--An overview of the dying process, the afterdeath bardo states, and teachings on why, where, and how we take rebirth

--Accounts by Tibetan "near-death experiencers" (delogs), who returned from death with amazing reports of their visions

--Ways to train our minds during life, so that at death, all the phenomena before us will arise as a world of peace, joy, and enlightenment

--How to take rebirth in the blissful paradises known as pure lands, where we may make continuous progress toward enlightenment

--Simple meditations, prayers, and rituals to benefit the dead and dying

--Advice for caregivers, helpers, and survivors of the dying

--A brief liturgy and explanation of phowa, the unique Tibetan meditation for transferring the consciousness of the dying (oneself or another) to an enlightened pure land.

Tulku Thondup Rinpoche, an esteemed author and teacher, was born in East Tibet and studied at the famed Dodrupchen Monastery. In 1958 he settled in India, where he taught at Indian universities for many years. He came to the United States in 1980 as a visiting scholar at Harvard University. For the past two decades he has lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, engaging in translation and writing on Tibetan Buddhism, particularly the Nyingma teachings, under the auspices of the Buddhayana Foundation. Among his books are The Healing Power of Mind, which has been published in seventeen languages, Enlightened Living, Enlightened Journey, and Boundless Healing.

328 pages. Paperback.