The Tibetan Tetralogy of W.Y. Evans-Wentz

Winter 2015

The Tibetan Tetralogy of W. Y. Evans-Wentz: A Retrospective Assessment - Part I Iván Kovács

1 The Dharma-Kaya of thine own mind thou shalt see; and seeing That, thou shalt have seen the All – The Vision Infinite, the Round of Death and Birth and the State of Freedom. Milarepa, Jetsun-Khabum2

Abstract Woodroffe, and W. Y. Evans-Wentz’s own comments. When appropriate, excerpts from his article is part of a series of articles the texts of the translations are themselves th T dealing with four early 20 century Tibet- sampled and discussed, and often comparisons ologists. The first article of the series dealt and parallels drawn between various schools of with the life and work of the French Tibetolo- thinking, so that the texts are thereby more gist, Alexandra David-Néel, and was published colorfully elucidated. The conclusion briefly in the Winter 2014 issue of the Esoteric Quar- discusses the merits and sincerity of Evans- terly. The present article takes a closer look at the life and work of the American Tibetologist, ______W. Y. Evans-Wentz. It begins with his biog- About the Author raphy, which mainly deals with his travels and Iván Kovács is qualified as a fine artist. As a writer the circumstances of his scholarship and writ- he has published art criticism, short stories and po- ing. This is followed by a short summary of his ems, and more recently, articles of an esoteric na- Tibetan tetralogy. Then each of his four books ture. He is a reader of the classics and modern clas- is discussed in greater detail, including the sics, a lover of world cinema, as well as classical commentaries and forewords by scholars and and contemporary music. His lifelong interest in commentators such as Donald S. Lopez, Jr., C. Esotericism was rounded off with several years of G. Jung, Lama Anagarika Govinda, Sir John intensive study with the Arcane School.

Wentz’s scholarship and his importance as a ans-Wentz, M.A., D. Litt., D. Sc., Jesus Col- pioneering Tibetologist. Due to the length of lege, Oxford.”4 this article it was found to be more practicable One of Evans-Wentz’s biographers, David to publish it in two parts, Part I concluding Guy, describes Evans-Wentz as “a dreamy, with the discussion of the first book of Evans- lonely youth, who liked to spend his after- Wentz’s tetralogy, The Tibetan Book of the noons lazing beside the Delaware River, some- Dead. The remaining three books and the con- times (surprisingly, for a lifelong prude) with- clusion to this article will be discussed in a out his clothes.”5 He goes on to say that it was forthcoming issue of the Esoteric Quarterly on one of those afternoons that Evans-Wentz under Part II. had what he described an ecstatic-like vision. W. Y. Evans-Wentz: The He had been “haunted” with the conviction Biography of an “that this was not the first time that [he] had possessed a human body, but now there came a Eccentric Orientalist flashing into [his] mind with such authority n the photograph preceding the frontispiece that [he] never thought of doubting it, a mind I to the Oxford University Press edition of picture of things past and to come. [He] knew The Tibetan Book of the Dead, Walter Evans- from that night [his] life was to be that of a Wentz is posing with the book’s translator, world pilgrim, wandering from country to Kazi Dawa Samdup, dressed in the costume of country, over seas, across continents and a Tibetan nobleman. This is a somewhat osten- mountains, through deserts to the end of the earth, seeking, seeking for [he] knew not tatious way of showing his alliance to, and 6 admiration for, Tibetan culture and its philo- what.” sophical and religious traditions. In many re- Regarding Evans-Wentz’s religious upbring- spects, Evans-Wentz’s personality remains an ing, biographer David Guy writes that he was enigma. From what little can be deduced from raised a Baptist.7 But another source, a brief the variety of fragmented biographies that have biographical history written by Thomas V. Pe- been written about him, one imagines him to terson and William A. Clebsch, compiled from be rather reserved and impersonal in his deal- the Evans-Wentz Papers of Stanford Universi- ings with people. It appears as if no one knew ty, states that Evans-Wentz had been raised a him intimately enough to provide a detailed Unitarian in the tradition of Ralph Waldo Em- character sketch, which tends to add to the erson.8 Regardless of which version is correct, mystery of his personality. This allows for lit- David Guy goes on to say that as Evans-Wentz tle else than access to the workings of his mind grew older, the family began to embrace the as they are revealed from his copious writings. ideas of the spiritualists and freethinkers, and Evans-Wentz developed a particular interest in He was born as Walter Yeeling Wentz on Feb- 9 ruary 2, 1878, in Trenton, New Jersey. He only the occult. He was still a teenager when he added his mother’s surname, Evans, which is read Madame Blavatsky’s Isis Unveiled and The Secret Doctrine and thereby became inter- of Welsh origin, to his existing surname while 10 studying at Jesus College, Oxford.3 He did ested in the teachings of Theosophy. this because it brought him closer to the British Having developed an interest in theosophical tradition that prevailed at such a typically Eng- literature early in his life, it was little wonder lish university as Oxford. His father’s sur- that Evans-Wentz found his way to the Ameri- name, Wentz, which is of German origin, was can Section of the Theosophical Society, thus cleverly supplemented to achieve this. which had its headquarters in Point Loma, Cal- The truth is that he spent a much shorter time ifornia. This happened at the turn of the centu- at Oxford than he did at Stanford University, ry when he became a member, and made the where he received both his B. A. and M.A. acquaintance of Katherine Tingley, who head- However, he liked to project the image of an ed the Society. Tingley encouraged Evans- Oxford man by signing his books “W. Y. Ev- Wentz to enroll at Stanford University, where

16 Copyright © The Esoteric Quarterly, 2015. Winter 2015 he had the privilege to study with William which was a large amount of money in those James and William Butler Yeats.11 When Ev- days.17 ans-Wentz made their acquaintance, both Also, in late 1913, Evans-Wentz traveled to James and Yeats were authorities in their own Ireland and visited the painter, poet and mystic right. James was occupied at the time with his AE (G. W. Russell) and W. B. Yeats, who Gifford Lectures, which would later be pub- were both living in Dublin. Next he visited the lished in book form as The Varieties of Reli- Latin countries, but was appalled by the lack of gious Experience,12and Yeats was an estab- public morals in such metropolitan cities as lished Irish poet who in 1903 had become Rome. When he crossed over to Greece he ex- President of the Irish National Theatre Society perienced it as a calmer interlude and found his and was making his first American lecture visit to Delphi highly inspiring. “It is a rare tour.13 privilege” he admitted, “to visit the sites where Evans-Wentz appeared to be cut out for an ac- great souls of past times have lived and ademic career. At Stanford, he first obtained thought.”18 his B.A. majoring in English and then did his After a short sojourn, Evans-Wentz’s next ma- M.A. under William James, from whom he jor stop was in Egypt. Although he did not in- developed an interest in the study of religious tend to stay there long either, he was caught up experience and the philosophical idea of a pan- in the frenzy that was caused by the First psychic reality that permeates all of human World War, and he was held up in Egypt for existence. After he finished his studies at Stan- 29 months. He kept himself busy by exploring ford, Evans-Wentz went to Europe, and in the major sites on the shores of the Nile. Ken 1909, earned the Docteur-es-Lettres at the Winkler writes the following about him at this University of Rennes for literary studies deal- particular stage of his life: “For several months ing with Celtic folk-lore. It was at this stage he just drifted along, visiting Luxor and Aby- that he added Evans to his name, and thereby dos, the home of the original cult of Osiris, the affirmed his own part-Celtic ancestry. No temple of the seven shrines and the temple of sooner had he finished in Rennes, than he the ‘mysteries of antiquity.’”19 earned the Bachelor of Science in Anthropolo- gy from Oxford University for work done on Towards the end of 1915, Evans-Wentz went the Celtic fairy-faith, which led to the publica- to Alexandria, where he was detained under tion of his first book, The Fairy-Faith in Celtic suspicion of being a German spy, and had to Countries (London: Oxford University Press, insist on an official investigation to clear his 1911).14 It was during his practical research for name. By this stage, his intention was to move the material of this book that Evans-Wentz on and sail for India. It was an old Oxford ac- traveled extensively through Wales, Scotland, quaintance, T. E. Lawrence, later more popu- Ireland, Cornwall, Brittany, and the Isle of larly known as Lawrence of Arabia, who Man collecting stories from the locals about helped him realize his intention. A letter dated pixies, fairies, and goblins.15 12/10/16, which was written by Lawrence, reads as follows: “Dear Wentz, there is no dif- It might well be asked at this stage how Evans- ficulty about getting to India. To be on the safe Wentz managed to finance his extensive trav- side we have wired to ask if they can allow els. The truth is that he had followed in his you to wander about as you please.”20 father’s footsteps in the real estate business and was unusually successful. He made great In India an array of new opportunities awaited profits from quick sales, mortgages and land Evans-Wentz. His first major stop was the transfers.16 By late 1913, his finances were in headquarters of the Theosophical Society in such a good state that he could allow himself a Adyar where he visited with Annie Besant, gentleman’s existence. For this he had his fa- who was then President of the Society. Then ther to thank, who had renegotiated his leases, he headed north and visited Amritsar and stud- and his monthly income had risen to $1600, ied the Sikhs.21 He also visited many ashrams

