By the time I made it through security at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, my flight to Mexico City was already boarding.  My feet were so swollen it was a wonder they still fit in my shoes.  There was no time to grab a snack.  I was one of the last to arrive at the gate.  My flight was in the very last row. 

Since my seat was in the aisle, I had nothing to distract me from trying harder to crack the Tibetan Book of the Dead for the next two hours.  I was just looking to get a basic grasp on it, but even that proved elusive.  What I already knew was that it is a text that is read aloud over the body of a person who has recently deceased.  There are forty-nine days that the soul of this person travels, in search of their next incarnation.  The text is meant to be a comfort and guide to them, to help explain to them what they are experiencing and lead them in the best possible direction.

A bardo is an interval or suspension, like the intermission in a long movie or play, where we have finished the last scene and are still waiting for the next to commence.  There is a moment of intense uncertainty and fear right before death, where the person may wonder if they are going insane.  They are beginning to transition from one realm that they are familiar with, to another that is strange to them. 

The elements begin to dissolve.  Earth yields to water, water yields to fire, fire yields to air, air yields to space, and space yields to the central nadi, or void, which is the origin of all substance. At some point, the person who is dying cannot struggle any more.  They enter into a luminosity where pain and pleasure are experienced at the same time.  They may feel like they are freezing in ice water and boiling in hot water at the same time.

The Tibetans believe that there are six realms of existence.  The realm of hell is one of paranoia and terror.  The story is told of a hermit who takes a bite out of a leg of lamb and finds that a chunk is taken out of his own leg.  Those who dwell in this realm may be attacking and haunting themselves.  The next realm is that of the hungry ghosts.  These are characterized by creatures with enormous stomachs and thin necks.  They can never get enough.  The joy of possessing never lasts so they are constantly craving, constantly seeking.

The third realm is that of the animals.  In this realm anything unpredictable is regarded as a threat.  There is no humor or irony in any situation.  One only does what they’ve been programmed to do.  Common sense rules forever.  The fourth realm, that of the humans, is marked by passion and exploration.  There is also much suspicion as humans are cunning, most often looking out for their own interests.  We make many discoveries, but even those are impermanent.  Most of our questions go unanswered.

The realm of the jealous gods is the fifth realm.  It is the highest realm of communication and intelligence, but also one of paranoia.  Too much attention is paid to every object, right down to the smallest detail.  It is said to be a realm of intrigue, and requires much diplomacy to navigate.  The highest realm would be that of the gods, one of perpetual absorption and peace.  This is a state of samadhi, the highest state of mental concentration possible while still bonded to a form.  Although aligned with the highest state of reality, the individuality of the gods still keeps them separate from it.  Even the realm of the gods is temporary, as all creatures must eventually be reborn.

A soul that is traveling is met with many peaceful and wrathful divinities along the way.  These are all inner projections of things that they have experienced in their life.  They must pray to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, or enlightened ones, for compassion and direction.  The goal is to attain nirvana, free from the cycle of death and rebirth, where there is no longer any suffering, desire, or sense of self that separates them from the highest reality. 

Around the time of rebirth, the traveling soul will encounter lights.  A soft white light is the realm of the gods.  A soft red one is that of the jealous gods.  Soft blue signifies the realm of the humans.  Soft green is that of the animals.  Soft yellow would be that of the hungry ghosts.  A soft smoky light would be the realm of hell.  The light that you enter into will be your next incarnation. 

Above all, it is better not to be reborn at all.  Either way, you must accept what is happening to you.  It can be improved upon, but not changed, without the prayers of those supporting you on your journey and the compassion of the Buddha.

At that moment, the plane began to descend.  Although I couldn’t see it, Mexico City lay sprawled beneath the window like a corpse on a table.  What would the day bring once I stepped outside the plane?  The bardo was lifting.  A new journey was set to begin.