The-Tibetan-Book-of-Living-and-Dying

292 THE TIBETAN BOOK OF LIVING AND DYING
The outstanding feature of the bardo of becoming is that
mind takes on the predominant role, whereas the bardo of
dharmata unfolded within the realm of Rigpa. So, in the bardo
of dharmata we have a body of light, and in the bardo of
becoming we have a mental body.
In the bardo of becoming the mind is endowed with
immense clarity and unlimited mobility, yet the direction in
which it moves is determined solely by the habitual tendencies
of our past karma. So it is called the "karmic" bardo of
becoming, because as Kalu Rinpoche says: "It is an entirely
automatic or blind result of our previous actions or karma, and
nothing that occurs here is a conscious decision on the part of
the being; we are simply buffeted around by the force of
karma." 1
At this point the mind has arrived at the next stage in its
process of gradual unfolding: out of its purest state—the
Ground Luminosity—through its light and energy—the appearances
of the bardo of dharmata—and so into the yet grosser
manifestation of a mental form in the bardo of becoming.
What takes place now at this stage is a reverse process of dissolution:
the winds reappear, and along with them come the
thought states connected with ignorance, desire, and anger.
Then, because the memory of our past karmic body is still
fresh in our mind, we take on a "mental body."
THE MENTAL BODY
Our mental body in the bardo of becoming has a number
of special characteristics. It possesses all its senses. It is
extremely light, lucid, and mobile, and its awareness is said to
be seven times clearer than in life. It is also endowed with a
rudimentary kind of clairvoyance, which is not under conscious
control, but gives the mental body the ability to read
others' minds.
At first this mental body will have a form similar to the
body of the life just lived, yet it is without any defects and in
the prime of life. Even if you were handicapped or sick in this
life, you will have a perfect mental body in the bardo of
becoming.
One of the ancient teachings of Dzogchen tells us that the
mental body is about the size of a child of eight to ten years
old.
Because of the force of conceptual thinking, also known as
"the karmic wind," the mental body is unable to remain still,