Although the normal english title would suggest it is about the dead, thats not really what its about, and not what the original tibetan title says. Download the tibetan book of the dead free pdf ebook. Unlocking the secrets of the tibetan book of the dead. The tibetan book of the dead, first edition abebooks. Softcover used non fiction, religion the most accessible and informative version of the buddhist classic available in english, with instruction in meditation, illuminating commentary, and guidance in the practical use of the prayers the socalled tibetan book of the dead has been renowned for centuries as a corners. Awakening upon dying, with introductory commentary by dzogchen buddhist master chogyal namkhai norbu, is a new translation of the ancient text also known as the great liberation through hearing in the intermediate state. The book was originally written in the eighth century ce, ostensibly by an ancient buddhist teacher named padma sambhava. Tibetan book of the dead simple english wikipedia, the free.
I have read the tibetan book of the dead, but i havent. The first complete translation of a classic buddhist text on the journey through living and dying. According to nyingma tradition, the book was composed in the eighth century ce by padmasambhava, who then concealed the book because he knew the world was not yet ready for its teachings. The tibetan book of the dead outlines 8 stages of death where the vision of the blissful and clear white light is the last.
Liberation in the intermediate state through hearing also called tibetan book of the dead, in tibetan buddhism, a funerary text that is. Also known as the bardo thodol which means liberation by hearing on the after death plane, it was originally written in the tibetan language and is meant to be a guide for those who have died as they transition from their former life to a new destination. Apr, 2011 yet the original text whose translation formed the core of the tibetan book of the dead was not a particularly famous or influential work in tibetan buddhism, and like the photograph of its translator and editor, it is not quite what it seems. Pdf download tibetan book of the dead free book library. According to tibetan tradition, the bardo thodol commonly referred to as the tibetan book of the dead was among many treasures hidden by the tao master padmasambhava,tibet 742797, subsequently discovered by a tibetan terton by karma lingpa 2686. It includes prayers, instructions for both dying persons and their attendants, and descriptions of the afterlife. Translated with the close support of leading contemporary masters and hailed as a tremendous accomplishment, this book faithfully presents the insights and intentions of the original work. The tibetan book of the dead is a religious text from tibet, written as a guide for persons attending someone who is dying or recently dead, to bring comfort and. May 22, 2017 though spoken as much from the heart as from the head, coops words are not truly his own. In this classic scripture of tibetan buddhismtraditionally read aloud to the dying to help them attain liberationdeath and rebirth are seen as a process that. It takes time, effort, and a particular frame of mind, to truly get to grips with the text. Graced with opening words by his holiness the dalai lama, the penguin deluxe edition of the tibetan book of the dead is immaculately rendered in an english both graceful and precise. You can take from it what you need, or take all of it, and make of it what you will.
The life, death and rebirth of the tibetan book of the dead. The essential tibetan book of the dead by karmaglinpa and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Catapult what the tibetan book of the dead teaches us about. I took the liberty of remastering audiobook for personal use. Questions about the translation and style of expression continually came up, and as a result of these questions it was. What is the best translation of the tibetan book of the dead in your eyes. In this first installment above, the tibetan book of the dead. The tibetan book of the dead is the title created by walter yeeling evanswentz 18781965, its first westernlanguage editor, for a collection of tibetan ritual and literary texts concerned with death, intermediate states sanskrit, antarabhava. The tibetan book of the dead by padmasambhava goodreads. A kind of pilgrims guidebook, the teaching is intended to help the dead navigate the bardo afterdeath journey to. Yet, for the scholar of the present day, looking back now more than seventy years to the publication of the first volume of the series, the tibetan book of the dead,in 1927, the tibetan tetralogy of w. The book of the dead is a product of the nyingma school of tibetan buddhism. Carl jung wrote a commentary on it, timothy leary redesigned it as a guidebook for an acid trip, and the beatles quoted.
