Homage to the gurus, yidams and dakinis,
with their great love may they lead us on the path.
When through confusion
I wander in samsara
on the undistracted light-path of study, reflection, and meditation,
may the gurus of the sacred lineage go before me;
their consorts the hosts of dakinis behind me;
help me to cross the bardo's dangerous pathway
and bring me to the perfect buddha state.
When through intense ignorance
I wander in samsara,
on the luminous light-path of the dharmadhatu wisdom,
may Blessed Vairocana go before me,
his consort the Queen of Vajra Space behind me;
help me to cross the bardo's dangerous pathway
and bring me to the perfect buddha state.
When through intense aggression
I wander in samsara,
on the luminous light-path of the mirror-like wisdom,
may Blessed Vajrasattva go before me,
his consort Buddha-Locana behind me;
help me to cross the bardo's dangerous pathway
and bring me to the perfect buddha state.
When through intense pride
I wander in samsara,
on the luminous light-path of the wisdom of equality,
may Blessed Ratnasambhava go before me,
his consort Mamaki behind me;
help me to cross the bardo's dangerous pathway
and bring me to the perfect buddha state.
When through intense desire
I wander in samsara,
on the luminous light-path of discriminating wisdom,
may Blessed Amitabha go before me,
his consort Pandaravasini behind me;
help me to cross the bardo's dangerous pathway
and bring me to the perfect buddha state.
When through intense envy
I wander in samsara,
on the luminous light-path of action-accomplishing wisdom,
may Blessed Amoghasiddhi go before me,
his consort Samaya-Tara behind me;
help me to cross the bardo's dangerous pathway
and bring me to the perfect buddha state.
When through strong unconscious tendencies
I wander in samsara,
on the luminous light-path of innate wisdom,
may the vidyadhara warriors go before me,
their consorts the hosts of dakinis behind me;
help me to cross the bardo's dangerous pathway
and bring me to the perfect buddha state.
When through fierce confused projections
I wander in samsara,
on the light-path of abandoning all fear,
may the Blessed Ones, peaceful and wrathful, go before me,
the host of dakinis, Queens of Space, behind me;
help me to cross the bardo's dangerous pathway
and bring me to the perfect buddha state.
May the element of space not rise up as an enemy,
may I see the Realm of the blue
buddha.
May the element of water not rise up as enemy,
may I see the Realm of the white
buddha.
May the element of earth not rise up as an enemy,
may I see the realm of the yellow
buddha.
May the element of fire not rise up as an enemy,
may I see the realm of the red
buddha.
May the element of air not rise up as an enemy,
may I see the realm of the green
buddha,
May the rainbow
of the elements not rise up as enemies,
may I see the realm of all the buddhas.
May the sounds, lights and rays not rise up as enemies,
may I see the infinite realms of the Peaceful and Wrathful Ones.
May I know all the sounds as my own sound,
may I know all the lights as my own light,
may I know all the rays as my own ray.
May I spontaneously know the bardo as myself,
may I attain the realms of the three kayas.
from Francesca Freemantle and Chogyam Trungpa, The Tibetan Book of of the Dead: The Great Liberation Through Hearing in the Bardo (Boston, MA: Shambhala, 1987 [1975]), pp. 100-103.