Tibetan Book of the Dead | Part 6
[THE FOURTH DAY]
By thus being set face to face, however weak the mental faculties may be, there is no doubt of one’s gaining Liberation.
Yet, though so often set face to face, there are classes of men who, having created much bad karma, or having failed in observance of vows,
or, their lot [for higher development] being altogether lacking, prove unable to recognize: their obscurations and evil karma from covetousness and miserliness produce awe of the sounds and radiances, and they flee.
[If one be of these classes], then, on the Fourth Day, the Bhagavan Amitabha and his attendant deities, together with the light path from the Preta-loka, proceeding from miserliness and attachment, will come to receive one simultaneously.
Again the setting-face-to-face is, calling the deceased by name, thus:
O nobly-born, listen undistractedly:
On the Fourth Day the red light, which is the primal form of the element fire, will shine.
At that time, from the Red Western Realm of Happiness, the Bhagavan Buddha Amitabha, red in colour, bearing a lotus in his hand, seated upon a peacock-throne and embraced by the Divine Mother Gökarmo, will shine upon thee,
[together with] the Bodhisattvas Chenrezig and Jampal, attended by the female Bodhisattvas Ghirdhima and Āloke.
The six bodies of Enlightenment will shine upon thee from amidst a halo of rainbow light.
The primal form of the aggregate of feelings as the red light of the All-Discriminating Wisdom, glitteringly red, glorified with orbs and satellite orbs, bright, transparent, glorious and dazzling,
proceeding from the heart of the Divine Father- Mother Amitabha, will strike against thy heart [so radiantly] that thou wilt scarcely be able to look upon it. Fear it not.
Along with it, a dull red light from the Preta-loka, coming side by side with the Light of Wisdom, will also shine upon thee. Act so that thou shalt not be fond of it. Abandon attachment [and] weakness [for it].
At that time, through the influence of intense attachment, thou wilt become terrified by the dazzling red light, and wilt [wish to] flee from it. And thou wilt beget a fondness for that dull red light of the Preta-loka.
At that time, be not afraid of the glorious, dazzling, transparent, radiant red light. Recognizing it as Wisdom, keeping thine intellect in the state of resignation, thou wilt merge [into it] inseparably and attain Buddhahood.
If thou dost not recognize it, think, “It is the rays of the grace of the Bhagavan Amitabha, and I will take refuge in it”; and, trusting humbly in it, pray unto it.
That is the hook- rays of the grace of the Bhagavan Amitabha. Trust in it humbly; flee not. Even if thou flee, it will follow thee inseparably [from thyself]. Fear it not.
Be not attracted towards the dull red light of the Preta-loka. That is the light- path proceeding from the accumulations of thine intense attachment [to samsaric existence] which has come to receive thee.
If thou be attached thereto, thou wilt fall into the World of Unhappy Spirits and suffer unbearable misery from hunger and thirst. Thou wilt have no chance of gaining Liberation [therein].
That dull red light is an interruption to obstruct thee on the Path of Liberation. Be not attached to it, and abandon habitual propensities. Be not weak.
Trust in the bright dazzling red light. In the Bhagavan Amitabha, the Father-Mother, put thy trust one-pointedly and pray thus:
“Alas! when wandering in the Samsara because of the power of intense attachment,
On the radiant light-path of the Discriminating Wisdom
May [I] be led by the Bhagavan Amitabha;
May the Divine Mother, She-of-White-Raiment, be [my] rear-guard;
May [I] be safely led across the dangerous ambush of the Bardo;
And may [I] be placed in the state of the All-Perfect Buddhahood.”
By praying thus, humbly and earnestly, thou wilt merge into the heart of the Divine Father-Mother, the Bhagavan Amitabha, in halo of rainbow-light, and attain Buddhahood in the Sambhogakaya, in the Western Realm named Happy.
[THE FIFTH DAY]
It is impossible that one should not be liberated thereby.
