On Death and the Bardo Planes By Lynne
By Lynne
QUESTIONS
1. How long do we go through the Bardo state and do we have awareness while at that state?
2. Why do ghosts and the likes come back to Earth if they are supposed to be in the Bardo state?
3. Is it (the Bardo state) the same kind of awareness we have now while we are alive?
4. What is the difference between being there (in a Bardo state) and being on earth. It would seem to be better if we don't have to eat, sleep or go to work while in the Bardo state. Why do people want to reincarnate to Earth if we still have the same awareness while in the Bardo state?
5. Can't we get enlightenment in that state if all is Eternity?
Bonus Question: "What happens to an enlightened being (or powerful sorcerer) after he/she dies?"
ANSWERS
1. 49 days
2. Attachment
3. Yes
4. (a) The difference — in the Bardo you have no physical body
(b) They don't want to.
Expanded Versions Follow:
1. How long do we go through the Bardo state and do we have awareness while at that state?
If you are asking about the length of time the causal body remains in the Bardo after physical death, the Tibetan Book of the Dead,(which is written in symbolism that requires some kind of special decoder ring) answer is 49 days. Seven is a very sacred number, and 49 is 7 squared. Anyway, since time is a concept man has created to measure the
immeasurable, I suspect the amount of real time in the Bardo is illusive, and varied. Do we have awareness in that state? Yes, actually the bardos are levels of awareness, fields of attention which a person passes through. They exist
in life, they exist in death. They are contained in the causal body, the ethereal body that moves with you from lifetime to deathtime to lifetime.
2. Why do ghosts and the likes come back to Earth if they are supposed to be in the Bardo state?
Ghosts probably have been unable to let go of attachments to the physical world, if you are talking about the "haunting" spirits that seem to reside in a particular space. However, if you are talking about the ability of souls to
communicate over time, space, and dimension, that is another long story. Basically, we have a multidimensional universe that is far more fluid than our senses know. Therefore, it is possible to interact with beings who are not in the body. The concepts of here and there, now and then, are not exactly the way things are.
3. Is it (the Bardo state) the same kind of awareness we have now while we are alive?
If a person looks closely at the Tibetan Book of the Dead, it is a handbook for the living as well as the dying. Reincarnation is a process by which you and I live and die many many times. Therefore if you take the exoteric meanings of
this book, you die and go through the Bardo, time and again. The esoteric teachings suggest that this is the Bardo Those who were fortunate enough to sit with Rama went through countless deaths and rebirths in this life. This is
the fast path to enlightenment. In other words, the bardos of awareness are washed away in the clear light of Samadhi. You die in that light, and are reborn in a more balanced state of awareness. Your physical body does not need to die, if you find a teacher who can take you into the high states of mind, and if you are willing to go there.
4. What is the difference between being there (in a Bardo state) and being on earth. It would seem to be better if we don't have to eat, sleep or go to work while in the Bardo state. Why do people want to reincarnate to Earth if we still have the same awareness while in the Bardo state?
Yes, it would seem that the shedding of the physical body would provide an environment that is more conducive to moving into enlightenment. However, each incarnation is an opportunity to add a particular kind of knowledge to the aggregate of your being. The cumulative knowledge of all of your incarnations provides you with the best shot at self-realization. Not every being
will reach full enlightenment. This gets pretty techy. The moment of death is a very important moment. Everything that you are at that moment , the totality of your being, will move into the Bardo There you will have several opportunities to reach full realization. If you have led a life focused on meditation and self-realization, and worked for the enlightenment of
others, you may be able to use the opportunities provided in the Bardo to take you home — to dharma kaya, the clear light. Rama suggested that the best approach to dying is living. He demonstrated the art of living. He suggested that reincarnation gives you the conceptual space to enjoy life. What's the rush? The Christian "you only live
once". view of the world reduces that timeline. The result may explain the western frenzy of do it all do it perfectly. It is a perfect setup for societal neuroses. The cosmology of reincarnation gives you a chance to relax and enjoy the life.
Rama suggested that if you are drawn to the practice of meditation you should live a life of impeccability and power. A life that uses all of your knowledge from your multiple incarnations to learn the lessons that will build on your awareness,
and allow you to live in highest states of mind. Then, at the moment of death, whether death be physical or in Satori, you will have the power to go through the doorway, and dance with eternity. She is waiting.
Bonus question: "What happens to an enlightened being (or powerful sorcerer) after he/she dies?"
The enlightened being doesn't really die. Oh, their body is gone, and we who loved and sat with that person miss them. (Now that is an understatement!) But, there is no time, space, or limitations for the enlightened. They live in allwhere.
They are still accessible, oh nobly born, only now students have to really learn the esoteric practices. So, smile and lead an excellent life. Be happy. Meditate and practice the arts of enlightenment. And when your physical body dies, your final word, your final thought, your final reach should be to your beloved.
Lynne
