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410 NOTES5. See Chapter 21. In this passage, I am most grateful for the kindsuggestions of Dr. Gyurme Dorje, whose translation of The TibetanBook of the Dead, edited by himself and Graham Coleman, was scheduledto be published by Penguin in 1993.18. THE BARDO OF BECOMING1. Kalu Rinpoche, The Dharma (Albany: State Univ. of New YorkPress, 1986), 18.2. It is said that there are only two places the mental body cannotgo: the womb of its future mother and Vajrasana, the place where allthe buddhas become enlightened. These two places represent theentrance to samsata and nirvana. In other words, to be reborn or gainenlightenment would bring an end to its life in this bardo.3. There exist accounts of masters who were able to perceivebardo beings, or even travel to the bardo realm.4. Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche, The Bardo Guidebook (Kathmandu:Rangjung Yeshe, 1991), 14.5. This scene occurs in Tibetan folk dramas and operas, and is alsoreported by the "déloks" (see Chapter 20, "The Near-Death Experience:A Staircase to Heaven?").6. Raymond A. Moody, Jr., Reflections on Life After Life (New York:Bantam, 1977), 32.7. Kenneth Ring, Heading Towards Omega: In Search of the Meaningof the Near-Death Experience (New York: Quill, 1985), 70.8. It is said that whenever a couple make love, crowds of bardobeings gather, hoping to have the karmic connection to be reborn.One succeeds and the others die of despair; this can occur as theweekly experience of death in the bardo.9. Fremantle and Trungpa, Tibetan Book of the Dead, 86.10. Vajrasattva is the central deity of the Hundred Peaceful andWrathful Deities. See Chapter 19, "Helping after Death."19. HELPING AFTER DEATH1. See Appendix 4 for an explanation of this mantra.2. Yet, in the case of a spiritual practitioner who has died, andwho sees friends and relatives grasping and insincere after his death,it is possible that instead of being hurt and angry, he might be able torealize that all their behavior is simply the nature of samsara. Fromthis he might generate a deep sense of renunciation and compassion,which could be of great benefit to him in the bardo of becoming.3. When we ask a master to practice and pray for a dead person,it is a custom to send a donation of money, however small it mightbe. The donation establishes a tangible connection between the deadperson and the master, who will always use this money exclusivelyto pay for the rituals for the dead, or make offerings at holy shrines,or dedicate it in their name to his or her work.