Yet, though thus set face to face, sentient beings, unable through long association with propensities to abandon propensities, and, through bad karma and jealousy, awe and terror being produced by the sounds and radiances—the hook-rays of grace failing to catch hold of them—wander down also to the Fifth Day.
[If one be such a sentient being], thereupon the Bhagavan Amoghasiddhi, with his attendant deities and the light and rays of his grace, will come to receive one.
A light proceeding from the Asura-loka, produced by the evil passion of jealousy, will also come to receive one.
The setting-face-to-face at that time is, calling the deceased by name, thus:
O nobly-born, listen undistractedly:
On the Fifth Day, the green light of the primal form of the element air will shine upon thee.
At that time, from the Green Northern Realm of Successful Performance of Best Actions, the Bhagavan Buddha Amoghasiddhi, green in colour, bearing a crossed-dorje in hand, seated upon a sky-traversing Harpy-throne, embraced by the Divine Mother, the Faithful Dölma, will shine upon thee,
with his attendants,—the two Bodhisattvas Chag-na- Dorje and Dibpanamsel, attended by two female Bodhisattvas, Gandhema and Nidhema.
These six Bodhic forms, from amidst a halo of rainbow light, will come to shine.
The primal form of the aggregate of volition, shining as the green light of the All-Performing Wisdom, dazzlingly green, transparent and radiant, glorious and terrifying, beautified with orbs surrounded by satellite orbs of radiance,
issuing from the heart of the Divine Father-Mother Amoghasiddhi, green in colour, will strike against thy heart [so wondrously bright] that thou wilt scarcely be able to look at it.
Fear it not. That is the natural power of the wisdom of thine own intellect. Abide in the state of great resignation of impartiality.
Along with it [i. e. the green light of the All-Performing Wisdom], a light of dull green colour from the Asura-loka, produced from the cause of the feeling of jealousy, coming side by side with the Wisdom Rays, will shine upon thee.
Meditate upon it with impartiality,—with neither repulsion nor attraction. Be not fond of it: if thou art of low mental capacity, be not fond of it.
Thereupon, through the influence of intense jealousy, thou wilt be terrified at the dazzling radiance of the green light and wilt [wish to] flee from it; and thou wilt beget a fondness for that dull green light of the Asura-loka.
At that time fear not the glorious and transparent, radiant and dazzling green light, but know it to be Wisdom; and in that state allow thine intellect to rest in resignation.
Or else [think], “It is the hook-rays of the light of grace of the Bhagavan Amoghasiddhi, which is the All-Performing Wisdom”. Believe [thus] on it. Flee not from it.
Even though thou should flee from it, it will follow thee inseparably [from thyself]. Fear it not.
Be not fond of that dull green light of the Asura-loka. That is the karmic path of acquired intense jealousy, which has come to receive thee.
If thou art attracted by it, thou wilt fall into the Asura-loka and have to engage in unbearable miseries of quarrelling and warfare. [That is an] interruption to obstruct thy path of liberation. Be not attracted by it. Abandon thy propensities. Be not weak.
Trust in the dazzling green radiance, and putting thy whole thought one-pointedly upon the Divine Father-Mother, the Bhagavan Amoghasiddhi, pray thus:
“Alas! when wandering in the Samsara because of the power of intense jealousy,
On the radiant light-path of the All-Performing Wisdom
May [I] be led by the Bhagavan Amoghasiddhi;
May the Divine Mother, the Faithful Tārā, be [my] rear¬-guard;
May [I] be led safely across the dangerous ambush of the Bardo;
And may [I] be placed in the state of the All-Perfect Buddhahood.”
By praying thus with intense faith and humility, thou wilt merge into the heart of the Divine Father-Mother, the Bhagavan Amoghasiddhi, in halo of rainbow light, and attain Buddhahood in the Sambhogakaya in the Northern Realm of Heaped-up Good Deeds.