Liberation Upon Hearing in the Between

Living with the Tibetan Book of the Dead

By: Robert Thurman

Narrated by: Robert Thurman

For centuries, The Tibetan Book of the Dead has been read aloud to the dying—who Buddhist masters say are capable of hearing up to three days after clinical death—as a guide through the tumultuous and often terrifying process of dissolution.

Now, in Liberation Upon Hearing in the Between, distinguished Tibetan Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman illuminates this classic text with up-to-date insights for modern audiences. Professor Thurman demystifies this esoteric teaching and reveals the Tibetan view of dying: it is not an ending to be feared, but a wondrous and liberating culmination of our life's journey, potentially opening into glorious new beginnings.

Entering the bardo—the in-between state in which one reality dissolves and the next has not yet formed—we need not become prey to our fears and hopes. Instead we can relax into our natural clarity and stabilize the journey. This treasured teaching is for much more than just changing our understanding of death.

Whether we have lost a dear relationship, awoken from a dream, or face the loss of our bodied life, simply hearing these teachings steadies our minds and hearts so that the journey from one state to the next changes from a tragic voyage into a clear adventure through the brilliant sky of great liberation.

Enjoy this immensely

I love this talk. Robert Thurman provides such a great overview with so many interesting tidbits that stick with me and further practice.

At Long last

Would you listen to Liberation Upon Hearing in the Between again? Why?

Not only would I listen to this again, I listen to it daily!

What other book might you compare Liberation Upon Hearing in the Between to and why?

This generic question needs to read the question and look at this book. The title should give you a clue. But I will say that even Sogyal Rinpoche's Tibetan book of Living and Dying is the only book in the ball park for any sort of comparison. This translation and most especially Bob Thurman's delivery is quintessentially American . Yes , Bob is a real American Buddhist teacher amongst a growing handful.

Have you listened to any of Robert Thurman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to Bob Thurman before. First at the San Francisco Zen Center. He is a delight. Totally insightful and yet not too

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

My extreme reaction to this is : This is by far the best most easily accessed translation of the teaching to date.

Any additional comments?

After practicing Tibetan Buddhism beginning in Scotland in 1970 to this date, I have found Bob's manner and insight into the teachings perfectly suited to this moment in human history. Thank you my friend for persevering...

the perfect adjunct to the book

read this before and after reading the awesome translation. you will be that much better prepared for the culmination of your life between .

WOW. WHAT THEATER IS THIS?

The problem when older people appear before a younger audience is that they react to, as if seeking acceptance, initial feedback from their audience. Then, the behavior of that senior, revered speaker then becomes that of a new performer, whose delivery or even prepared content may become subject to interactive influences of a live performance.

The hallmarks of this phenomena may appear when disciplined intellectuals, e.g., "experts" used to delivering logical, simplified explanations of new or complicated theories to individuals seeking a better understanding, are unconsciously seduced into pandering for audience approval as a prior requirement to create a more open minded, communicative environment.

In this performance, one hears traces of that condescending humor so obviously borrowed from the late night comedy shows on American TV; you know the style, snarky comedians repeating headline news, adding sarcasm they hope the audience appreciates, or spitting out the “F” word for shock value, then using sounds of audience laughter to punctuate their incoherent, stream-of-conscious spew of Ad Hominem attacks.

At times I wondered if portions if this audible book were actually tryouts for a spot on a comedy channel, and pasted into this recording by mistake.

This speaker is obviously a learned man whose literary style, cohesive composition, and ability to break down complex, intuitively abstract mental constructs is a remarkable achievement to be shared. Anyone who reads his work knows this.
So if you are looking for meaningful, serious, or thought provoking insights you have not found in other texts on Tibetan Buddhism, this is not it.
It is however, a rambling, sometimes humorous, sometimes entertainingly disjointed performance of under enunciated, discombobulated, word groupings so lacking of connective syntax that if printed verbatim, any effort to understand the subsequent reading of the text of this performance would be taxing.

On the other hand, if you are a fan of this speaker, his style, humor, especially enthusiasm with respect to this topic is impossible to deny.

Death is Important

Bob Thurman is one of my most cherished teachers and Death is a subject that holds great interest for me. I will be listening to this class many times in the future to help prepare myself for this life’s ultimate transition. Thank you Bob.