The Bardo Thodol (བར་དོ་ཐོས་གྲོལ་, “Liberation Through Hearing in the Bardo”) is by far the best-known text of Tibetan Buddhism in the West. Translated by W.Y. Evans-Wentz in 1927 as The Tibetan Book of the Dead, it has shaped the Western imagination of Tibetan Buddhism ever since. This article explores what the text is, what it teaches, how to approach it, and the common misreadings.

What it actually is #

The Bardo Thodol is a termas — a “hidden treasure” — discovered by the 14th-century master Karma Lingpa. It belongs to a class of Tibetan literature that was concealed by Padmasambhava (8th century) and later rediscovered by realized teachers. Technically, it is part of the Nyingma Gyubum, the collection of tantric texts of the Nyingma school, rather than the Kangyur.

The text is a guide for the dying and the recently dead. It is traditionally read aloud to a person during the dying process, and again for up to 49 days after death, to help them recognize the true nature of reality and avoid being drawn into a less favorable rebirth.

The text is part of a broader class of Tibetan bardo teachings, which include the Zhi-khro (peaceful and wrathful deities) literature and the Khrid (instruction) literature. The Bardo Thodol is the most famous of these, but it is part of a larger tradition.

The bardo teachings #

The text describes a sequence of bardos — transitional states:

  • Bardo of dying — the experience of dying itself, the dissolution of the elements and the senses
  • Bardo of dharmata (chonyid bardo) — immediately after death, the appearance of the dharmatas (the fundamental phenomena of experience), including peaceful and wrathful deities
  • Bardo of becoming (sidpa bardo) — the wandering, dreamlike state in which the mind searches for a new incarnation

In each bardo, the text offers instructions: what to recognize, what to do, what to let go of. The fundamental teaching is that all the experiences of the bardo are mind-made — they are projections of one’s own consciousness, and recognizing this is the key to liberation.

The text is read by a teacher or a friend to the dying person, and the instructions are adjusted based on the level of the practitioner. A high-level practitioner is encouraged to recognize the dharmatas directly; a beginning practitioner is given more concrete instructions about how to navigate the bardos.

What it teaches about life #

The most powerful teaching of the Bardo Thodol is not about death but about life. The text is a vivid mirror of the mind’s habits:

  • The peaceful and wrathful deities are visualizations of mental states
  • The instruction to recognize them without grasping is the same instruction that applies to any moment of life
  • The text is often used in the Bardo teachings given during life — a meditation on death and the nature of mind practiced while still alive

The traditional teaching is that the bardo experience is not just something that happens after death. The mind that is confused, grasping, and reactive is, in a sense, already in a bardo — the bardo of ordinary life, where the same forces of attraction, aversion, and confusion play out in a less dramatic form. The bardo teachings are, in this sense, teachings about how to live as well as how to die.

Famous passages #

A few of the most famous passages:

“Recognize the clear light of your own true nature. The clear light is empty, yet it is not merely emptiness. The emptiness is not empty. It is radiant, and unceasing.”

“Whatever arises, recognize it as your own mind’s projection. Whatever you see, see it as emptiness.”

“Now the dharmata will appear as the Peaceful and Wrathful Deities. Do not be afraid. Do not be terrified. Recognize them as your own mind’s projections. Recognize them as the natural state of your own mind.”

“Oh, nobly-born, listen well. Whatever appears is the radiance of your own true nature. There is nothing to fear. This is the moment of your liberation.”

The whole text is, in a sense, a series of invitations: see clearly, recognize the mind, do not grasp, be free. The instructions are addressed to a “nobly-born” being — a person of capacity, who can understand and act on the teachings.

How to approach it #

In practice:

  • Read a modern translation with a translator’s introduction. The classic Evans-Wentz edition has aged; modern editions by Gyurme Dorje, Thupten Jinpa, and others include the full text with detailed notes.
  • Sit with a chapter rather than reading straight through. Each section is a meditation. A few minutes of reading, then a few minutes of sitting, is more productive than a single straight read.
  • Pair it with a commentary. The Tibetan tradition is rich with commentaries; a Western reader may also find it useful to read it alongside accounts of near-death experience, with both rigor and curiosity.
  • Read it as a meditation on death, not just as a text about the afterlife. The most powerful reading of the Bardo Thodol is as a practice — a way of contemplating death, the nature of mind, and the urgency of the path.

The text and the four reminders #

A traditional way to engage with the bardo teachings is the Four Reminders (also called the Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind):

  • Precious human life — the opportunity of human existence is rare and precious
  • Impermanence and death — death is certain, the time of death uncertain
  • Karma — actions have consequences
  • The defects of samsara — the cycle of ordinary existence is unsatisfying

The Bardo Thodol, read with these reminders in mind, is a powerful support for the practice. The text is not just a description of the afterlife; it is a guide to living with the awareness of death.

A common misreading #

The text is sometimes treated as a description of literal events that happen after death. The Tibetan tradition is more careful: the bardo teachings are tools for recognizing the mind, applicable in this life and at the moment of death. The literalism is a misreading that has been common in the West.

The way to think of it: the bardo teachings are not a literal map of the afterlife; they are a description of the mind’s habits, projected into a vivid imagery. The peaceful and wrathful deities are not external beings to be encountered; they are mental states to be recognized. The text is a mirror, not a documentary.

