Meditations on Living, Dying and Loss

November 9, 2009
Coleman, one of the editors of a complete translation of the Tibetan Book of the Dead (Bardo Thodol
) published by Viking in 2006, has selected key passages of this famous work and put each in context for the modern reader. His Holiness the Dalai Lama contributed introductory commentary to this concise volume. Both verse extracts and prose commentary provide a brief but intense introduction to subtle Buddhist concepts of mind, the self, impermanence, karma, and continuity of consciousness after death. The translation is beautifully clear, the content complex; a glossary explains in precise detail terms and concepts used in the text. The idea that death, the intermediate state, and rebirth may mirror the sleep, dreams, and awakening of ordinary life help guide the reader into this challenging set of ideas. Parallels with modern accounts of near-death experiences are also noted. This glimpse into the extraordinary intricacy of Buddhism shows how a major Tibetan text addressed the needs of both the living and the dead.