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Bardo Thödol. Il libro tibetano dei morti
Testo più noto della letteratura tibetana, l'originale del Libro tibetano dei morti è conservato presso un monastero buddhista nella città indiana di Darjeeling. Si tratta di un testo funerario che descrive le esperienze dell'anima cosciente dopo la morte, ovvero in quell'intervallo di tempo che nella filosofia buddhista si trova tra la morte e la rinascita, e include anche capitoli riguardanti i simboli di morte e i rituali pre e post mortem. Di questo libro, oggi, Utet pubblica l'edizione digitale con un valido compendio critico consultabile via ipertesto.
219 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1360
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About the author
Padmasambhava
52 books190 followersAccording to tradition, Padmasambhava was incarnated as an eight-year-old child appearing in a lotus blossom floating in Lake Dhanakosha, in the kingdom of Uddiyana, traditionally identified with the Swat Valley in present-day Pakistan. His special nature was recognized by the local king who married him to one of his daughters, Mandarava. She and Padmasambhava's other main consort, Yeshe Tsogyal, developed into realised practitioners. Many thangkas and paintings show Padmasambhava in between them.
Padmasambhava's ability to memorize and comprehend esoteric texts in a single hearing established his reputation as a master above all others. Knowing that the life force of the wife and son of evil minister was about to end, he constructed an accident which resulted in their death. As a result, Padmasambhava was banished from the court and exiled in a charnel ground. Transiting various heavens and hells, he developed the power to transcend the cycle of birth and death, accomplishing the so-called great transference.
His fame became known to Trisong Detsen, the 38th king of Tibet (742–797), whose kingdom was beset by evil mountain deities. The king invited Padmasambhava to Tibet where he used his tantric powers to subdue the evil deities he encountered along the way, eventually receiving the Emperor's wife, identified with the dakini Yeshe Tsogyal, as a consort. This was in accordance with the tantric principle of not eliminating negative forces but redirecting them to fuel the journey toward spiritual awakening. In Tibet he founded the first monastery in the country, Samye Gompa, initiated the first monks, and introduced the people to the practice of Tantric Buddhism.
In Bhutan he is associated with the famous Taktshang or "Tiger's Nest" monastery built on a sheer cliff wall about 500m above the floor of Paro valley. He flew there from Tibet on the back of Yeshe Tsogyal, whom he transformed into a flying tigress for the purpose of the trip. Later he travelled to Bumthang district to subdue a powerful deity offended by a local king. Padmasambhava's body imprint can be found in the wall of a cave at nearby Kurje Lhakhang temple.
According to Tibetan tradition, the Bardo Thodol (commonly referred to as the Tibetan Book of the Dead) was among many treasures hidden by Padmasambhava, subsequently discovered by a Tibetan terton, Karma Lingpa.
Padmasambhava's ability to memorize and comprehend esoteric texts in a single hearing established his reputation as a master above all others. Knowing that the life force of the wife and son of evil minister was about to end, he constructed an accident which resulted in their death. As a result, Padmasambhava was banished from the court and exiled in a charnel ground. Transiting various heavens and hells, he developed the power to transcend the cycle of birth and death, accomplishing the so-called great transference.
His fame became known to Trisong Detsen, the 38th king of Tibet (742–797), whose kingdom was beset by evil mountain deities. The king invited Padmasambhava to Tibet where he used his tantric powers to subdue the evil deities he encountered along the way, eventually receiving the Emperor's wife, identified with the dakini Yeshe Tsogyal, as a consort. This was in accordance with the tantric principle of not eliminating negative forces but redirecting them to fuel the journey toward spiritual awakening. In Tibet he founded the first monastery in the country, Samye Gompa, initiated the first monks, and introduced the people to the practice of Tantric Buddhism.
In Bhutan he is associated with the famous Taktshang or "Tiger's Nest" monastery built on a sheer cliff wall about 500m above the floor of Paro valley. He flew there from Tibet on the back of Yeshe Tsogyal, whom he transformed into a flying tigress for the purpose of the trip. Later he travelled to Bumthang district to subdue a powerful deity offended by a local king. Padmasambhava's body imprint can be found in the wall of a cave at nearby Kurje Lhakhang temple.
According to Tibetan tradition, the Bardo Thodol (commonly referred to as the Tibetan Book of the Dead) was among many treasures hidden by Padmasambhava, subsequently discovered by a Tibetan terton, Karma Lingpa.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 6, 2024
praticamente solo preghiere per qualsiasi cosa esistente, passo
December 15, 2025
ma che cazzo di figata (non ho capito 3/4 del libro)
May 27, 2012
Cosa c'è da pensare quando l'introduzione al testo si dimostra più interessante e affascinante del testo stesso?
Si può pensare e riflettere, una volta di più, sulla possibilità di riuscire a divulgare sensatamente testi tradotti da lingue e culture enormemente distanti nel tempo, testi, per soprammercato, già esoterici nel contesto in cui sono stati prodotti, e dunque di difficile accesso persino per gli stessi fruitori "originali"...
Si può pensare e riflettere, una volta di più, sulla possibilità di riuscire a divulgare sensatamente testi tradotti da lingue e culture enormemente distanti nel tempo, testi, per soprammercato, già esoterici nel contesto in cui sono stati prodotti, e dunque di difficile accesso persino per gli stessi fruitori "originali"...
November 13, 2013
Il "commento" al Libro tibetano dei morti di Ugo Leonzio, contenuto in questo testo, è definitivo. Eccellente.
October 1, 2018
One of the three books I never stopped to read and read again in my entire life.
October 20, 2020
Ci parlano di morti ma mai della morte. Lo consiglio. Illuminante!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews