Page:The Tibetan Book of the Dead (1927).djvu/43

Rh Dharma-Kāya. In the Second Bardo Liberation is into the Sambhoga-Kāya (the passage touching the Paradise Realms is not, I think, meant to conflict with this); and in the Third Bardo Liberation is experienced in the Nirmāṇa-Kāya.

During the Second and Third Bardo the deceased is in the Māyik-world (or world of forms), and if Liberation is then attained it is with form (Rūpavān). The deceased being thus in the world of duality, we find that from this point onwards there is a double parallel presentation to his consciousness. There is firstly a Nirvāṇic line, comprising the Five Dhyāni Buddhas of the Sambhoga-Kāya, symbolized by various dazzling colours, with certain Divinities, peaceful and wrathful, emanating from them; and, secondly, a Sangsāric line, consisting of the Six Lokas. These latter, with one exception (if it be one and not due to corruption of text, viz. the association of the smoky or black light of Hell with the blue Vajra-Sattva), have the same colour as their Nirvāṇic counterparts, but of a dull hue. With the Lokas are given their ‘Poisons’, or the sinful characteristics of their inhabitants. The ‘soul-complex’ is then adjured, on the one hand, to seek Liberation through the compassionate grace of the Nirvāṇic line of Buddhas and Devatās (Divinities), and, on the other hand, to shun the particular Loka (World) which is concomitantly presented to his mental vision. With these Buddhas, Devatās, and Lokas are associated certain Nidānas (Causal Connexions), Skandhas (Constituent Factors), material elements, and the colours of the latter. This account appears to have suffered from corruption of the Text. Thus the Nidānas and Skandhas are not complete. Logically, Vijñāna Skandha should go first with Vairochana, and Nāma-rūpa with Vajra-Sattva. Only four out of the five elements are mentioned. Ether, which is omitted, should be associated with Vairochana and Vijñāna. The colours of the elements accord with those given in the Hindu Tantras except as regards ‘air’, to which is assigned a green colour, appropriate for Asuric jealousy, though it is not that of the Hindu colouration, which is smoky grey. Again, the order of the Six Lokas is not the usual one, viz. first the better Lokas, of Devas, Asuras,