Some years ago I was on a Triratna Buddhist Sangha Ordination Course at Guhyaloka - our wonderful meditation retreat centre in the mountains of Spain. One of the many enjoyable things that I did - on this occasion together with Dharmachari Achintya - was to recast the Root Verses of the Bardo Thodol (otherwise known as The Tibetan Book of the Dead) in a form that we hoped would be accessible to any dying person today, regardless of their religious orientation. These verses have proved useful and inspiring on many occasions since then, and I was reminded of them today whilst sitting at the bedside of my 94-year old mother, who, sadly, may not have long to live.
'Bardo', by the way, is a Tibetan word meaning 'intermediate state'. The Bardo of Death is therefore regarded as a state intermediate between one life and a succeeding one.
Ideally, one becomes familiar with these verses long before one's own death. They are supposed to be read out gently, steadily and clearly to the dying person as a sort of reminder of what they already know.
A Version based upon The Root Verses of the Bardo Thodol
by Dharmacharis Ashvajit & Achintya
(1) The Bardo of Death (v.4 in original)
Now that it is becoming clear to you
That you are dying,
Abandon all grasping, yearning
And attachment to worldly things,
Recall with unmistakable clarity
The essential spiritual teachings
That you have acquired in this life
And dwell in the boundless space and peace
Of the Creative Mind.
The time has come
To part with this body of flesh and blood;
See the body for what it is:
Always changing, liable to decay, and deceptive.
(2) The Bardo of Birth (v.1 in original)
Now that ideas and visions of a birthplace
Are occurring to you,
Overcome your laziness!
There is no time at all to waste.
You must make every effort
To understand what is happening to you
Without becoming distracted,
And acting appropriately, like this:
Listening, reflecting and pondering
The meaning of your life-experience,
Carry forward into the life to come
A vision of the real nature of human beings
And of the mind.
Reflecting on the ever-changing nature
Of your experience,
See that the basic attitude to the world
That you hold deep in your heart
Influences and directs your every thought and action.
Now you are beginning to recognise
The different levels of your being -
The body composed of your senses,
Your imagined, mind-made body,
And what in truth you essentially are,
Which is pure, infinite mind -
Realising the opportunity offered
By your human state,
Do not waste this precious time.
(3) The Bardo of Meditation (v.3 in original)
Now that you are beginning to realize
That you can direct your mind
Into a highly positive, meditative state,
Letting go of the great muddle
Of distractions and illusions,
Keep your mind at rest
In a state of endless, undistracted attention;
Train your mind to become steady:
To dwell upon the vast blue of the heavens
And on the glorious body of Truth
In all its perfection.
At this time, watching your mind
With unshakeable concentration,
Not allowing yourself to become distracted
From the spaciousness and clarity of the blue sky
By anything else at all,
Do not let yourself fall under the power
Of greed, hatred and inattention.
(4) The Bardo of Dreams (v.2 in original)
When you experience yourself drifting off
Into a dream-like state,
Refuse to lie like a mindless corpse.
Steady your mind without distraction
In its natural, relaxed and receptive state.
Notice what is happening when you dream.
Learn to play with these images of light
As an artist arranging and transforming colour-shapes
Into a simple and pure vision of beauty and truth.
Refusing to act like a lazily sleeping animal,
Train yourself to maintain in your dreams
The same clarity that you experience in wakefulness,
And realize the importance of doing this.
(5) The Bardo of Awakening (v.5 in original)
Now that a vision is dawning
Of how things appear and depart
In dependence on your own mind,
Letting go of all anxiety and fear,
Realize that your experience is coloured
By your own deeply-held attitude to life.
Realizing that you have reached this crucial stage,
Do not fear these peaceful and angry forms
Now that you know they are the shape and colour
Of your own grasping thoughts and associated emotions.
(6) The Bardo of Rebirth (v.6 in original)
Now that you are beginning to realize
That you will have to let go of everything;
Seeing that your mind is entering a space
Where radical transformation occurs,
Pass through those ever-changing colour-shapes
To whatever goal is dearest to your heart,
Hold fast to a single wish
With intense concentration:
May I experience the beneficial effects
Of my good deeds,
And be able to continue doing them,
Resisting the wish for mere comfort and pleasure.
The hour has come when mental effort,
Unlimited love and generosity are needed.
Casting off all confusion and jealousy,
Remember with joy and gratitude
Your spiritual guide and his friends
(7) Warning & Exhortation (v.7 in original)
Oh you who have always made excuses,
Refusing to think clearly
Of the coming of death,
Wasting your time in futile pursuits,
You would be short-sighted and negligent.
If you frittered away through unwise attention
This great opportunity for spiritual development!
Do not abandon the vision
Of how in truth things really are,
Forgetting what is most important in life.
