The Tibetan Book Of Living And Dying: A Spiritual Classic from One of the Foremost Interpreters of Tibetan Buddhism to the West

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I cannot recommend the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying highly enough. I believe it is one of the most important books for anyone in the modern world to read.

In 1993, an international programme of education and training called, Spiritual Care, was established by Christine Longaker and others in response to requests from healthcare professionals for practical ways to bring the compassion and wisdom of teachings in The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying into their work and lives. Over the past 17 years, they have worked with hospitals, hospices and universities, and trained more than 30,000 healthcare professionals and volunteers worldwide in all areas of healthcare and social services, and supported many people facing serious illness, death, or bereavement, and their families. [14] Adaptations [ edit ]The premise as I see it is: 1) throughout the modern world, our fear, avoidance, or shrugging off of death and dying is an enormous cause of our personal and collective spiritual suffering, as well as social injustices and environmental unraveling; 2) the possibility of understanding death clearly, using our lives to prepare for death, and wholeheartedly living our lives free of suffering is available to us in every single moment; and 3) there is a path by which to practice the integration and embrace of death & dying into our lives. Planning for the future is like going fishing in a dry gulch; Nothing ever works out as you wanted, so give up all your schemes and ambitions. If you have got to think about something— Make it the uncertainty of the hour of your death . .” Pema Düddul does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Partners Later, while Rinpoche was leading retreats in Germany and Australia, he would send through long faxes to Gaffney and Harvey full of corrections, changes and new paragraphs. He was testing the key chapters, for example on the Nature of Mind, the practice of meditation, compassion, Guru Yoga and Dzogchen, by teaching them directly, again and again, all over the world in retreats and courses. Some parts were corrected and re-written twenty five times. [3] Whatever you do, don't shut off your pain. Accept your pain and remain vulnerable. However desperate you become, don't shut off your pain because it is in fact trying to hand you a precious gift -- the chance of discovery through spiritual practice, what lies behind sorrow. And don't we know and only far too well, that protection from pain doesn't work. And when we try and defend ourselves from suffering, we only suffer more and don't learn what we can from experience.”

Real devotion is an unbroken receptivity to the truth. Real devotion is rooted in an awed and reverent gratitude, but one that is lucid, grounded, and intelligent.” Cyclic existence is birth, suffering, death, then rebirth into another life of suffering and death, on and on without end. Buddhists believe that we have all been trapped in this cycle of misery since the beginning of time and will remain trapped forever unless we do something about it.It also prompted Rigpa to introduce a Spiritual Care Education and Training programme, providing for the needs of caregivers. [6] A major conference held at Germering, near Munich in 1996 and involving several leading authorities on care for the dying, had a considerable influence on the emerging hospice movement in Germany. [5] I read this book right after walking away from a serious car accident with only bruises. My years of yoga training served me well during the accident and its aftermath, but I knew that it was time to open this book and dig more deeply into the process and meaning of life and death while I still had the chance.

The birth of a man is the birth of his sorrow. The longer he lives, the more stupid he becomes, because his anxiety to avoid unavoidable death becomes more and more acute. What bitterness! He lives for what is always out of reach! His thirst for survival in the future makes him incapable of living in the present. CHUANG TZU” According to Buddhist philosophy whatever we do in this life is to achieve liberation of our mind (I couldn't find the word salvation anywhere in this book) which is a all free formless, mediumless state; Bodhisattva or Buddha. If at all we fail to attain that then at least try for a rebirth in a better realm, say human. Again try the same for the liberation of our soul or mind to attain Buddhahood and it is an endless cycle of life and rebirth called samsara. But the attainment depends on how we live our life in this world. The quality of our karma decide not only the quality of our death but the 'effects' of our death too. The rebirth and reincarnation are our chance or possibility for the liberation and which is not our aim but actually is a punishment because we have to again go through an entire lifetime. So according to Buddhism it's not only what 'life' itself is important but release or free from this life and from every rebirth is more important and that's what we have to try for. In short nirvana or to become Buddha is the ultimate goal. We may have to go through endless life cycle to reach that level. The implication is its not Buddha going to help the world but the way of attaining Bodhisattva is having the power to change every person in his life and this world. Stay with us, for more on this life-altering book. Who Should Read “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying”? And Why? It would be a mistake to postpone our confrontation with Tibetan wisdom because it is ancient. The truth is, it is timeless, and we need it desperately.”Daniel Goleman @ Garrison Institute, Meditation & Science". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21 . Retrieved 1 May 2012.

So many sad losses - beautiful A'ine who was only 17 and sent a butterfly as she continued on her journey. My soul sister, Margaret, how I miss her. The next quote sums up the entire essence of the post. Most people feel that they are not bound by this reality, we’re all connected yes but today at this moment you are separate. Sogyal calls it an optical delusion, even if it is a hallucination one cannot discount the experience. So while you experience this realm of existence why not expand your boundaries you have set of love and compassion. The story behind The Tibetan Book of the Dead’s translation and publication in the West is almost as unusual as its origin story. The book was first published in English in 1927. In Tibetan the title is Bardo Thodol, which does not translate as The Tibetan Book of the Dead at all, but as “Liberation through Hearing during the Intermediate State”. I have learnt that even if I still believe in a lot of the beliefs in Buddhism and practises, in any religion we should not be worshiping these spiritual teachers as Gods and all knowing and wise. They are human like us, don’t put these people on pedestals, it always makes me uncomfortable. I believe the same thing as pop stars and actors they are not above us, and we should not think they are. Yes in every religion there are good teachings to be learnt, but at the end of the day there are positives and negatives to all religions. It seems like a lot more negatives on some days.The part ends with a comprehensive analysis of the near-death experience and outlines the harmony between this thought-provoking angle and the bardo teachings. The Tibetan Book of the Dead is an exemplar of Tibetan literary prose and a compelling commentary on the universal experience of death and dying from a Buddhist perspective. A classic of medieval Buddhist literature, it contains vivid descriptions of the bardos or intermediary states between death and rebirth that are, like other medieval texts, often illustrated. Sigh, I'm not so keen on this whole belief in literal reincarnation business (even with the nuances he throws in). Rinpoche’s book—very beautifully and anecdotally—brings this whole process to life for people and makes it less frightening and forbidding. It shows us that bringing this awareness into our lives makes us much more alive and happy. So for all of these reasons we congratulate Sogyal Rinpoche life’s work and also his great book, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, now in its 21st year.” ( see more)