Best Tibetan Book of the Dead Books of 2025

Wilson Cook Avatar
Wilson Cook
Last Updated: May 12, 2023

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The Tibetan Book of the Dead is a collection of texts that serves as a guide for the deceased during the afterlife. These books are considered sacred by Tibetan Buddhists and are believed to aid the soul in transitioning to its next life. The books offer detailed instructions on how to navigate the various stages of the afterlife and provide insight into the nature of reality and consciousness. The Tibetan Book of the Dead has gained popularity in Western culture and has been translated into numerous languages. It continues to be a fascinating and mystical read for those interested in spirituality and the afterlife.

At a Glance: Our Top Picks

The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by DayThe Complete Papyrus of Ani Featuring Integrated Text and Full-Color Images Cover #TOP 1
The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by DayThe Complete Papyrus of Ani Featuring Integrated Text and Full-Color Images
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The Tibetan Book of the Dead: First Complete Translation (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) Cover #TOP 2
The Tibetan Book of the Dead: First Complete Translation (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)
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The Tibetan Book of the Dead Cover #TOP 3
The Tibetan Book of the Dead
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Top 10 Tibetan Book of the Dead Books

The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by DayThe Complete Papyrus of Ani Featuring Integrated Text and Full-Color Images

Faulkner, Dr. Raymond
Goelet, Ogden
Andrews, Carol
Gunther, J. Daniel
Wasserman, James
Chronicle Books
Jan 20, 2015
The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by DayThe Complete Papyrus of Ani Featuring Integrated Text and Full-Color Images Cover
The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by DayThe Complete Papyrus of Ani Featuring Integrated Text and Full-Color Images

The Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day: The Papyrus of Ani is a stunning presentation of an ancient Egyptian manuscript compiled for Ani, the royal scribe of Thebes, featuring cursive hieroglyphs and color illustrations. This book includes declarations and spells to help the deceased in the afterlife and is an integral part of the world's spiritual heritage. The twentieth-anniversary edition includes significant improvements to the display of the images of the Papyrus, a survey of the continuing importance of ancient Egypt in modern culture, and a detailed history of Egyptian translation and philology. This book is a must-read for those interested in world history and ancient religions.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead: First Complete Translation (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

Coleman, Graham
Jinpa, Thupten
Dorje, Gyurme
Dalai Lama
Penguin Classics
Jan 30, 2007
The Tibetan Book of the Dead: First Complete Translation (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) Cover
The Tibetan Book of the Dead: First Complete Translation (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

The Tibetan Book of the Dead: First Complete Translation (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) is a classic Buddhist text that offers insights on the journey through living and dying. This edition includes details about the after-death state, practices that can transform our experience of daily life, guidance on helping those who are dying, and an inspirational perspective on coping with bereavement. The book is a tremendous accomplishment and a profound source of inspiration. It is beautifully translated with the close support of leading contemporary masters and is a great treasure of wisdom in the spiritual heritage of humanity. This Penguin Classics edition is a must-read for anyone interested in Buddhist sacred writings.

Padmasambhava
Samdup, Lama Kazi Dawa
Baldock, John
Jan 1, 2022
The Tibetan Book of the Dead Cover
The Tibetan Book of the Dead

The Tibetan Book of the Dead is a classic Buddhist text that serves as a funerary guide to the afterlife. It was read aloud to the dying or recently deceased to help them attain enlightenment and liberation from the endless cycle of death and rebirth. This collector's edition, translated by Lama Kazi Dawa-Samdup and introduced by John Baldock, is presented in a stunning gold-embossed hardcover with full-color illustrations. The book offers a sumptuous reading experience that will delight collectors and spiritual seekers alike.

The Psychedelic Experience

Leary, Timothy
Richard Alpert
Ralph Metzner
Citadel
Jun 27, 2017
The Psychedelic Experience Cover
The Psychedelic Experience

The Psychedelic Experience is a foundational text that serves as a guide to broaden spiritual consciousness through a combination of Tibetan meditation techniques and psychotropic substances. Written by Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner, and Richard Alpert, it offers a unique interpretation of The Tibetan Book of the Dead. The updated edition includes a dedication to Aldous Huxley and a brand-new introduction by Daniel Pinchbeck. This book is an essential guidebook for a new generation seeking the trip of a lifetime, and it is a vital testament to the benefits of reality-bending substances and practices.

#TOP 5

The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Great Liberation Through Hearing In The Bardo (Shambhala Classics)

Trungpa, Chogyam
Fremantle, Francesca
Shambhala
Oct 10, 2000
The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Great Liberation Through Hearing In The Bardo (Shambhala Classics) Cover
The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Great Liberation Through Hearing In The Bardo (Shambhala Classics)

The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Great Liberation Through Hearing In The Bardo (Shambhala Classics) is a traditional scripture of Tibetan Buddhism, read aloud to the dying to help them attain liberation. The book sees death and rebirth as a process that provides an opportunity to recognize the true nature of the mind. This translation emphasizes the practical advice that the book offers to the living. Chögyam Trungpa's insightful commentary explains what the text teaches us about human psychology. This book will be of interest to those concerned with death and dying, as well as those seeking greater spiritual understanding in everyday life. It is a landmark in rendering this extraordinary revelation accessible to modern minds.

