Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23293 in Books
• Published on: 1993-12-01
• Released on: 1993-12-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Amazon.com
Imagine that as you leave your body at death, you hear the voice of a loved one whispering in your ear explanations of everything you see in the world beyond. Unlike other translations of Bar do thos grol (or The Tibetan Book of the Dead), Robert Thurman's takes literally the entire gamut of metaphysical assumptions. Thurman translates Bar do thos grol as The Great Book of Natural Liberation through Understanding in the Between. It is one of many mortuary texts of the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism and is commonly recited to or by a person facing imminent death. Thurman reproduces it for this purpose, explaining in some depth the Tibetan conception of postmortem existence. Over as many as 12 days, the deceased person is given explanations of what he or she sees and experiences and is guided through innumerable visions of the realms beyond to reach eventual liberation, or, failing that, a safe rebirth. Like a backpacker's guide to a foreign land, Thurman's version is clear, detailed, and sympathetic to the inexperienced voyager. It includes background and supplementary information, and even illustrations (sorry, no maps). Don't wait until the journey has begun. Every page should be read and memorized well ahead of time. --Brian Bruya

From Library Journal
The Dalai Lama's blessing attends Thurman's translation of the Book of Natural Liberation Through Understanding in the Between. Composed by Padma Sambhava in the late eighth century, this text minutely describes the "betweens" ( Bardos ) or after-death transition states. Thurman, who opens this work with a new section of preliminary prayers, gives a helpful commentary in terms Westerners can understand and boldface portions to be read aloud in the presence of the dead. He closes by appending Nyingma tradition works to the main text. This text has already been translated in 1927 and 1975, and some of Thurman's new translation choices are questionable. For instance, the West has adopted the term karma , which expresses the original meaning better than evolution --an alternative that obscures the personal responsibility emphasized in Buddhism. In addition, since Tibetan pronouns are sexually neutral, alternating his with her from verse to verse confuses. Still, Westerners will find this a colorful, awesome journey. For informed readers.
- Dara Eklund, Los Angeles P.L.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Tibetan

Customer Reviews

Tibet's gift to the world, presented by Robert Thurman
This book is an atlas. It is a valuable friend that will do more than save your life, it will alter your destiny beyond life as well. It is an essential guidebook for every voyager through life, death and rebirth. Inside are complete instructions to recognize every "in between state" and how to use them by remembering your true nature to become liberated from the wheel of death or to choose the best rebirth, instead of unconsciously falling into a random rebirth...like we have been doing for eons.

It is masterfully translated by Robert Thurman complete with insightful, inspiring, enchanting chapters on the history of Tibet and its evolution from a tribe of warrior shamans to the nonviolent peaceful people devoted to the Buddha Dharma. He tells in a very down to earth way about the Tibetans' view on life, death and rebirth. Read this book; you'll be glad you did; especially when you find yourself trying to navigate the afterlife.

At least he was honest
In the introduction, Thurman admits that he prefers the Geluk tradition to the Nyingma tradition out of which this text arose. He agrees to translate this text to capitalize on the name recognition (despite the fact that he obviously doesn't think very highly of it), and uses entirely different Geluk materials to base his own commentary on.

If you want to read a better translation of the text from someone who belongs to and esteems the tradition from which it arose, get the 2006 Penguin Books translation by Gyume Dorje and skip this opportunism.

As False as False can get
Talk about lies

The Author says, once your expired from your current life here, your not dead and finished, you move onto another life, and that your next life depends on this life, so you have to make an effort here and now.

Note I said "here and now" keep this in mind.

To keep this simple and short, how about this:

Everyone knows someone at your job site, someone who has a better position than you, or others below them, yet this person, or even multiple person(s), have a multitude of personality issues.

One of more of the following:

Rude, Arrogant, Self Seeking, Thoughtless about others, Drunkard, Smoker of cigs and or pot, goes to stripper joints, watching porn, and the list goes on but again to make this brief.

How is it, that these people, and again they are everywhere in every job site, promote more than those who are nice and caring, do things for others?

And don't even try and reply to me saying job title and therefore money does not bring happiness or a better life.

That's a lie and you know it, you and just about everyone you know likes to promote at work, to have a nicer house, in a better area, to eat better food, to take more and or nice vacations, and most of all to be able to provide for you kids, no give them what they want, to be able to provide as much as possible for them.

So don't try and twist the words as in, many people with great jobs and money do not have happy lives. I know that, we all know that.

So now that we are on the same track.

So then, why is it that someone at almost every job site, be it an office or construction, whatever, is many things I listed above and is living better than you now?

Who where THEY In the past life? THEY had to be reborn from somewhere
Right?

And this is key, stay on track now, why do most job sites NOT have people at the top who are good and caring people?

See, its all a lie. and in the name of hating organized religion, you want to believe it, for everybody wants to believe in something.

You are smarter than that right?