In summary, the bardo teachings help one (1) to reflect on the reality of death, (2) to discover the radiant purity of awareness, and (3) to incorporate it with every aspect of one\u2019s life. This prepares one for dying and also provides a most meaningful path for living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following outline captures the main lessons that I have learnt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bardo of Birth and Life<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
(1) In daily life, our minds are easily distracted and become scattered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(2) Needed is a meditation that will help toward settling down our minds \u2013 this is shamatha<\/em> meditation \u2013 or, \u201ccalm abiding\u201d, and is also translated as \u201cpeacefully remaining\u201d or \u201ctranquillity meditation\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (3) From a settled mind, insights will emerge which will help to transform our life and to discover the true nature of reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (1) Lucid dreaming is where we are able to recognize a dream as a dream while it is occurring. This practice can help us to understand that both<\/em> waking and sleeping life are, in reality, illusory \u2013 that is, insubstantial, like a dream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (2) In the bardos that follow death, there are dreamlike states \u2013 and so lucid dreaming will help us to prepare for these states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (3) The \u201cluminosity of sleep\u201d is where one can maintain lucid awareness into deep sleep \u2013 that is, to first maintain awareness as one falls asleep and then, if possible, to stay aware into deep sleep. This practice prepares a person to recognize their true nature at the moment of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (1) Based on the stabilization of the mind from shamatha<\/em> practice, one can look into the nature of awareness and the nature of one\u2019s mind through vipassana<\/em> meditation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (2) We gain insight into how (a) patterns of thought<\/em>, emotion<\/em>, and perception<\/em> perpetuate suffering, and how (4) these patterns are based on a misperception of our true nature<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (3) By (a) recognizing who we truly are<\/em>, and by (b) discovering that our awareness is innately pure<\/em>, clear<\/em> and empty<\/em>, we begin to experience inner freedom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (1) The dying process itself involves the dissolving of the elements \u2013earth, water, fire, air, and space \u2013 with specific physical and mental experiences occurring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (2) Through training gained in sleep and dream meditation, one comes to understand this part of the process of dying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (3) At the time of death, through awareness, an opportunity arises to fully realize the true nature of one\u2019s mind \u2013 and at that moment a person becomes enlightened (and one\u2019s bardo journey stops progressing).<\/p>\n\n\n\n (1) If one does not recognize the true nature of one\u2019s mind in the bardo of dying, one loses consciousness for a period of time \u2013 and then to awaken in the dreamlike bardo of dharmata<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (2) To prepare for this bardo, a person should use dream yoga \u2013 at first, the mind will remain relatively nonconceptual and nondual, and realization of its true nature continues to be possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (3) However, as this bardo continues (as well as in the next bardo of becoming), the dualistic, conceptual mind slowly begins to return \u2013 and the possibility of realizing one\u2019s true nature increasingly diminishes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (1) If one does not recognize the true nature of mind in the bardo of dharmata, one enters the bardo of becoming with awareness that has now become more conceptual and dualistic, and with a body that seems more solid \u2013 and the first important task is to realize that one is dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (2) In the first part of the bardo of becoming, there is a dreamy stage similar to the bardo of dharmata \u2013 and it is recommended that one actively engages in the practices one has connected with during life (thereby continuing to transform one\u2019s mind with love, compassion, and awareness).<\/p>\n\n\n\n (3) In the second part of this bardo, one\u2019s karma pushes one to take the next birth. With awareness of the process, one can actively choose one\u2019s next birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sources<\/strong>: In addition to several excellent Buddhist texts that I have purchased and that deal with the bardo teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, I can also recommend an online course developed by Tergar E-Learning dealing with the same topic in two parts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n (1) Awakening in Daily Life: The Bardos of This Life.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This course helps one to cultivate the skills of shamatha, vipashyana, and dream yoga that serve as the foundation for the course. It also covers the most important principles and practices of the first three bardos, the bardos of this life:<\/p>\n\n\n\n (a) The Bardo of Living<\/p>\n\n\n\n (b) The Bardo of Sleep and Dreams<\/p>\n\n\n\n (c) The Bardo of Meditation<\/p>\n\n\n\n (2) Dying and Awakening: The Bardos of Death and Dying.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The most important principles and practices of the latter three bardos \u2013 the bardos of death and dying \u2013 are presented:<\/p>\n\n\n\n (a) Module 1: The Bardo of Dying<\/p>\n\n\n\n (b) Module 2: The Bardo of Dharmata<\/p>\n\n\n\n (c) Module 3: The Bardo of Becoming<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both courses draw from the text, Natural Liberation: Padmasambhava\u2019s Teachings on the Six Bardos<\/em>, as well as Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche\u2019s commentary, Mind Beyond Death<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Website: https:\/\/learning.tergar.org\/course_library\/vajrayana-online\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Program Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Vajrayana Online<\/em> program began in early 2016 with a gradual progression through the Buddhist path in the Three Yanas<\/em> course. Courses are continually added to the program and include teachings from Mingyur Rinpoche, webinars with Rinpoche and the Tergar Instructors, as well as readings, audio\/visual material, discussion forums, and opportunities for one-on-one interviews with the instructors. Each course is delivered in one or more modules that are published on a monthly basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alexander Peck<\/p>\n\n\n\n July 9, 2020<\/p>\n Having studied the bardo teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, I find them a most profound and precious contribution to the spiritual heritage belonging to all humans. These teachings teach one (1) how to approach the temporariness of this life and (2) …<\/span> Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-339","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/the-six-bardos.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/the-six-bardos.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/the-six-bardos.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/the-six-bardos.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/the-six-bardos.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=339"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/the-six-bardos.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/339\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":342,"href":"https:\/\/the-six-bardos.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/339\/revisions\/342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/the-six-bardos.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Bardo of the Dream State<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Bardo of Meditation<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Bardo of Dying<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Bardo of the Luminosity of the True Nature<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Bardo of Becoming<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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