To most people in the Western world, death is merely the demarcation between the material world of the living and the mysterious world of the dead. Once they have crossed over, there is no return to the realm of the living. Few people have a clear picture of the other side and there are many conflicting ideas about what goes on there. The lack of understanding about what occurs before, during, and after death has lead to a great deal of denial, avoidance, and unnecessary fear. In opposition to this, there are some who even glorify death, and many individuals find themselves somewhere in the middle believing it is just a natural process that does not require any preparation. According to one Buddhist master: "People often make the mistake of being frivolous about death and think, 'Oh well, death happens to everybody. It's not a big deal, it's natural. It'll be fine. 'That's a nice theory until one is dying" (Rinpoche 8). The importance of developing a true awareness of death is one of the fundamental concepts behind Buddhism. Buddhists also believe that this awareness offers benefits to the living. It can help release us from unnecessary attachments that cause suffering, create compassion for other beings, put us in touch with important unseen energies, and force us to be more responsible for our actions on this planet. In actuality, an awareness of death can bring about a much greater appreciation for life.

While Buddhism is open to teaching this "awareness" to others, it is not the right religion for everyone. In fact, the Dalai Lama suggests that people should thoroughly explore the religions of their own culture before abandoning them for Buddhist beliefs. This is partly due to the fact that most Buddhists realize that a person's choice of religion is not as important as the strength of their faith. Another core concept of Buddhism is that anyone can find happiness by following the teachings of the Four Noble Truths, since they "can be practiced by every understanding person, irrespective of his or her religious beliefs" (Parry and Ryan 76). However, the ever-growing hunger in Western society for Eastern spiritual experiences may point to the fact that there is still something missing from many modern Western traditions. I believe that "something" may be a more fulfilling answer to the question of what really happens to us when we die.

Buddhism is based on the teachings and personal experiences of Siddhartha Gautama, who lived in India around twenty-five hundred years ago. The son of a wealthy king, he left his wife and family to became a wandering monk in search of enlightenment. After pursuing various Hindu spiritual practices, Siddhartha finally found his own path to enlightenment, which has come to be known as "the Middle Way" between "a life of unbridled sensuous enjoyment (hedonism) and a life of extreme self-denial (asceticism)" (Lester 855). By practicing moderation, morality, and meditation, he finally "achieved an insight by which he became know as the Buddha or 'the Awakened One.' After this awakening, he continued to wander as a monk-teacher, encouraging others to follow the path he discovered to nirvana, the cessation of suffering" (860).

Since the time of Siddhartha, Buddhism has grown into a variety of different traditions that are unified by such principles as the Four Noble Truths. The Buddha taught that the failure to understand this basic teaching is what keeps people tied to the continuous cycle of death and rebirth. The Four Noble Truths are: 1) there is suffering, 2) suffering is caused by desire, 3) the cessation of desire leads to the cessation of suffering, and 4) there is a path that can lead to the cessation of all desire. This path is known as the Noble Eight-Fold Path, which encourages wisdom (right views and right intents), morality (right speech, conduct, and livelihood), and mental discipline (right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration). If the practitioner follows this path, they can eventually achieve nirvana. "Nirvana is the freedom from future rebirth, old age, and death. It is said to be blissful, but not in any sense of worldly pleasure or, for that matter, any pleasure defined by other than the absence of suffering" (Lester 908).

This "suffering," or dukha, that can be overcome by following the Eight-Fold Path is directly linked to our deep desire for permanence. Until we can detach ourselves from this desire, we will continue to experience many of the different types of suffering in this world. From the Buddhist viewpoint:

Being born is suffering; growth is suffering, experiencing disease is suffering; growing old is suffering and dying is suffering. Subtler than physical pain is the suffering of dissatisfaction, the unhappiness occasioned by not having what we want and having what we do not want. There is anxiety (mental suffering) even in the experience of pleasure and satisfaction–the knowing or at least apprehension that it will not last. There is fear of failure, loss of status, loss of self-worth, loss of loved ones, loss of property. Deep down, there is a vague and gnawing anxiety about death–not only the prospect of life ending but of ultimate meaninglessness. (Lester 904)

The world we live in is in constant flux, everything is impermanent, and at each moment were are moving closer to our own death.

