The tibetan book of the dead

Patriot83

Quite a few translations of this around so wondering which people found to be the best/enjoyed the most?

Also, how much of the book of the dead is covered in The tibetan book of living and dying? Assuming it is of course :-)

Jeffrey

Tibetan book of living and dying is supposed to be about the whole buddhist path and not just after death. It may have a section on after death though. Sogyal Rinpoche said he wanted to 'put everything in one book'. I read parts of living and dying and thought it really helped even though it was a lot of unfamiliar ideas the way it was presented had a good vibe and felt good.

LifeIsSuffering

I have read both and I tend to think they are different. TBOTD deals with dying and "what to do after death" while the TBOLAD is much of what Jeffery said - a total approach.

My grasp of the TBOLAD was written for western audiences with little Dharma backround. It has some actual practices but mainly its a commentary on how to live a more authentic life from the Tibetan Standpoint of dealing with emotions. Emotions are a key part of the subject of the book.

think of the TBOTD as classic literature and the TBOLAD as a contemporary piece. Another way to see this is one presents strict literal interpretation to reincarnation and rebirth - where as the other downplays this presentation to mere metal states and emotions and metaphor.

I suggest both as reading but come to your own conclusions as to how each plays a role, if any, on your spiritual path.