The Tibetan Book of the Dead
The Tibetan Book of the Dead¶
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Introduction¶
There is a time between breaths, a quiet pause between the in-breath and the out-breath. In Tibetan tradition, that space is called a bardo—an interval, a threshold, a passageway. Life itself is filled with bardos: the moments between waking and sleeping, between despair and hope, between what was and what is yet to be. The Bardo Thödol, often called The Tibetan Book of the Dead, is a guide for the greatest threshold of all—the passage from life through death into whatever lies beyond.
This text was originally read aloud beside the dying and the dead. Its words are not meant as abstract philosophy, but as direct guidance, like the voice of a trusted companion whispering courage into the ear of one who is traveling on alone. It reminds the soul that even in fearsome visions, there is nothing to fear; even in the face of death, there is only life continuing in another form.
The version you hold here is not a scholarly translation but a devotional rendering, a warm re-telling for modern hearts. The older translations, beautiful though they are, often feel distant with their archaic language. Here, the aim is clarity and compassion. Each section has been gently re-voiced so that it may speak directly to you, the reader, whether you are facing death, grieving someone you love, or simply wanting to live more awake to the passing beauty of each moment.
These teachings are not only for the dying. They are for the living—for you and for me—so that we may learn to meet change with less fear, to let go of what binds us, and to walk with compassion in this fragile, luminous life. Read them slowly. Let them soak into you like prayer. Use them as you sit in silence, as you walk in grief, as you reflect on impermanence, or as you prepare for your own journey one day.
The bardos remind us: nothing is fixed, everything is passage. And within each passage lies the possibility of awakening.
Invocation of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas¶
O Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, dwelling in the ten directions,
full of compassion, wisdom, and love,
seeing with the divine eye,
protectors of all beings—
come now through the power of your great compassion.
Accept these offerings, both those placed here
and those offered from the heart.
O Compassionate Ones,
you who hold the wisdom of understanding,
the love that heals,
and the power to protect beyond measure—
here before you, one of your children (name)
is passing from this world to the next.
The journey is great.
The friends of this life cannot go along.
He enters the dark,
he walks a steep and lonely path.
He is carried by the winds of karma,
swept into the silence,
driven onward by forces unseen.
No strength has he now;
this is the time when all must go alone.
O Compassionate Ones, defend him who is defenseless.
Protect him who has no protector.
Be his strength, his kin, his refuge.
Keep him safe from the deep shadows of the Bardo.
Turn him away from the storm-winds of karma.
Turn him away from the terror of the Lords of Death.
Save him from the narrow passageways of fear.
O Compassionate Ones, let not your mercy grow faint.
Do not forget your ancient vows.
Hold him fast with the hook of your grace.
Let not the weight of karma cast him down.
O Buddhas, O Bodhisattvas, O Holy Trinity,
carry him beyond the suffering of the Bardo.
(Recite this prayer three times, with humility and faith.)
The Path of Good Wishes for Saving from the Narrow Way of the Bardo¶
1.
O Buddhas and your sons, dwelling in the ten directions,
O vast ocean of Peaceful and Wrathful Conquerors,
O Gurus, O Divine Mothers, O faithful Dākinīs—
hear us now through your great love.
We bow before you, radiant assembly of Guides and Mothers.
Out of your compassion, lead us on the Path.
2.
When, through illusion, we wander in the cycle of birth and death,
may the clear light of listening, reflection, and meditation shine.
May the Gurus of the Lineage walk before us,
may the Mothers stand behind us,
may we be saved from the fearful narrow passageway of the Bardo,
and be placed in the perfect state of Buddhahood.
3.
When anger drives us in the Sangsāra,
may the clear light of Mirror-like Wisdom appear.
May Lord Vajrasattva lead us,
may the Mother Māmakī guard our way.
May we be saved from the narrow passageway of the Bardo,
and be placed in the perfect state of Buddhahood.
4.
When pride blinds us in the Sangsāra,
may the clear light of Equal Wisdom shine.
May Lord Ratnasambhava lead us,
may the Mother, She-of-the-Buddha-Eye, guard our way.
May we be saved from the narrow passageway of the Bardo,
and be placed in the perfect state of Buddhahood.
5.
When attachment binds us in the Sangsāra,
may the clear light of Discriminating Wisdom shine.
May Lord Amitābha lead us,
may the Mother of White Raiment guard our way.
May we be saved from the narrow passageway of the Bardo,
and be placed in the perfect state of Buddhahood.