Since Buddhists see everything as being impermanent, they do not believe in the existence of what others might call a "soul." Instead they refer to this aspect of human beings as the "no-self." "Ultimately, there exists only an ever-changing combination of five aggregates–matter, sensations, perceptions, mental formations, consciousness–rhythmically forming a psychophysical configuration" (Kramer 51-52). The union of these five aggregates, elements, or categories is what makes up the personality, the "I" that many people think actually exists, but is in fact just a projection of the mind. At the time of death there is a "dissolution," the bonds are broken, yet the life stream continues. According to professor of Buddhist Religion Eva K. Neumaier-Dargyay, "One has to think of these five categories as being like streams whose composition is constantly changing. The momentum in each stream drives the process forward and guarantees its continuation beyond the individual's death" (90). The direction of this momentum is directly driven by the individual's karma and their level of "awareness" at the time of their death.

Karma, or action, is the energy that is generated by human thoughts, word and deeds. It can be positive, negative or meditative, and can have a profound affect on the next incarnation of any sentient being. "Negative karma results in rebirth in one of the three lower realms (the hells, the ghost realms, or the animal world); positive karma produces rebirth in the human, demigod or sensual god worlds; and meditative karma brings rebirth in the higher heavens of form and formlessness" (Mullin 17).

While the concept of rebirth is common among all Buddhist traditions, there is some discrepancy as to the actual route that is taken to the next life. In early Buddhism, "the Pali tradition denies that any time elapses between the moment of death and the new embodiment. Death and rebirth, in the form of conception, follow each other without interruption." There is no intermediate stage between the separation of the five aggregates, and their reformation in the next existence. "It is like the flame of a candle igniting another candle. In both cases the earlier process comes to an end, yet provokes another process that has structural similarity to the first one" (Neumaier-Dargyay 90).

The Hinayana or Theraveda tradition expands on this theory with the addition of an intermediate state between death and rebirth called antarabhava (Sanskrit), bardo (Tibetan) or the gap. According to the Adhidharmakosha, a fifth century C.E. Theraveda encyclopedia of Buddhist knowledge and practice, the intermediary being that exists between destinations is said to possess the following characteristics:

it is visible only to creatures of similar spiritual accomplishment; it has complete sensory faculties (whereby the tactile bodily feelings are of an illusionary nature); it is unencumbered by material obstacles and distances. However, unlike The Tibetan Book of the Dead, which assumes that the intermediary being has the ability to affect rebirth or avoid it all together, the Adhidharmakosha >views the path of the intermediary being as being predestined by its karma. (Neumaier-Dargyay 92)

Therefore, the Theraveda tradition believes that once an individual has entered the intermediate state of the bardo, the outcome of their next incarnation has already been determined.

 The Mahayana school of Buddhism holds a similar view. It also confirms the concept of an intermediary state where the five aggregates are transformed into an intermediary being that  "is like a clone of the deceased one, so that it can relive some of the experiences of the former." These experiences have even been documented by advanced disciples of Mahayana Buddhism "who actualized nirvana after death while dwelling in a state that resembled the intermediary state" (Neumaier-Dargyay 93).

The Buddhist tradition that has received the most attention in the West recently is the Vajrayana tradition, which is practiced in Tibet. One of the reasons for the increased interest in this particular tradition has been the publication of various translations and explanations of The Tibetan Book of the Dead, which specifies the details of the dying process and what can be expected in the afterlife. The teachings are also appealing to people, because they promise additional benefits for the transitory being. If the being is truly "aware" in the bardo, and does not act out of fear, they will be presented with numerous opportunities to avoid rebirth. If these are all passed up, then they will still be given the chance to choose the best possible circumstances for their next incarnation. Since there are so many pitfalls along the way, Tibetan Buddhist's believe it is important to become very familiar with the bardo, before entering it at the time of death. In addition to experiencing it through meditation, it can also be read about in the Bardo Thötröl.

The Bardo Thötröl, which is more commonly known in the West as The Tibetan Book of the Dead, or Liberation Through Hearing in the Bardo, is used as a guide through the dying process. It is read aloud to the dying person to alert them to what is occurring and to keep them focused in the right direction. It is read continuously for forty-nine days, since this is the length of time one stays in the bardo if one has not found one's way towards enlightenment, or has mistakenly taken a wrong turn into a lower realm. The reading of the Bardo Thötröl is considered especially important for those who may have become confused by a serious illness or sudden death, and for those who have not been rigorous about their meditation practice. In addition to helping the deceased recognize auspicious signposts and opportunities, it also helps to reassure them during the inevitable moments of uncertainty.

