Monday, November 17, 2008

The Tibetan Book of the Dead

When I originally read Evens-Wentz's translation of the Tibetan Book of the Dead from the 1920s I felt confused and overwhelmed by the book and didn't know what to make of it at all. I was in my early 20s(the 1970s) and not mature enough to see what it really was all about then. However, I have been watching the History Channels version of its meaning on cable TV and I was finally able at age 60 to grasp the importance of this work. Also, I didn't realize when I first read the book that Padmasambhava had written it and stored it in boulders supernaturally and that the works had to wait 600 years before they were found by the Tertons(spiritual treasure discoverers). Also, by now I have studied Buddhism especially Tibetan Buddhism and have spent 4 months with various Tibetan Buddhists in India and Nepal and especially in Bodhgaya and Dharmsala, India. So I now know enough to finally grasp its meanings whereas as a young man trying to find truth I only felt confused and overwhelmed by what I was reading then.

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