Copyright © The Esoteric Quarterly 17 The Esoteric Quarterly and met with several sadhus, the most promi- Liberation (1954). Upon completion of the nent among them Swami Syamananda Brah- translations, Evans-Wentz moved back to the machary; Sri Yukteswar Giri,22 who was the ashram of Swami Satyananda to practice yoga. guru of Paramahansa Yogananda, author of Kazi Dawa Samdup and Evans-Wentz met one Autobiography of a Yogi;23 and Swami more time before the former’s appointment to Satyananda, who would prove to be quite in- the post of Lecturer in Tibetan at the Universi- strumental in Evans- ty of Calcutta in 1920, but Wentz’s spiritual devel- The late Lama Kazi it was a short-lived career 24 opment. Dawa Samdup was of the because Kazi Dawa Sam- dup died in 1922. Evans- In 1919, Evans-Wentz opinion that, despite the Wentz went to visit his arrived in Darjeeling, a family in 1924, and re- British hill station on the adverse criticisms di- ceived from them a manu- southern slopes of the rected against H. P. Bla- script translation of Rje Himalayas, where he ac- vatsky’s works, there is btsun bka’ bum (The Hun- quired a worn Tibetan dred Thousand Words of manuscript. Some sources adequate internal evi- the Master), which Evans- state that it was from a dence in them of their au- Wentz edited and published monk, others that he ac- thor’s intimate acquaint- as Tibet’s Great Yogi Mi- quired it in the bazaar. larepa (1928).27 Eager to have the manu- ance with the higher la- script translated into Eng- mastic teachings, into After Kazi Dawa Samdup’s lish, Evans-Wentz made death and prior to the out- the acquaintance of the which she claimed to break of World War II, Ev- local superintendent of have been initiated. ans-Wentz spent time trav- police, Sardar Bahadur eling between the three Laden La, who provided him with a letter of places that had meant the most to him, namely introduction to Kazi Dawa Samdup, who was India, England, and California. Then his life the headmaster of the Maharaja’s Boy’s took a bizarre turn. He settled down in a small School in Gangkok.25 room in the Keystone Hotel in San Diego, where he would spend the next 23 years of his Making the acquaintance of Kazi Dawa Sam- life. He chose this place because it was near dup proved to be the turning point in Evans- the city’s only vegetarian restaurant and the Wentz’s life, as it would lead to the com- public library. There remained one passion in mencement of his magnum opus. The manu- his life, the discovery of his own sacred space: script that Evans-Wentz showed to Kazi Dawa which was Mount Cuchama, a few miles away Samdup was nothing less than the Bar do thos near the Mexican border. (It needs to be men- grol chen mo, which under their joint handi- tioned that Mount Cuchama, “the exalted high work would become The Tibetan Book of the place,” was once used by the Diegueno Indians Dead. This was to be followed by the conse- as a restorative pilgrimage center.)28 Having quent publication of other Tibetan sacred texts been a real estate speculator all his life, he which he also edited and annotated, and which bought up as much of the land as he could, and in their totality would become his Tibetan te- occasionally spent some time there to practice tralogy.26 “the Dharma, the Buddhist ‘way of truth.’”29 The time that Evans-Wentz and Kazi Dawa In a late diary, Evans-Wentz wrote: “I am Samdup spent together amounted to no more haunted by the realisation of the illusion of all than a few months, but their collaboration human endeavours. As Milarepa taught; build- would, nevertheless, produce material for three ings end in ruin; meetings in separation; accu- books, namely The Tibetan Book of the Dead mulation in dispersion and life in death. (1927), Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines Whether it is better to go on here in California (1935), and The Tibetan Book of the Great where I am lost in the midst of the busy multi-

18 Copyright © The Esoteric Quarterly, 2015. Winter 2015 tude or return to the Himalayas is now a ques- or she will hear how to find liberation in the tion difficult to answer correctly.”30 intermediate state between death and rebirth or, if that is not possible, to find an auspicious Evans-Wentz died on July 17, 1965, at the age place to reincarnate in, preferably in a land that of 87. During the funeral service held for him, is characterized by purity.35 The title of this the traditional liturgy from The Tibetan Book book was inspired by another funerary text, of the Dead was recited.31 The Egyptian Book of the Dead, because Ev- A short summary of the Tibetan ans-Wentz perceived parallels between the two tetralogy texts, and saw in them evidence of an ancient “art of dying” which he supposed had once In a little more than a decade it will be a hun- existed among the Egyptians, the initiates of dred years since the first volume of W. Y. Ev- the “Mysteries of Antiquity," and Christians of ans-Wentz’s Tibetan tetralogy, The Tibetan the Middle Ages.36 Book of the Dead, was published. This Tibetan Buddhist text was the first ever to be translated Donald S Lopez, Jr., Professor of Buddhist and into English, and published for the first time by Tibetan Studies at the University of Michigan, Oxford University Press in 1927. It was close- in his new foreword to Tibet’s Great Yogi Mi- ly followed by Tibet’s Great Yogi Milarepa in larepa, writes as follows: “Despite the greater 1928, Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines in fame of The Tibetan Book of the Dead, it is the 1935, and The Tibetan Book of the Great Lib- second volume in the tetralogy, Tibet’s Great eration in 1954.32 Yogi Milarepa that is the most successful in the series. It has been widely used in college The way in which Walter Evans-Wentz’s name classes on Buddhism for decades, and excerpts relates to his Tibetan tetralogy is neither that of from the book have appeared in numerous an- author nor even as translator, but as a studious, thologies of Buddhist texts, often as the sole and dare one say, somewhat obsessive compil- Tibetan selection.” Rather bluntly, and clearly er and editor, who wrote lengthy introductions to the discredit of Evans-Wentz, he adds: “One and numerous annotations to the books that reason for its success is that Evans-Wentz ex- appeared under his name. He also worked hand ercised more restraint in the editing of this in hand with the translator, Kazi Dawa Sam- volume than the others.”37 Tibet’s Great Yogi dup, and in his own words describes himself as Milarepa was not the result of Evans-Wentz’s Kazi Dawa Samdup’s “living English diction- and Kazi Dawa Samdup’s collaboration, but ary." There is no record regarding their precise the single-handed work of Dawa Samdup, who manner of collaboration, but one can assume translated it in the period between the years that Kazi Dawa Samdup’s knowledge of Ti- 1902 and 1917, two years before Dawa Sam- betan was more comprehensive than that of dup and Evans-Wentz had actually met.38 It is English, and that much of the actual phrasing needless to say that this book is a biography, and terminology of the translation must have but important to point out that Milarepa is an come from Evans-Wentz himself. eleventh-century yogi and poet, and the most Although Kazi Dawa Samdup was responsible legendary saint in Tibetan Buddhist history. for all the translations of the first three vol- Unlike the first two volumes of the tetralogy, umes of the tetralogy, in volume four, or The which are the result of single texts, the third Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation, his volume, Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines is handiwork only extends to Book III, which a translation of seven separate texts. The first adds up to no more than 14 pages out of a total 33 four texts originated in the Kagyu sect of Ti- of 261. betan Buddhism, which is the sect of Marpa The most famous volume of the tetralogy is and Milarepa. The first of these contains apho- undoubtedly the first, The Tibetan Book of the risms by Milarepa’s renowned disciple Sgam Dead, or as it is known in Tibet, the Bar do po pa, entitled A Garland of Jewels [of] the thos grol.34 It is a funerary text, that is intended Supreme Path.39 This work is followed by a to be read to a dead or dying person so that he series of texts that are very different in nature

