{"id":371,"date":"2021-09-29T06:03:43","date_gmt":"2021-09-29T06:03:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mind-here-and-hereafter.org\/?page_id=371"},"modified":"2021-09-29T06:56:52","modified_gmt":"2021-09-29T06:56:52","slug":"the-cycle-of-life-death-and-after-death","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mind-here-and-hereafter.org\/?page_id=371","title":{"rendered":"The Cycle of Life, Death, and After Death"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The endless delusory cycle of life, death, and afterdeath is known as samsara <\/em>in Sanskrit. It is sometimes pictured as a ceaselessly turning wheel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cyclic existence has been divided into four periods or passages representing different stages of experiences: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.\u00a0The passage of this life starts at conception and ends with the \u201cfatal sickness,\u201d or whatever is the cause of death. Each moment of existence is also considered a \u201cpassage of life\u201d that arises and then dissolves in an endless chain of changing events moving between birth and death, waking and sleeping, happiness and suffering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.\u00a0The passage of dying begins with the fatal sickness and goes through the gross and subtle dissolution, when physical, mental, and emotional components disintegrate. This phase ends at the cessation of breathing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3.\u00a0The passage of ultimate nature starts at the moment when the \u201cluminosity of the basis\u201d\u2014the true nature of the mind, as it is\u2014arises. This period is characterized by the spontaneous arising of \u201cluminous visions\u201d\u2014the appearance not just of light but also of sounds and images. It ends when these visions dissolve. However, ordinary people will not recognize the luminous visions as expressions of their own nature. Instead, they will perceive them all as objects of fear or attachment. For them, the experience will last only a moment, because they will fall into unconsciousness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4.\u00a0The transitional passage, or bardo, starts either when the spontaneously arisen visions dissolve or when we regain consciousness. It ends with the conception of our next life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Tibetan Buddhist texts, each of the four major periods or passages described above is considered a bardo\u2014an intermediate or transitional passage\u2014because each comes between two other periods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, even life is called a bardo, strange as that may sound, for it is simply the transition between birth and death. Nevertheless, many people use the word bardo<\/em> exclusively for the interval between death and the next birth\u2014a momentous time, rich with many vivid experiences and offering crucial opportunities for determining one\u2019s future existence. Therefore, in this book [Peaceful Death, Joyful Rebirth<\/em>] I also use the term bardo<\/em> to mean the fourth passage, the interval between the glimpses of ultimate nature and the next rebirth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: Tulku Thondup. Edited by Harold Talbott.\u00a0Peaceful Death, Joyful Rebirth: A Tibetan Buddhist Guidebook<\/em>. Boston and London: Shambhala Publications, 2006.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Contemplation<\/strong>:
The changing theaters of life, death, and afterdeath take place neither by choice nor by chance. No one else has created them for us. They are reflections and reactions of our own thoughts, words, and deeds. Therefore, we must train our minds and practice steadily to secure a happy and peaceful death and rebirth.
(Tulku Thondup. Peaceful Death, Joyful Rebirth<\/em>.) <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The endless delusory cycle of life, death, and afterdeath is known as samsara in Sanskrit. It is sometimes pictured as a ceaselessly turning wheel. Cyclic existence has been divided into four periods or passages representing different stages of experiences: 1.\u00a0The passage of this life starts at conception and ends with the \u201cfatal sickness,\u201d or whatever is the cause of death. Each moment of existence is also considered a \u201cpassage of life\u201d that arises and then dissolves in an endless chain of changing events moving …<\/span> Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-371","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Cycle of Life, Death, and After Death - Mind: Now and Beyond<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/mind-here-and-hereafter.org\/?page_id=371\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Cycle of Life, Death, and After Death - Mind: Now and Beyond\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The endless delusory cycle of life, death, and afterdeath is known as samsara in Sanskrit. 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