![]() An untrained person is thought to be confused as to where they are, and may not realise that they have died. The experience of a person during bardo depends on their spiritual training during life. The different schools of Tibetan Buddhism have different understandings of this state which is regarded as lasting for 49 days. Īccording to the BBC: “Bardo is the state between death and rebirth. This recurrent process of life, death, and rebirth continues until an individual achieves enlightenment. All this occurs with the understanding that post-death experiences are not real, but projections of consciousness that causes birth, death and rebirth. After true death has occurred the dead begins his journey towards rebirth and this may involve communion with gods, demons, hungry ghosts or a trip to hell. On each of the 49 days the deceased passes through a new level. Tibetans believe that an individual’s souls remain in “bardo” (bar do), a special zone for the newly dead, for 49 days after death, during which time they enter a new body (that of a human, a hell being, a god, or an animal) to start a new cycle of life, death and rebirth. See Separate Articles: HISTORY OF TIBETAN BUDDHISM /China articles about TIBETAN BUDDHISM Bardo Good Websites and Sources: Tibetan Studies - Tibetan Religion Sky Burial Tibet Tours /WWWVLPages Three days after death the deceased is blessed with morning prayers and taken to a monastery for the funeral. After death, the body is kept in a sitting position for 24 hours while a lama recites passages from “The Tibetan Book of the Dead” to help guide the dead to the afterlife. This is one reason why ritual objects are often made from human bones. Tibetan are encouraged to witness death and the disposal of bodies so they do not fear death or are in awe of it. Death is viewed as a transformation not an end.Tibetans face death calmly because they believe death does not terminate a person's life, but indicates rebirth. Tibetan views about death are shaped by Buddhist belief in reincarnation. Even those who cannot gain the spiritual awareness to have a consciousness of the bardo are helped by achieving a greater experience of the impermanence of everything. This not only aids the dead, but enables the living practitioner to gain a real experience of the bardo, before they themselves enter it. ![]() Another way of preparing for death is to take part in helping those who have died through their experience in the bardo. They work towards a holistic understanding and acceptance of death as an inevitable part of their journey. Tibetan Buddhists use visualisation meditations and other exercises to imagine death and prepare for the bardo. Awareness of death, combined with the understanding of the impermanence of everything, leads the Buddhist to realise that only spiritual things have any lasting value. Instead, it should lead the Buddhist to see the value of every moment of existence, and be diligent in their meditation and other religious practice. This awareness should not produce sadness or despair, nor should it cause a Buddhist to start a frantic pursuit of the impermanent pleasures of life. And all the living things around us are dying, too. Everything is always dying - the cells of our bodies are dying even while we live, reminding us of our own impermanence. This is when Tibetans believe that true death has occurred.Īccording to the BBC: “Tibetan Buddhism emphasises awareness of death and impermanence. After the soul separates from the body, various levels of consciousness disappear and the deceased emerges into translucent light. As the water elements dissolve into the air element the dead losses his hearing and feels surrounded by smoke. ![]() As this happens the dead loses his sense of sight and feels like he is shriveling up. Afterwards, they believe, the soul separates out of the various ‘subtle elements.” First, the earth elements dissolve into the water elements. Sky burial site Tibetans believe that the cessation of breathing is only the first stage of death. ![]()
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