Copyright © The Esoteric Quarterly 19 The Esoteric Quarterly to the prosaic tone of the aphorisms, and con- material which amounts to more than half of tain advanced tantric instructions that are nor- the entire book. Firstly, there is the new fore- mally intended for initiates and that often re- word and afterword by Donald S. Lopez, Jr., quire considerable preparatory practice.40 The Professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies; last, or seventh text, is one of the most famous four prefaces written for various editions of the Buddhist sutras, called the Heart Sutra, which book by W. Y. Evans-Wentz; a psychological contains the renowned doctrine of emptiness. It commentary by the famous Swiss psychiatrist, is no longer than a page in length and most Dr. C. G. Jung; an introductory foreword by Buddhists know it by heart and can recite it on the well-known expositor of Tibetan Bud- demand. dhism, Lama Anagavika Govinda; a foreword by Sir John Woodroffe, British Orientalist and The fourth volume of the tetralogy, The Tibet- author of The Serpent Power; and finally a an Book of the Great Liberation, was translat- lengthy introduction with 15 subsections by ed by several different people. It consists of Evans-Wentz himself. To do proper justice to three sections or books. Book I is an English this book it is necessary to comment on the summary of portions of a work entitled the above aspects, even if briefly, and thereby es- Injunctions of Padma (Padma bka’i thang yig). tablish how they manage to provide a clearer It is a biography of Padmasambhava, the Indi- understanding of the translated text. an tantric yogi who is credited with introduc- ing Buddhism to Tibet in the eighth century. Donald S. Lopez, Jr.’s Foreword The book is the result of the combined efforts The contemporary scholar and up-to-date Ti- of the police chief, Sardar Bahadur S. W. Lad- betologist, Professor Donald S. Lopez, Jr. has en La; a Sakya monk named Bsod nams seng 41 provided much valuable information about ge; and Evans-Wentz. Book II, consists of a text which was translated by the two Sikki- Evans-Wentz’s tetralogy. As regards Evans- Wentz himself, Lopez points out the following: mese monks Lama Karma Sumdhon Paul and “He never learned to read Tibetan; perhaps he Lama Lobzang Mingyur Dorje. Its authorship did not feel it necessary, almost as if he al- is ascribed to Padasambhava and is entitled ready knew what the texts must say. And if The [Yoga of] Knowing the Mind, Seeing of Reality, Called Self-Liberation, From ‘The they did not say that, there was always re- course to their esoteric meaning, something he Profound Doctrine of Self-Liberation by Medi- discusses in length in his introduction to The tation Upon the Peaceful and Wrathful Dei- Tibetan Book of the Dead.”45 Lopez, neverthe- ties.’ It is part of the larger work that also con- less, acknowledges the importance of the te- tains the Bar do thos grol, or as it is known in English, The Tibetan Book of the Dead.42 The tralogy by classifying it as holding an important place in Tibetan Buddhism in the West. last book, Book III, is also the shortest, and is He also regards the tetralogy as pioneering entitled The Last Testamentary Teachings of 43 work, not only due to the chosen texts, but also the Guru Phadampa Sangay. Phadampa due to the mode of their creation. He points out Sangay was a contemporary of Milarepa, who went from India to Tibet to teach the dharma.44 that Evans-Wentz consulted with Tibetan scholars as regards the translations, something The text, as mentioned above, was translated that only became common after the Tibetan by Kazi Dawa Samdup. diaspora which began in 1957.46 The First Book of the Tetralogy: The Regarding Evans-Wentz’s attitude towards the Tibetan Book of the Dead creation of his books, Lopez calls him auda- When one takes a closer look at the most- cious. Lopez says that “Evans-Wentz thought recent publication of the Oxford University that he understood what he read, and reading, Press edition of W. Y. Evans-Wentz’s The Ti- as he did, through his bifocals of Theosophy 47 betan Book of the Dead (2000), it becomes and Hindu Yoga.” As a consequence, Lopez apparent that apart from the translation of the accuses Evans-Wentz of departing on interpre- basic text, and the meticulous footnotes that go tative flights, which were influenced not only with it, there is an accumulation of additional by his lifelong allegiance to Theosophy, but

20 Copyright © The Esoteric Quarterly, 2015. Winter 2015 also from his understanding of yoga, which he mal’s consciousness is by far more limited and gained from his tutelage under various Hindu restrictive, thereby rendering any retributive neo-Vedantin teachers between the two world aims of an adjustment orientated karma abso- wars. These factors caused Evans-Wentz to lutely futile. take unjustified liberties with the texts, such as Despite his criticism of Evans-Wentz’s ap- his continued references to the need to break proach and working methods, Lopez ends his through the illusion of Maya, a concept widely foreword on the following positive note: known in Hinduism, but a rhetoric which is “Whatever Evans-Wentz’s motivations may largely absent in the Tibetan texts that form the have been in creating The Tibetan Book of the subject of his books.48 Dead, he produced a work of vast cultural in- Another important point that Lopez brings to fluence. For contained within Evans-Wentz’s the reader’s attention as regards The Tibetan book is Kazi Dawa Samdup’s translation of the Book of the Dead is the issue of karma and Bar do thos grol, a translation that has contin- reincarnation. He points out the controversial ued, over the years and across the continents, views that are held, on the one hand, by The- to provide both insight and inspiration.”52 osophy and, on the other hand, by Tibetan Buddhism and how Evans-Wentz attempts to Dr. C. G. Jung’s Psychological Com- explain the reason for this controversy. Ac- mentary cording to the Theosophical view, which Ev- Before commencing with a discussion of ans-Wentz also regarded as intended for the Jung’s commentary of The Tibetan Book of the initiated few, he believed that just as “it is im- Dead, it is necessary to describe briefly the possible for an animal or plant to devolve into three distinct phases of the bardo, which in one of its previous forms, so it is impossible context of the Tibetan Buddhist belief in rein- for ‘a human life-flux to flow into the physical carnation is understood as the intermediate form of a dog, or a fowl, or insect, or state between death and rebirth. Once this is 49 worm.’” In contradistinction the Buddhist done, attention will be paid to how Jung points view is that “sentient beings wander up and out some important parallels between Eastern down through the six realms of rebirth, blown and Western concepts as they relate to the spir- helplessly by the winds of karma,” a view that itual aspects of their respective metaphysics. Evans-Wentz considered nothing more than There are three major parallels in Jung’s com- 50 the popular view intended for the masses. mentary, namely those between Jung’s concept Defending the Theosophical view, Evans- of the Collective Unconscious and the Chikhai Wentz went so far as to claim “that it is a view Bardo; Jung’s archetypes and the Chönyid that Kazi Dawa Samdup also endorsed, ‘The Bardo; and Freudian Psychoanalysis and the late Lama Kazi Dawa Samdup was of the opin- Sidpa Bardo. Lastly, Jung’s own unique view ion that, despite the adverse criticisms directed of the Tibetan Book of the Dead will be dis- against H. P. Blavatsky’s works, there is ade- cussed, and how it can be put to use by West- quate internal evidence in them of their au- erners as an initiatory rather than a funerary thor’s intimate acquaintance with the higher text. This can be achieved by reversing the lamastic teachings, into which she claimed to sequence, and starting with the third phase of 51 have been initiated.’” the bardo and ending with the first, and there- Regarding the issue of bad karma and reincar- by arriving at the recognition of that most ele- nation, one can well imagine that retribution vated state of consciousness, which is symbol- may be exacted by having to undergo several ized by the clear light, and known as the incarnations of an unfavourable nature, but Dharma-Kaya. most, if not all, esotericists would agree that In broad outlines, the three phases of the bardo reincarnation in such cases into a lower life can be defined as follows: form, such as, a lowly animal would not only The first phase of the bardo, the Chikhai Bar- be ridiculous, but pointless. Compared to the do, is the recognition of that state of con- consciousness of a human being, a lowly ani- sciousness which transcends all other states of

