Anyone seen a bardo being?

I find this a fascinating idea:

(quote)
The intermediate state, or bardo, is so called because it is the state between death and the next rebirth. Beings who wander in this state are known as `bardo beings’. The easiest way to gain conviction of the existence of the bardo is by considering the analogy of the dream state, which closely resembles the bardo. Both the dream body and the bardo body arise in dependence upon subtle energy winds. Both lack flesh, bones, blood, and inner organs, but both have complete sense powers. Just as the dream body develops from the clear light of sleep, so the bardo body develops from the clear light of death; and just as the dream body is known only to the dreamer, so the bardo being is seen only by other bardo beings and not by ordinary beings who do not have eye clairvoyance. The location of the dream body quickly shifts and changes, and acquaintances made in our dream are fleeting. Similarly, the location of the bardo being easily shifts and changes, and acquaintances made in the bardo are short-lived.

As we fall asleep the gross winds gather into our heart and we experience the same signs as the close internal signs of death, from the mirage-like appearance to the clear light. Yogis and some meditators who have developed their mindfulness can be aware of these signs as they fall asleep, but for most people these signs are not clearly perceived because we lack mindfulness during sleep. After the clear light of sleep we do not immediately wake up but we enter the dream state and develop a dream body. In a similar way, as we die, the gross winds gather into our heart and we perceive the internal signs of death. From the clear light of death we do not immediately reawaken into a new life but we enter the bardo and develop a dream-like bardo body.

Bardo beings have five characteristics: (1) they take the shape of their next rebirth - for example, if a human is going to take rebirth as a dog his bardo body will be the shape of a dog, and if a dog is going to take rebirth as a human its bardo body will be the shape of a human; (2) they arise instantaneously with fully formed limbs, sense powers, and so forth; (3) they have contaminated miracle powers - their bodies are not impeded by solid matter so they can, for example, travel through walls and mountains, and they possess contaminated clairvoyance; (4) their vision is not impeded by material things - they can see through physical objects such as houses, and they can see things at a great distance; (5) only bardo beings can perceive other bardo beings - ordinary humans, except some with limited powers of clairvoyance, are unable to see them. Immediately after our death we shall take the form of a bardo being with these five characteristics.
(unquote) source: death-and-dying.org/intermediate-state.htm

clairvoyance…anyone?

The bardo definition you find on this site is not accurate.

In Tibetan philosophy, a bardo is an interval between two things.
There are 6 bardos :

  • the bardo of life, between birth and death ;
  • the bardo of dream ;
  • 2 bardos of death : the “chö nyi’ bardo” and the “bardo of Becoming”
  • the bardo of gestation (interval between generation and birth)
  • the Bardo of Meditative Stability, which can only be reached through meditation.

During the “chö nyi bardo”, following the moment of death, normal beings are unconscious. Between the “chö nyi bardo” and the “Bardo of Becoming”, they confront the peaceful and wraithful deities. If the opportunity of liberation is lost, then the mind enters the ‘Bardo of Becoming’. Here the situation becomes roughly analogous to what we experience now - many varied impressions continually arise in the mind and we cling to them, taking them all to be ultimately real.

According to these definitions, I wonder where the “bardo beings” which they describe on this site can take place. In my opinion, their definition looks like tibetan, smells like tibetan, but it’s not the true tibetan philosophy.

I wish I didnt read that “signs of death” it kind of scared me, Im not showing any signs, but now its my head, and ill be on the look out for them. I dont think Im really scared of dying, im scared as helll at the thought of my wife dying. I hope I go before my wife does.

Thank you for this liberating insight Basilus West!

Basilus West: sounds like you’ve read the Tibetan Book of the Dead :smile: I was always amazed by the clarity and depth of those descriptions of the 3 bardos between death and rebirth! Those bardo beings are also mentioned I think… Apparently it sometimes happens that a bardo body starts dwelling because he/she is lost in the dimensions he/she is in. The bardo body then has the power to enter dreams of living people or to show themselves to people who have the gift of clairvoyance. Usually though, most bardo beings find their new place of rebirth within 49 days. It’s also amazing that the clearest moment to “become lucid” after death (thus, to become enlightened by realizing the illusionary nature of that state) is exactly at the moment of death. Afterwards it gets more and more difficult because more and more illusionary and sometimes fearful imagery tricks our egos. But theoretically it should be possible even to become enlightened to a certain level when you’ve already found your new place of rebirth. But that as a sidenote. And to answer your question, no I don’t think I’ve seen one yet, unless the dead relatives from my dreams were really them, trapped in the bardo dimension :smile:

Sounds to me like the bardo, has no choice but rebirth, because the fear or lucidety of being dead scares them back into rebirth. Are there any ways the bardo can choose to remain in the “dream state” of death for as long as it wants?

Hey how could I get a copy of the “Tibetan book of the dead” I know its one of those rare books. I dont even know if it could be found.

ll;

Wow that sounds like a very deep, spiritual dream.

yu#l

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No, I haven’t :sad: That’s just general knowledge about tibetan buddhism ( I’m also on a mailing list where it’s told about dzogchen.) So, as it seems to me that the link given above contained inaccurate information, I tried and completed my information with a quick search on tibetan buddhist sites.

So I can have made a mistake, especially about those bardo beings. Thank you for correcting my information, mystic, I’ll search further.

If it is because of this intermediary bardo state that we forget our previous lives once we enter the bardo of becomming or reincarnate, it all seems at bit…arbitrary. But that’s ok i can still see the ethical importance of that.

Its wide spread on p2p networks :smile: