Saturday, May 31, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

The Tibetan Book of the Dead

The ancient text read to the dead in Tibetan culture aims to help people deal with their inevitable fate in the best possible way.

Published 19 March 2023
– By Editorial Staff
Left: Ancient mandala pattern from the Bardo Thodol collection. Tibetan monks at Drepung Temple in Lhasa on the right.

The original texts were probably written sometime in the 7th century, discovered in the 14th century, and translated into English in the 20th century by the American scholar and anthropologist Walter Evans-Wentz (1878-1965). The translation became the standard English version that most people today know as The Tibetan Book of the Dead and is the one that other authors tend to refer to.

Evans-Wentz’s popularization of the work, including by relating it to the psychologist Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961), has established the book as a kind of guide to understanding and altering consciousness. Many people find that the texts can help them free themselves from misconceptions that keep them bound to repeated cycles of self-destructive or self-limiting behavior. However, this was not the original purpose of Bardo Thodol.

Bardo Thodol roughly means “liberation by hearing in the intermediate state” and was written to be read to the spirit of the deceased in the intermediate state (“bardo”) at the stage when the soul leaves the body and faces the process of either being reborn in another form or being liberated from the cycle of rebirth and death (“samsara”). According to the Tibetan Buddhist philosophy of life, the consciousness of the dead person is confronted, among other things, with the deeds done in life, which are personified in the form of either angry or peaceful spirits. These spirits are considered to be frightening to the soul, and so a lama (Tibetan Buddhist monk) reads the scripture aloud next to the body of the dead person, partly to help the soul understand what it is encountering, and partly because this understanding enables a more harmonious transition from the intermediate state to a new form of life.

At the same time, the mythical writings have had other applications in the encounter with other cultures and beliefs. The texts, however they are interpreted, are based on the existence of an afterlife, providing comfort to those facing death. The scriptures are even used today in some places as a healthcare tool for patients who do not have long to live, to help them face the fears of death.

History of the scriptures

According to legend, the Bardo Thodol arose in the 7th century when the Lotus Guru Padmasambhava was invited to Tibet by the Emperor Trisong Detsen (755 – 797) who requested his help in ridding the country of the dark spirits that were believed to be preventing the acceptance of Buddhist teachings. Padmasambhava thus transformed these spirits from selfish and fearful obstacles into guardians of the cosmic law, “dharma”.

Among the first to embrace the Buddhist philosophy of life was Yeshe Tsogyal in the mid-8th century, who was either the wife or consort of Trisong Detsen. She may have been an early follower of the goddess Tara, one of the principal figures in the esoteric Buddhism of Padmasambhava. Tsogyal, often called the mother of Tibetan Buddhism, dutifully studied with Padmasambhava and helped the guru write the texts, which they then hid in various places to be found later by those who would reveal them when needed.

In the 14th century, the texts were discovered by Karma Lingpa, who is traditionally considered a reincarnation of one of Padmasambhava’s disciples. Lingpa discovered several texts, not just the Bardo Thodol, as noted by scholar Bryan J. Cuevas, among others.

These texts were taught orally by masters to students in the 15th century and then passed between students in the same way. Cuevas notes how “the transmission of religious knowledge, whether in the form of texts or direct oral instruction, was actually a rather fluid process in Tibet” at this time, and earlier. The texts were only printed in the 18th century when they began to circulate more widely and made their way to Western societies around the world.

In 1919, British officer Major W. L. Campbell, stationed in Sikkim, India, travelled around Tibet and bought a number of these printed texts. Campbell had an interest in Tibetan Buddhism and on his return to Sikkim, he shared them with Dr Walter Evans-Wentz, an anthropologist in the region who was studying the religious and spiritual aspects of the culture in Tibet. Evans-Wentz had a very poor command of the language and therefore enlisted the help of Lama Kazi Dawa Samdup (1868 – 1922) who was the headmaster and teacher at a local school.

Dawa Samdup already had an impressive reputation as a translator, having worked with the famous travel writer and spiritualist Alexandra David-Neel to translate Tibetan into English. He agreed to help Evans-Wentz with the writings, and they met to translate and interpret the texts until Dawa Samdup’s death in 1922. At this point, only Bardo Thodol’s funeral text was mostly translated. Evans-Wentz filled in the missing parts with his own interpretation and published the writings in 1927 under the title The Tibetan Book of the Dead to resonate with the title The Egyptian Book of the Dead, published in English in 1867 by the British Museum.