Copyright © The Esoteric Quarterly 21 The Esoteric Quarterly consciousness, and its successful attainment Reality, symbolized in the feminine, or shakti makes any association with lesser types of aspect.” It goes on, to state rather boldly, that consciousness unnecessary and redundant. It is “(i)n psychological language it represents the symbolized by the image of the clear light, in Collective Unconscious, as being the matrix of itself an image of untarnished purity, and can everything. It is the womb of everything, even confidently be identified with the Dharma- of the Dharma-Kaya; it is the Dharma-Kaya Kaya, the state of consciousness which is also itself.”57 characteristic of a Buddha.53 A comparison such as the above is always The second phase of the bardo, the Chönyid risky, and can, at best, only partially be true. Bardo, is also called the bardo of the experi- Admittedly, the Collective Unconscious is encing of reality.54 In this bardo the deceased equated with the “Ultimate Reality” and the person is confronted, firstly by a group of “matrix of everything,” but it is also under- peaceful deities and, secondly a group of stood as being rich in psychic contents and the wrathful deities, in the form of visual and audi- product of ancestral experience that contains tory projections. These projections are symbol- such concepts as science, religion and morali- ic of the person’s karma, and when rightfully ty.58 The Dharma-Kaya, on the other hand, can meditated upon by the deceased, still allow for only find its parallels with the Collective Un- the regaining of the clear light, and thus libera- conscious to a point. It is true that it is equated tion from rebirth. If, however, the concentra- with the Absolute, and considered as “the es- tion, and consequent insights gained by medi- sence of the universe” and “the unity of all tation upon these deities is unsuccessful, the things and beings,” but it is “unmanifested.” deceased looses yet another opportunity, and is “The dharmakaya is beyond existence or non- drawn into the third phase, the Sidpa Bardo.55 existence, and beyond (all) concepts. . .”59 The third phase, or Sidpa Bardo, is known as a Perhaps the fundamental difference between hallucinatory state, where the dead person, the Western and Eastern understanding of the who was unable to avail himself of the oppor- Ultimate Reality can be ascribed to the fact tunities in the Chikhai Bardo and the Chönyid that Westerners are by nature suspicious of any Bardo, now becomes a victim of sexual fanta- type of consciousness that is devoid of con- sies and “is attracted by the vision of mating tents. Easterners, on the other hand, don’t couples. Eventually he is caught by a womb equate the Absolute with consciousness at all, and born into the earthly world again.”56 but rather consider it in terms of pure being, which transcends any type of consciousness Now that the three distinct phases of the bardo that might limit or distort its reality by distinct have been defined, they can serve as a basis for qualities or concepts. some comparisons that can be drawn between them and those Western concepts with which The essence of the Chikhai Bardo, as it is re- they appear to be in agreement. cited by the presiding lama to the dead person, is contained in the following words: The first comparison to be made is that between Jung’s understanding of the soul and the O nobly-born (so and so), listen. Now thou Dharma-Kaya of the Chikhai Bardo. Accord- art experiencing the Radiance of the Clear ing to Jung’s Germanic background, the soul Light of Pure Reality. Recognise it. O no- (Seele) is not to be confused with its English bly-born, thy present intellect, in real nature meaning, which is very different, but needs to void, not formed into anything as regards be equated with his concept of the Collective characteristics or colour, naturally void, is Psyche, or Collective Unconscious. The first the very Reality, the All-Good. footnote of Jung’s commentary describes Thine own intellect, which is now voidness, ‘Seele’ as an ancient word, “sanctioned by yet not to be regarded as the voidness of Germanic tradition and used, by outstanding nothingness, but as being the intellect itself, German mystics like Eckhart and great Ger- unobstructed, shining, thrilling, and bliss- man poets like Goethe, to signify the Ultimate

ful, is the very consciousness, the All-good mind organizes its contents. One could also Buddha.60 describe these forms as categories analogous to the logical categories which are al- Apart from its sheer exuberance and poetic ways and everywhere present as the basic beauty, the above quotation is almost an une- postulates of reason. Only, in the case of quivocal guarantee to the deceased of the true our ‘forms,’ we are not dealing with catego- nature, the Buddha-nature, of his or her being, ries of reason but with categories of the im- provided that he or she can remain single- agination.63 minded, and without wavering, identify with the Clear Light, and thereby gain liberation. In the above context the Chönyid Bardo and Life, when stripped of all its entanglements the deceased’s confrontation with the peaceful and ramifications, becomes nothing more and and wrathful deities, (the success or failure of nothing less than the bliss of pure being. Jung, this confrontation being determined by the de- however, who obviously was able to appreciate ceased person’s individual karma), is a process the implications of the above passage, foresees whereby the deities or archetypes help to de- problems as regards the mentality of the con- termine where exactly the deceased stands as ventional Westerner, and remarks upon it as regards his own status in terms of his or her follows: psychic reality. Jung elaborates on this as follows: The soul [or as here, one’s own consciousness] is assuredly not small, but the radiant Here (in the Chönyid Bardo) we seek and Godhead itself. The West finds this state- find our difficulties, here we seek and find ment either very dangerous, if not down- our enemy, here we seek and find what is right blasphemous, or else accepts it un- dear and precious to us; and it is comforting thinkingly and then suffers from a theo- to know that all evil and all good is to be sophical inflation. But if we can master found out there, in the visible object, where ourselves far enough to refrain from our it can be conquered, punished, destroyed or chief error of always wanting to do some- enjoyed. But nature herself does not allow thing with things and put them to practical this paradisal state of innocence to continue use, we may perhaps succeed in learning an forever. There are, and always have been, important lesson from these teachings, or at those who cannot help but see that the least in appreciating the greatness of the world and its experiences are in the nature Bardo Thodol, which vouchsafes to the of a symbol, and that it really reflects some- dead man the ultimate and highest truth, thing that lies hidden in the subject himself, that even the gods are the radiance and rein his own transubjective reality. It is from flection of our own souls.61 this profound intuition, according to lamaist doctrine, that the Chönyid state derives its The next item under consideration is the com- true meaning, which is why the Chönyid parison between Jung’s archetypes and the two Bardo is entitled ‘The Bardo of the Experi- groups of deities, the first peaceful, the second encing of Reality.’64 wrathful, which the deceased encounters in the second, or Chönyid Bardo. Lastly, the comparison between Freudian Psy- choanalysis and the Sidpa Bardo, as under- An archetype, as Jung understands it, is de- stood by Jung, needs to be discussed. If Freud- fined as “a collectively inherited unconscious ian psychoanalysis is understood as simply idea, pattern of thought, image, etc., universal- dealing with problems that are related to basic ly present in individual psyches.”62 Jung ex- drives and urges of a physical nature, with par- pands on this basic concept in his own words ticular emphasis on the sexual, its relevance to as follows: the Sidpa Bardo becomes clearer and more These (the archetypes) are the universal obvious. Jung elucidates on this as follows: dispositions of the mind, and they are to be Freudian psychoanalysis, in all essential as- understood as analogous to Plato’s forms pects, never went beyond the experiences (eidola), in accordance with which the