The teachings of the bardo are also applicable in our daily lives. According to Sogyal Rinpoche: "The word 'bardo' is commonly used to denote the intermediate state between death and rebirth, but in reality bardo are occurring continuously throughout both life and death, and are junctures when the possibility of liberation, or enlightenment, is heightened" (11). Yet, if we are unprepared for these heightened moments in time, we may be afraid to go forward, afraid to jump off the precipice, and will miss out on some great opportunities. Contemplating death can dispel these fears and can bring about many other forms of awareness.

The three major Buddhist traditions each have a slightly different idea about the benefits behind building death awareness. The Theraveda tradition, which is primarily practiced by professional monks, uses an awareness of death to help "develop a sense of moderation, renunciation and nonattachment." They believe that an untrained mind tends to elevate the importance of pleasurable events and denigrate unpleasant occurrences. This leads to either excess attachment or unnecessary aversion, which can have a direct effect on one's karma. "Training in death awareness causes us to see things in a more calm, undisturbed and unaffected light, providing us with a deeper sense or moderation in interaction" (Mullin 20).

The Mahayana tradition, which is accessible to professionals and lay practitioners alike, uses death awareness to further their fundamental interest in compassion. Practitioners see this awareness as an aid to helping people to comprehend the impermanence of all other beings. "When the trainee has a deeply rooted awareness of death it is easy for him/her to feel patience toward the harms caused by others, and to feel love and compassion towards them. Seeing their impermanent nature, he/she responds with great compassion toward any act based on ignorance" (Mullin 21).

The Vajrayana school believes that practitioners can meditate on death and actually experience its various stages before they die. While the idea of intentionally experiencing death may seem unthinkable to many in the West, practitioners of Tantra see it as being extremely beneficial. Not only does it prepare the person for the actual death experience, but it also helps to teach them about "subtle energy channels, energies and points of the subtle body, the manipulation of the sexual substances and the invoking of the most refined bodily energies and levels of consciousness," which greatly accelerates the ability to achieve "full Buddhahood in one lifetime" (Mullin 21).

While contemplating death may not bring enlightenment to everyone, there is no doubt that enhancing our awareness has many benefits for Westerners. Instead of attempting to hide from death, we may be able to look to it as a teacher. The moment of death does not always have to be perceived as a great defeat or tragedy. It does not have to bring us pain and sorrow. If we can learn to view death from the Buddhist perspective, we may also find it easier to support those who are dying, to offer them comfort and the knowledge that there are many positive possibilities ahead. Maybe then we will be able put the Buddhist lesson of non-attachment into practice and learn to let go of our loved ones when the time has come. They are going on to a new life, and we should send them off with all the support and love that we can offer. The time of death is a time of great transformation and holds many opportunities for any sentient being who is aware.

Works Cited

Kramer, Kenneth. The Sacred Art of Dying: How World Religions Understand Death. New York: Paulist Press, 1988.

Lester, Robert C. "Buddhism: The Path to Nirvana." Religious Traditions of the World: A Journey through Africa, Mesoamerica, North America, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, China, and Japan. Ed. H. Byron Earhart. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1993. 847-971.

Mullin, Glenn H. Death and Dying: The Tibetan Tradition. Boston: Arkana Penguin, 1986.

Neumaier-Dargyay, Eva K. "Buddhism." Life after Death in World Religions. Ed. Harold Coward. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1997. 87-104.

Parry, Joan K., and Angela Shen Ryan. A Cross-Cultural Look at Death, Dying, and Religion. The Nelson-Hall Series in Social Work. Chicago, IL: Nelson-Hall, 1995.

Rinpoche, Sogyal. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Eds. Patrick Gaffney and Andrew Harvey. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1993.

Other Suggested Reading

Hodge, Stephen and Martin Boord. The Illustrated Tibetan Book of the Dead: A New Translation with Commentary. New York: Sterling, 1999.

Parkes, Colin Murray, Pittu Laungani, and Bill Young, Ed. Death and Bereavement across Cultures. London and New York: Routledge, 1997.