The Tibetan Book of Dead: A Real Life Example Approach

According to karl Marx “knowledge progress in leisure time” that’s why he insisted on the limitation of time and effort towards production mode. Actually he want the society to remain in humanistic in nature, which was lacking during his time. Karl mark articulated the importance of leisure, nature and well being of labor and laborers because he was roamed as a footloose, vagabond and dead beat in the streets of London. As always he was remembered for other ideologies. Hence the importance of leisure is understood. In a similar manner literature develops in leisure and the influence of the existing period. If the person belong to the sangam age , then the literature is mostly on love, war and dialogue between husband and wife. When the time period moves much later on sangam age, then the literure talks about devotion, epic work based on heroic happenings and so on. Similarly there is a age called dark age, where mostly the scholars and thinkers were narcotized by the underworld writings. The height of this underworld writings were between 8th century AD to 10th century AD. Like our present black magicians (daughters of wind) they also, the scholars of those period thought they could everything and anything under the narcotized mood. And one such a work that emerged in the 8th century AD is ‘Bardo Thodol”( the Tibetan book of dead) written by Padmasambhva a black magician by nature.


Padmasambhava et al:

Padmasambhava was born in Orissa and became a Buddhist preacher who took Buddhism to Tibet. He was actually caught in Orissa for teaching black magic to the princess, found teaching some unnecessary stuff’s to the princess, so he was actually identified as a culprit by the Orissa royal court. Later on the story says both the king and princess became his follower, though this is not surprising, because this could also be a manipulated story since he was the forerunner of Tibetan Buddhism. But one thing is sure; he could able to write the book only because he underwent the process of transition to the higher level. It is 100% sure as once he lost in transition he started to write the book of dead. Because while reading about his life history, it is said padmasambhava moved to an isolated cave and practiced meditation. If we take the life history of Buddha, once if you get enlightenment, you can t be in isolation. You started to move towards the society to share your knowledge. That’s how Buddha went to the saranath park to meet the people. Whereas padmasambhava went to an isolated cave, a reverse process due to grief and anxiety. i.e., he lost in transition. Similarly if we take the teachings of vallalar medicine. In one place he insisted to take bath with breast milk. In week once or four days once. It is soo true that he had a bizarre way taming the body, whatever it is how an individual could get breast milk from a women under normal condition like getting a cup of sugar or chilly powder from the neighbor?? So definitely he also had something. Which is not desired by the real divine world. !! therefore once they lost in transition they start to write those dark world stuffs, as their contribution to the society or literature which is nothing but another one waste work. For them it’s a sort of winning a “complimentary prize”!!

“Tibetan Book of dead” with real life examples.

This book is actually a guide for dead people to accompany him in the next world journey. This book have to read, when you come to know that your days are near or you have to read to someone who is on his death bed. Literally, it’s a guide for death journey and happy return  which is not at all possible. The book explains the journey in three stages (Three Bardo). Where the liberated soul from the human body will meet and encounter both the devas and asuras elements in the sky and book reminds the soul to recognize those asuras and devas beings and act accordingly (basically more than a tips, it’s a bit paper to pass in the exam). The incarnation, rebirth and cancellation of human birth will happen during this 15 days journey of soul in the sky constellations.

Death and the beginning of journey.

Medically when the heart stop’s functioning then you are dead. According to this book “once the awareness is freed from the body then you are dead” literally means when your senses are dead and there is a communication gap between the body and soul, then you are dead. Means losing the buddhahood or humanhood. So the death arrived to the individual through the awareness gap between the body and soul. Here starts our journey to the constellation world. This is the stunning truth about death. When you near to die, you feel cold and you could sense sort of shivering and chilling of body. That’s it, then you could see an utter dark except one person standing with dark bluish colour , who is short in nature, and that person is soo bright like white light. He is the one who decides your journey. If he is not allowing to the awareness to be freed from the body then your not dead. Within 10 minutes you will wake again. The proof is only this book. According to this book, “once your awareness is separated from the body, you are dead, in that condition, there appear one deity”. Who will take our soul to fulfill the 15 days journey and judgement. This stage is full of chaos and confusion. The individual can’t recognize anything, so the padmasambhava want this book to be read to those in death bed as a guide to remove the confusion in journey.

In our village, we ask for words and works to be carried out after their death in the family. Usually that will be the blessings, confessions and handing over the last child to the most responsible person in the family. Once this is done, they themselves ask for building a cemetery and they will tell the place also. My grand father’s father and mother was the last one to ask for cemetery with mentioning the place. Till today no one asked for cemetery while they are in the death bed. In this case mostly we burn the dead. Once the cemetery is raised, we worship them as a guarding deity. Over the cemetery we place shiva lingam and infront of shiva lingam the will be a nandi (bull). When I asked the purpose of nandhi before the dead one’s cemetery, my grandmother told, the dead one will reach the kailasam (abode of lord shiva), by holding the tail of this bull, means the journey begins through nandhi. As per the words of padmasambhava once you are dead,” there appears a deity”!!

15 days journey:

The 15 days journey is divided into three bardos. (Three Stages). Two bardos will occur in 14 days, the third bardo on the 15th day. The 15th day is the judgment day. Once the soul started its journey, it has to undergo 14 titrations, and depends on the weightage of karma the pulls down the possibilities of reincarnation, rebirth and cancellation of human birth.

