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The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Or The After-Death Experiences on the Bardo Plane, according to L=ama Kazi Dawa-Samdup's English Rendering

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This translation deserved the good reviews. The text has been summed up well in other reviews. A word about the author seems appropriate. It is worth pointing out that W.Y. Evans-Wentz was an American (one reviewer stated that W.Y. E-W was English).The confusion here stems from the fact that W.Y. E-W went to Oxford, England, as a Rhodes scholar. He was a very articulate and erudite man - well versed in the Western classics, Western mystery tradition etc. - and in his footnotes, he made frequent cross references to such.

A few people now fault E-W' work - because of the universal sweep of his intuitions.It has even been suggested that he corrupted the purity of the Tibetan teachings - by his inter-cultural or trans-cultural horizons.Some Tibetan Lamas (i.e. Trungpa) have faulted E-W's work on such grounds.Western afficionadoes of Tibetan Buddhism - people who like to imagine themselves among the elect(Professors and pop followers alike) have chimed in.

Such people forget (or prefer to ignore) the fact that W.Y.Evans-Wentz spent many years studying and working with Tibetan Lamas. Be assured, W.Y. Evans-Wentz' projects had the blessing of his Tibetan co-worker - Lama Kazi Dawa Sammdup. There are those who would argue that this blessing did not extend to the commentary material - subsequently added by E-W, after his work with the Lama. But how E-W presented the material to a Western audience - was his business.

Death is most certainly a universal experience - and E-W placed it in a truly universal context. Is that so surprising?
The Jungian commentary appended to the first ed. of this text has also come in for criticism (some editions now delete it). But Jung had something - when suggesting that we ought to read the TBD 'BACKWARDS' - to understand the difficulties modern minds get into - when trying to approach such territory. Still, as E-W points out, late medieval Western culture had a similar perspective on death. It was part of life, we similarly understood the need to 'live our dying' - and the need to 'die-in-life' to find the greater spiritual life. There are chapels in Europe, constructed entirely of human bones. It looks morbid to modern people - but, in fact, it signified a triumph over death. Death is the greatest adventure. Whatever we may be doing, death is the ultimate destination that awaits us. Many European cathedrals have a 'memento mori' - an image of death, saying: "I was as you are;as I am, so shall ye be. " Will you be able to pay the ferryman - when the boat comes?

This book brings to the forefront the immediacy of what we all try to avoid....thinking of our own mortality and our impending "end". And whats more, it goes into the various stages we go through after death and how we can mentally avoid certain pitfalls and how we can use certain mental technologies (or approaches) to be able to succesfully navigate through a kind of twilight zone called the BORDO. It stresses the importance of clearing the mind of all violent or jealous thoughts in this journey and warns us of the impending doom if we cannot discipline ourselves to do that. This has profound consequences for us while we are still alive. If we have not conditioned our minds to be filled with peace and love while we are living, its going to be near impossible to embrace these emotions during the terrifying travel after death. The book triumphantly proclaims that what we "see" after death is a product of our own imagination, or cause-and effect, and that while our own violent past actions steer us through horrifying regions, if through our will power we keep our heads straight and display compassion and love, we are sure to not only come out of this labyrinth, but also to come out a liberated soul. The stunning message of the possibility of liberation from the cycle of cause and effect in the BORDO makes this book not only a must read for anyone interested in understanding the mystery of life, but also to anyone needing an additional impetus to correct one's emotional trajectory while still alive.

You've got to be ready to concentrate and wade deep to enjoy the introductions and translation, but the effort will reap great rewards. Using exacting and poetic prose with a disciple and intellectual honesty that is probable too good and un-dumbed-down to get published these days, this remains the best translation for those willing to work.

This is the original "Tibetan Book of the Dead". All other versions are a toned-down version of this work by different authors who want to accommodate people who do not want to put the work in. You need to put the work in. No one can spoon-feed this kind of wisdom to you.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead is an extremely authoritative translation of the original texts of the "Bardo Thodol" by Lama Kazi Dawa-Samdup who schooled W.Y.Evans-Wentz in Tibetan Buddhism. The book is an extremely important piece of work for both the scholars of psychology and religion, and the lay person who has the time to spend working on it. The book is also the reality behind the "Necronomicon" which has been popularized by fiction writers, such a H.P.Lovecraft, but has been completely taken out of its true context.

