The Six Bardos

A guide to conscious living and dying, an essay by Danelle Ferreira

The journey through life and death is more than just a passage from one state of existence to another, it’s a continuous cycle of transitions, each offering the potential for profound transformation.

In Tibetan Buddhism, these transitional states are known as bardos, moments when the veil between worlds thins.

Understanding the Bardos in Tibetan Buddhism

The term bardo literally means ‘in-between’ in Tibetan, and it refers to any transitional state between two phases of existence. The Tibetan word ‘bardo’ is used to describe these transitional states. While the bardos are traditionally associated with the period between death and rebirth, their essence extends beyond the afterlife. Every moment of life is itself a series of bardos, constantly shifting, evolving.

In Tibetan thanatology, which explores the nature of death and dying, the bardos are viewed as gateways. At the time of death, the dissolution of the physical body creates a gap in our usual perception of reality. This gap, though often filled with disorienting and terrifying visions, is also the perfect moment for enlightenment. If the individual is able to recognize the true nature of these visions as projections of their own mind, they can break free from the cycle of suffering and experience liberation.

However, the challenge lies in maintaining clarity in such a volatile state. The bardo experience is a mirror, reflecting both the positive and negative imprints we carry from our actions, thoughts, and emotions. These imprints manifest as hallucinations, heavenly or hellish, that can overwhelm the unprepared mind. But for those who have trained in meditation and mindfulness, the bardo becomes a window into the true nature of reality, beyond the illusions of fear and desire.

Tibetan teachings remind us that every moment of life is an opportunity to wake up. The transitions we face, whether through illness, loss, or personal transformation, are all bardo moments. If we learn to navigate these spaces with awareness, we can use each one as a stepping stone toward deeper spiritual insight. The potential for liberation is ever-present, if we know how to recognize it.

The bardo teachings help individuals recognize the futility of striving for an ideal self and the challenge of maintaining outer images during moments of crisis, such as facing death or giving birth. These teachings emphasize the transformative potential of surrendering to simple presence and the experience of being in the face of life’s disruptions.

Tibetan Buddhism breaks down the cycle of existence into six distinct bardo states, each representing a different stage of life, death, and rebirth. These apply to the lived experiences of everyone.

The Bardo of This Life (Kyenay Bardo): From the moment we are born until our final breath, we are living in the bardo of this life. It is here, in the day-to-day, that we have the greatest potential to prepare for the more intense bardos to come. This bardo presents us with endless opportunities to practice mindfulness, compassion, and self-awareness. Every decision, every thought, is a moment of transition, an opening to either remain trapped in the cycle of samsara (suffering) or move closer to enlightenment.
The Bardo of Meditation (Samten Bardo): In deep meditation, we experience a subtle form of bardo. The mind quiets, and we are given the opportunity to glimpse reality beyond the usual distractions. This state is particularly significant because it serves as training for the bardo of death. Just as we learn to remain centered during meditation, we can apply that same awareness during the chaotic transitions between life and death. In this bardo, we train our mind to stay present, no matter what arises.
The Bardo of Dream (Milam Bardo): Dreams are another form of bardo, an intermediate state between waking and sleeping. Tibetan Buddhists place great importance on dreams, seeing them as a reflection of the subconscious mind. By practicing lucid dreaming, the ability to remain aware during a dream, we can train ourselves to remain conscious during the more challenging bardos after death. Dream yoga, a spiritual practice of cultivating awareness within dreams, teaches us that even in the most surreal or nightmarish of scenarios, we can maintain clarity and control.
The Bardo of Dying (Chikhai Bardo): The bardo begins with the outer dissolution of the body, followed by the dissolution of consciousness, presenting emotional challenges of letting go. The moment of death is one of the most profound transitions we will ever face. In this bardo, the physical body begins to dissolve, and consciousness is thrust into an unfamiliar realm. Tibetan texts describe the dissolution of the elements, earth, water, fire, air, as the body shuts down, creating sensations and visions that can either terrify or enlighten, depending on one’s level of awareness. It is said that if we can remain aware during this process, recognizing the clear light of reality, we can achieve liberation at the moment of death.
The Bardo of Dharmata (Chonyid Bardo): Once the body has dissolved, the consciousness enters a state of heightened reality, often described as vivid and luminous. This bardo is a direct encounter with the true nature of mind, free from the distortions of the physical body. However, for those unprepared, this state can also be overwhelming, filled with intense visions and sensations. Tibetan teachings emphasize the importance of recognizing these experiences as projections of one’s own mind, rather than becoming lost in them. If recognized, this bardo offers a clear path to liberation.
The Bardo of Existence (Sidpa Bardo): If liberation has not been achieved in the previous bardos, consciousness moves into the bardo of existence, or the process of rebirth. This is a time of intense karmic activity, where the actions from one’s previous life shape the circumstances of the next. Tibetan teachings describe this as a turbulent and disorienting time, where the consciousness is propelled toward a new body based on the unresolved karma of the past.

When I had a near-death experience in my teenage years, I had no awareness of this dimension of existence. I felt the sensation of every part of my life and essence being laid out in front of me. It reminds me of the saying: ‘your life flashes in front of your eyes’ at the moment of death. I tried everything I could to ‘hold onto’ or ‘catch’ myself, as I felt a feeling of anguish that the I, my identity, all that I knew and identified with, was being taken away from me. In Christianity they refer this to as ‘hell’. But I believe that this disillusion of the ego, this ‘losing’ of the identity we are attached to, is the true experience of hell.

The Tibetan teachings guide us to recognize that this suffering can be transformed. By loosening our grip, by releasing the attachments that bind us to the physical world, the Bardo of Dying shifts from a space of torment into a passage of profound opportunity. Letting go does not mean falling into the void, it means stepping beyond the illusion of permanence and stepping into the deeper reality of existence.

From an article published in Sarita’s blog anandasarita.com/blog
Featured image by Mads Schmidt Rasmussen via unsplash.com/@mvds

Related discourse excerpts

Bardo is a beautiful process – Q: I’ve always been fascinated by the state of bardo as described in ancient Tibetan scriptures. Could you say something about this?
Beyond physical and spiritual body: pure consciousness – Beloved Osho, A few months ago my friend and I were visiting his dying father. Lots of people were around. His body was about finished.

The Six Bardos – Bodhicitta answers to our questions about the Tibetan Bardo
Osho’s Bardo: your travel kit – Bodhicitta talks to Nirbija about how to invite Osho’s presence, being with dying friends, letting go, trust and relaxation
The last Bardo: Search for the right parents – Nirbija writes about Osho’s suggestions for dying meditators and loved ones