The Tibetan Book of the Dead in Frank J. MacHovec's modern translation, published by the Peter Pauper Press – a compact, illustrated edition of the Bardo Thödol.
The Bardo Thödol, traditionally attributed to Padmasambhava, is the Tibetan Buddhist guide to the intermediate state between death and rebirth, read aloud to guide the consciousness of the dying. MacHovec's 1972 rendering is a concise, accessible version for the modern reader, presented in the Peter Pauper Press's characteristic small decorated format.
The text sets out the stages the consciousness passes through after death – the dawning of the Clear Light, the appearance of the peaceful and wrathful deities, and the paths that lead either to liberation or back into rebirth. It was introduced to the West by W. Y. Evans-Wentz in 1927 and later became a touchstone of the 1960s counterculture, when Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner and Richard Alpert adapted it as a guide to psychedelic experience.
MacHovec's version strips away much of the scholarly apparatus of earlier translations to give a clear, readable text that can be used as a meditation on death and impermanence. The Peter Pauper Press was known for its small, attractively designed gift editions, and this one is a favourite with collectors of the press and of vintage esoteric books.
Frank J. MacHovec was an American psychologist and author who produced popular modern renderings of Eastern classics as well as works on psychology.
Ideal for: students of Tibetan Buddhism, readers exploring death and dying, collectors of the Peter Pauper Press and vintage counterculture books.
Carefully packed and shipped from Australia. Questions about this copy, or want more photos? Get in touch.
The Tibetan Book of the Dead in Frank J. MacHovec's modern translation, published by the Peter Pauper Press – a compact, illustrated edition of the Bardo Thödol.
The Bardo Thödol, traditionally attributed to Padmasambhava, is the Tibetan Buddhist guide to the intermediate state between death and rebirth, read aloud to guide the consciousness of the dying. MacHovec's 1972 rendering is a concise, accessible version for the modern reader, presented in the Peter Pauper Press's characteristic small decorated format.
The text sets out the stages the consciousness passes through after death – the dawning of the Clear Light, the appearance of the peaceful and wrathful deities, and the paths that lead either to liberation or back into rebirth. It was introduced to the West by W. Y. Evans-Wentz in 1927 and later became a touchstone of the 1960s counterculture, when Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner and Richard Alpert adapted it as a guide to psychedelic experience.
MacHovec's version strips away much of the scholarly apparatus of earlier translations to give a clear, readable text that can be used as a meditation on death and impermanence. The Peter Pauper Press was known for its small, attractively designed gift editions, and this one is a favourite with collectors of the press and of vintage esoteric books.
Frank J. MacHovec was an American psychologist and author who produced popular modern renderings of Eastern classics as well as works on psychology.
Ideal for: students of Tibetan Buddhism, readers exploring death and dying, collectors of the Peter Pauper Press and vintage counterculture books.
Carefully packed and shipped from Australia. Questions about this copy, or want more photos? Get in touch.
