At our ZOOM class today, we discussed the bardo and I mentioned this article, so I am reposting it FYI.
In April 2023 I attended an on-line teaching on Five Element Calm-Abiding Practice and Five Aggregate Vipashyana Practice from the Vajrayana tradition with Venerable Lodru Rinpoche, who is also known as Lama Lodu or Lodo. Lama Lodru Rinpoche has been the resident lama of Kagyu Droden Kunchab in San Francisco since 1976 and a leader of American-based traditional three-year plus retreats offered in the Shangpa and Karma Kagyu traditions. I found the Rinpoche’s teachings and meditation techniques to be quite informative, but it was a casual comment he made about his book on the bardo that I want to share with you. He mentioned the book in response to one of the many questions that was asked about aspects of the meditation and during our break I downloaded it from Kindle and read it.
The little book, available on Amazon-Bardo Teachings: the Way of Death and Rebirth, offers what I believe is a unique look at the dying process. Lama Lodru offers three different Bardos: The Chikai Bardo, the Chonyi Bardo, and the Sipai Bardo. The second one, the Chonyi Bardo is what we have other translations of (and we know as the popular Tibetan Book of the Dead) that covers the intermediate state after death. He did not offer much detail on this as he recommended other more detailed sources. The third is the Bardo that describes the process of rebirth that describes what you will experience if you are taking rebirth. That will be based on your past karma. These bardos are very clearly described and very useful, but it is the first bardo that I want to recommend you read as it describes the process of dying and what you can do about that–with and without someone to help you through it. It also tells you how you can help someone through the process who may not have Buddhist training. I believe this is a matter of interest to many of you, as it was to me.
Lamo Lodru received the oral teachings on the Chikai Bardo and Sinai Bardo from the first Kalu Rinpoche. I do not believe they have been published in English translation elsewhere, or at least the Chikai Bardo has not. His comments on why they can now be available are included in this book. You may know that the current incarnation of Kalu Rinpoche is also publicly sharing the previously secret practice yogas of Niguma to Buddhists and non Buddhists at various sites in America now and later this summer in Europe. This making available that which has been part of secret esoteric teachings is something we see in the evolution of Buddhism and something I want to discuss more at our April 29 class.
Remember, that our Buddha Master told us that like Milarepa, the previous Kalu Rinpoche was recognized as a rinpoche because of his accomplishments in his current lifetime and was not a reincarnated rinpoche. The Buddha Master also said that the current or second Kalu Rinpoche was a true reincarnation of the first, but this was a rare occurrence as most great rinpoches do not reincarnate many times. The dharma that Lamo Lodru shared in his book on the bardo and at the class this weekend was directly from either the oral transmission or the hand written notes by Kalu Rinpoche and was based on the personal realizations of Kalu Rinpoche. The whole foundation of the Shangpa Kagyu lineage was the result of two women reaching a level of realization to receive their lineage teachings directly from Dorje Chang Buddha in the 10th-11th century as Thangtong Gyalpo (1361-1485), another patriarch in this lineage, did later on when he received the “Vajra Yoga Perfection Dharma (Four-Armed Kuan Yin Bodhisattva Tantra).” CLICK for article (page 467) on Thangtong Gyalpo and how his current incarnation became a disciple of H.H. Dorje Chang Buddha III.
I have not encouraged the reading of any contemporary masters except Pabongka, but I find this book on the Bardo to be exceptionally useful. I first thought there was a problem with the description of what happens when the soul/spirit/consciousness leaves the body, but more careful study tells me the Buddha Master and Kalu Rinpoche were describing different aspects of what was happening and they could both be true. I would appreciate feedback from anyone who might have more information on this or any aspects of the dying process.
Article originally published April 17, 2023.
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