The Tibetan Book of Dead — Quick Review
Best Book on Buddhism
If you asked the ten-year-old me what dying is, he would say, “Going far far away and never coming back.”
Like any other ten-year-old, I was curious as a child. I wanted to know everything. I played the “why game” with my Parents and annoyed them.
However, one question that got stuck with me that is “What happens after we die?”
My parents were shocked and didn’t know how to respond to that question, and it made me more curious, but little did I know what Puberty could do; I forgot all about Life and Death after I stepped into my teenage years.
Years later, when I was 21 when I came across a book called “Bardo Throdal”, also known as “The Tibetan Book Of Dead”, I realized I had found my answer, at least in a written format as a manuscript that is possible to read.
Although it paints the picture in a very metaphysical way and gives clear ideas on the different stages of the afterlife, it helped my ten-year-old self get his answers.
Being conscious during the process of dying and what follows
Being conscious or aware of what is happening without any feeling or thought of judgment. That is Meditation. It is the natural state of all human beings. However, less than 1% of people live with a quiet mind in this day and age.
It is a lost treasure that we are discovering in recent years and are still learning from in this new day and age.
Bardo Throdal is a manuscript that gives details on the process of dying. It describes the various forms of emotions that the Mind goes through before and during the dying process.
It discusses the nature of the mind and how developing total awareness in the present moment with no clouds of past or future can help us during this In-Between phase of One Life and Next.
I firmly believe in things I experience rather than what I’ve read. I won’t say I think everything I’ve read in the Bardo Throdal, but this one is undoubtedly the most practical guide among the different books on death that I’ve come across. It clearly shows that living in awareness can only help us in the end and what lies beyond.
Bardo Throdal helps us remind us that we are mortals and our time on this planet is limited; hence it’s important to prepare ourselves for the inevitable.
The focus of Bardo Throdal is on living in the here and now as the basis of dying, making it a book that is relevant for each one of us. Since Birth and Death are one common aspect of Life that all living beings share.
For Anyone who has lost someone or wants to start reading books on Meditation after having some experience with it, this is the book to pick up. It touches upon the Philosophical and Practical aspects of Buddhism. This is the right book to start.
However, if you have never meditated in Life, this book might be boring or hard to comprehend.
If you’re familiar with the idea of Buddhism or have been practicing Meditation, please let me know in the comments how it has helped you. If you have read Bardo Throdal, please let me know your views on the book.
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