Insights on Tibetan Bardo Thodol: The Journey Through Intermediate States After Death

awakened. Its purpose is to identify with these lights. To recognize them as lights of the Nirvanic world and identify with them by dissolving into the human world and being reborn in the divine one. Oh, noble being, you have remained unconscious during the last three and a half days. As soon as you emerge from this unconsciousness, you will ask yourself: "What has happened?" Oh, noble being, now that the cycle of your life is suspended, all things appear to you as lights and divinities. All space appears pervaded with azure light. Now, from the land of the central Buddha, the lord Vairochana appears to you, the Sapphire Awakener, the Splendor of the Sun, the White, the Space, the Wheel, the Center, the Wisdom of Reality, with his white body, seated on a lion holding an eight-spoke wheel, united with his consort Dhatvishvari, the Origin of the Celestial Mother. From the center of the couple's heart, the blue light of the Wisdom of Reality, the natural purity of consciousness, of a clear and vivid blue color, incredibly intense, shines sharply blinding your gaze. [...] You must not fear it! It is the ray of light of the transcendent lord, the "Wisdom of the perfection of Reality"! Let yourself be attracted to it with confidence and deep respect. [...] Repeat after me, your guide, this prayer: "While I am wandering in the cycle of life driven by deep ignorance, may the lord Vairochana, the Shining Sun, guide me on the path of the clear light of the Wisdom of Reality which is perfection! Along the way may his consort Dhatvishvari, the Origin of the Celestial Mother, support me, save me from the dangerous difficulties of the intermediate state and lead me to perfect illumination!" 2nd DAY - BLUE LIGHT As the days pass, the lights that manifest are different. • Each of these lights arises from the liberation of a force in consciousness dictated by the opening of consciousness to a plane or Spiritual Realm. These visions are first of all pure psychic states, which are then translated by consciousness into a complex symbolism in relation to the cultural background of the deceased. For example, we can see the description of what is indicated as the Wisdom of Reality, a force that is described by the gentleness that appears to the deceased as an Azure Buddha seated on an elephant with a scepter. • Akshobhya, Diamond-Lightning Spirit, Unshakeable Buddha, Blue, Water, Scepter, Vajra, East (protects and destroys hatred) Mirror Wisdom (vs. hatred) Realm of the Diamond-Lightning Buddha (Consort: Lochana) At this moment from the pure blue eastern land, the lord Vajrasattva, the Diamond-Lightning Spirit, appears before you seated on an elephant with a five-pointed diamond lightning scepter in his fist, united with his illuminated consort Lochana, the Radiant [...] From the heart of the couple of the Diamond Lightning Spirit shines before you white and penetrating, clear and brilliant, unbearable to your gaze, the white light of Mirror Wisdom [...] Pray, increase your love for her thinking "It is the light of compassion of the Diamond Lightning Spirit! I take refuge in it!" Have confidence in that brilliant white light that dazzles you! Direct the intense force of your will toward the Diamond Lightning Spirit and address this prayer: While I am wandering in the cycle of life driven by deep hatred, may the lord of Diamond-Lightning guide me on the path of the clear light of mirror wisdom! Along the way may his consort Lochana, the Radiant, support me, save me from the dangerous difficulties of the intermediate state and lead me to perfect illumination! Therefore all these exhortations that are repeated every day at the same time by the priest concentrating on the deceased through an image or something that belonged to him have two purposes: • On one hand to make him recognize and produce this luminous vision so that luminous perception arises in consciousness • To help the individual identify with the light so as to allow him to transfer to the corresponding state of consciousness. 3rd DAY - YELLOW LIGHT This process, however, is hindered by the impure consciousness of the individual. • It is important to note that all these exhortations and invocations are made to the deceased because the lights coming from the Nirvanic world produce emotional reactions in the experiencer who does not have total dominion over the senses and emotions and his own mind. This reflected action of resonance generates the arising and unleashing of the emotional charges stored by the deceased during life which therefore materialize to him as an opaque reflected light akin to him and toward which the deceased feels a natural attraction. But here there is a trick therefore because the light toward which he feels a natural attraction is the product of his attachments and old memorizations and therefore running after that light does nothing but further entrench the deceased in his natural inclination of psychic servitude to the world. Conversely, the light from the nirvanic world that would be the real one that would allow man to exit from this state of continuous reincarnations called samsara is so strong that the individual is repelled from fixing himself in it. For example, this mechanism on the third day when the yellow light appears to the individual and simultaneously reflected, the bluish-yellow light of men is placed before him. • Ratnasambhava (Origin of Gems), Golden Buddha, Gem Matrix, Yellow, Earth, Jewel, South (Enriches and fights greed) Wisdom of Justice (vs. greed) Realm of the Golden Buddha (Consort: Mamaki) From the heart of the couple Origin of Gems shines before you, yellow and penetrating, clear and blinding, adorned with sparkling drops, unbearable to your gaze, the yellow light of the Wisdom of Justice and penetrates the center of your heart. Beside it, which is the light of Wisdom, the sad bluish-yellow light of...