More recently, it has become highly influential in the western world for its psychological insights into the processes of death and dyingand what they can teach us about the ways we live our lives. Like a high mountain peak, it is widely admired but hard to climb. Bhutia busty is said to house the original manuscript of the bardo thodol or the tibetan book of the dead, a buddhist teaching composed in the eighth century by guru rinpoche, the indian saint who brought buddhism to tibet. In 1919 the distinguished scholar walter evanswentz visited.
Sep, 2015 the tibetan book of the dead outlines 8 stages of death where the vision of the blissful and clear white light is the last. The tibetan book of the dead audiobook narrated by richard gere 2008. The first complete translation of a classic buddhist. Its real title is the great liberation by hearing in the intermediate states, and this is the first complete english translation. The tibetan book of the dead by padmasambhava, karma lingpa. Thurman translates bar do thos grol as the great book of natural liberation through understanding in the between. This book is the first english language translation of the famous tibetan death text. It belongs to a genre of texts called terma in tibetan, literally treasure. The tibetan book of the dead is a kind of baedeker for the.
The bardo thodrol, or tibetan book of the dead, is the most famous and mysterious book of tibet, widely known and often begun but seldom read all the way through. The book was originally written in the eighth century ce, ostensibly by an ancient. The tibetan book of the dead audiobook by robert thurman. Written by a tibetan monk, the book of the dead describes in detail the stages of. Apr 04, 2012 the tibetan book of the dead or the bardo thodol is the english translation of the famous tibetan death text, the great liberation upon hearing in the intermediate state. The tibetan book of the dead is the most famous buddhist text in the west, having sold more than a million copies since it was first published in english in 1927. You may remember that it was the original editor of the english translation of the bardo thadol, as it is actually called in tibetan, which gave it this title of the tibetan book of the dead, the editor being doctor evanswentz, so clearly there was implied there a comparison with the. The tibetan book of the dead 2006, hardcover for sale. Sep 08, 2017 the tibetan book of the dead when i first picked up the book, the tibetan book of the dead, i wondered if there was any value in reading this book. The tibetan book of the dead or the bardo thodol is the english translation of the famous tibetan death text, the great liberation upon hearing in the.
Rinpoche, gave a seminar entitled the tibetan book of the dead, which is included here as a commentary. Carl jung wrote a commentary on it, timothy leary redesigned it as a guidebook for an acid trip, and the beatles quoted learys version in their song tomorrow never knows. The bardo thodol, commonly known in the west as the tibetan book of the dead, is a text from a larger corpus of teachings, the profound dharma of selfliberation through the intention of the peaceful and wrathful ones, revealed by karma lingpa. O, noblyborn soandso by name, the time hath now come for thee to seek the path in reality. By kevin williams the tibetan book of the dead, whose actual title is the great liberation upon hearing in the intermediate state or bardo thodol, is traditionally believed to be the work of the legendary padma sambhava in the 8th century a.
What is the best translation of the tibetan book of the dead. First complete translation penguin classics deluxe edition coleman, graham, jinpa, thupten, dorje, gyurme, dalai lama on. Translated with the close support of leading contemporary masters and hailed as a. The tibetan book of the dead has a wonderful story, and in this fascinating and charming little book, donald lopez reveals himself to be a wonderful storyteller. Written by a tibetan monk, the book of the dead describes in detail the stages of death from the tibetan point of view. More recently, it has become highly influential in the western world for its psychological insights into the processes of death and dying. Evanswentz, an oxford professor, produced a number of original studies on tibetan buddhism from the 1930s to the 1960s, which went through several editions. Jan 19, 1983 see the article in its original context from january 19. In the tibetan tradition many masters have said that this life is all a preparation for death time when enlightened is the easiest to attain. These stage are what i would like to introduce readers to today. The tibetan book of the dead 2000, hardcover for sale. One of the greatest works created by any culture and overwhelmingly the most significant of all tibetan buddhist texts in the west, the tibetan book of the dead has had a number of distinguished translations, but none encompassed the work in its entirety. The tibetan text describes, and is intended to guide one through, the experiences that the consciousness has after death, in the bardo, the interval between death and the next rebirth.