The Bardo Thodol and Western culture #

The Evans-Wentz translation of 1927 was a major event in the Western reception of Buddhism. The text was read by Timothy Leary, the Beat poets, Jack Kerouac, and many other figures in the 1960s counterculture. The Bardo Thodol became associated with psychedelic experience, the death-rebirth archetype, and the Western interest in Eastern spirituality.

The text’s influence on Western culture has been both positive and problematic. The positive influence: it has introduced many people to Buddhism and to the Tibetan tradition. The problematic influence: the literalist and psychedelic misreadings have sometimes obscured the text’s actual teachings.

The modern reception of the Bardo Thodol is more careful. Western scholars have produced reliable translations, and the text is read in its proper context as a meditation on death and a guide to the dying process.

The bardo teachings in Tibetan practice #

In Tibetan Buddhist practice, the bardo teachings are used in several ways:

  • In the dying process. A teacher or friend reads the appropriate section of the text to the dying person, with the instructions adjusted for the level of the practitioner.
  • In retreats. Some Tibetan teachers offer bardo retreats, in which practitioners engage with the text intensively, contemplating the nature of death and the mind.
  • In daily practice. The bardo teachings are also used as a daily practice, with the practitioner contemplating the certainty of death and the importance of the path.
  • In the phowa practice. The Tibetan tradition has a practice called phowa (consciousness transference), in which the practitioner, at the time of death, directs their consciousness to a pure realm. The Bardo Thodol is sometimes used in conjunction with the phowa practice.

The peaceful and wrathful deities #

One of the most distinctive features of the Bardo Thodol is the description of the peaceful and wrathful deities. These are the manifestations of the dharmata (the fundamental nature of reality) that appear in the bardo of dharmata.

The peaceful deities are:

  • Vairochana (white) — the dharmadhatu wisdom
  • Akshobhya (blue) — the mirror-like wisdom
  • Ratnasambhava (yellow) — the equanimous wisdom
  • Amitabha (red) — the discriminating wisdom
  • Amoghasiddhi (green) — the all-accomplishing wisdom

The wrathful deities are the same wisdoms, but expressed in fierce form. They are the same mind, but seen from a different angle — the angle of a mind that needs to be shocked out of its habits.

The bardo teachings are, in this sense, teachings about how to see the world. The peaceful and wrathful deities are the same wisdoms; the difference is in how they appear to a mind that is grasping. The mind that recognizes them as its own projections is free; the mind that does not is drawn into further confusion.

A meditation on death #

A traditional meditation based on the bardo teachings:

  1. Sit quietly and consider the certainty of death. This is the first reminder: death comes to all; the time is uncertain.
  2. Consider what happens at the moment of death. The dissolution of the senses, the dissolution of the elements, the mind becoming more and more subtle.
  3. Consider the dharmata. The fundamental nature of reality, which the bardo teachings describe as the peaceful and wrathful deities.
  4. Recognize that the dharmata is the mind’s own nature. The peaceful and wrathful deities are not external; they are the mind’s own projections.
  5. Rest in the recognition. The recognition of the mind’s own nature is the basis for liberation in the bardo and in life.

The meditation can be done in 15-30 minutes, with longer periods for more thorough practice. The bardo meditations are a powerful support for the practice of the path.

Common questions #

Is the Bardo Thodol only for the dying? No. The bardo teachings are for everyone, at any time. The text is a guide to the mind’s nature, applicable in this life and at the moment of death.

Is the text only for Tibetan Buddhists? No. The text has been read by Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana practitioners, as well as by non-Buddhists. The teachings are universal, even if the form is Tibetan.

Can I read the text on my own, or do I need a teacher? The text can be read on its own, but a teacher can help in several ways. A teacher can provide context, point out the key teachings, and help the reader engage with the text at a deeper level.

What if I am afraid of death? The bardo teachings are, in part, a way of working with the fear of death. The teachings do not deny that death is frightening; they offer a way of engaging with the fear, with the hope of liberation.

A simple practice #

A simple practice based on the Bardo Thodol:

  1. Read a passage of the text, slowly, several times
  2. Sit in silence, contemplating the passage
  3. Consider the certainty of death, and the importance of the path
  4. Rest in the awareness, letting it settle into the mind

The practice can be done in 15-20 minutes, or extended for a longer session. The Bardo Thodol, engaged regularly, becomes a familiar friend, a source of insight, a way of deepening the practice.

Sources & further reading #

Donald S. Lopez Jr., The Tibetan Book of the Dead: A Biography (Princeton, 2011) — the essential scholarly study; the most readable short account of the text’s history, translations, and contemporary reception. Gyurme Dorje, trans., The Tibetan Book of the Dead (Penguin, 2005) — the most reliable English translation, with the complete Tibetan text and detailed scholarly notes. Thupten Jinpa, trans., The Tibetan Book of the Dead (Viking, 2005) — the alternative English translation, with a less technical commentary. Robert Thurman, The Tibetan Book of the Dead (Aquarian/Thorsons, 1994) — the earlier popular translation, with a Tibetan-tradition commentary. The W.Y. Evans-Wentz 1927 translation is available on the Internet Archive; useful for the history of the Western reception, though superseded by the modern translations.