of the Sidpa Bardo; that is, it was unable to to substitute Christian symbols for the gods extricate itself from sexual fantasies and of the Chönyid Bardo.68 similar “incompatible” tendencies which cause anxiety and other affective states. Lama Anagarika Govinda’s Introducto- Nevertheless, Freud’s theory is the first at- ry Foreword tempt made by the West to investigate, as if The author of the Introductory Foreword to from below, from the animal sphere of in- The Tibetan Book of the Dead, Lama Anagari- stinct, the psychic territory that corresponds ka Govinda, was a Tibetologist and practition- 65 in Tantric Lamaism to the Sidpa Bardo. er of Tibetan Buddhism. Of German origin, he In contradistinction to his own theory of the was born in Waldheim, Germany in 1898. He collective unconscious, which clearly makes was known to be one of the most revered Western interpreters of Buddhism and the tra- allowance for all types of psychic contents, 69 including the spiritual, Jung considers Freud’s ditional Tibetan way of life. He died in 1985. unconscious to be limited to biological needs Lama Govinda begins his discussion of The and urges, thus unable to advance beyond the Tibetan Book of the Dead with the general as- instinctual sphere. “It is therefore not possible sumption that nobody is able to talk about for Freudian theory to reach anything except death with authority unless they have died, and an essentially negative valuation of the uncon- that since nobody, apparently, has returned 66 scious. It is a ‘nothing but.’” Jung elaborates from the dead, we cannot know what death is, on this as follows: or what happens after it.70 However, Lama I think, then, we can state it as a fact that Govinda also gives an alternate view held by with the aid of psychoanalysis the rational- the Tibetans, who will respond to the above izing mind of the West has pushed forward assumption as follows: into what one might call the neuroticism of There is not one person, indeed, not one liv- the Sidpa Bardo state, and has there been ing being, that has not returned from death. brought to an inevitable standstill by the In fact, we have all died many deaths, be- uncritical assumption that everything psy- fore we came into this incarnation. And chological is subjective and personal. Even what we call birth is merely the reverse side so, this advance has been a great gain, in- of death, like one of the two sides of a coin, asmuch as it has enabled us to take one or like a door which we call “entrance” 67 more step behind our conscious lives. from outside and “exit” from inside a 71 Having summarized Jung’s views of the three room. distinct phases of the bardo in terms of his own Lama Govinda reconciles these opposing system of psychology, one can now examine views by stating that not everybody remembers and appreciate his most innovative suggestion his or her previous death, and due to this lack why the Bardo Thödol should be read back- of remembering, most people do not believe wards. Jung justifies this suggestion with the that there was a previous death. He points out following: that “they forget that active memory only The book describes a way of initiation in forms a small part of our consciousness, and reverse, which unlike the eschatological that our subconscious memory registers and preserves every past impression and experi- expectations of Christianity, prepares the 72 soul for a descent into physical being. The ence which our waking mind fails to recall.” thoroughly intellectualistic and rationalistic Govinda elaborates on this by referring to peo- worldly-mindedness of the European makes ple who by means of concentration and other it advisable for us to reverse the sequence yogic practices are able to access the subcon- of the Bardo Thödol and to regard it as an scious and bring it into the realm of the dis- account of Eastern initiation experiences, criminative consciousness. Such people can though one is perfectly free, if one chooses, consequently access the unrestricted treasury of subconscious memory, which contains the

24 Copyright © The Esoteric Quarterly, 2015. Winter 2015 records not only of our past lives, but also the read or recited on the occasion of death, it was records of the history of our race. Taken to its originally written as a guide not only for the extreme, subconscious memory can potentially dying or dead, but also for the living. It is pre- access not only our human past, but “all pre- cisely this that justifies its accessibility to a human forms of life, if not the very conscious- wider public.77 ness that makes life possible in the universe.”73 Lama Govinda stresses that despite its appar- Lama Govinda argues that there is a good rea- ent purpose as a funerary text, the Bardo son why the subconscious cannot readily be Thodol only has value for those who practice made conscious: its teaching during their life-time. Once this is realised the element of death in this sacred text If, through some trick of nature, the gates of takes on a new meaning, namely “that it is one an individual’s subconsciousness were sud- of the oldest and most universal practices for denly to spring open, the unprepared mind the initiate to go through the experience of would be overwhelmed and crushed. There- death before he can be spiritually reborn.” The fore, the gates of the subconscious are initiates need to die symbolically both as re- guarded, by all initiates, and hidden behind gards their past, as well as their old ego, before the veil of mysteries and symbols.74 they can take their place in the new spiritual From this point onwards Lama Govinda dis- life into which they have been initiated.78 cusses the significance of The Tibetan Book of The correct application of the bardo teachings the Dead, and how it relates to his foregoing depends upon remembering the right thing at argument. He explains that the reason why the the right moment, and to achieve this, it is nec- Tibetan Book of the Dead is couched in sym- essary to prepare oneself during one’s life- bolic language is due to the fact that it was time. Lama Govinda points out that “one must written for initiates, and thus “sealed with the create, build up, and cultivate those faculties seven seals of silence, - not because its which one desires to be of deciding influence knowledge should be withheld from the unini- at death and in the after-death —in order never tiated, but because its knowledge would be to be taken unawares, and to be able to react, misunderstood," and thus possibly mislead and spontaneously, in the right way, when the criti- even harm those who are not intended to re- cal moment of death has come.”79 ceive it. However, he thinks that the time has come to break the seals of silence, because Lama Govinda reminds the reader that all who humanity has reached the point where it needs are familiar with Buddhist philosophy recog- to decide whether to be satisfied by merely nize that birth and death succeed each other subjugating the material world, or whether it repeatedly and uninterruptedly, and that every should strive after the conquest of the spiritual moment of our lives something within us dies world, by subjugating its selfish desires and and something is reborn.80 He elaborates on transcending its self-imposed limitations.75 this as follows: Lama Govinda emphatically states that it is the The different bardos, therefore, represent spiritual point of view that makes the Bardo different states of consciousness of our life: Thodol important for the majority of readers. If the state of waking consciousness, the nor- it were merely based upon folklore, or reli- mal consciousness of a being born into our gious speculation about death and a hypothet- human world, known in Tibetan as the ical after-death state, it would only be of inter- skyes-nas bar-do; the state of dream- est to anthropologists and students of religion. consciousness (rmi-lam bar-do); the state Lama Govinda explains that it is far more than of dhyana, or trance-consciousness, in pro- that: “It is a key to the innermost recesses of found meditation (bsam-gtan bar-do); the the human mind, and a guide for initiates, and state of experiencing of death (huchhi-kha for those who are seeking the spiritual path of bar-do); the state of experiencing of Reality liberation.”76 Although the Bardo Thodol is (chhos-nyid bar-do); the state of rebirth- generally used in Tibet as a breviary, to be consciousness (srid-pa bar-do).81

Referring to the teachings of the Buddha, La- Thus it is that the profound psychology set ma Govinda points out that it is a privilege to forth by the Bardo Thodol constitutes an be born as a human being, because it allows important contribution to our knowledge of for the rare opportunity of liberating oneself the human mind and the path that leads be- through one’s decisive effort “through a ‘turn- yond it. Under the guise of a science of ing-about in the deepest seat of consciousness’, death, the Bardo Thodol reveals the secret as the Lankavatara Sutra puts it.”82Lama Go- of life; and therein lies its spiritual value vinda specifies that “(a)ccordingly, The Root and its universal appeal.87 Verses of the Six Bardos open with the words: Sir John Woodroffe’s Foreword ‘O that now, when the Bardo of Life is Sir John Woodroffe introduces his foreword dawning upon me, with two salient questions regarding the con- - After having given up indolence, since cept of death. His first question is how one there is no time to waste in life - may avoid death, except when death is desired; May I undistractedly enter the path of lis- and the second, how to accept death and die.88 tening, reflecting, and meditating, He answers the first question by pointing out So that, . . . once having attained human that “the avoidance of death is the aim when embodiment, Hathayoga is used to prolong present life in No time may be squandered through useless 89 83 the flesh.” He explains that this is not, in the distractions.’ Western sense, an affirmation of life, but, for Returning to the subject of death, Lama Go- the time being, to a particular form of life. He vinda points out that its illusoriness can be as- points out that in context of The Tibetan Book cribed to the fact that the individual identifies of the Dead, death comes to all, and that hu- with his or her temporal, transitory form, mans are not to cling to life on earth with its whether physical, emotional, or mental, which ceaseless wandering in the worlds of birth and is the reason for the mistaken notion that there death. They should rather “implore the aid of exists a personal, separate egohood of one’s the Divine Mother for a safe passage through own, and the fear of losing it.84 The remedy for the fearful state following the body’s dissolu- this Lama Govinda explains as follows: tion, and that they may at length attain all- perfect Buddhahood.”90 If, however, the disciple has learned, as the Bardo Thodol directs, to identify him- Regarding the second question, “How to ac- self with the Eternal . . . then the fears of cept death and die,” Woodroffe answers as death are dissipated like a cloud before follows: “Here (i.e. The Tibetan Book of the the rising sun. Then he knows that what- Dead) the technique of dying makes Death the ever he may see, hear, or feel, in the hour entrance to good future lives, at first out of, of his departure from this life, is but a re- and then again in, the flesh, unless and until flection of his own conscious and subcon- liberation (Nirvana) from the wandering scious mental content; and no mind- (Sangsara) is attained.”91 created illusion can then have power over Woodroffe identifies both the original text and him if he knows its origin and is able to 85 Evans-Wentz’s introduction as valuable con- recognize it. tributions to the Science of Death from the Lama Govinda concludes his discussion of the standpoint of the Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism Bardo Thodol by pointing out that the illusory of the Tantric type,92 (Tantra being understood bardo visions vary according to the religious or as a technique which transforms desire into cultural tradition in which the percipient has enlightenment).93 He welcomes the book not grown up, but that their underlying motive- only in virtue of its particular subject matter, power is shared by all human beings.86 His but also because he considers the ritual works final words regarding the nature of the Bardo of any religion to enable us more fully to un- and its significance read as follows: derstand the philosophy and psychology of the system to which we belong.94

