The Six Bardos - How to Prepare for Death [1]

Khenpo Sherab Sangpo, a professor of Tibetan Buddhism in the Nyingma Lineage (bodhicittasangha.org), offers teachings on the “The Root Verses of the Six Bardos.” These tantric teachings were brought to Tibet by Padmasambhava in the 9th century and were taught to his closest 25 disciples. Padmasambhava’s pith advice for preparing for the natural transitions during life and death were rediscovered as a treasure text (terma) by the 14th century treasure revealer (tertön), Karma Lingpa, and form part of the close (short) lineage of terma transmission in the Nyingma tradition. This text is part of the cycle of revelations related to the peaceful and wrathful deities called "Bardo Tödrol Chenmo,” in Tibetan, meaning "The Great Liberation through Hearing in the Bardo,” and is known as “The Tibetan Book of the Dead” in the West. As Khenpo Sherab Sangpo states in his commentary, the cycle of the six bardos describes our journey through six states of consciousness. Each bardo has its own unique instructions and meditation practice. These six verses show what is to be practiced and what is to be realized in each bardo for liberation (enlightenment) from saṃsāra to occur. The four guided meditation sessions are on 1) recognizing the wisdom of emptiness by looking at the mind without thinking; 2) recognizing self-arising awareness by pausing the breath; 3) dharmakāya phowa practice through the seal of the view by resting in the non-conceptual nature of mind; and 4) recitation of the the noble Mahāyāna sūtra called "The Wisdom for the Time of Death.”

[@janjrtoussaint8158]

During this precious life I was able to learn more about the Bardo in a privileged way

[@kungadodhenx4038]

Surely you have a great deal of merit... otherwise in age of endless number of things you end up listing this 🙏

[@edwinjordy3264]

@Isaiah Aydin definitely, I have been watching on InstaFlixxer for months myself :D

[@chandlerdarius6380]

@Isaiah Aydin Yup, I have been watching on InstaFlixxer for months myself :)

[@umakantgairola7726]

The great one is Padmasambhawa. Great.Great.Great....

[@rameshuke145]

Sadhu sadhu sadhu. Excellent explanation Bhante! 🌹🌹🌹🙏🙏🙏.

[@alvinware1988]

The dream meditations can be very startling. Makes LSD seem simple. Meditating while dreaming is a trip. Om Ma Na Pad Me Om.

[@dexterj5615]

Lsd is a temporary experience much like life or a dream. The realization that it's all the same is an interesting moment since all there is is now

[@souvikdutta5370]

Substances provide temporary bliss. Only meditation can truly liberate you. Om Mani Padme Hum.

[@jessebarlow1277]

Alvin you are so right, well said

[@jeweltong4717]

In this Bardo of precious human life "May we extract the meaningful essence of this life support, without being distracted by the senseless affairs of this life. Since this good foundation hard to gain and easy to disintegrate, presents an opportunity of choice between profit and loss, comfort and misery."

[@jigold22571]

Eternal Gratitude and Appreciation 2U.Namaste.💛

[@FatimaMensenPotter]

From the bottom of my heart: thank you very much!

[@christopherdirham8340]

It'd be real nice to be sitting there listening to him in person. Vv'iiibezzzz Resonatiiiiiiing.!.!

[@sergioangel8362]

Thank you. Namaste.

[@chandler6351]

I mean this in a beautiful way; his delivery had me chuckling. Meeting realizations without effort, thank you for posting. He is very talented with leading to what can’t be said- but just is

[@trish3580]

Thank you so much for these teachings Khenpo-la,

[@JeremyGordonCapeTown]

Thank you for amazing teahings

[@ugyendema2775]

🙏🙏🙏 Thank you la 🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️

[@sarasvatishaktiscripts3998]

Thank you

[@johnnguyen6026]

Thankyou

[@luvblueberry8433]

I recited a lot of mantra to my deceased relative, how would I know if they will receive?

[@AshokSonana]

नमन। please give us this death process instruction video in HINDI

[@devinramos6317]

Wow!!!♥️♥️♥️♥️🙏🏼❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@Spectre2434]

🙏🙏🙏

[@saraondo2698]

Ven Khenpola Rinpoche thanks for the teachings. If you have taken Bodhidsatva vows, To be obtain precious human rebirth as Bodhidsatva does one need to go to the dimmer lights?

[@KhenpoSherabSangpo]

You can find Karma Lingpa's prayer for the six bardos here on our website: www.bodhicittasangha.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/PDF-The-Six-Root-Verses-of-the-Six-Bardos.pages.pdf In that prayer, Karma Lingpa advises us to: "Enter into the recognition that whatever arises is pristine awareness."

[@ivancanak4470]

I would appreciate an answer to my question from anyone with a deeper understanding of Bardo Thodol. If a spirit, presence of a deceased person can travel anywhere, see anything, can it travel through time? Can I see my self in the past for instance? And is it possible to posses one self in your past form? I know that in this scripture there is a warning about trying to posses living beings, I just don't know why.

[@jessebarlow1277]

Hi Ivan, I think I understand your question, but I believe the answer is no that is not possible. Who knows what is visible from the afterlife, maybe all time, maybe no time, so your 2nd question, can i see myself, is a big maybe - but the 1st and 3rd questions rely on a linear concept of time like we have in the West, and in this tradition (Tibetan Buddhism) time is understood very differently, and the kind of "time travel" you are talking about is not something this tradition believes exists. That being said, there are powerful tools of meditation that may work in the direction you're going. While you may not be able to "possess" or control your past self, you actually can meet your past self in your memories as they arise in your meditation in the present, and you can meet that person with an open heart, meet them with love, and you might be surprised that something so simple can have such a transformative effect. This is a meditation technique called "metta" or loving-kindness meditation, and you can use it to grow love for your past self, your present self, and your future self, and this love can transform your present and your future, so that kind of counts as time travel doesn't it? :) At first, metta is very difficult, it is hard to wholeheartedly wish ourselves unconditional happiness, so practice wishing it for people you already like and care for, and you will get stronger and be able to turn that compassion inwards.

[@tashibhutia9133]

🙏🌹💐🌷

[@krissyramsey3934]

Awesome!