Bardo Thodol

A Tibetan Buddhist funerary text that describes postmortem intermediate states and instructions for liberation through hearing. Its title means “Liberation Through Hearing in the Intermediate State.”

Bardo: An intermediate state in Tibetan Buddhism, especially the interval between death and rebirth. The text is organized around successive bardos encountered after death.
Clear Light: The luminous, nondual nature of mind revealed in Tibetan Buddhist accounts of death and meditation. Recognizing this first appearance is presented as the most direct opportunity for liberation.
Karma Lingpa: A fourteenth-century Tibetan treasure revealer associated with the discovery of the Bardo Thodol cycle. The text is traditionally attributed to his revelation of teachings concealed by Padmasambhava.
Tibetan Buddhist funerary rites: Ritual practices accompanying death and funerals in Tibetan Buddhist communities. The text is traditionally read aloud to guide the deceased through the intermediate state.
Egyptian Book of the Dead: A collection of ancient Egyptian funerary spells intended to assist the deceased in the afterlife. Both texts address postmortem passage, but arise from distinct religious worlds and ritual aims.
Tibetan Buddhism: A form of Buddhism shaped in Tibet, with distinctive tantric, monastic, and ritual traditions. The text’s doctrines and funeral practices belong to this religious tradition.
Deity Yoga: A tantric Buddhist meditation practice that visualizes a deity and transforms ordinary perception. Familiarity with divine forms helps explain the peaceful and wrathful appearances described after death.
Padmasambhava: An eighth-century Buddhist master central to the establishment of Buddhism in Tibet. Tradition attributes the teachings to Padmasambhava, who concealed them for later discovery.
Tibetan sky burial: A Tibetan funerary practice in which a body is offered to birds and other scavengers. It provides a distinct funerary context that can accompany Tibetan Buddhist beliefs about death.
Garuda Purana: A Hindu Purana containing teachings about death, the afterlife, and funerary observances. Its Hindu account of postmortem fate contrasts with the text’s Buddhist path toward liberation.

Linked from 3 pages

Six Dharmas of NaropaRelated: Its account of the bardo supplies a context for the death-related practices.