6.
When jealousy consumes us in the Sangsāra,
may the clear light of All-Performing Wisdom shine.
May Lord Amoghasiddhi lead us,
may the faithful Mother Tārā guard our way.
May we be saved from the narrow passageway of the Bardo,
and be placed in the perfect state of Buddhahood.
7.
When ignorance covers us in the Sangsāra,
may the clear light of Wisdom-as-Reality shine.
May Lord Vairochana lead us,
may the Mother of Great Space guard our way.
May we be saved from the narrow passageway of the Bardo,
and be placed in the perfect state of Buddhahood.
8.
When fear and illusion chase us in the Sangsāra,
may the clear light of fearless Wisdom shine.
May the Wrathful Ones lead us,
may the Goddesses Rich-in-Space guard our way.
May we be saved from the narrow passageway of the Bardo,
and be placed in the perfect state of Buddhahood.
9.
When old habits pull us in the Sangsāra,
may the clear light of Spontaneous Wisdom shine.
May the Holders of Knowledge lead us,
may the Mothers and Dākinīs guard our way.
May we be saved from the narrow passageway of the Bardo,
and be placed in the perfect state of Buddhahood.
10.
May the element of space not rise as an enemy;
may we see the Realm of the Blue Buddha.
May the element of water not rise as an enemy;
may we see the Realm of the White Buddha.
May the element of earth not rise as an enemy;
may we see the Realm of the Yellow Buddha.
May the element of fire not rise as an enemy;
may we see the Realm of the Red Buddha.
May the element of air not rise as an enemy;
may we see the Realm of the Green Buddha.
May even the rainbow lights not rise as enemies,
but may all the Realms of the Buddhas be revealed.
May all sounds be known as our own sound.
May all radiances be known as our own radiance.
May the Three Bodies of Buddha be realized in the Bardo.
The Root Verses of the Six Bardos¶
1. The Bardo of Birth
O now, as the Bardo of Birth dawns before me:
May I abandon idleness—this human life leaves no room to waste.
May I enter into truth without distraction—listening, reflecting, meditating.
May I recognize the nature of appearances and of mind,
and awaken to the Three Bodies of Buddha.
Since I have attained this rare human form,
may I not let it slip away in idleness.
2. The Bardo of Dreams
O now, as the Bardo of Dreams dawns before me:
May I abandon the corpse-like sleep of ignorance.
May I keep awareness resting in its natural state.
May I recognize the dream as dream,
and train in the Clear Light of Illusory Transformation.
Not sinking in sloth like an animal,
may I blend the practice of dream and waking life,
holding them both as precious.
3. The Bardo of Meditation
O now, as the Bardo of Meditation dawns before me:
May I abandon distraction and illusion.
May I rest in endless, undistracted samādhi.
May I gain steadiness in both visualization and completion.
At this time of one-pointed practice, with all else set aside,
may I not fall under the sway of passions that confuse and dull the mind.
4. The Bardo of Death
O now, as the Bardo of Death dawns before me:
May I abandon craving and clinging to worldly things.
May I remain undistracted in the vast space of luminous teaching.
May I dissolve into the unborn sky of freedom.
The hour has come to part from this body of flesh and blood—
may I know it as impermanent, as an illusion, and let it go.
5. The Bardo of Reality
O now, as the Bardo of Reality dawns before me:
May I abandon fear, awe, and terror of appearances.
May I recognize them all as my own mind’s creations.
May I know them as illusions of the Intermediate State.
For it is said: “There comes a time when the turning point is reached—
fear not the hosts of Peaceful and Wrathful forms; they are your own thought-forms.”
6. The Bardo of Rebirth
O now, as the Bardo of Rebirth dawns before me:
May I hold one-pointedly to a single pure intention.
May I carry on the stream of good deeds without wavering.
May I close the womb-door and remember to turn away.
The hour has come when pure love and steadfast energy are needed.
May I cast off jealousy and rest in meditation on the Guru, the Father-Mother.
7. The Call of Urgency
O procrastinating one, blind to the certainty of death,
spending yourself in the useless busyness of this life,
you squander your great opportunity.
Mistaken indeed will you be, if you return empty-handed.
Since the holy Dharma is your true need,
will you not devote yourself to it—even now?
Epilogue
So speak the Great Adepts with devotion.
If the guru’s chosen teaching is not held in heart and mind,
will you not betray yourself?
It is of utmost importance that these Root Words be known.
