PDP Month One - The Painful Bardo of Dying (2023)

The Painful Bardo of Dying is our opening month, where you will become familiar with the process of old age, sickness, and death.

In this opening month, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the Painful Bardo of Dying, a critical part of the spiritual journey that can lead to immense personal growth and transformation. By studying this bardo, you will learn how to recognize the signs and stages of the dying process, providing support to those around you who may be facing the end of their life.

Through this exploration, you will discover in your own dying process how to let go of everything you have and everything you think you are, creating space for new growth and opportunities for enlightenment. While this transition can be painful, releasing your grip on this world can transform it into the bardo of letting go.

Topics in this month's teaching will include:

• Core meditations to prepare (tonglen, shamatha, vipashyana, reverse meditation)
• What is the bardo like?
• How to transcend anxiety and fear
• The eight stages of the dissolution process
• Outer, inner, and secret signs that orient the journey
• The trikaya (three-body) principle
• Contemplations that help you prepare (the four reminders)
• Preparation for sudden death
• How lucid dreaming and dream yoga help you prepare
• The bardo of dying in daily life

By embracing the teachings and lessons of the Painful Bardo of Dying, you will gain the confidence to face the unknown and the unfamiliar with courage and strength. You’ll learn how to overcome your fears and uncertainties, and prepare for what comes next with grace and dignity. In this way, this exploration can help you become a more compassionate, empathetic, and resilient person, ready to face life’s challenges with greater ease and confidence.