To begin with, this book is a beautiful book once you truly understand the message that it is trying to convey to the reader - or more correctly, when the reader correctly understands the message that is being conveyed. It has a primordial air to it and is certainly ancient in its wisdom and understanding. The book was translated in the early 1900s and was first published in 1927. Be warned - this book is exceptionally difficult to read because the standard of grammar used is of the highest acumen humanly possibly. Evans-Wentz was a Doctor of Literature, a Doctor of Science and a Master of Arts. If you don't have a full size Oxford dictionary, then you will have trouble reading it. There is also a difficulty in the translation. There are many Tibetan words that do not exist in English so Evans-Wentz sometimes derives a more descriptive meaning behind the message that is trying to be communicated to the reader. Dr. C.G. Jung has written an introduction at the start of the book which is mostly concerned about explaining the Tibetan meaning of the words "Soul" and "Mind". It is for reasons like these that the book requires multiple readings to fully absorb the information that is being presented. So what exactly is The Tibetan Book of the Dead? It is a corpus with several teachings. Tibetan Buddhist monks believe that if you understand the meaning of death then you will understand the meaning the life. It expounds in detail on the illusions of the human mind and gives a context for working out many questions that are philosophical and spiritual in nature.

The book is essentially split into three parts. The first part has introductions from various students of theology, psychology and Buddhism. Evans-Wentz then explains the nature of the book and gives a rough breakdown of what we will find in the "Bardo Thodol" and how it is used to help the dead find their way to Nirvana during the after-death ceremonies (like an Irish wake) but also how the book can be used as a guide for the living, which is its true intended purpose. The middle part of the book is the "Bardo Thodol" translated directly into English and third part covers the topic of Buddhism in general with references to the different schools of thought and Christianity.

The middle part of the book, the actual "Bardo Thodol", is split into three parts. There is an introduction at the start which explains the entry into the "Chikhai Bardo", the first of the Bardo regions that one automatically enters at the point of death. Then there is the second phase of the "Bardo Thodol", the "Chonyid Bardo" before the final phase of the "Bardo Thodol" the "Sidpa Bardo". Essentially these three areas can be explained as - the moment of death and the dawning of the light or nirvana, the karmic illusions of worldly things and finally the rebirth process. However do not think that this means that everybody is reborn or that Tibetans/Buddhists take reincarnation literally. It is all part of a thinking puzzle. You have got to work out things for yourself. There are hidden meanings in there. You must compare the different concepts in this book to find out what it really means! Question the "Bardo Thodol". Question what it teaches! Question what it says about itself!

The Bardo Thodol is a technical and thoroughly scientific examination of consciousness that is still highly regarded as one of the most logical and controlled methods of understanding the mind and its relation to the world of phenomena. At first glance the book may seem horrid, uncanny and evoke a fear by the mere mention of the word "death", but this is a book about the living, dedicated to life and expounds on some of the most important questions that man can ask himself. It is extremely satisfying and worthy of repetitive readings. There is a pile of footnotes to help guide you through each page.

Enormously recommended! ! ! !

(As a side note Evans-Wentz wrote several other books to follow up on this one. They should be read in the following order - (1)The Tibetan Book of the Dead, (2) Tibet's Great Yogi Milarepa, (3)Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines and (4)The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation.)

Tamuning, Guam February 5, 2000

"The Tibetan Book of The Dead"; translated by Lama Kazi Dawa-Samdup, edited by W.Y. Evans-Wentz, is written in clear, formal, academic British English circa 1922.

It is a masterpiece of translation and esoteric religious exposition.

No serious religious scholar should be without it.

It is not particularly easy to read. A good dictionary (look up "numinous" to test) should be at hand. And, unless you are reasonably versed in Tibetan & Oriental Studies, be prepared to learn a great deal of genuinely esoteric lore.

However, "The Tibetan Book of The Dead" will take you places beyond the Plane of Earthly Existence, through the Light, the Joys, Fears & Desires of the AfterLife & Back a New Born Babe.

I'd say that's worth the effort to read it & to try to understand.

Rabbi Vander Cecil

First published in 1927. Translated by LAMA KAZI DAWA-SAMDUP. Edited by Dr. W.Y Evans-Wentz, formerly of Jesus College, Oxford who spent the rest of his life dedicating himself to following the teachings of this very translation. This writer is the one who first produced the teachings of 'The Tibetan Book of the Dead' to occident man in the west. It still remains the definitive edition to this day. The book also has many footnotes and an important lengthy introduction by C.G. Jung to introduce the occident mind to the nature of the book. The footnotes are the helping hand in reading and understanding the text.

