution in the Tao. A
Bodhisattva is the name that Buddhists give to someone who enters the
Light but who returns to the world to help others along the path.
It is my experience that this is possible while living. We can
presume this is not only possible in the Bardo of life but also in the
death bardos, although the Bardo Thodol presents Enlightenment and
reincarnation as alternatives.
On Mane Padme Hum:
The Jewel is in the Lotus.
The Bardo Thodol asserts that Memory is nine times stronger in the
after death Bardos, and that reading its text is beneficial even when
alive. And even if they are not fully understood, they will be
useful in the after death states. When read to the dead, it is
best done by the deceased’s guru, or next best by a learned person
aware of the meaning of the teachings. Failing this, they can be
read by anyone who reads clearly and distinctly. If the body has
been buried or cremated, they are best read from a deceased’s favourite
chair, environ, or with favourite objects of the deceased nearby.
There should also be no weeping or other distracting sounds as the
Spirit is summoned for the reading. “The Tantra of the Great
Secret Union of the Sun and Moon” goes into great detail as to the
signs of death. If these signs are complete and, in the unlikely
event in this day and age, that the body is still present, the reading
takes place close to the head. Incense and spring water
should be used to encircle the body. Then the readings are made
three or seven times on each of the forty-nine ‘days’ of the
bardos. The first reading can begin once the heart has stopped
and the lungs have ceased to function, but is said that the spirit is
unaware of the bodily death for three and a half days and the
forty-nine days are counted after this time. The forty-nine days
are symbolic of seven times seven traditional planets. There is no
‘time’ in the bardo. The ‘days’ set the course for the after death
period before rebirth.
Chikhai Bardo Call the name of the deceased.
“You may have heard words like these before
But may not yet recognise death
You may recognise death but not understand it
Know that if you concentrate on the words
You will perceive the Primary Clear Light
And could achieve freedom from other existences
Which form the Bardo Planes
If it is combined with good karma and earnest search for Truth”
May the compassionate forces of Bardo
Know that………is passing from worldly existence
Into the next
And bring help and Enlightenment
1 As
death has come
And they fall deeper into
the void
Surrounded by Karmic forces
Bring strength against
anxiety and fear
As the security of the worldly life fades
And they must go alone
May they be spared a long and painful Bardo
May they achieve
Enlightenment
2
Enlightened Ones, Fathers of the Way and Divine Mothers
Gurus, Gods, Spirits
and those who have gone before
Help to lead us along the Way
When we stray from the
path of Enlightenment
Fathers of knowledge inspire and strengthen us
Divine Mothers comfort
and sustain us
May we be spared a long and painful Bardo
May we achieve
Enlightenment
3
May the Teacher of mirror like wisdom
Inspire and strengthen
us
May his wise mother
Comfort and sustain us
May we be spared a long and painful Bardo
May we achieve
Enlightenment
4 May the Teacher of
Generosity
Inspire and strengthen
us
May his All-embracing Mother
Comfort and
sustain us
May we be spared a long and painful Bardo
May we achieve
Enlightenment
5 May the Teacher of
Meditation
Inspire and strengthen
us
May his Divine Mother
Comfort and
sustain us
May we be spared a long and painful Bardo
May we achieve
Enlightenment
6 May the Teacher of
Fearlessness
Inspire and
strengthen us
May his Divine Mother
Comfort and
sustain us
May we be spared a long and painful Bardo
May we achieve
Enlightenment
7 May the Teacher of
Universal Consciousness
Inspire and
strengthen us
May his All-seeing Divine Mother
Comfort and
sustain us
May we be spared a long and painful Bardo
May we achieve
Enlightenment
8 May the Fathers of
Clearest Perception
Inspire and
strengthen us
May their Divine Mothers
Comfort and
sustain us
May we be spared a long and painful Bardo
May we achieve
Enlightenment
9 May the Fathers of
Insightful Wisdom
Inspire and
strengthen us
May their Divine Mothers
Comfort
and sustain us
May we be spared a long and painful Bardo
May we achieve
Enlightenment
10
May the Eastern Realm be friendly to us
Where White God
and Yellow Goddess
Dwell in the Blue Sky
May the
Southern Realm be friendly to us
