The Tibetan Book Of Living And Dying

More than two decades ago I had first picked up ‘Tibetan Book Of Dead’ and ended up reading it almost completely. Yes, I did not complete it! Because it left me a little scared when it talked of all the things about death and afterlife. Maybe at that time I was too young to comprehend it or was not prepared to understand what it talked about. Although I grasped the essence of what it said, I left it at that and never dwelled or looked back at the wealth of teachings it offered.

It was only a couple of weeks back that I chanced upon this book which goes a step further and guides us through the wealth of knowledge the original book offers. But this one is much simpler and easier to grasp. It simplifies all the teachings in an much more user-friendly way.

The profound impact this book has on your psyche and the way you look at life and death is hard to describe in words. It is an experience in itself.

The teachings about various ‘Bardos’ of life and how to go about in each phase of life is eye opening. It’s like opening a new window to a vast vista that lay in front of us but we never bothered to check or acknowledge its existence.

The author Sogyal Rinpoche, a great master himself, guides you and prods you to take steps towards realizing the true nature of your mind and find the Grand Luminosity of your mind that exists within yourself, but of which you are totally unaware!

To understand the impact and the change it can bring in all of us, let me paraphrase from one of the great master Nyoshul Khenpo quoted in the book:

An effortless compassion can arise for all the beings who have not realised their true nature. So limitless is it that if tears could express it, you would cry to no end. Not only compassion, but tremendous skilful means can be born when you realise the nature of mind. Also you are naturally liberated from all suffering and fear, such as the fear of birth, death, and the intermediate state. Then if you were to speak of the joy and bliss that arise from this realization, it is said by the buddhas that if you were to gather all the glory, enjoyment, pleasure, and happiness of the world and put it all together, it would not approach one tiny fraction of the bliss that you experience upon realising the nature of mind.

This is a book that can help you take on the spiritual journey in a confident way. It guides in a very clear way how to deal with death and how to help the dying. It is something which the medical fraternity should be trained in and sensitized. It is a treasure trove of information for those who constantly deal with life and death situations. A book that can be and should be read—again and again!