Late Night Philosophy

Tibetan Buddhism

I'm taking a course at my university called "Death and Afterlife". It's, of course, on the subject of the death and afterlife beliefs of many cultures around the world. I've been reading ahead and I was reading the part about Tibetan Buddism, which I feel is more of a philosophy and a set of universal understandings than the worship of a diety. I will have to look into it more though. If anyone who is a member of Tibeten Buddhism finds this, please e-mail me and correct any mistakes I'm am about to make.

Even though the text focused on death rituals and what is said to happen in the afterlife, before rebirth, and was based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead (as it was called), there was a brief explaination of the religion itself. I'm not going to go into that, but I just wanted to point out that I'm not completely ignorant (but I need to know MUCH more).

The idea is that when the very subtle consciousness (the lowest state of awareness, most people experience it when asleep) finally leaves the body, the mental body (the spirit essentially) exists between worlds for, at most, 49 days (in 7 day intervals). The first six days are very important because one can attain release from reality most easily (at least that was my understanding). The person sees a manifestation of a Buddha (someone who has entered Buddhahood?) along with a certain colored light. There is also a softer light that represents one of the six realms that one can be reborn into. If one knows that it is all an illusion in one's head and goes into the light of the Buddha, then one attains enlightenment and release from the cycle of rebirth. After those 7 days, it becomes much more difficult to attain release.

The way I understand it, being released from the cycle of rebirth (birth, dead, between worlds, and then rebirth) is to be removed from the limits of mortal existence, and therefore, the limits of physical properties, and therefore, outside the universe, where I beleive I can find the Creator, or at least, infinite consciousness.

Whatever else happens when I die, I want to have achieved my goal of transcending the universe for the purpose of greater understanding. Ideally, I'd like to be able to leave on the first day after death. Of course, in order to do that, I must have control of my mind so that I will not act on instinct (which is what people do when they are in the very stuble consciousness) and go to the place of seeming safety (the soft light), which is the wrong answer. To control my mind, I must learn to mediatate and quiet my mind, among other things.

That is why I'm considering joining Tibetan Buddism. Of course, I will read more and contemplate it more, and I will talk to the local Lama, if there is one (I'm pretty sure there is). I'm sure I would learn so much more than if I just read books.

As a side note, today is also my nineteenth birthday. No, wait, it's now the 26th. I was writing this longer than I expected. Well, it was still my brithday about 5 minutes ago, but I've now been 19 for almost just over 24 now, so it's alright.

Good night

"There's just something about you that just pisses me off."
I,Q
"I can't imagine a God who would care."
"Every moment we are alive is a moment that we have cheated Death."
Myself