Yet the original text whose translation formed the core of the tibetan book of the dead was not a particularly famous or influential work in tibetan buddhism, and like the photograph of its translator and editor, it is not quite what it seems. Compare them with this passage from the tibetan book of the dead, meant to be recited to the dying as they pass on. More recently, it has become highly influential in the western world for its psychological insights into the processes of death and dying and what they can teach us about the ways we live our lives. One of these intermediate state manuals is the tibetan book of the dead. During the seminar he used a tibetan text, while the audience followed in the evanswentz edition. The tibetan book of the dead translated by gyurme dorje, edited by graham coleman with thupten jinpa 496pp, penguin classics.
Request title says it all looking to make an effort in reading this classic and want to get the best experience possible. The tibetan book of the dead is a buddhist text written as a guide for those who have passed from this life. The tibetan book of the dead princeton university press. A biography this smart, entertaining introduction to the tibetan book of the dead is a real delight. The great book of natural liberation through understanding in the between padma sambhava, robert thurman, the dalai lama, karma lingpa on. Evanswentz, although a product of our century, seems to have originated in another age. Tibetan book of the dead body, life, time, person, human. Though spoken as much from the heart as from the head, coops words are not truly his own. A way of life, the dalai lama weighs in with his own views on life and death at 33.
Before his appearance, the film provides some brief context of his supposed incarnation from the th dalai lama and his rise to governance, then exile. Leonard cohen narrates film on the tibetan book of the dead. The tibetan book of the dead was called in its own language the bardo thodol, which means liberation by hearing on the afterdeath plane. Unlike other translations of bar do thos grol or the tibetan book of the dead, robert thurmans takes literally the entire gamut of metaphysical assumptions.
Bardo thodol means liberation by hearing on the after death plane, it was originally written in tibetan and is meant to be a guide for those who have died as they transition from their former life to a new destination. See the article in its original context from january 19. The tibetan book of the dead has been traditionally attributed to padmasambhava. The psychedelic experience a manual based on the tibetan. Oct 21, 2005 the tibetan book of the dead translated by gyurme dorje, edited by graham coleman with thupten jinpa 496pp, penguin classics. The book stresses over and over that the free consciousness has only to hear and remember the teachings in order to be liberated. The tibetan book of the dead is the tibetan buddhist text that is most well known to the west.
If you are interested in death, a much better introduction is the tibetan book of living and dying, by sogyal rinpoche the similarly named tibetan book of the dead is a text with a specific focus, which relies on the instruction and elucidation of an awakened. The book has reappeared in several englishlanguage versions since then, some based only loosely on the original. Liberation in the intermediate state through hearingalso called tibetan book of the dead, in tibetan buddhism, a funerary text that is recited to ease the consciousness of a recently deceased person through death and assist it into a favourable rebirth. If you are interested in death, a much better introduction is the tibetan book of living and dying, by sogyal rinpoche the similarly named tibetan book of the dead is a text with a specific focus, which relies on the instruction and elucidation of an awakened teacher, and ones subsequent practice based on that teaching. The bardo thodol commonly known in the west as the tibetan book of the dead, is a text from a larger corpus of teachings, the profound dharma of. Since its first english translation in 1927, the tibetan guide to spiritual and mental liberation called the bardo thodol has been known in the west as the tibetan book of the dead.
The tibetan book of the dead is immaculately rendered in an english both graceful and precise. The tibetan book of the dead when i first picked up the book, the tibetan book of the dead, i wondered if there was any value in reading this book. Jul 22, 2015 the tibetan book of the dead audiobook narrated by richard gere 2008. The dalai lamas blessing attends thurmans translation of the book of natural liberation through understanding in the between. The tibetan book of the dead is ostensibly a book describing the. The socalled tibetan book of the dead has been renowned for centuries as a cornerstone of buddhist wisdom and religious thought. The tibetan book of the dead and neardeath experiences.