CONTEMPORARY ELDER - THE NEXT BARDO
THE BARDO
Bardo is a Tibetan word that simply means a transition – a gap between the completion of one circumstance or situation and the onset of another. “Bar” means “in-between” and “do” means “suspended” or “thrown.” Bardo is a word made famous by the popularity of the book the Tibetan Book of the Dead first published in English 1927. Millions of copies have since been sold. I got my first copy in 1979.
The Tibetan Book of the Dead is a unique book of knowledge over 2500 years old. It is a kind of guide book of the after-death states, which are read by fellow llamas to a llama who is dying and for forty-seven days after their death. The Tibetan Book of the Dead presents the various states in the bardo between death and rebirth given the Tibetan notion of reincarnation.
One of the central characteristics of bardos is that they are periods of great uncertainty and upheaval.
In a bardo there is continuous, unnerving oscillation between clarity and confusion, bewilderment and insight, certainty and uncertainty. In a bardo wisdom and confusion arise simultaneously, they coemerge. This allows a continuous state of choice between the two.
When one leaves a career and the highly burnished identity required for career accomplishment, the world suddenly becomes more turbulent, life more fragmented. Anxiety, restlessness with a touch of paranoia arises.
Death of one’s previous identity and the ending of one’s professional character as it emerges from the old-growth encrusted Chrysalis, kicks you straight into this bardo. What choices will you make given the unique opportunities available in a
bardo? Choices which are strong determinants for your remaining future. Our findings and teaching are the pursuit of becoming an Elder, directly influences these choices – on this Elder path one sees more clearly and makes wiser choices.
There is no such “Tibetan Book” whispering in your ear describing the states you will be pass through at the end of your professional career and well-matured identity. Our conclusions are people who intend to reincarnate as an Elder make far better choices.
TEACHERS TAKE YOU THROUGH THE BARDO
We suggest finding teachers that can “whisper in your ear” that enable you identify the states of the bardo you are going through. Find teachers who expand your higher wisdom. Find teachers that speak not only to your intellect, but also speak to your values, intentions, and heart. Find teachers that you trust, teachers who are their word in action.
Find teachers who open your eyes to yourself as yourself. Teachers that enable you to observe your reactions and judgements as you pass through this bardo.
Teachers cannot prevent your inevitable reactions and judgments from occurring as you navigate the bardo, but teachers can allow you to mitigate the incredible damaging forces resulting from these reactions and judgements.
One intuitively knows you have found the right teacher, someone who not only
connects intellectually, but also touches a deeper part of yourself. Their words, tone and feelings resonate within you. They resonate because they already reside within you, just not fully unearthed. The teacher has the shovel to dig it out.
I’ve had many teachers along the way. Ram Dass happened to be one the most influential teachers for me. Seems he was my bardo chaperon a number of time when I crossed some of my most treacherous and disconcerting bardos.
My first encounter with Ram Doss was in the late 70s at Omega Institute and then soon after at Nuropa University. Over the years until his death, I attended a number of Ram Dass engagements. His teaching always seemed to come at the right time. I continue to listen to his presentations on Audible and they still resonate with me and in fact, I hear more in his teachings than before.
UPDATE - THE CONTEMPORARY ELDER RETREAT
By identifying the various states existing in the end of career bardo,
the encounters with the growing shadow of anxiety, irrelevance, diminishing vitality, fear of going broke, inflation, health, health care, loss of mental capacity, political upheaval – shifting your awareness of these states allows you to make more conscious and wiser choices - choices made from your higher
wisdom. Choices that bring peace, equanimity, tolerance, and self-acceptance along with strong sense of purpose and resolve.
Before someone can register for the retreat, an initial conversation with me is demanded. We both need to know. We need to see if the retreat lines up for both of us.
The retreat is being built to guide those sixty years and older through the bardo which occurs at the end of their professional life with their intention for their rebirth as an Elder. An overview is now up on the Website with its companion in-depth PDF. www.requestingwisdom.com Click on RETREAT on the menu bar.
If what we are presenting here is where you are in your life, or you have someone who this is appropriate for, send them to the Website.
By the way, you should hope this retreat succeeds because everyone reading this will be in this same bardo at some point in your life.
