The Tibetan Book of the Dead, known in Tibetan as the *Bardo Thödol* (“Liberation Through Hearing in the Intermediate State”), is a central Tibetan Buddhist text that describes in detail the journey of consciousness through the states between death and rebirth. Traditionally regarded as part of a cycle of teachings associated with Padmasambhava and later revealed as a *terma* by Karma Lingpa in the 14th century, it presents a structured account of the moment of death, the subsequent intermediate states, and the process leading toward a new birth. These stages are portrayed as involving various experiences, including lights, sounds, and often overwhelming or terrifying visions, all understood as manifestations of mind. The text thus functions as both a map of the post-mortem landscape and a doctrinal exposition of the nature of consciousness.

Its primary purpose is to serve as a guide for the dying and the deceased, offering step-by-step instructions meant to be read aloud to someone who is at the point of death or has recently passed. According to the tradition, consciousness in the bardo remains capable of hearing and responding to these teachings, and by recognizing the experiences described—especially the luminous nature of reality—it is possible to attain liberation rather than fall back into the habitual patterns that lead to another samsaric rebirth. When full liberation is not realized, the same guidance is intended to support a more favorable rebirth by helping the consciousness navigate the choices and visions that arise.

At the same time, the text functions as profound spiritual instruction for the living. It invites practitioners to contemplate impermanence, to prepare for death through ethical conduct and meditation, and to become familiar with the bardo states while still alive, including through practices that explore the nature of mind in meditation and dreams. In this way, the teachings are not merely a manual for a distant, future moment, but a mirror held up to present experience, suggesting that the same luminous, empty nature encountered at death is available to be recognized here and now. The ultimate aim, whether in life, at death, or in the intermediate state, is the realization of the true nature of mind and the attainment of enlightenment, or at the very least the securing of a beneficial rebirth supported by ritual recitation and compassionate guidance.