Whenever we embark on a long journey, there is a sense of death and rebirth. The experiences we go through have a transitional quality.

The moment we step outside our house and close the door, we begin to leave our life behind. We say goodbye to family and friends and to the familiar rooms and routines that we inhabit.

We might feel regret mixed with excitement as we climb into the taxi that will take us to the airport.

As our vision of home recedes, we are both sadly parted and joyfully released from all that defines us.

The further from home we go, the more focused we become on our next destination. We think less of home and more about where we are going.

We begin to look at a new map; we start to think about where we will land, about the new people, new customs and new environment – the new sets of experiences to come.

Until we reach our destination, we are in transit – in between two points.

One world has dissolved, like last night’s dream, and the next has not yet arisen.

In this space, there is a sense of total freedom: we are free from the business of being our ordinary selves; we are not tied to the day-to-day world and its demands in quite the same way. There is a sense of freshness and appreciation of the present moment.

At the same time, we may have moments of feeling fearful and groundless because we have entered unknown territory.

We do not know with certainty what will arise in the next moment or where it will take us.

The moment we relax, however, our insecurity dissolves, and the environment becomes friendly and supportive. We are at ease in our world once again and can move forward naturally and with confidence.

Still, journeys do not always go according to plan. If we are traveling by air, the flight might be delayed or cancelled. If we are on a train, weather conditions might slow us down. If we are on the road, in one moment, a tire could blow in heavy traffic, diverting us off the main highway to a small-town garage.

It is sensible, therefore, to plan carefully for what may arise. We should be sure to bring with us whatever we might need. We should know our route, the location of amenities and services along the way, and the local customs.

Then we can simply relax and be wherever we are, which is the experience of being in the present moment.

Leaving this life is similar in many ways to going on a long trip.

In this case, the trip we are making is a journey of mind.

We are leaving behind this body, our loved ones, our possessions, and all our experiences of this life, and moving on to the next.

We are in transit, in between two points.

We have left home but have not yet reached our next destination. We are neither in the past nor in the future. We are sandwiched between yesterday and tomorrow.

Where we are now is the present, which is the only place we can be.

This experience of the present moment is known as bardo in Tibetan Buddhism. Bardo in a literal sense means “interval”; it can also be translated as an “intermediate” or “in-between” state.

Thus, we can say that whenever we are in between two moments, we are in a bardo state. The past moment has ceased; the future moment has not yet arisen. There is a gap, a sense of nowness, of pure openness, before the appearance of the next thing, whether that is our next thought or our next lifetime.

It is the same when we take any trip. We are in transition –even when leaving work to go home or leaving home to move to another state.

If we pay attention to these transitions, if we can remain conscious of our environment at these times, then we are much more likely to be aware of our environment during the bardos that go beyond this life – that encompass our passage through the bardos of dying and death. We will be more in control of our journey and able to meet new or challenging experiences with a clear and steady mind.

When we can be fully present with them, the experiences we meet throughout the bardos of death become simple and natural.

We can actually afford to relax and let go of hope and fear.

We can be inquisitive about our new experiences.

We can also learn something about ourselves – that, ultimately, who we are in the most genuine sense transcends our limited notion of self.

At this transitional point, we have an opportunity to go beyond that perception and transform the appearance of death into an experience of awakening by recognizing the true nature of mind.

Thus, just as we would prepare for any trip – packing clothes and so forth – it is highly advisable to make good preparations for our next major journey – our passage from this life to the next. (Those preparations are the topic of the book, Mind Beyond Death.

Source: Based on Ponlop, Dzogchen. Mind Beyond Death. Shambhala Publications. Kindle Edition.