More specifically, Woodroffe defines The Ti- At the moment of death the empiric con- betan Book of the Dead in terms of three char- sciousness, or consciousness of objects, is acteristics, namely as a work on the Art of Dy- lost. There is what is popularly called a ing; “for Death, as well as Life, is an Art, “swoon,” which is, however, the corollary though both are often enough muddled of super-consciousness itself, or the Clear through.”95 Secondly, he Light of the Void; for considers the book as a As regards the parallels that the swoon is in, and manual of religious ther- can be drawn between the of, the Consciousness apeutic for the last mo- as knower of objects ments; and thirdly as a various funerary texts, Evans- (Vijnana Skandha). description of the experi- Wentz concludes that they This empiric con- ences of the deceased tend to strengthen the opinion sciousness disappears, during the intermediate unveiling Pure Con- period between death and that the greater part of the sciousness, which is rebirth, and thus as a symbolism which is nowadays ever ready to be guide whereby the de- regarded as peculiarly Chris- discovered by those ceased can relate there- who have the will to to.96 tian or Jewish seems to be due seek and the power to find It.99 Woodroffe points out to adaptations from Egyptian that the chief difference and Eastern religions. …they Defining the Clear between the four leading also suggest a close resem- Light of the Void, religions, i.e. Brahman- Woodroffe writes that ism, Buddhism, Christi- blance between the thought- it is not “nothing- anity and Islam, is the forms and thought-processes ness,” but “the Alogi- doctrine of reincarnation of the Orient and the Occi- cal (sic), to which no and resurrection. He categories drawn from writes that Christianity dent, and that despite differ- the world of name and recognizes one universe ences…the various nations of form apply.”100 He only, and two lives, one mankind are, and have been states that a Vedantist here in the natural body, would affirm that and one hereafter, the since time immemorial, men- “Being,” or “Is-ness,” resurrection body. Just as tally and spiritually one. is still applicable as metempsychosis makes regards the Void, and the same soul, so resurrection uses the same would be experienced as “is” (asti). According body for more than one life, but Christianity to this view, the Void is the negation of all de- limits man’s lives to two in number, of which terminations, but not of “Is-ness,” as has been the first forever determines the nature of the supposed in accounts that are given of Bud- second.97 dhist “Nihilism,” but it is not anything known to finite experience in form, and thus, for those Woodroffe explains that for “each of the four who have had no other experience, it is no- religions . . . there is a subtle and death- thing.101 surviving element,” and “to none of these Faiths is death an absolute ending, but to all it In context of the Buddhist Mayayana teach- is only the separation of the Psyche from the ings, and more specifically in the Tibetan gross body . . . In other words, Death is itself work, The Path of Good Wishes of Samanta only an initiation into another form of life than Bhadra, 102 Woodroffe identifies the All as that of which it is the ending.”98 either Sangsara or Nirvana, Sangsara being the world of finite experience, and Nirvana being Regarding the moment of death, Woodroffe the release from such experience, and thus comments as follows:

Copyright © The Esoteric Quarterly 27 The Esoteric Quarterly consciousness freed of all limitation. From an destroyed, but in which he may suffer atro- emotional aspect, this is experienced as pure cious pain. Or he may go to the Heaven- bliss that is unaffected by sorrow, and from a world or other Loka, to return at length and volitional aspect it is freedom of action and in all cases (for neither punishment nor re- almighty power. The realization of Nirvana, or ward are eternal) to earth, whereon only can the Void, is synonymous with the conscious- new Karma be made. Such return takes ness of a Buddha, or a “Knower;” the absence place after expiation of his sins in Hell, ex- of such realisation is to be an “ignorant being” piration of the term of enjoyment in Heaven in the Sangsara.103 which his Karma has gained for him.106 Taking his examples from The Path of Good Woodroffe points out that in some cases the Wishes of Samanta Bhadra, and obviously in- deceased’s lot is immediate rebirth on earth, in tending to draw parallels with those to be which case he or she will see visions of mating found in The Tibetan Book of the Dead, men and women, and at this final stage of Woodroffe continues his discussion by point- awakening to earth-life, is now aware of the ing out that ignorance in the individual is in its fact that he or she does not have a physical cosmic aspect Maya, which in Tibetan body, and urgently desires to have one, so that (sGyuma) means a magical show. More spe- he or she may again enjoy physical life on the cifically “(i)n its most generic form, the former earth-world.107 is that which produces the pragmatic, but, in a Woodroffe’s conclusive remarks leave his dis- transcendental sense, the ‘unreal’ notion of self cussion open ended. Instead of a definitive and otherness.”104 Woodroffe identifies this as statement, he hypothesizes with some pertinent the root cause of error, which becomes mani- questions. He proposes that if the series of fest as the “Six Poisons” of Sangsara – pride, conscious states are determined by the past jealousy, sloth, anger, greed, and lust. At this Karma, it may well be asked how that liberty point Woodroffe points out that the Text (i.e. of choice exists which the whole text of The The Tibetan Book of the Dead, and more spe- Tibetan Book of the Dead assumes by its in- cifically the section dealing with the Chönyid junctions to the deceased to do this or to avoid Bardo) constantly urges upon the dying person that.108 He points out that even in one individu- to recognize in the apparitions, which he is al there are diverse tendencies, but the question about to see, the creatures of his own maya- still remains, and “if the Karma ready to ripen governed mind, which obstructs him or her determines the action, then advice to the ac- from recognizing the Clear Light of the Void. cused is useless. If the ‘soul’ is free to choose, If, however, this recognition is successful, the there is no determination by Karma.”109 person can be liberated at any stage.105 Woodroffe proposes that the answer to these As regards the third and final stage of the in- questions appears to be twofold. On the one termediate state between death and rebirth, the hand, the instructions given may, by their sug- passage into the Sidpa Bardo, Woodroffe ex- gestions, call up that one of several tendencies plains that the past life of the deceased be- which tends towards the action counselled. On comes dim, and “(t)hat of the future is indicat- the other hand, this system allows that one ed by certain premonitory signs which repre- “soul” can help another. In this regard, there sent the first movements of desire towards ful- are prayers for, and application of merits to, filment.” In accordance with the deceased’s the deceased, just as one finds in Hinduism the karma, his or her “soul-complex” now takes on Pretashraddha, in Catholicism the Requiem the color of the Loka (i.e. world) in which it is Mass, and in Islam the Moslem’s Fatiha. destined to be born. More specifically this is Woodroffe concludes that “(i)n this and other explained by Woodroffe as follows: matters one mind can, it is alleged, influence another otherwise than through the ordinary If the deceased’s Karma leads him to Hell, sense channels whether before or after thither he goes after the Judgement, in a death.”110 subtle body which cannot be injured or

