The Bardo Thödol, often called the Tibetan Book of the Dead, presents the journey through death and rebirth as a passage through three principal bardos, or intermediate states. The first is the **Chikhai Bardo**, the bardo of the moment of death. At this point, consciousness separates from the physical body and encounters the “Clear Light,” understood as the true nature of mind or ultimate reality. If this Clear Light is recognized and rested in without distraction, there is the possibility of immediate liberation, sometimes described as realizing the dharmakaya. This phase is typically brief, yet spiritually decisive, because it offers a direct, unobstructed encounter with reality as it is.

When this Clear Light is not recognized, the journey continues into the **Chönyid Bardo**, the bardo of the experience of reality or dharmata. Here, a sequence of visionary experiences unfolds: first peaceful deities, including Buddha families and bodhisattvas, then later wrathful deities that can appear terrifying. The text emphasizes that these appearances—forms, sounds, and lights—are manifestations or projections of one’s own mind, not external entities in the ordinary sense. Fear, confusion, and aversion arise when this is not understood, but each encounter still carries the potential for liberation if the visions are recognized as the play of mind itself. Traditional presentations describe these visions as unfolding over a series of “days,” up to about fourteen, during which repeated opportunities for recognition are offered.

If recognition still does not occur, consciousness moves into the **Sidpa Bardo**, the bardo of becoming or rebirth. In this state, a subtle “mental body” experiences various phenomena shaped by karmic tendencies, including visions of judgment and the presence of Yama, the lord of death. The six realms of existence—gods, demigods, humans, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell beings—become perceptible as possible destinations. Driven by karmic winds and desire, the being is drawn toward a new birth, often depicted as attraction or aversion toward potential parents seen in sexual union. Entry into a womb, or its equivalent basis, marks the transition into a new life, and the entire process from death through this bardo is traditionally said to extend up to forty-nine days. Throughout these stages, the text functions as a guide, continually pointing consciousness back toward recognition and the possibility of liberation, or at least a more favorable rebirth.