What if I were to die tonight?

The bardo teachings of the Tibetan book of the dead show us clearly what happens if we prepare for death, and what can happen if we do not. The choice is clear. If we refuse to accept death now, while we are alive, we pay dearly at the moment of death and beyond. This refusal prevents us from living fully and imprisons us in the very aspect of ourselves that must die.

Ignorance of death robs us of the foundation for the journey toward enlightenment and traps us endlessly in the realm of illusion- the uncontrolled cycle of birth and death, the ocean of suffering Buddhists call samsara.

Yet the fundamental message of the bardo teachings is one of great hope: if we prepare, there is the possibility of boundless freedom. This freedom can be cultivated now, in life, and it allows us to meet death consciously and to shape what follows.

If you watch the news or read the newspaper, death is everywhere. Do the victims of accidents expect to die that day? Like us, they took life for granted. We often hear of friends or acquaintances who die unexpectedly. The body can suddenly break down, just like a car.

We need to shake ourselves awake and ask honestly: What if I were to die tonight?

It is important to reflect calmly, again and again, that death is real and comes without warning. As the 12th-century master Drakpa Gyaltsen said:

“Human beings spend their lives preparing, preparing,
preparing—only to meet the next life unprepared.”

For one who has prepared and practiced, death does not come as defeat, but as triumph for the crowning moment of life.