Where the Orange God and Red
Goddess
Glow in
the Yellow Sky
May the Western Realm be friendly
to us
Where the
Blue God and Turquoise Goddess
Dwell in the Red Sun-setting Sky
May the
Northern Realm be friendly to us
Where the Jade God and the Brown
Goddess
Dwell in
the Verdant Green surroundings
May the Central Realm be friendly
to us
Where the
White God and the Star encrusted Goddess
Dwell in the Light
May
the elements of all the realms befriend us
That we be one of the Celestial
Beings
May
the Bardo sights and sounds
Be one with our sights and sounds
In the bardo may
we recognise, accept and be one
With the Primal trinity of Yin,
Yang and Tao
*
11 When the Chikhai Bardo begins
avoid idleness
But
be attentive to your condition
Concentrate, listen, reflect
and meditate in what happens
Recognise, accept and be one with the Primordial Trinity
12 When the bardo ‘dream’ state
comes
Avoid the useless sleep of the dead
Focus all
consciousness with a clear mind
Avoid selfishness and remain alert
Recognise, accept, be
one with the Truth: the Pure Light
13
When the bardo meditation state is needed
Avoid distraction
Balance, knowledge of your condition and mystic equilibrium
Recognise, accept and
be one with the bardo stages
Concentrate with individual attention, free from misleading passions
14 When the Chikhai Bardo begins
Avoid
selfish feelings and worldly passions
Remain steadfast, perceive
Enlightenment
Be
one with the mystic state of the un-born
For it is time to leave your
earthly form behind
15 When the
Chonyid Bardo begins, avoid fear and negative emotions
Recognise, accept and be one with
what happens
Realise
these are realities of the Intermediate State
It is the mid point of the Bardo
planes
Do not
fear good and evil forms, be detached and let them pass
16 When the Sidpa Bardo begins
concentrate on your rebirth
Dedicate your thought to a positive future
The womb may be closed and you let it cause suffering
It
is time for love, faith and perseverance
Avoid selfishness and
meditate on the God/Goddess
Mother/Father polarities
17 If you have not realised the
inevitability of death
And
surrounded yourself with useless things and activities
You miss the greatest opportunity
And may
enter the bardos unprepared
Know that these teachings can
satisfy your needs
It is time
to listen and meditate on the words
18 Listen to these words with
meaning and dedication
If
they are not remembered and meditated on
The Knowledge of the Great
Tradition is lost
These
words are most important
*
19 When
destiny in life has been fulfilled
Friends and relatives will be of
no help
We must
wander alone in the Bardo planes
May the Gods, Goddesses, Teachers
and Deities of Feeling and Reason
Help you
overcome darkness and despair
20
Alone, without friends and loved ones
Alone but for
innermost mind and it’s thoughts
May the Enlightened Ones pour
infinite compassion
That you may
have no fear or terror
21
When the five wisdoms appear
May you
recognise them, accept them and be one with them
When good and evil forms appear to
you
May you
recognise them and accept them as being of the Bardo plane
22
When past bad deeds cause you to suffer
May the
Gods, Goddesses, Teachers and Deities of Feeling and Reason help you
When reality thunders in your ears
like a thousand storms
May it be
transformed into the sounds of Truth and Enlightenment
23
When you are vulnerable and karmic forces bear upon you
May the
Gods, Goddesses, Teachers and Deities of Feeling and Reason help you
24
When it is time for you to be reborn
May dark
thoughts and desires not affect you
When you are born according to
your wish
May you be
free from the influence of bad Karma
25
When animals roar in your ears
May you
hear: OM-MANI-PADME HUM
When there are storms and darkness
May you
see clearly with divine vision
26
May all who come to the Bardo planes
Seek
rebirth without malice, be re-born Enlightened
When suffering and misery come to them
May they
transcend pain
27
When you observe your future parents
May you
see them as the Divine Mother-Father
When you are free to choose your
own rebirth
May you
have a body with Enlightened signs and powers
28
When you have come to your new body
May you
Enlighten all who see or hear you
May bad karma have no influence on you
May good come to
you and be multiplied
29
At the moment of next birth
May the
Gods, Goddesses, Teachers and Deities of Feeling and Reason help
May you be alert in Enlightened
Consciousness from birth
May you
remember and not forget you previous existences
30
