This is a translation of the complete Bardo Thodol which is large and most other translations have left out a lot of material. The book is very readable and has a long introduction by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The Tibetan Book of the Dead includes one of the most detailed and compelling descriptions of the after-death state in world litera- ture. It is not surprising therefore that when Chapter I I of our text, 'The Great Liberation by Hearing', first appeared in English, in 1927, it caused a considerable stir and has remained one of the most well known of Tibet's literary works ever since. In our work, for the first time, we are presenting a complete translation of all twelve chapters of the compilation of texts known as the Tibetan Book ofthe Dead, which includes nine chapters not translated in W. Y. Evans-Ventz's original publication. The compendium of texts known as The Tibetan Book of the Dead contains exquisitely written guidance and practices related to transforming our experience in daily life, on how to address the processes of dying and the after-death state, and on how to help those who are dying.  

Natural Liberation:Padmasambhava's Teachings on the Six Bardo translated by Alan Wallace and Commentary by Gyatrul Rinpoche THIS BOOK CONTAINS A TRANSLATION and commentary on the great Indian Buddhist tantric master Padmasambhava’s text, enti- tled The Profound Dharma of the Natural Liberation through Contemplating the Peaceful and Wrathful: Stage of Completion Instructions on the Six Bardos.| Presumably composed some time in the late eighth century, the text was dictated by Padmasambhava to his Tibetan consort, Yeshe Tsogyal. Tibetan tradition views Padmasambhava as an emanation of Amitabha, the Buddha of Infinite Light, and refers to him as Guru Rinpoche, or Precious Spiritual Mentor. His name, Padmasambhava, means “born froma lotus,” indicating his miraculous birth from a lotus in the midst of a lake in the region of Oddiyana. Adopted by the king of Oddiyana, Padmasambhava dedicated his life to the study and practice of esoteric, or Vajrayana, Buddhism. This is an extensive book of 340 pages on the Bardo.

Tibetan Book of the Dead translated by Fremantle. I received this transmission at the age of eight, and was trained in this teaching by my tutors, who also guided me in dealing with dying people. Consequendy I visited dying or dead people about four times a week from that time onwards. Such continual contact with the process of death, particularly watchin~ one's close friends and relatives, is considered extremely important for students of this tradition, so that the notion of impermanence becomes a living experience rather than a philosophical view. THE Bardo Thotrol is one of a series of instructions on six types of liberation: liberation through hearing, liberation through wear- ing, liberation through seeing, liberation through remembering, liberation through tasting, and liberation through touching. They were composed by Padmasarp.bhava and written down by his wife, Yeshe Tsogyal, along with the sadhana of the two maJ.lcJalas of forty-two peaceful and fifty-eight wrathful deities. Padmasabbhava buried these texts in the Gampo hills in central Tibet, where later the great teacher Gampopa established his monastery. Many other texts and sacred objects were buried in this way in different places throughout Tibet, and are known· as terma, 'hidden treasures'. Padmasarp.bhava gave the transmission of power to discover the termas to his twenty-five chief disciples. The Bardo texts were later discovered by Karma-Lingpa, who was an incarnation of one ... more info

New Edition for 2024 - Includes content from 3 different bardo related teachings given by Thrangu Rinpoche, including teachings on The Mirror of Mindfulness.  The Bardo is the interval between when we die and when we are reborn. For ordinary persons the experience in the bardo is a very frightening with uncontrolled streams of visions, sounds that are louder than thunder, and frightening deities and visions. For the unprepared mind these could lead to a very undesirable rebirth. In this book Thrangu Rinpoche describes that when we are alive, we can prepare for this experience of dying and why this will be very beneficial to us. Rinpoche describes activities that we can do in our daily life and also our sleep and outside of our meditation to prepare for the Bardo. If we are meditators, Rinpoche describes and explains the medita-tions that are specifically beneficial for the Bardo experience. Rinpoche also describes the nine stages of death at we go through and what we and companions helping us can do to help us in the dying process. He then describes the visions and sounds of the bardo and how to deal with our fear and how to make correct choices in the Bardo. This book is a very lucid, comprehensive, and practical explanation of the bardo. It contains extensive appendices and color pictures to help anyone interested in navigating the bardo. This book of over 200 pages is Thrangu Rinpoche's latest book and has a list price of $19.95 and is available for $ ... more info

This book is the original book on the Bardo that came out in English. It was translated by Kazi Dawa-Samdup with Evans-Wents being the editor. This edition (Oxford 2000) has a forward by Donald Lopez that updates the book

This book is about the Life and Legacey of Dudjom Rinpoche who was head of the Nyingma lineage in Tibet and taught thousands of lamas and westerners.  At his death he practiced Tukden and after his death his body shrunk to about a foot in length.

There is a fascinating phenomena of delogs  who are people who have died and then returned to tell all about their experiences in the netherworld. Plato actually mentions one in Greece and this book has very detailed accounts of Tibetan Buddhist who died and then days or weeks later suddenly came back alive.

Books on the Bardo usually begin by explaining that the Bardo Thodol (Tibetan Book of the Dead) was written by Padmasambhava in the 8th century CE.  Cuevas in this fascination book actually traces the teachings and Death and Dying from many centuries before Padmasamhava to the present including many misconceptions of present day books on the bardo.

This is an excellent book by Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche who used the same text  by Natsok Rangdrol The Mirror for Mindfulness as Thrangu Rinpoche did in his book on the bardo. These teachings on the Bardo are not available here as a free download.