The Tibetan Book of the Dead

Subtitle: The Great Liberation by Hearing in the Intermediate States
Author: Padmasambhava
Translated by Gyurme Dorje
Commentary by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Explanations by Terton Karma Lingpa
Softcover, 535 pages

The first complete English translation of the entire text displaying remarkable clarity and beauty. This translation includes detailed and compelling descriptions of the after-death state in world literature, practices that can transform our experiences of daily life, guidance on helping those who are dying, and an inspirational perspective on coping with bereavement.

"The question of whether or not there exists a continuity of consciousness after death has been an important aspect of philosophical reflection and debate from ancient Indian times to the present. When considering these matters from a Buddhist point of view, however, we have to bear in mind that the understanding of the nature of continuity of consciousness and understanding of the nature of the 'I' or 'self' are closely interlinked.

Our sense of self can, upon examination, be seen as a complex flow of mental and physical events, clustered in clearly identifiable patterns, including our physical features, instincts, emotions, and attitudes, etc. continuing through time. Furthermore, in the prevailing philosophical view of Tibetan Buddhism, this sense of self is seen as a mental construct, a simple label given to this cluster of dependently arising mental and physical events in dependence on their continuity. . ." ~ From the Introductory Commentary by His Holiness the Dalai Lama