CHAPTER SEVEN

ON THE BARDO REALM

Now the third instruction on the Illusoriness of Bardo:

This topic will be discussed in two aspects; a general introduction to the subject of the Bardo[r_nar:88] state, and instructions on the successive practices.

The former: In the process of dying and in the process of the coming into Bardo at time of death, one's feeling is very changeable and fluctuating, like the scale and arrow. The sentient being of Bardo [hereafter termed "Bardoist"] has the body-form, with all limbs complete, of the Loka wherein the Bardoist is destined to have his birth. The Bardoist is endowed with supernatural power and is capable of performing miraculous feats such as passing through solid matter without difficulty or hindrances; he can travel to any places except the place wherein he will be reborn. The lifetime of the Bardoist usually lasts seven days; in some cases it is even shorter than this. After this period, if the Bardoist can not reincarnate (for some reason) he will return to the Bardo state again. This may happen as many as seven times, making forty-nine days, if conditions necessary for his new reincarnation are not ready.

Within this period, when the time for reincarnating ripens, the Bardoist, if so destined by Karma, will have his consciousness drawn into the place of the Metamorphosis-Born. If the Bardoist is to have a birth of Warmth-Born, his consciousness will merge with smell and taste and reincarnate in the place of the Warmth-Born. If the Bardoist is to have a birth of the Egg-Born or Womb-Born, his lust and

hate will be inflamed when he beholds the scene of his parents having intercourse. If destined to be born male, he will hate his father and lust after his mother; if destined to be female, he will hate his mother and lust after his father (at first sight) [Here is penetrating pre-natal psychoanalysis long before the advent of Freud. Ed.] In some cases, the Bardoist dies and reincarnates in a place because of his aversion to. In other cases, the Bardoist who has committed many evil deeds (in his previous life) sees his surroundings as dark as the twilight sky, while the virtuous Bardoist sees his surroundings bright as moonlight or white as woolen cloth. The Hell-destined Bardoist sees the burning tree-stump. The Animal-destined Bardoist sees the smoke. The Hungry Ghost (Preta)-destined Bardoist sees a color like that of water. Both the Human-destined and Desire-Heaven-destined Bardoists behold the gold color. The one destined for the Heaven-of-Form sees the white womb and enters into it.