​The concise introduction to inner radiance is an extract and summary from The Tibetan Book of the Dead, with the addition of the dissolution phases. Its purpose is to explain to and orient a dying person to the process of dying as well as a deceased person to what has occurred and assist them in recognizing the inner radiance at the time of death or soon after. It is important to be familiar with this introduction so that one can adapt it according to the nature of the one you are trying to help.


O, Child of Buddha Nature, (call the name of the dying person), the time has now come for you to seek a path.

As soon as your respiration ceases, [the luminosity] known as the ‘inner radiance of the first intermediate state’,... will arise. 


... all phenomena will become empty and utterly naked like space.


[At the same time], a naked awareness will arise, not extraneous [to yourself], but radiant, empty and without horizon or center.  

At that moment, you should personally recognize this intrinsic nature and rest in the state of that [experience]. 


 Now the sign of the dissolution of earth into water is present, of water into fire, fire into wind, wind into consciousness, and so forth... 

Because the element of earth is dissolving, your mind becomes extremely unclear, dull, and torpid...  at this first stage of dissolution, you see something that looks very much like a shimmering mirage.

The element of water dissolves...This produces a further state of mental obscurity;  marked by a quality of wildness or disturbance.  What was previously seen as a shimmering mirage becomes more vivid and starts to look more like thick smoke.

The element fire dissolves...you start to feel quite cold...Your mind...becomes alternately clear and unclear;   what was previously seen as smoke starts to come more into focus in your perception and takes the appearance of something like fireflies.

The wind element dissolves...At this point, because the four elements have dissolved into consciousness, your mind becomes extremely confused or bewildered and unseated; therefore, a variety of hallucinations can occur at this point. ...what was previously seen as fireflies becomes clearer and takes the appearance of something like a lamp flame.

 ...the fundamental constituents which have produced your body, which are the white element, found in the top of your head, and the red element or constituent, found below the navel, move from their seats, where they have resided during your life.

First, the white drop moves or flows downward from the top of your head toward your heart. As it moves downward, you experience a pervasive, brilliant whiteness, as though everything had become entirely composed of white light.

The second stage of this subtle and final dissolution is that the red drop or red constituent, previously found below the navel, flows or moves upwards, also approaching your heart...
everything is now perceived as a brilliant redness, as though everything were a brilliant red light.

The third stage occurs when the two drops, the white drop which descends from the head and the red drop which rises from the abdomen meet at the heart.  As they meet, they enclose or sandwich your consciousness between them, as a result of which you experience a pervasive blackness, an absolute obscurity.

O, Child of Buddha Nature, that which is called death has now arrived.  Therefore you should adopt an altruistic motivation and concentrate your thinking as follows: 

‘I have arrived at the time of death, so now, relying on the process of death, I will single mindedly cultivate an altruistic intention.  I will meditate on the generation of loving kindness compassion and an altruistic intention to attain enlightenment.  For the benefit of all sentient beings, who are as limitless as space, I must attain perfect buddhahood.’

And in particular, [you should think]: 

‘At this moment, for the sake of all sentient beings, I must recognize [the time of death as [the arising of] inner radiance, the Buddha-body of reality, 

and while in that state, 

I must attain the supreme accomplishment of the Great Seal, and thereby act for the good of all sentient beings.  


If I do not achieve this accomplishment, 

then, recognizing the intermediate states as it is, I will actualize the coalescent Buddha-body of the Great Seal during the intermediate state, and thereby, manifesting in order to instruct each in accordance with his or her needs, I will act for the benefit of all sentient beings, who are as limitless as space.’ 



Without giving up the focus on cultivating an altruistic intention, in the above way, recollect the meditative experiences which you formerly developed on the basis of the oral teachings.


O, Child of Buddha Nature, (call the name of the individual) listen!  


Pure inner radiance, reality itself, is now arising before you.  Recognize it!  



O, Child of Buddha Nature, this radiant essence that is now your conscious awareness is a brilliant emptiness.

 It is beyond substance, beyond characteristics and beyond colour, completely empty of inherent existence in any respect whatsoever. This is the female Buddha Samantabhadri, the essential nature of reality. 


 The essence of your own conscious awareness is emptiness.  Yet, this is not a vacuous or nihilistic emptiness; 

this, your very own conscious awareness, is unimpededly radiant, brilliant and vibrant.  

This [conscious awareness] is the male Buddha Samantabhadra.



The utterly indivisible presence of these two: the essence of your own awareness, which is empty, without inherent existence with respect to any substance whatsoever, and your own conscious awareness, which is vibrant and radiantly present, is the Buddha-body of reality.  

This intrinsic awareness, manifest in a great mass of light, in which radiance and emptiness are indivisible, is the buddha [nature] of unchanging light, beyond birth or death. 

Just to recognize this is enough!  


If you recognize this brilliant essence of our own conscious awareness to be the buddha [nature], then to gaze into intrinsic awareness is to abide in the enlightened intention of all the buddhas.



Introduction to the Inner Radiance of the Path 

If, however, it is feared that [the deceased] has not recognized the first inner radiance, the so-called ‘second inner radiance’ [of the path ] will arise.
...once the vital energy has emerged through one  of the orifices of the body...the consciousness suddenly becomes awake and lucid.

...the individual may not know whether or not he or she has died.

If [the deceased] was engaged in [the practices of] the perfection stage, one should call to him or her three times, by name, and repeat the above [instruction, which is] the introduction to inner radiance.

If [the deceased] was engaged in [the practices of] the generation stage, one should read aloud the formal description of the individual’s chosen meditational deity as set down in the corresponding meditative cycle.  Then remind him or her with the following words: 


O, Child of Buddha Nature!  Meditate on this, your meditational deity.  Do not be distracted! Concentrate intently on your meditational deity!  Meditate that [the deity] appears, and yet is without inherent existence, like [the reflection of] the moon in water.  Do not meditate on the deity as a solid corporeal form!



Meditate on the Lord of Great Compassion! 
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