Since you know the teachings of the Wise
Are what you really need,
Then why not concentrate and direct your mind
As they suggest, right now?
(8) Epilogue
These are words of timeless truth;
If you ignore this kindly advice,
Would you not betray yourself?
**************************
It is very important that you take to heart this basic teaching.
**************************
'Bardo', by the way, is a Tibetan word meaning 'intermediate state'. The Bardo of Death is therefore regarded as a state intermediate between one life and a succeeding one.
Ideally, one becomes familiar with these verses long before one's own death. They are supposed to be read out gently, steadily and clearly to the dying person as a sort of reminder of what they already know.
A Version based upon The Root Verses of the Bardo Thodol
by Dharmacharis Ashvajit & Achintya
(1) The Bardo of Death (v.4 in original)
Now that it is becoming clear to you
That you are dying,
Abandon all grasping, yearning
And attachment to worldly things,
Recall with unmistakable clarity
The essential spiritual teachings
That you have acquired in this life
And dwell in the boundless space and peace
Of the Creative Mind.
The time has come
To part with this body of flesh and blood;
See the body for what it is:
Always changing, liable to decay, and deceptive.
(2) The Bardo of Birth (v.1 in original)
Now that ideas and visions of a birthplace
Are occurring to you,
Overcome your laziness!
There is no time at all to waste.
You must make every effort
To understand what is happening to you
Without becoming distracted,
And acting appropriately, like this:
Listening, reflecting and pondering
The meaning of your life-experience,
Carry forward into the life to come
A vision of the real nature of human beings
And of the mind.
Reflecting on the ever-changing nature
Of your experience,
See that the basic attitude to the world
That you hold deep in your heart
Influences and directs your every thought and action.
Now you are beginning to recognise
The different levels of your being -
The body composed of your senses,
Your imagined, mind-made body,
And what in truth you essentially are,
Which is pure, infinite mind -
Realising the opportunity offered
By your human state,
Do not waste this precious time.
(3) The Bardo of Meditation (v.3 in original)
Now that you are beginning to realize
That you can direct your mind
Into a highly positive, meditative state,
Letting go of the great muddle
Of distractions and illusions,
Keep your mind at rest
In a state of endless, undistracted attention;
Train your mind to become steady:
To dwell upon the vast blue of the heavens
And on the glorious body of Truth
In all its perfection.
At this time, watching your mind
With unshakeable concentration,
Not allowing yourself to become distracted
From the spaciousness and clarity of the blue sky
By anything else at all,
Do not let yourself fall under the power
Of greed, hatred and inattention.
(4) The Bardo of Dreams (v.2 in original)
When you experience yourself drifting off
Into a dream-like state,
Refuse to lie like a mindless corpse.
Steady your mind without distraction
In its natural, relaxed and receptive state.
Notice what is happening when you dream.
Learn to play with these images of light
As an artist arranging and transforming colour-shapes
Into a simple and pure vision of beauty and truth.
Refusing to act like a lazily sleeping animal,
Train yourself to maintain in your dreams
The same clarity that you experience in wakefulness,
And realize the importance of doing this.
(5) The Bardo of Awakening (v.5 in original)
Now that a vision is dawning
Of how things appear and depart
In dependence on your own mind,
Letting go of all anxiety and fear,
Realize that your experience is coloured
By your own deeply-held attitude to life.
Realizing that you have reached this crucial stage,
Do not fear these peaceful and angry forms
Now that you know they are the shape and colour
Of your own grasping thoughts and associated emotions.
(6) The Bardo of Rebirth (v.6 in original)
Now that you are beginning to realize
That you will have to let go of everything;
Seeing that your mind is entering a space
Where radical transformation occurs,
Pass through those ever-changing colour-shapes
To whatever goal is dearest to your heart,
Hold fast to a single wish
With intense concentration:
May I experience the beneficial effects
Of my good deeds,
And be able to continue doing them,
Resisting the wish for mere comfort and pleasure.
The hour has come when mental effort,
Unlimited love and generosity are needed.
Casting off all confusion and jealousy,
Remember with joy and gratitude
Your spiritual guide and his friends
(7) Warning & Exhortation (v.7 in original)
Oh you who have always made excuses,
Refusing to think clearly
Of the coming of death,
Wasting your time in futile pursuits,
You would be short-sighted and negligent.
If you frittered away through unwise attention
This great opportunity for spiritual development!
Do not abandon the vision
Of how in truth things really are,
Forgetting what is most important in life.
Since you know the teachings of the Wise
Are what you really need,
Then why not concentrate and direct your mind
As they suggest, right now?
(8) Epilogue
These are words of timeless truth;
If you ignore this kindly advice,
Would you not betray yourself?
**************************
It is very important that you take to heart this basic teaching.
**************************