Have you ever wondered what happens after your last breath? Does the soul dissolve into nothingness, or does it transcend doors beyond human comprehension? This isn't a scary tale, but a profound teaching from Tibetan Buddhism that reveals death is not an end, but a transformation.
In the hidden mountains of Tibet lies ancient wisdom known as Bardo Thodol, or what the West calls The Tibetan Book of the Dead. Far from a frightening book, it serves as a spiritual GPS guiding the soul on its journey after death. Its author, Guru Padmasambhava, born in India in the 8th century, laid the foundation for Buddhism in Tibet. He was revered as Guru Rinpoche, the "Precious Guru," and is said to have tamed local spirits and deities, integrating them into Buddhist practice.
According to Tibetan belief, after death, the soul passes through three stages, or Bardos:
1. Chikai Bardo: The moment of death.
2. Chonyid Bardo: Confrontation with divine and terrifying visions.
3. Sidpa Bardo: The next birth.
Let's explore each stage:
Stage 1: Chikai Bardo – The Moment of Death
When the body is shed, the soul witnesses an extraordinary light. This isn't ordinary illumination, but the consciousness of the universe itself. Those who practiced meditation and spiritual discipline in life can recognize this light and attain liberation (moksha). However, those who are afraid move on to the next stage. Why the fear? Our minds are terrified of the unknown. Just as someone might be startled by a sudden flash of light in a dark room, this divine light can confuse an unprepared mind. This is where the soul's test truly begins.
Stage 2: Chonyid Bardo – The Mirror of the Mind
This is where the saying, "As we think, so we become," comes true. In this stage, freed from the body, the soul enters the Chonyid Bardo and gets a chance to look into the mirror of its own mind.
What does the soul see?
• Peaceful Deities: Clothed in white, smiling divine figures radiating love and compassion.
• Wrathful Deities: Blue and red, fire-breathing demonic forms that appear terrifying.
The secret here is that this is neither heaven nor hell. All these visions are images of our own impressions (sanskara) and karma. Just as in dreams, we see our fears and desires, here the depths of the mind take form.
• Peaceful deities represent our good deeds and positive thoughts.
• Wrathful deities are our suppressed anger, fear, and desires.
As Swiss psychologist Carl Jung rightly observed, "Until we make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate".
The test in this stage is simple: "Will you wander, mistaking these visions as external, or will you understand that they are all products of your own mind?"
Those who practiced meditation and self-reflection in life recognize this truth: "All this is an illusion. No deity has come to reward me, nor any demon to punish me. These are all games of my own mind."
How to find liberation here?
• Do not be attached to peaceful deities.
• Do not fear wrathful deities.
• Continuously remind yourself:
"This is all temporary; it is a play of my own consciousness."
The great irony of life is that what we chase as heaven and what we fear as hell both reside within our own minds.
Stage 3: Sidpa Bardo – The Court of Karma and Rebirth
Now, we arrive at the most decisive stage of the death journey, where the soul faces the ledger of its karma. This isn't a judgment by God, but nature's unyielding law: "As you sow, so shall you reap."
How does the law of karma work? Every thought, every action, releases an energy wave. These waves become an invisible force of attraction. After death, this very force pulls the soul towards its next birth.
Three main forces determine rebirth:
1. Trishna (Craving): "I want to live again".
2. Dvesha (Aversion): "I want to escape this situation".
3. Avidya (Ignorance): "I don't understand what's happening".
An interesting fact from Tibetan texts: When the soul is searching for a new body, it may see visions of couples engaging in intercourse. According to these texts, an attraction towards a particular couple leads the soul to enter their womb. However, the crucial point here is that the haste to be born is the cause of bondage.
As Guru Nanak Dev Ji wisely said, "Just as a fish remains thirsty even in water, so too does a human remain unfree from craving even after countless births".
How to Break This Cycle and Prepare in Life?
The path to liberation lies in:
• Awareness: Recognizing, "I am not the body; I am consciousness".
• Detachment (Vairagya): "I neither want anything nor need to run away from anything".
Practical steps for preparation in life:
1. Death Remembrance: Spend 5 minutes daily thinking, "What if tonight were my last night?"
2. Meditation: Practice freeing the mind from thoughts by focusing on the breath.
The Secrets of Yogis Who Conquer Death
In the Himalayas of Tibet, there are yogis who are said to conquer death. Their departure from the body appears not as an end, but as a demonstration of assuming a new body. This isn't a miracle, but a science. Before leaving their bodies, they sit in the lotus posture, stop their breath, and voluntarily halt their heart rate. An iridescent light, which science calls biophotons, emanates from their bodies.
What Modern Science Says
• Dr. Ian Stevenson conducted over 500 case studies providing evidence of reincarnation.
• Quantum Physics states that energy is neither created nor destroyed; it only changes form.
• The Memory of Water Theory suggests that 70% of the body's water stores information.
Did you know that Lord Buddha narrated stories of his previous 500 births? These Jataka Tales are still available today.
The Essence of Life
Remember a Tibetan saying: "Death is not to scare, but to awaken." The day you realize that your time is limited, you will stop wasting it on trivial things.
The ultimate message is this: "Live as if every moment you are ready to embrace death, and die as if every moment you desire to live anew."