This is a book about the raw mind. It may take you many lifetimes to understand. You may understand it after the first reading. There are no devices, tools, sects, schools or Gods used to get you there. This is a book about your mind. The mind is the only device you should need along with the book to bring you to the understanding of - knowing the nature of reality. Then when you are done with the book pass it on and use the only tool that this book expounds on. The mind.

I have not even attempted to read anything else since I found this book. That is because it is definitive. The book only needs your mind. Nothing else. That is why this book is THE definitive book of the mind. Christians should not be afraid of this book in any way shape or form. It is good natured, good willing and does nothing more than help expand your goodness.

It is through the book of the dead that you will learn the book of life.

As the recently deceased Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, of Tiruvannamalai, South India, admonished Evans-Wentz when he sojourned in his ashram he said - "Each of you should ask yourself, 'who, or what, am I?' Why am I here incarnate? Whither I am destined? Why is there birth and why is there death?'"

This book has never been equaled by any other book. And I am not just talking about within the confines of theology.

This is THE book.

This is not the Richard Gere "pop Buddhism" approach. This is the work of an English academic in the early 20th Century, as he uncovers an "Oriental" classic for a Western audience. Evans-Wentz even brings Carl Jung into the picture for the Westerners, as Jung's psychology was "New School" at the time and offered a sublime link between Oriental and Occidental thinking. I hold this book in the highest regard, not because it is a mystical Buddhist text, but rather because it offers tips for daily living and and self-actualization. As with most quality philosophical doctrines, this book is a paradox...a book of the dead that is really an abstract book for the living, regardless of religion or nationality. It is a refreshing and enlightening break from an increasingly fundamental world.

THE TIBETAN BOOK OF THE DEAD is an inspired work. It takes your on a journey into the psyche and soul of care. The multi-dimensional expressions of awareness that lie within the body and mind are very real. I would encourage every reader of this material to remain open and reflective as they penetrate the endless realms of consciousness within us that ultimately transform us from death into life. -- Samuel Oliver, author of, WHAT THE DYING TEACH US: LESSONS ON LIVING.

sorry, folks. after seeing all of these amazing reviews, i have to tip the scales. i'm very interested in the tibetan afterdeath literature, and it delights me to see others diving into it so enthusiastically. however, any one interested in a translation of the bardo thodrol would do themselves a big favor to not buy this one. or any of the other half-dozen this evenz-wentz guy put out. the translation simply isn't accurate. i'm not talking about subtle distinctions between word choices; he has this whole theosophy slant which comes through in a bad way. nothing against theosophy, but it aint buddhism. what's more, there are about four or five good translations out these days, done by folks with much more understanding and much less ulterior motive. (e.g., thurman, trungpa/fremantle, i believe there are others.)

i strongly recommend the "book of the dead" itself, just not this translation. it's bad, i tell you! bad! (apologies)

At the outset I must admit that I am only modestly educated in the sphere of Buddhism. That said, I still found the book quite readable & thought provoking. However, I would encourage all readers of this book to pursue at least a basic understanding of the philosophy / religion of Buddhism before taking on this puppy.

Although much of what the western reader will find in these pages is antithical to western thought, I still found more than a few parallels. Many passages will bring to mind Plato's allegory of the cave, the "Phaedrus," the philosophy of Hericlitus, the inscription of the Oracle of Delphi and various cantos from Dante's "Inferno." That said, however, I believe the best approach is to attempt to engage the text on its own terms, at least at first. After one has held communion with this eloquent work on its own merit would be the more appropriate time to indulge in what Hegel would call "synthesis" between the two cultural paradigms.

Perhaps what is most shocking in this book is just how much the Buddhist idea of the afterlife resembles solipsism. I have difficulty with the idea that everything I experience in the afterlife is a but a hallucination of my own invention. Perhaps I am the only one who finds that bizarre - I don't know. But it is nevertheless....unsettling.

It must also be admitted that Buddhism is a rather dark & pessimistic (if not morbid) philosophy / religion. The idea that it is better to escape the womb at birth with the efficacy of reaching Nirvana is.....somewhat alien to me. But, my opinion has little relevance in the scheme of things.

This is a great book on ; your tour-guide thru the Bordo. Is highly recommended to anyone interested in either Buddhism or world religions.