Bardo (Buddhism)

Bardo ( Tib. བར་ དོ ། ), also Antarabhava (Skt. अन्तरभाव antarabhāva) is an intermediate state, literally, “between the two”. In general, any interval, "between." The Diamond Way teachings usually refer to four (without the last two) or six bardos:

• The bardo of the process of dying is Chikhai bardo ('chi kha'i bar do). The interval between the moment when someone begins to seriously get sick with a death-causing illness or dying, and the moment when there is a separation of mind and body.
• Bardo of Dharmata - Chönyi bardo (chos nyid bar do). The interval of the timeless nature of phenomena (Dharmata), when the mind goes into the original state of its nature. The first phase of the post-mortem experience.
• Bardo of birth - Sidpa bardo (srid pa bar do). The interval in which the mind rushes to rebirth. The period from the occurrence of confusion and regaining consciousness after the Bardo of Dharmata until the moment of conception.
• The bardo between birth and death or the bardo of life is Kyenay bardo (skye gnas bar do). Ordinary waking consciousness in real life. From conception to dying or fatal disease.
• Bardo of sleep - Milam bardo (rmi lam bar do). State of sleep.
• Bardo of meditative concentration Samten bardo (bsam gtan bar do). The state of meditative concentration.

In the West, sometimes the concept of “bardo” usually refers only to the first three phases, that is, the state between death and rebirth. These states are no more and no less illusory than dreams and ordinary everyday waking consciousness.

Some teachers offer a slightly broader interpretation of the traditional understanding of the bardo. So we can talk about being in the Bardo state and in everyday life (regardless of the size of its time interval) while consciously waiting for some event. In other words, flowing consciousness into each next second of existence to feel time and events as the intervals between diving oars into the water when the Life Boat moves along the River of Time.