The Tibetan Book of the Dead
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The most prominent expert on Tibetan Buddhism in the West offers a translation of this essential book of Tibetan philosophy that captures the true spirit and poetry of the ... Library Journal The Dalai Lama's blessing attends Thurman's translation of the Book of Natural Liberation Through Understanding in the Between . Composed by Padma Sambhava in the late eighth century, this text minutely describes the ``betweens'' ( Bardos ) or after-death transition states. Thurman, who opens this work with a new section of preliminary prayers, gives a helpful commentary in terms Westerners can understand and boldface portions to be read aloud in the presence of the dead. He closes by appending Nyingma tradition works to the main text. This text has already been translated in 1927 and 1975, and some of Thurman's new translation choices are questionable. For instance, the West has adopted the term karma , which expresses the original meaning better than evolution --an alternative that obscures the personal responsibility emphasized in Buddhism. In addition, since Tibetan pronouns are sexually neutral, alternating his with her from verse to verse confuses. Still, Westerners will find this a colorful, awesome journey. For informed readers.-- Dara Eklund, Los Angeles P.L.
List of FiguresList of Color PlatesForewordPrefacePt. 1Preparations for the JourneyCh. 1Background5An Outline of Tibetan History5Tibet: A Spiritual Civilization10Tibet's Present Plight12Buddhism in Summary13Tibetan Ideas About Death18Ch. 2The Tibetan Science of Death23What Is Death?23The Six Realms29The Three Buddha Bodies33The Body-Mind Complex35Stages of Death41The Reality of Liberation45Ch. 3The Tibetan Art of Dying51Introduction51Ordinary Preparations for Death52Extraordinary Preparations58Ch. 4The Natural Liberation Literature83The History of the Texts83The Sections of the Book87Pt. 2The Guidebook for the Journey: The Great Book of Natural Liberation Through Understanding in the BetweenCh. 5The Between Prayers97The Prayer of the Three Body Mentor Yoga99The Prayer for Help from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas105The Prayer for Deliverance from the Straits of the Between108The Prayer for Refuge from the Terrors of the Between112The Root Verses of the Six Betweens115Ch. 6The Guidebook to the Betweens117The Prayer of the Reality Between117The Mild Deity Reality Between131The Fierce Deity Reality Between149Orientation to the Existence Between167Pt. 3Supplementary TranslationsCh. 7The Dharma Practice, Natural Liberation of the Instincts205The Ten Branches of Accumulating Merit206Enlightening, Protecting, and Purifying210The Actual Visualization211Ch. 8The Natural Liberation Through Naked Vision, Identifying the Intelligence227The Quintessence228The Need for This Identification229The Detailed Identification231Glossary243Essential Bibliography277
\ Library JournalThe Dalai Lama's blessing attends Thurman's translation of the Book of Natural Liberation Through Understanding in the Between . Composed by Padma Sambhava in the late eighth century, this text minutely describes the ``betweens'' ( Bardos ) or after-death transition states. Thurman, who opens this work with a new section of preliminary prayers, gives a helpful commentary in terms Westerners can understand and boldface portions to be read aloud in the presence of the dead. He closes by appending Nyingma tradition works to the main text. This text has already been translated in 1927 and 1975, and some of Thurman's new translation choices are questionable. For instance, the West has adopted the term karma , which expresses the original meaning better than evolution --an alternative that obscures the personal responsibility emphasized in Buddhism. In addition, since Tibetan pronouns are sexually neutral, alternating his with her from verse to verse confuses. Still, Westerners will find this a colorful, awesome journey. For informed readers.-- Dara Eklund, Los Angeles P.L.\ \