In all your learning, tasks and duties
May you master
them effectively
Wherever you are, let all be well
May all beings
you contact have happiness
31
Enlightened Ones of perfect mind and body
Of long
life and great influence
Whose names, even, are sacred
Be with
you and others that you may do well
32
With the compassion of the Gods, Goddesses, Teachers and Deities
of
Feeling
and Reason
With positive influence of the
Pure Light of Truth
With
deepest meditation on these teachings
May all you wish for come
true
*
May
your motives and intentions be pure
May all mothers everywhere
achieve Enlightenment
May
Enlightenment spread through the world
May these teachings be used
effectively by all
May virtue
and goodness grow forever
PREPARATION FOR WHAT IS TO COME: Can be read in the first
3½ days
The Chikhai Bardo
The time has come for you to enter into the Chikhai Bardo. Your
breathing is about to cease (or has ceased, if not present at
death). You will be able to see the Primary Clear Light: a
great void like a cloudless sky, or being immersed in a boundless
ocean. Your mind will float freely, alone, unaided. At this
time know your eternal self. Repeat 3 or 7 times
Do no let your mind wonder. Listen carefully, for this is the
time of your death. Use death as an advantage, the opportunity to
achieve Enlightenment. Do this by keeping your mind clear of all
negative thoughts and instead focus on the Light of Truth and the
positive thought of Enlightenment. Concentrate, for it is the
time of the Primary Clear Light. Meditate this: “Even if I
do not fully understand it, I accept the Chikhai Bardo. I will
earnestly try to be one with it for myself and all of humanity”.
If death is apparent, but has not yet come, keep these teachings and
inspirational spiritual experiences from earthly life in mind.
Repeat if there are still signs of life
You are facing the Primary Clear Light be alert and attentive to all
that happens. You can now see and hear the Ultimate
Reality. Your mind is no longer restricted to your body. It
can join with the great stream of Universal Consciousness, the Unborn
Perfect Enlightenment. You can be beyond birth, beyond death,
free and immortal: one with the Primary Clear Light. Know
that life and also death are only limited reality. Only what you
experience is reality. At this time it is the Truth, the
Light. As you no longer recognise yourself as mortal you can be
one with the Light, the ultimate ground of reality. Recognise
this, accept this, and be one with it, and you will achieve
Enlightenment. Repeat 3 or 7 times
Call the deceased by name again and say:
“If you have not seen the Primary Clear Light, know that you can still
achieve Enlightenment through the Clear Light of the Chonyid Bardo
which follows. Meditate on your favourite Deity. Think of
them as if they are with you now. Be detached from the influence
of bad Karma. Concentrate and do not be distracted.”
The Chonyid Bardo – the Intermediate State
In this Bardo, there will be often frightening illusions based on
previous Karma. The reader must prepare the deceased for
them. They can see and hear, but no earthly eyes can see the
deceased. Call them by name and say:
Listen carefully with undivided attention. Do not be
distracted. There are six bardo states: in the womb and
childhood; the dream state; deep meditation in life and three stages in
death: the time of death; karmic illusions of the intermediate
state; and seeking rebirth. Of these, you have already passed
through the gate of death and the Primary Clear Light shone all around
you, and if you did not recognise it or have slipped from it, you are
now in the Intermediate State of karmic allusions.
Listen carefully now, be attentive and alert. Death has come to
you, and you have had to depart this world. While you have to
face this alone, know that death comes to us all.
Do not cling to life because of sentiment or fear to go on. You
have no power to stay. But there is no value in wandering as a
lonely spirit. Think instead of the teachings of the Enlightened
Ones who have gone before. Listen carefully so that you can be
saved from fear and terror in the Intermediate State. Meditate
thus:
When karmic allusions dawn upon me
And fear and terror can grow within me
May I realise that there are but reflections from
within me
May I realise that they are a natural part of the death experience
May I recognise this moment as one of great
opportunity
May I accept good and evil karmic illusions as being of my own making.