Walter Evans-Wentz’s comment on the night and death, and ruler of the underworld.115 Judgment in The Tibetan Book of the Parallels such as these can only be explained Dead when we accept the reality of Jung’s Collective Unconscious and its dominant archetypes, as it Instead of a lengthy summary, and the unnec- was discussed under Jung’s Psychological essary repetition of much that has been dis- Commentary. cussed under the forewords, commentaries and introductions in the above summaries, this par- Evans-Wentz continues his comparison as fol- ticular summary will deal with only one of lows: several aspects of Evans-Wentz’s Introduction, In both versions alike there is a symbolical namely the one which is subtitled The Judge- weighing: before Dharma-Raja there are 111 ment. Its importance needs to be pointed out placed on one side of the balance black for the reason that the knowledge of the after pebbles and on the other side white pebbles, death state, or bardo, appears to have its paral- symbolizing evil and good deeds; and simi- lels not only between the two funerary texts larly, before Osiris, the heart and the feath- such as The Egyptian Book of the Dead and the er (or else in the place of the feather an im- Tibetan Book of the Dead, but also a Medieval age of the Goddess of Truth which it sym- Christian treatise entitled The Lamentation of bolizes) are weighed one against the other, the Dying Creature, the dating of which is un- the heart representing the conduct of con- certain, but probably falls within the period of science of the deceased and the feather th th 112 the 14 and 15 centuries. Furthermore, Ev- righteousness or truth. ans-Wentz also makes brief mention of Plato’s tenth book of the Republic, in which a striking- Regarding the above quotation, the symbol of ly similar judgement of the human soul is de- the balance or scales, is not unique to Egypt scribed as in the Egyptian, Tibetan and Chris- and Tibet, but acknowledged universally as an tian examples. His first comparison is that be- emblem of harmony and justice, and thus an tween the Tibetan and Egyptian texts, and be- ideal instrument in the judgement of a human gins as follows: being at the termination of his or her earthly life. The heart is, likewise, a universal symbol The Judgement Scene as described in our of a human being’s conscience, and brings to text and that described in the Egyptian mind the words from the Old Testament in the Book of the Dead seem so much alike in es- book of Proverbs, (Chapter 23, verse 7), which sentials as to suggest that common origin, read as follows: “For as (a man) thinketh in his at present unknown, to which we have al- heart, so is he . . .”116 A light heart, counter- ready made reference. In the Tibetan ver- balanced by a feather, suggests the nature of a sion, Dharma-Raja (Tib. Shinje-chho-gyal) person who holds back nothing, and thus char- King of the Dead (commonly known to acterized by the virtue of compassion and gen- Theravadists as Yama-Raja), the Buddhist erosity, while a heavy heart, often referred to and Hindu Pluto, as a Judge of the Dead, as a “heart of stone,” is descriptive of someone correspond to Osiris in the Egyptian ver- who is cold and devoid of true neighborly feel- 113 sion. ings. Even in this brief quotation one cannot help The Egyptian Judgement Scene is presided noticing the reference to Pluto, whom every over by the ape-headed, and sometimes more person with a basic knowledge of mythology rarely, by the ibis-headed Thoth, who is the will identify as the god of the underworld both god of wisdom.117 As the weighing process of in Greek and Roman mythology. In fact, a the deceased’s heart is about to proceed, the king, or god of death and the underworld is so deceased addresses his own heart as follows: universal, that one encounters him in mytholo- ‘Raise not thyself in evidence against me. Be gies as far afield as the Incas and the Aztecs, as not mine adversary before the Divine Circle; well as the Pacific Islands, where, among the let there be no fall of the scale against me in Maori, this deity is female rather than male, the presence of the great god, Lord of Amen- and known as Hine-nui-te-po,114 the goddess of

Copyright © The Esoteric Quarterly 29 The Esoteric Quarterly ta.’118 The Tibetan Judgment Scene also has a The above quotation paints a vivid picture of presiding god, the monkey-headed Shinje; and the state of mind of a deceased person who in both the Egyptian and Tibetan scenes, the suddenly realizes the gravity and inevitability jury is made up of animal-headed and human- of having to face up to his evil deeds which he headed gods. The Egyptian version has a mon- or she has committed while still alive. Dread- strous creature awaiting the deceased if he or ing the consequences to be visited upon him, she should be condemned, while the Tibetan the deceased desperately appeals to his Good version has devils awaiting the evil-doer ready Angel: to conduct him or her to the hell-world of pur- “O my good Angel, to whom our Lord took gation. The record-board of the deceased’s me to keep, where be thee now? Me deeds, which the god Thoth is sometimes de- thinketh ye should be here, and answer for picted as holding, parallels the Mirror of Kar- me; for the dread of death distroubleth me, ma held by the Dharma-Raja.119As regards the so that I cannot answer for myself. Here is “Mirror of Karma,” Evans-Wentz makes the my bad angel ready, and is one of my chief following observation: “(T)his seems to be accusers, with legions of fiends with him. I distinctly an Indian and Buddhist addition to have no creature to answer for me. Alas it is the hypothetical pre-historic version, whence an heavy case!”123 arose the Egyptian and the Tibetan versions, the Egyptian being the less affected.”120 The Good Angel, an obvious personification of the voice of conscience, makes it clear to the Evans-Wentz’s reference to Plato’s tenth book deceased that his intercession at this stage of the Republic describes a similar judgement would be unjust and useless: “. . . (I) coun- as in the Egyptian and Tibetan funerary texts, selled thee to flee the place of peril, and the which also employs judges and makes use of company that should stir or move you thereto. karmic record boards that are affixed to the Can ye say nay thereto? How can you think souls being judged, and two paths, one for the that I should answer for you?”124 In despera- good which leads to heaven, and one for the tion the deceased now “appeals for assistance evil that leads to hell. Like in the Tibetan ver- to Reason, to Dread, to Conscience, and to the sion, the condemned souls are carried off by Five Wits – (but) none can succour him.”125 demons to the place of punishment.121 His final appeal is to the Virgin, whose inter- For a more detailed comparison between the cession to Jesus, her son, now introduces the texts dealing with the after-death state already uniquely Christian doctrine of the forgiveness treated so far and the Medieval Christian trea- of sins, which clearly differs from the doctrine tise, The Lamentation of the Dying Creature, of karma as it is expounded in the Buddhist one needs to turn to Evans-Wentz’s Addenda teachings of The Tibetan Book of the Dead.126 VII entitled The Medieval Christian Judge- Evans-Wentz’s own comment on the above is ment, in which the deceased is recorded to say: as follows: “Alas that ever I sinned in my life. To me is Such introduction suggests that this curious come this day the dreadfullest tidings that Christian version of the Judgment may have ever I had. Here hath been with me a ser- had a pre-Christian and non-Jewish Orien- geant of arms whose name is Cruelty, from tal source, wherein the doctrine of karma the King of Kings, Lord of all Lords, and (and the correlated doctrine of rebirth) re- Judge of all Judges, laying on me the mace mained unmodified by the European medi- of His office, saying unto me: ‘I arrest thee evalism which shaped The Lamentation of and warn thee to make ready . . . The Judge the Dying Creature. The ancient doctrine of that shall sit upon thee, He shall not be par- karma (to which the primitive, or Gnostic, tial, nor He will not be corrupt with goods, Christians adhered, were Church-council but He will minister to thee justice and eq- Christianity took shape), being taught in the uity . . .”122 following answer to the Dying Creature,

