Bardo: What happens when we die?

One of the great intrigues of humanity is what happens to each person after he dies. Tibetan Buddhism has an answer for this concern and answers it through the concept of the bardo, among other issues.

The Tibetan Buddhism term bardo means intermediate state and refers to the interval between lives. According to Buddhist Tibetan teachings, there are three bardos of death: the painful bardo of death, the luminous bardo of dharmata and the karmic bardo of becoming.

What happens at the instant of death at the instant of passing away, consciousness is separated from the senses; gradually any sound ceases to be heard; auditory perception fades and sight becomes confused. Finally, that confusion also disappears. There is no more tactile sensation, no smell, no taste that can be identified; consciousness moves away from the five senses and the physical body. In the end, breathing also stops. A last, deep inhalation is performed, followed by a sigh (that well-known rattle); then there is a long period of silence and you don't breathe again. To those around, it seems that the person has fallen into an unconscious state. At this moment, consciousness is completely separated from everything everyday. Disconnected from the senses, the lower mind moves away from everything that used to interest it, including its passions, attachments, preferences and aversions.

The eye-opening experience

Just after dying, for an instant, the deceased experiences Reality itself. For a blinding instant, this Light arises and then disappears- what Buddhists call the Dharmakaya appears. This experience for most people lasts only an instant. In the case of other people, this experience lasts longer. Especially for those who practice meditation.

The vast majority, when Reality is experienced in this way, at the moment of death, it turns out to be a terrifying experience. Most people feel intense fear when they glimpse this revelation and recoil. They retreat before her. It's as if the last thing you want is reality.

According to the Tibetan Book of the Dead, for those who escape, such an experience is a valuable opportunity. If that experience is accepted, the deceased can connect with Reality at that moment. However, to achieve this in that split second, or for the duration of the experience, it is necessary to recognize that Reality, that Light, not as something external, not as something frightening, not as an interruption, but as something familiar. We must identify the Clear Light as part of us. It is like the brightness of our True Mind in its deepest and highest form. According to this text, if one has managed to recognize the Clear Light of Reality throughout his life, either through meditation or in some unexpected mystical experience, joining it at the moment of death becomes simpler. It's as if he's acknowledging something he's experienced before. Even so, it is difficult at this moment to recognize it, because death is an experience that, as far as we know, we have never faced.

Spiritual help

Therefore, it is important to have a little external support, at least a reminder. For this reason, it is suggested that a brother in the faith should remind us at that instant. He must be next to us at the moment of death, whispering softly to us: "What you observe at this moment, what you are feeling now, this is Reality, it is the Clear Light of Reality, it is your own mind: Do not be afraid, do not be afraid; let it draw you inward and envelop you.

If a person can join, he is released and everything goes well. He has reached Reality, he has freed himself from the cycle of being born, dying and reborn. However, if at this moment he does not realize, if he fails to understand the experience, the person will experience Reality again, there will be a new experience, but this time it will be a little less sharp.

In some cases, the release occurs at this stage. However, in many other cases this does not happen. Those who do not achieve Liberation by observing the Clear Light of the Primary Reality or the Clear Light of the Secondary Reality enter a state of profound fainting, a coma, a state without consciousness that lasts between three and four days.

Essentially, all beings have a similar mind, but what makes our experience in this intermediate state different are the outer layers, the conditionings, fears, attachments and desires that we have collected during our life. These mental images can become very intense, even overwhelming. For some, the path is filled with frightening images; for others, it is a period of amazing splendor and understanding. This intermediate state directly reflects our thought patterns and karmic imprints.