Think of these words as you go into the Intermediate State. Then when
illusions come you will be able to understand them. Do not forget
this secret insight. When your mind separated from your body you
were able to see the Primary Clear Light. It is like a mirage,
subtle but bright, dazzling in its radiance. Do not be afraid for
it is the same light that we all radiate. So be comfortable with
it. Within the Light is also the sound of Ultimate Reality, like
a thousand simultaneous thunderclaps: Om. Do not be afraid
of it, for this too is the sound that we all generate. Accept it
as such. The being you are now is a spirit, not a body. It
is mind, not flesh and blood and bones. Know that no sights and
sounds can hurt you. For now you cannot die: you are
immortal. Any illusions arise from your own mind. This is
part of the Intermediate State. If you cannot remember the
thoughts from your previous life and from within your present mind, the
source of good or terrifying visions will scare and you can wander
aimlessly through this Intermediate State. So listen carefully to
these teachings that will liberate you:
The 49 ‘days’
After the 3½ half days when the previous teachings are given,
the deceased is said to realise that they are dead and on each of the
following 49 Earth days a teaching is given to match the progress
through the after-death bardos. Call the deceased by name at the
beginning of each days reading then:
1st Day
For 3½ days you have been unaware of what is happening to
you. Concentrate, be alert, so you will now recognise what
happens. Realise that your existence and perception have
changed. You will see sights and hear sounds unlike Earthly
existence. They arise from the Mandala of the heart centre the
realm of Enlightened Realisation, where The Enlightened One abides in
dazzling White Light upon the Lion throne of the Eight-spoked Wheel
embraced by his Shakti, Divine Mother of Space, radiating the Pure Blue
Light of the cloudless sky. The light may shine so brightly that
you can hardly bear to look at it, and bad karma could even cause you
to fear it. Accept it for it can save you from a painful
Bardo. The Pure Blue Light can become mixed with the dull white
light of the Devas, the creators of Samsara illusion. Avoid the
dull white light, as it will lead to distractions on your
journey. Meditate thus:
When wandering in ignorance
Seeking the Enlightenment of Universal Consciousness
May the Light inspire and strengthen me
May the Divine Mother comfort and sustain me
May I be spared a long and painful Bardo
May I be one with the Central Realm
Of Universal Consciousness
The 2nd Day
This is the day of the Pure White Light of the Eastern Realm of
transcendent happiness and mirror like wisdom, Six Wisdom Deities in
halo of Rainbow Light. The immutable Enlightened One of the East
will come radiating Pure White Light as if from deep blue sky. He
rides on an elephant throne, holds a five pronged sceptre and is
embraced the Divine Mother of mirror like wisdom. They are
attended by male Deities of Love and Structure and female Deities of
Beauty and Becoming. The White Light shines do bright you can
hardly bear to look at it. It is mixed with the smokey grey-black
light of Hell. Bad karma can cause you to fear the Pure Light and
follow the dull light. Concentrate on the Pure White Light,
accept, be one with it, for it is the Pure Light of Wisdom and it can
save you from a painful Bardo. Following the dull light leads to
suffering and an uncertain future. Meditate thus:
When wandering with selfish passion
Seeking the Enlightenment of Mirror-like Wisdom
May the Pure White Light inspire and strengthen me
May the Divine Mother comfort and sustain me
May I be spared a long and painful Bardo
May I achieve Enlightenment
In the Eastern Realms of transcendent happiness
And mirror-like wisdom
The 3rd Day
It is the day of the Pure Yellow Light of the Southern Realm; the realm
of Enlightened one of the South will come like the Sun radiating Pure
Yellow Light. Six wisdom deities will appear in a halo of light.
The Enlightened One of the South will come like the sun radiating Pure
yellow Light. He rides a horse throne, holds a Jewel in his hand
and is embraced by the Divine Mother of all, embracing equality glowing
orange. They are attended by male Deities of Sky Structure and
Goodness and two female Deities of Patience and Reverence. The
Pure Yellow Light shines so bright you may find it difficult to look
at. It is mixed with the dull bluish light of Earthly
existence. Bad karma may cause you to fear the Clear Light,
accept it, be one with it and the Pure Light of Wisdom can save you
from a painful Bardo. Following the dull light leads to birth,
ageing, sickness and death without Enlightenment, a sad interruption to
your journey. Meditate thus:
When wandering with vanity and pride
Seeking the Enlightenment of giving-feeling equality
May the Pure Yellow Light inspire to strengthen me
May the Divine Mother comfort and sustain me
May I be spared a long and painful Bardo
May I achieve Enlightenment
May I be one with the Southern Realm of
giving-feeling equalility
The 4th Day
It is the day of the Pure Red Light of the Western realm of meditation,
perception and wisdom. Six Wisdom Deities will appear in a halo
of Rainbow Light.