1) In bardo one, the soul meets lord shiva (the ultimate realtiy) and the most powerful of the holy trinity. The soul gets repels from the ultimate reality, padmasambhava expolains this ultimate reality as “ALL-GOOD BUDHA” ( a clear light of consciousness). Once the soul gets reflection/rejection from the ultimate reality, it means the death soul is no longer eligible to become shivam , the shivahood (the highest reality). So your soul is no more a dharma-kaya , means the clear the light, kaya means body.

2) Then the soul meets the divine father and mother together (shiva and sakthi), the aspiration for becoming the son of god is getting canceled here once the soul is not absorbed by both the divine forces. Here the souls are getting eligible for avathars, once the divine father and mother accepts the soul.

3) So the rejected soul’s travel continues for second day, where it meets the second highest god among the gods. This god is the joy of pure heart, if it is not liberated the soul, Then the rejected soul by the second highest god, will lose their position in heaven. So the soul travels further away from the heaven to find its position in the constellations.

4) On the third day, the soul is prepared for human world. Here the soul underwent the process of not joining with the ultimate reality and not joining with the joy of pure heart. So the soul is prepared for human reincarnation based on the karma weigtage.

5) So on the fourth day the soul meets the god of eternal life (Kethu). According to hindu mythology, this god took the elixr which gives eternal life. Here this god sanction the birth depends on the miserliness and wicked activities of an individual. If the soul is wicked , its directed to the dark world (low painful birth).

6) On the fifth day, the soul meets the god of warrior (again kethu), this time the soul will definitely put to the underworld as a painful warrior. Planet Pluto rules underworld. Fear towards Pluto’s will leads to destruction.

7) The sixth day of journey is an interesting one. A sunya (zero philosophy) this day the soul is not going to meet any god, but this day is the deciding day of either human birth or demonic birth. Very interesting, because the diversion takes place in journey. That means the individual don’t have an influence of both Jupiter and Saturn. Because Jupiter enhances expanses and Saturn rules contraction. Since your karma are not favoring the expansion (further journey) your journey is stopped by Saturn and diverted to the second level in constellation. ie low human or animal birth.

8) On the seventh day, the soul meets the god of knowledge, final chance for human birth. If soul is rejected here it will take up animal birth. So from here onwards the souls travels towards the bhutha loka (demonic world). Cruel death, painful life are sanctioned here. Like this the soul undergoes another 7 days journey which could be full wrathful and fearful visions.

Third Bardo

On the 15 day the third bardo starts, here the soul is subjected to judgment by yama. The explanations and justifications are asked here for our karma and deeds. All our actions and evil activities will be shown in the mirror, where the soul could be the spectator of its own activities. Padmasambhva consoles the death one not to get scare of the mirror, it’s just a reflection of our mind activities. So he encourages to argue confidently  once the soul found guilty, it is put to third degree of liberation as animals. Here ends the 15 days journey and judgement for rebirth.

Some of the reflections:
1) The whole work is seems to be a crap !!

2) The author writes and convince this work as a guide for death, because the soul will be in complete confusion, my point is when the soul itself in confusion then how it could remember this guide??

3) Most of the Tibetan works are copied ones from Indian literature (mostly from Nalanda University). When we have practices but not literature on these subjects shows, the tamil scholar community not ready or found useless like this work. Because a tamil saint called pattinathar says “ even a hole less needle will not accompany you in journey” means you cant even take a broken needle with you when you are dead.

4) Moreover the journey is true and acceptance and rejections of souls are true in the constellations, but giving a guide is bit too much for the journey. It’s like your camera requires particular battery depends on your camera model. If your deeds are good you will be absorbed either in the jupitr or Saturn constellation, these two are best and deciding factor. Similarly a warrior birth is absorbed by Pluto and so on.

5) There are twelve constellations and 14 days journey. First day is death and entry, and sixth day is soonya where the diversion takes place due to lack of both Saturn and Jupiter. 12+2=14 days and the 15th day is a date with yama (then lord of death) where the rebirth as human or animal is decided. Finally in our customs by 16th day we close all our death ceremonies by having oil bath and non-veg food. Interstingly on the 16th day we check his position in the constellation, our astrologers could predict about his rebirth condition and his death impact over the family.

So this is not known only to padmasambhava, it was a common practice in our place. First day vazhikuttal (making way for his journey). Whether important person or relatives are there are or not, once the person is dead, immediately we make way for his journey. Vazhikkuttal is taking the soul out of village and leaving the soul at the entrance of burial ground with few objects and while coming to home from burial ground we don’t look back.

Then the second day is Paal (milk offering), second day is the date where the soul meets the divine father and mother. Its very clear to us, shiva is the ultimate, so on the second day, people here trying to purify the soul by giving milk bath. Milk bath is the sign of purification. Then on the eigth day we have ‘Ettan Thukkam” again there is some offerings of food and other small rituals. Finally we have Karumaathi on the 16th day. Just cross check these days with the Padmasambava’s explanation the journey of souls. i) Second day it meets the divine father and mother, so milk bath is given for purification. ii) eight day, the soul has a last chance of human rebirth by meeting the god of knowledge, so we are communicating something on this day by offering food and emotions of separations. iii) Sixteenth day, we are winding everything and cleaning the home with cow’s liquids. And we check his constellation conditions and finally the ceremony closes with grand feast. What is there in library as a holy text is actually with our culture. Similarly what is there in the text must be with our characters then we could say “don’t worry your stars will take care” actually this is what truth is. You are destined according to your karma or activites. There is a nice tamil proverb, Don’t expect a paddy if you sown an oil seed. !! To end all these in a single phrase “kaayamae ithu poyada verum kaatru adaitha paiyadaa”- Meaning is “this body is fake which is nothing but air filled ballon”-siddhar song.