The Path of Good Wishes which Protects from Fear in the Bardo¶
1.
When the thread of my life is cut,
and no relative or friend can help,
when I wander alone through the Bardo—
O Conquerors, Peaceful and Wrathful,
through your boundless compassion,
dispel the darkness of ignorance.
2.
When I wander alone, parted from those I love,
and my own empty thought-forms rise before me,
may the Buddhas, with their great compassion,
remove fear and terror from the Bardo.
3.
When the radiant lights of the Five Wisdoms shine upon me,
may I not be terrified, but know them as my own true nature.
When the Peaceful and Wrathful forms appear before me,
may I recognize them, and find the fearless assurance of the Bardo.
4.
When I suffer from the weight of my own past actions,
may the Peaceful and Wrathful Conquerors lift that misery.
When the Sound of Reality roars like a thousand thunders,
may I hear it as the melody of the Great Teaching.
5.
When there is no protector, and karma must unfold,
I call upon the Peaceful and Wrathful Conquerors—protect me.
When karmic habits bring suffering,
may the blissful Clear Light of Samādhi shine upon me.
6.
When I take on a supernormal birth in the Bardo,
may the deceits of Māra not arise.
Wherever I arrive, wherever I go,
may I not be shaken by fear or illusion.
7.
When the roar of beasts terrifies me,
may their cries transform into the holy sound of the Six Syllables.
When snow, rain, wind, and storm press upon me,
may I see with the clear eyes of Wisdom.
8.
May all beings wandering with me in the Bardo,
without jealousy or rivalry, find birth in higher realms.
When hunger and thirst torment me,
may I be free from their sting, free from the pains of heat and cold.
9.
When I behold my future parents in union,
may I see them as the Divine Father and Mother,
the Peaceful and Wrathful Conquerors.
May I gain the power to choose birth for the good of others,
and obtain a perfect body, radiant with signs of blessing.
10.
May I obtain a strong body for service,
so that all who see or hear me may be liberated.
May the weight of evil karma not follow me,
but all merit increase and multiply.
11.
Wherever I am born, may I meet the Peaceful and Wrathful Deities.
May I walk and speak at birth,
with a mind that remembers past lives
and does not fall into forgetfulness.
12.
In all arts and sciences, great and small,
may I master them simply by hearing or seeing.
Wherever I am born, may it be auspicious.
May all beings everywhere be blessed with happiness.
13.
May I, and all beings,
become like the Peaceful and Wrathful Ones themselves—
equal in body, in followers, in lifespan, in realm,
and in the goodness of their holy names.
14.
Through the blessing of the countless Peaceful and Wrathful Ones,
through the gift-waves of Pure Reality,
through the power of devotion of all mystic practitioners,
may all wishes be fulfilled, here and now.
Thus ends The Path of Good Wishes which Protects from Fear in the Bardo.
The Colophon¶
Through the pure intention with which this was made,
and through the merit it carries,
may all beings without protection—our Mothers through countless lives—
find refuge in the state of Buddhahood.
May the radiant light of auspiciousness
shine forth to bless the world.
May this Book itself be a source of blessing.
May virtue and goodness reach their fullness in every way.
Epilogue¶
We have walked together through the landscapes of the Bardo Thödol—visions radiant and terrifying, prayers of protection, reminders of what endures when everything else falls away. Though the imagery may feel strange or unfamiliar, the heart of these teachings is simple: do not be afraid. Whatever arises—light or darkness, beauty or horror—it is the mind’s own reflection, passing like clouds through the vast sky of awareness.
For centuries, these words have been read to the dying as a lamp in the night. Yet they are not only for the moment of death. They are for all the small deaths and rebirths we live each day: the letting go of what no longer serves, the surrender to change, the courage to meet the unknown. In this sense, every one of us lives in a bardo, always standing on the threshold of something new.
The text closes with a blessing, and perhaps that is the best way to leave it—with a prayer of goodwill. May these words steady you when you tremble, soften you when you cling, and open you when fear would close you off. May they help you see that nothing is wasted, not even suffering, when it is held in the great light of compassion.
We cannot avoid the bardos. But we can learn to walk them with clarity, with trust, and with love. And in that walking, we discover the truth that death does not end the journey—it simply opens the way to another beginning.
A Final Blessing
May your steps be steady in every passage. May fear dissolve into light, and sorrow open into wisdom. May you remember, in life and in death, that you are never alone. The Compassionate Ones walk with you— always.