‘The Tibetan Book of the Dead’ is actually not just about death

Rooted in the Buddhist teaching of the bardo − states of ‘in-between’ − the text offers a way to understand death, life and transformation as deeply intertwined.

By: Jue Liang, Case Western Reserve University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 12, 2026

Words: 1,377

Last Updated: 4 months, 3 weeks ago

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By Jue Liang, Case Western Reserve University

You’ve seen it in bookstores – the metallic turquoise spine peeking out from the shelf under “Eastern Religions.” Or, perhaps, another of its more understated editions rendered in muted tones. It is “The Tibetan Book of the Dead,” arguably the most well-known Tibetan Buddhist text outside Tibet.

It was first translated by American anthropologist Walter Evans-Wentz in 1927. The book’s philosophy of death and rebirth as …

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