Navigating change with the Tibetan Book of the Dead

For November’s mortal musings, we’re stepping into the bardo—a realm of transitions, where endings give rise to beginnings, and change invites us to grow.

Welcome to Mortal Musings—our monthly roundup of what’s sparking inspiration, contemplation and shifts of perspective in the realm of life, death and impermanence. We hope you enjoy!

Pema Chodron, the beloved Tibetan Buddhist teacher and nun, is the queen of spiritual-yet-practical guidance for navigating change and uncertainty. Her perennial bestseller When Things Fall Apart is, in our humble opinion, one of the best resources available for making it through hard times (consider gifting it to your next friend who gets fired, divorced, seriously ill or otherwise thrown a curveball). In her latest book How You Live Is How You Die, she offers a beginner-friendly guide to the Tibetan Buddhist bardo teachings, exploring not only what happens after death, but how these teachings can help us to work with the many endings we face before the ultimate one. PEMA CHODRON

If you feel called to delve into the deep wisdom of the Tibetan Book of the Dead and the Tibetan teachings on the bardos (the in-between states between death and rebirth), start with this commentary by esteemed scholar and translator Francesca Fremantle, who worked with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche (one of the OGs who brought Tibetan Buddhism to America) on his 1975 translation of the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Fremantle decodes its rich symbology to show how these teachings offer not only spiritual insight on the dying process, but a guide for living well. FRANCESCA FREMANTLE

Brene Brown

What we call the “midlife crisis” may be more accurately described as a midlife “unravelling,” says Brene Brown. It’s a period when we become accurately aware that we don’t have all the time in the world left—and the old coping mechanisms and defenses we’ve relied on must be shed, now, if we are to become who we’re meant to be. As Brown puts it: Midlife is not about the fear of death. Midlife is death. Tearing down the walls that we spent our entire life building is death. Like it or not, at some point during midlife, you’re going down, and after that there are only two choices: staying down or enduring rebirth. Mic drop. BRENE BROWN

By Jesse Paris Smith, Laurie Anderson, and Tenzin Choegyal

In the Tibetan tradition, when someone dies, monks will often read aloud the Tibetan Book of the Dead for 49 days to guide the soul along the journey to its next life. Experience the power of listening to these teachings aloud (sung to perfection by Tibetan musician Tenzin Choegyal) in the stunning musical collaboration, Songs from the Bardo. Leave it to multimedia master Laurie Anderson to find a way to truly give us a glimpse of an experience that is so beyond words. Grab your noise-canceling headphones, put on an eye mask, press play and prepare to go on a psychedelic journey (substances optional). SONGS FROM THE BARDO

If you’ve ever found yourself standing in the rubble of what was and wondering how to possibly begin rebuilding, Keep Moving by Maggie Smith might give you the kick in the pants you need to get going . In a series of short reflections and quotes, this book takes you by the hand and reminds you that loss isn’t the end—it’s the beginning of something new. You’ve just gotta keep moving, even when you want to give up (or freeze up). MAGGIE SMITH

What’s been sparking death contemplation for you these days? We’d love to hear about it—send a link our way, and it just might end up in a future edition. And if this newsletter resonated with you, don’t forget to like, comment, or share it with someone who might appreciate it too.

— Maura & Carolyn