gives some plausibility, even from internal evidence, to this purely tentative view: 1 Walter Evans-Wentz and Lama Kazi Dawa Conscience: ‘Ye must sorrowfully and Samdup photographed circa 1919, from the meekly suffer the judgements that ye have Wikimedia Commons, the free media reposi- deserved.’ tory. 2 W. Y. Evans-Wentz, The Tibetan Book of the The Five Wits: ‘Therefore of your necessity Dead (1960; reprint; London: Oxford Univer- your defaults must be laid upon you . . . sity Press, 2000), 82. 3 Wherefore of right the peril must be http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Evans- yours.127 Wentz (accessed November 27, 2013.) 4 http://www.tricycle.com/ancestors/the-hermit- In his final remarks as regards the parallels that who-owned-his-mountain-a-profile-wy-evans- can be drawn between the various funerary wentz?page=0,0 (accessed November 27, texts, Evans-Wentz concludes that they tend to 2013.) 5 strengthen the opinion that the greater part of Ibid. (accessed November 27, 2013.) 6 Ibid. (accessed November 27, 2013.) the symbolism which is nowadays regarded as 7 peculiarly Christian or Jewish seems to be due Ibid. (accessed November 27, 2013.) 8 http://socialarchive.iath.virginia.edu/xtf/ to adaptations from Egyptian and Eastern reli- view?docId=evans-wentz-w-y-walter-yeeling- gions. He observes that they also suggest a 1878-1965-cr.xml (accessed November 27, close resemblance between the thought-forms 2013.) and thought-processes of the Orient and the 9 http://www.tricycle.com/ancestors/the-hermit- Occident, and that despite differences of race who-owned-his-mountain-a-profile-wy-evans- and creed, and of physical and social environ- wentz?page=0,0 (accessed November 27, ment, the various nations of mankind are, and 2013.) 10 have been since time immemorial, mentally http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Evans- and spiritually one.128 Wentz (accessed November 27, 2013.) 11 W. Y. Evans-Wentz, The Tibetan Book of the Conclusion Dead, D. 12 William James, The Principles of Psychology, rom the above discussion and summaries, ((1952; reprint; Chicago: Encyclopaedia Bri- F the reader must, at this stage, have formed tannica, Inc., 1980), vi. a fairly comprehensive view of what The Ti- 13 David Ross, W. B. Yeats, (New Lanark: Ged- betan Book of the Dead is about. One can now des & Grosset, 2001), 182. 14 come to the conclusion that The Tibetan Book http://socialarchive.iath.virginia.edu/xtf/ of the Dead is much more than a funerary text, view?docId=evans-wentz-w-y-walter-yeeling- and is, in fact, also a means to an initiation that 1878-1965-cr.xml (accessed November 29, 2013.) opens the treasury to various types of con- 15 http://www.tricycle.com/ancestors/the-hermit- sciousness. These types of consciousness are who-owned-his-mountain-a-profile-wy-evans- accessible to those who, like the higher lamas, wentz (accessed December 4, 2013.) are able to open the portals to such a treasury, 16 http://www.tricycle.com/ancestors/the-hermit- and thereby experience the entire range of con- who-owned-his-mountain-a-profile-wy-evans- sciousness, from the lowest to the highest, or wentz (accessed December 5, 2013.) from the most basic and instinctual all the way 17 Ken Winkler, Pilgrim of the Clear Light, (2nd to that sublime state which is known as the Kindle edition 2013; published by: www.booksmango.com) Chapter Three. Ultimate Reality or the Absolute. It is recom- 18 mended that the reader considers all the above Ibid., Chapter Three. 19 Ibid., Chapter Four. summaries merely as a pointer to Evans- 20 Ibid., Chapter Four. Wentz’s book, and that he or she has been suf- 21 Ibid., Chapter Five. ficiently persuaded to take the trouble to read 22 W. Y. Evans-Wentz, Tibetan Yoga and Secret and study the original. Doctrines, (New Delhi: Munshiram Manohar- lal Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 2000), xviii.

23 ParamahansaYogananda, Autobiography of a 53 http://buddhism.about.com/od/buddhism glos- Yogi, (1998; reprint; Kolkata: Yogoda Satsan- saryd/g/dharmakaya.htm (accessed January ga Society of India, 2002), vii-viii. 31, 2014.) 24 Ken Winkler, Pilgrim of the Clear Light, (2nd 54 Ibid., 101. Kindle edition 2013; published by: 55 http://www.virtualsynapses.com/2011/06/ www.booksmango.com) Chapter Five. chonyid-bardo-vision-of- 25 W. Y. Evans-Wentz, The Tibetan Book of the peaceful.html#.Ut6Qo-oaLIU (accessed Janu- Dead, (1960; reprint; London: Oxford Univer- ary 21, 2014.) sity Press, 2000), D, E. 56 W. Y. Evans-Wentz, The Tibetan Book of the 26 Ibid., E. Dead, xli. 27 Ibid., E. 57 Ibid., xxxv. 28 Ken Winkler, Pilgrim of the Clear Light, (2nd 58 http://buddhism.about.com/od/buddhism glos- Kindle edition 2013; published by: saryd/g/dharmakaya.htm (accessed January www.booksmango.com) Chapter Eleven. 31, 2014.) 29 http://www.tricycle.com/ancestors/the-hermit- 59 http://buddhism.about.com/od/buddhism glos- who-owned-his-mountain-a-profile-wy-evans- saryd/g/dharmakaya.htm (accessed January wentz (accessed December 12, 2013.) 19, 2014.) 30 Ibid. (accessed December 12, 2013.) 60 W. Y. Evans-Wentz, The Tibetan Book of the 31 Ken Winkler, Pilgrim of the Clear Light, (2nd Dead, xxxviii – xxxix. Kindle edition 2013; published by: 61 Ibid., xxxix. www.booksmango.com) Chapter Twelve. 62 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archetype (ac- 32 W. Y. Evans-Wentz, The Tibetan Book of the cessed February 2, 2014.) Dead, (1960; reprint; London: Oxford Univer- 63 W. Y. Evans-Wentz, The Tibetan Book of the sity Press, 2000), A, E. Dead, xliv. 33 W. Y. Evans-Wentz, The Tibetan Book of the 64 Ibid., xlvii - xlviii. Great Liberation, (1954; reprint; New York: 65 Ibid., xlii. Oxford University Press, 1971), 241-254. 66 Ibid., xlii - xliii. 34 W. Y. Evans-Wentz, The Tibetan Book of the 67 Ibid., xliii. Dead, I. 68 Ibid., xlix. 35 Ibid., J. 69 Lama Anagarika Govinda, The Way of the 36 Ibid., K. White Clouds (1966; reprint; London: Rider, 37 W. Y. Evans-Wentz, Tibet’s Great Yogi Mi- 2006). Biographical summary following title larepa, (1969; reprint; New York: Oxford page. University Press, 2000), H. 70 W. Y. Evans-Wentz, The Tibetan Book of the 38 Ibid., H. Dead, liii. 39 W. Y. Evans-Wentz, Tibetan Yoga and Secret 71 Ibid., liii. Doctrines, (1958; reprint; New York: Oxford 72 Ibid., liii. University Press, 2000), H. 73 Ibid., liii. 40 Ibid., H-I. 74 Ibid., liii. 41 W. Y. Evans-Wentz, The Tibetan Book of the 75 Ibid., liv. Great Liberation (1954; reprint; New York: 76 Ibid., lix. Oxford University Press, 2000), I. 77 Ibid., lix. 42 Ibid., I-J. 78 Ibid., lix - lx. 43 Ibid., J. 79 Ibid., lx. 44 Ibid., 241-242 80 Ibid., lx - lxi. 45 W. Y. Evans-Wentz, The Tibetan Book of the 81 Ibid., lxi. Dead, G. 82 Ibid., lxi. 46 Ibid., G. 83 Ibid., lxi. 47 Ibid., G - H. 84 Ibid., lxii. 48 Ibid., K. 85 Ibid., lxii. 49 Ibid., O. 86 Ibid., lxii. 50 Ibid., N. 87 Ibid., lxii - lxiii. 51 Ibid., O. 88 Ibid., lxv. 52 Ibid., Q. 89 Ibid., lxv. 90 Ibid., lxv.

91 Ibid., lxv. 111 Ibid., 35 - 39. 92 Ibid., lxvi. 112 Ibid., 238. 93 http://buddhism.about.com/od/vajrayana bud- 113 Ibid., 35. dhism/a/tantra101.htm (accessed March 8, 114 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_death_ 2014.) deities (accessed May 23, 2014.) 94 W. Y. Evans-Wents, The Tibetan Book of the 115 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hine-nui-te- Dead, lxvi. p%C5%8D (accessed May 23, 2014.) 95 Ibid., lxvi - lxvii 116 The Holy Bible (1977; New York: Thomas 96 Ibid., lxvii. Nelson Publishers, 1984), 398. 97 Ibid., lxvii. 117 W. Y. Evans-Wentz, The Tibetan Book of the 98 Ibid., lxviii. Dead, 36. 99 Ibid., lxxi. 118 Ibid., 35 -36. 100 Ibid., lxxi. 119 Ibid., 36. 101 Ibid., lxxi. 120 Ibid., 36. 102 Ibid., lxxi. 121 Ibid., 36. 103 Ibid., lxxii. 122 Ibid., 238. 104 Ibid., lxxii - lxxiii. 123 Ibid., 238 - 239. 105 Ibid., lxxiii. 124 Ibid., 239. 106 Ibid., lxxix. 125 Ibid., 239. 107 Ibid., lxxix - lxxx. 126 Ibid., 239. 108 Ibid., lxxxii - lxxxiii. 127 Ibid., 239 - 240. 109 Ibid., lxxxiii. 128 Ibid., 241. 110 Ibid., lxxxiii.