The Tibetan Book of the Dead

This handsome hardback edition presents the classic Buddhist text, The Tibetan Book of the Dead, featuring silver cover embossing and gilded page-edges.

Said to have its origins in the 'treasure texts' that were supposedly hidden away by Padmasambhava, the Lotus Guru, in Tibet in the 8th century, The Tibetan Book of the Dead was traditionally read aloud to the dying or recently deceased as a guide to the afterlife. It explains how to recognize the true nature of the mind so that after death it will be possible to attain enlightenment and liberation from the suffering associated with the endless cycle of death and rebirth. For many, reading The Tibetan Book of the Dead has been a revelatory experience on the path to finding a sense of spirituality and self-knowledge.

This deluxe pocket-sized gift edition is presented with an embossed cover design, ivory pages, beautifully designed endpapers and silver gilded page edges. Part of the Arcturus Ornate Classics series, this book makes wonderful gift for any lover of classic literature.

ABOUT THE SERIES: Arcturus Ornate Classics are beautifully bound editions of iconic literary works across history. These compact, foil-embossed hardbacks are printed using deluxe ivory paper and make the perfect gift.

According to Tibetan tradition, the Tibetan Book of the Dead was composed in the 8th century by Padmasambhava, written down by his primary student, Yeshe Tsogyal, buried in the Gampo hills in central Tibet and subsequently discovered by a Tibetan terton, Karma Lingpa, in the 14th century

The editor, John Baldock, studied art history at the École du Louvre, Paris. His encounter with sacred art led to an exploration of the world's major religious and spiritual traditions. After a period of teaching art and art history in schools in England, during which he continued his spiritual studies, he left teaching to pursue a career as a writer. His books include The Essence of Sufism, The Essence of Rumi and an anthology of Zen wisdom.

Lama Kazi Dawa-Samsup (1868-1922) is now best known as one of the first translators of important works of Tibetan Buddhism into the English language and a pioneer central to the transmission of Buddhism in the West.