The Six Bardo states
It just occurred to me that we are always in transit, never staying put for long. Just like a passenger in an airport transit area, arriving via one gate and waiting to board through another.
For some of us the waiting is a bit long and we might forget that we are just passing through. So, it comes as a shock when we realize that we have to leave. Maybe that’s why the topic of death can provoke such strong emotions within us–we have forgotten that our life is not going to last forever and the departure time is not definite.
Among the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, there is one that describes six transitional states (called bardo in Tibetan). This is found in the Nyingma and Kagyu traditions. I find it quite helpful to reflect a bit on this way of looking at our life and death, so I am sharing it here. The list differs slightly from one source to another; I quote this from Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism by John Powers (Snow Lion).
Bardo between birth and death – our waking experience from birth till death.
Bardo of dreaming – the time of our sleep, when we experience dreams or dreamless sleep.
Bardo of meditation – the state of deep meditative absorption.
Bardo of reality – the time of unconsciousness that most people will experience when the mind is overwhelmed by death. For a meditator, this is the time to encounter the most subtle consciousness of clear light.
Bardo of becoming – the phase in-between one life and the next, where a person experiences different visions that are the projections of the mind.
Bardo of birth – when the consciousness connects with the embryo of the next life and birth begins again.
What I like about reflecting on these different transitions in our life (and death) is that it really highlights for me the sense of impermanence and change. Waking is a transitional state to be replaced by sleep or dream (or meditation).
Living is also a transitional state leading to dying and death, beyond which lies yet another transition. It also makes it a bit easier to loosen the grip of craving and attachment. After all, why would you be re-decorating another country’s transit lounge?