The all-discriminating wise Enlightened One of the West will
come. His body is Red Light, like the setting Sun in a Radiant
Blue Sky. He is seated on a peacock throne, holds a lotus in his
hand and is embraced by the Divine Mother of Knowledge and Wisdom of
Radiant Blue Light. They are attended by male Deities of Mercy
and Virtue and two female Deities of Song and Light. The Pure Red
Light shines so brightly you can hardly bear to look at it. It is
mixed with the dull red light of Earthy existence. Bad karma can
cause you to fear the Pure Light and follow the dull light.
Concentrate on the Pure Red Light. Accept it, be one with it, for
the pure light of perceptive and discriminating wisdom can save you
from a painful bardo. The dull red light leads to the world of
unhappy spirits where there is no liberation and should be
avoided. Meditate thus:
When wandering selfishly and possessively
Seeking the Enlightenment of discriminating wisdom
May the Pure Red Light of the West inspire and
strengthen me
May the Divine Mother comfort and sustain me
May I be spared a long and painful Bardo
May I achieve Enlightenment
May I be one with the discriminating wisdom of the
Western Realm
The 5th Day
It is the day of the Pure Green Light of the Northern Realm of
Will-achieving Wisdom. Six Wisdom Deities will appear in a halo
of Rainbow Light. The fearless Achieving Enlightening One
of the North will come. His body is green and he radiates Green
Light. He rides a harpy throne, holds a four-headed equal armed
cross sceptre and is embraced by the Divine Mother of Constancy and
Resolution. They are attended by male Deities of Form and Clear
Perception and female Deities of Essence and Substance. The Pure
Green Light will shine so brightly you can hardly bear to look at
it. It is mixed with the dull green light of envy and
jealousy. Bad karma may cause you to fear the Pure Green Light
and follow the dull green light. Concentrate on the Pure Green
Light, accept it and be one with it for it is the Light of
All-achieving Wisdom. Avoid the dull green light as it leads to
the world of continual conflict and chaos, a sad interruption to your
journey. Meditate thus:
When wandering
with envy and jealousy
Seeking the Enlightenment of
All-Achieving Wisdom
May the Pure Green Light inspire and strengthen me
May the Divine Mother comfort and sustain me
May I be spared a long and painful Bardo
May I achieve Enlightenment
May I be one with the Northern Realm of
All-achieving Wisdom
The 6th Day
The Enlightened Ones have appeared to you one by one but bad karma,
fear, or distraction can cause you to remain in Chonyid Bardo, unable
to achieve Buddhahood. You could have joined the halo of Rainbow Light
and achieved Enlightenment. But listen now, concentrate, be alert
and attentive, for they will come again. The five divine colours,
white, yellow, red, blue and green will shine on you
simultaneously. Amid a halo of Rainbow Light the Enlightened Ones
will come with all their attendant deities as before. Forty-two
in all, including the great Father-Mother of All. They arise from
the love within you. They come from the four main regions, while you at
the centre make up the five realms. The deities will come in one
grand assembly. The colours will shine brightly upon you.
At the centre Pure Light will shine from inverted blue cups, surrounded
by smaller ones radiating Pure Blue Light. From the East, the
Pure White Light of Mirror-like Wisdom, like a radiant mirror,
surrounded by smaller and even smaller ones that radiate Pure White
Light. From the South shines the Pure Yellow Light of
all-embracing Wisdom, from inverted cups, surrounded by smaller and
even smaller cups. From the East the Pure Red Light shines from
inverted blue cups, surrounded by smaller and even smaller cups.