#TOP 6

The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Great Book of Natural Liberation Through Understanding in the Between

Padma Sambhava
Robert Thurman
The Dalai Lama
Karma Lingpa
Bantam
Dec 1, 1993
The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Great Book of Natural Liberation Through Understanding in the Between Cover
The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Great Book of Natural Liberation Through Understanding in the Between

The Tibetan Book of the Dead, translated by Robert A. F. Thurman, is a classic Buddhist text that has been renowned for centuries for its wisdom and teachings on the art of dying. The book offers guidance on meditation, practical use of prayers and illuminating commentary on death and the afterlife. Thurman's translation is one of the most accessible and informative versions of the text available in English. The book provides a profound message that the art of dying is as important as the art of living and is a must-read for anyone interested in Tibetan Buddhism and death meditation.

#TOP 7

The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Buddhist Teachings on Death and Dying (Chinese Bound Classics)

Lingpa, Karma
Samdup, Kazi Dawa
Amber Books
Nov 15, 2022
The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Buddhist Teachings on Death and Dying (Chinese Bound Classics) Cover
The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Buddhist Teachings on Death and Dying (Chinese Bound Classics)

The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Buddhist Teachings on Death and Dying is a classic text that describes Tibetan Buddhist beliefs about death and the afterlife. This high-quality, Chinese-bound edition features a translation by Kazi Dawa Samdup and is divided into 21 chapters, covering topics such as the clear light seen at the moment of death, karmic apparitions, and the process of rebirth. The book also includes chapters on signs of death and rituals to undertake for the dying. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in Buddhist teachings on death and dying.

#TOP 8

Luminous Emptiness: Understanding the Tibetan Book of the Dead

Fremantle, Francesca
Shambhala
Mar 11, 2003
Luminous Emptiness: Understanding the Tibetan Book of the Dead Cover
Luminous Emptiness: Understanding the Tibetan Book of the Dead

Luminous Emptiness is a detailed guide to the Tibetan Book of the Dead, one of the most widely read texts of Tibetan Buddhism. It explains the mysterious concepts, terms, and imagery of this classic work, relating them to the experiences of everyday life. Fremantle presents the text as a guide for the living, not just for the dying. Using vivid imagery, the book presents the notion that most of us are living in a dream that will continue from lifetime to lifetime until we become enlightened. Overall, this book is a heartfelt guide to spiritual fulfillment through Buddhism, and Fremantle is an expert guide.

#TOP 9

The Tibetan Book of the Dead

Padmasambhava
Evans-Wentz, W y
Dawa-Samdup, Lama Kazi
Feb 21, 2023
The Tibetan Book of the Dead Cover
The Tibetan Book of the Dead

The Tibetan Book of the Dead, part of the "Profound Dharma of Self-Liberation through the Intention of the Peaceful and Wrathful Ones," is a guide to help the spirit transition from death to the next rebirth. It offers descriptions of the experiences that the consciousness will have after death, as well as the signs of death and the necessary rituals to prepare for the journey. This English translation by Walter Evans-Wentz, first published in 1927, is a valuable resource for those interested in exploring Tibetan Buddhist spiritualism. The book's unique perspective on the afterlife offers a fascinating insight into an often-misunderstood topic.

#TOP 10

Making Friends with Death: A Buddhist Guide to Encountering Mortality

Lief, Judith L.
Shambhala
Feb 13, 2001
Making Friends with Death: A Buddhist Guide to Encountering Mortality Cover
Making Friends with Death: A Buddhist Guide to Encountering Mortality

Making Friends with Death is a guide to encountering mortality by Buddhist teacher Judith Lief. Drawing from The Tibetan Book of the Dead, Lief offers practical methods, mindfulness exercises, and guidelines for caregivers to help readers change their relationship with death and enhance their appreciation of life. The book aims to show readers how to ground their actions in awareness and compassion when dealing with pain and suffering. This contemplative approach will be useful to health professionals, students of death and dying, and anyone interested in coming to terms with their own mortality. Overall, Making Friends with Death is a unique and insightful read for those seeking to deepen their understanding of life and death.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Bardo Thödol, (Tibetan: “Liberation in the Intermediate State Through Hearing”) also called Tibetan Book of the Dead, in Tibetan Buddhism, a funerary text that is recited to ease the consciousness of a recently deceased person through death and assist it into a favourable rebirth.

2. What does The Tibetan Book of the Dead say?

The Tibetan Book of the Dead is a kind of Baedeker for the afterlife, and like the best guidebooks its reassuring refrain is "Don't panic!" After death, it says, you will be assailed by thunderous sounds and bewildering apparitions as first the peaceful deities rise before you, then the wrathful ones, who drink blood ...

3. What is the original Tibetan Book of the Dead?

Centuries old Zhi-Khro mandala, a part of the Bardo Thodol's collection, a text known in the West as The Tibetan Book of the Dead, which comprises part of a group of bardo teachings held in the Nyingma (Tibetan tradition) originated with guru Padmasambhava in the 8th century.

4. Is The Tibetan Book of the Dead the same as the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying?

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, written by Sogyal Rinpoche in 1992, is a presentation of the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead or Bardo Thodol.

Editor's Notes

During our tibetan book of the dead books research, we found 107 tibetan book of the dead books products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 12,811 customer reviews through our big data system to write the tibetan book of the dead books list. We found that most customers choose tibetan book of the dead books with an average price of $14.33.

Written by
Wilson Cook Avatar

Wilson Cook is a talented writer who has an MFA in creative writing from Williams College and has published more than 50 books acquired by hundreds of thousands of people from various countries by now. He is an inveterate reading lover as he has read a vast amount of books since childhood.