From the North shines the Pure Green of all-achieving Wisdom, but it
will not shine brightly because you have not yet achieved perfect
Enlightenment. All the deities will come to you at once, the
lights shining upon you. Do not move towards any of them but
remain as if afloat in a great ocean of Light, perceiving all, striving
to be one with all of them equally. In this way you will achieve
Enlightenment. You will know that they are reflections of your
own inner lights and achieve serenity of spirit. But the six dull
impure lights will shine with the Pure Divine Lights; dull white, dull
green, dull yellow, dull blue, dull red, and dull grey-black. Do
dot follow these dull lights. They lead to pain and suffering and
an uncertain future. If you have not followed these teachings,
you may fear the pure lights and be attracted to the dull lights. Guard
against this. As the deities have come to you out of compassion,
you come to them for refuge and Enlightenment. Meditate thus:
When wondering with lust, hate, stupidity,
selfishness and jealousy
Seeking the Enlightenment of the Five Wisdoms United
May the Enlightened Ones inspire and strengthen me
May the Divine Mothers comfort and sustain me
May I be saved from impure lights from other worlds
May I be spared a long and painful Bardo
May I be one with the Five Divine Realms
Meditate in this way, recognising your own Inner Light and be one with
it,
and not slip downwards into the realms of bad Karma.
The 7th Day
On this day you will see multi-coloured lights arising from your own
thoughts. At the same time, the deities of Feeling will come to
you from the Mandala of the throat centre, the realm of
Knowledge. Each carries symbols of blood, like the scythe or
blood-filled skull cups. From the mandela centre, surrounded by a
halo of Rainbow Light, the Supreme Knower, Lotus Lord of Dance, comes
dancing, radiating the five colours, embraced by his consort, the Red
Dakini. From Mandala East comes the Earth Knower, smiling,
dancing, white in colour, embraced by the White Dakini in a yellow
sky. From Mandala south comes the Life Knower, smiling, dancing,
yellow in colour, embraced by the Yellow Dakini in a red sky.
From Mandala West comes the Knower of the Great Symbol, smiling,
dancing, red in colour, embraced by The Red Dakini in a blue sky.
From Mandala North comes the Immediate Insight Knower, half smiling,
half frowning, dancing, green in colour, embraced by the Green Dakini,
also in a clear blue sky. Surrounding them, there are a multitude
of deities and dakinis with trumpets and drums, banners and canopies,
burning incense, dancing freely, making music that resonates
thunderously everywhere. They come to reward good Karma and judge
bad Karma. From the Deities of Feeling, the Pure Five-coloured
Light of Wisdom shines so bright you can hardly look at it. At
the same time, the dull blue light of the animal world shines
forth. Bad Karma may cause you to fear the Pure Light and to
follow the dull light. Avoid this, for following it leads to
suffering and a long painful Bardo.
Accept the Pure Light of Wisdom. Be one with it. It is your
wisdom and within it Truth resonates like a thousand thunders.
Meditate thus:
And I now fervently appeal to them for help
The Five Enlightened Ones have come to me
But I have been unable to be one with them
May the Deities of Feeling prevent me slipping downwards
May I be one with them
May the Dakinis comfort and sustain me
May I be spared a long and painful Bardo
May I enter the Paradise Realms
The 8th day
Be attentive and listen carefully. It is the day of the Masculine
Enlightened One of the mind mandala centre. He comes because you
could not be one with the deities, which came before. He is dark
brown and radiantly aflame. Between and above his eyes, he has
the third eye of Transcendent Knowledge. His face is red, white
and brown, adorned with skulls and symbols of the Sun and Moon.
His left hand holds a sword of war and his right hand a bell of
peace. His face is frightening and his voice loud and
piercing. He is embraced by the Mother of Femininity. They
both stand on one leg while the other is wrapped around the partner and
they radiate brightly. They are borne on a platform carried by
half eagles, half humans.
Fear not, they are the Enlightened Ones of the Central Realm.
Know that they arrive in the form of your own thoughts. Recognise
them, accept them, be one with them and you will attain Enlightenment
The 9th day
This is the day of the Thunderbolt Deity of the East. He comes
because you were not one with the deities as they appeared to you
before. He is white and radiantly aflame. His hands hold
symbols of Conflict and Peace. He is embraced by the Divine
Thunderbolt Mother, drinking blood. Fear not. Do not be
confused. They are really the Enlightened Ones of the East and
their forms arise from your own thoughts. Recognise them, be one
with them and you will attain Enlightenment.
The 10th day
This is the day of the Jewelled Deity of the South. He comes
because you could not be one with the deities as they appeared to you
before. He is yellow and radiantly aflame. His hands hold
symbols of Conflict and Peace. He is 