Life as a shaper of the death experience

At the center of Bardo Thodol is the Buddhist philosophy that all living things are interconnected as a constant cycle of change; that all things come and go according to their nature, and that human suffering arises from trying to maintain permanent states in a world where death is inevitable. Researcher Fung Kei Cheng elaborates:

“For Buddhists, life is considered not only a process but, more importantly, a “great process of becoming” with an unceasing cycle of living and dying, which suggests that individuals experience death countless times…. Depending on the individual response to reality, transcending suffering and alleviating death anxiety becomes possible when a person successfully searches for meaning in life and then prepares to die well by letting go of death.”

According to the Buddhist philosophy of life, it is a person’s response to reality in life that shapes their experience after death. In the afterlife, both the positive and negative energies in one’s life manifest as spirits that try to block or open one’s path in the intermediate state after the body dies. The Bardo Thodol is therefore read to the soul to help it understand what it is facing and what to expect next.

Once the ritual of the reading of the Bardo Thodol is complete, the family of the deceased is considered to have done their duty in respecting the dead and can then move on with their lives. Although it seems that some rituals only last for a week or sometimes a few days, the act itself is believed to have helped the deceased and prevent their spirit from returning to haunt the living with bad luck, illness or retribution.

Guidance in life and in death

The ritual of reading aloud to help the soul of the dead is the sole purpose of the original Tibetan text, but once translated by Dawa Samdup and published by Evans-Wentz, its texts were promoted as a source of guidance for the living as well. Evans-Wentz was inspired by the theosophy of Helena Blavatsky (1831 – 1891), which was based on the idea that the divine and immortal absolute resides within each soul, and drew much of its philosophy from Buddhism, particularly esoteric Buddhism. Tibet, as Blavatsky claimed, was “a seat of ancient wisdom”.

Evans-Wentz’s interpretation of the Bardo Thodol was therefore influenced by his theosophical beliefs – not just as a funeral rite but with content that could also help one live a better life on this plane of reality. In his introduction to The Tibetan Book of the Dead, Evans-Wentz writes:

“It is very sensible of Bardo Thodol to clarify the primacy of the dead soul, because that is the one thing that life does not clarify for us. We are so hemmed in by things that crowd and oppress that we never get a chance, in the midst of all these ‘given’ things, to wonder by whom they are ‘given’. It is from this world of ‘given’ things that the dead man liberates himself; and the purpose of instruction is to help him towards this liberation. We, if we put ourselves in his place, will get no less reward from it, because we learn from the very first paragraphs that the ‘giver’ of all ‘given’ things lives within us.”

Evans-Wentz’s approach has highlighted the perspective that The Tibetan Book of the Dead can thus be as valuable to the living as to the dead, something also emphasised by the Tibetan lama Sogyal Rinpoche. It is clear that Bardo Thodol’s texts were written to provide comfort and guidance to the dead in the afterlife, encouraging them to “do something about” death by engaging with the dying process. Today, it may meet the psychological need mentioned by Jung for a belief in the survival of bodily death, helping people in the process to let go and move on – regardless of what personal beliefs or philosophies one relates to.

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WakeUpTV aims to challenge the Nordic establishment media

Published 29 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
According to Oddane, the focus of the TV house will be on news and social programs as well as investigative documentaries and interviews.

The creators behind the WakeUpGlobe channel, the Nordic network WakeUpFriends, and the WakeUpConference announce that they are planning to build a new Nordic television network focused on “truth and awareness”.

The stated goal is extremely ambitious – they say they want to seriously challenge and offer an alternative to the major Nordic TV companies with their millions of viewers.

It’s time to build a new Nordic TV house under the WakeUpTV brand that can seriously challenge the big Nordic commercial and state-owned players, such as SVT, TV4, DR in Denmark, and NRK in Norway”, says founder Michael Oddane in a press release.

With WakeUpTV, we want to take everything to a whole new level, where we will operate in professional TV studios on a par with the major TV houses in an environment where the masses feel at home”, he continues.

According to Oddane, hundreds of millions of people around the world have lost confidence in the narratives broadcast by traditional channels and are instead looking for new alternatives.

We will create truth-focused and life-affirming TV that will both be a force for changing society for the better and help people develop both personally and spiritually”, he says.

“Traditional media obscures and distorts”

The plans began five years ago, and the property where the TV station will be built is located in a scenic area outside Lund. Two large TV studios, control rooms, and offices will be built on the property.

Initially, the TV station will have five permanent employees, and various external presenters will be brought in for different projects. It will launch its own streaming service but will also broadcast much of its content via social media to achieve the widest possible reach.

Our focus will, as always, be on uncovering the truth about what is happening in the world and sharing knowledge about personal and spiritual development. It is quite obvious that traditional media both obscures and distorts the truth, contrary to the mission they claim to have. They seem to operate largely according to the wishes of those in power and have lost their function as the third estate. Even spiritual and personal development seem to fall outside the scope of public service and commercial television, which is highly remarkable”, Oddane continues.

Holistic health and alternative medicine

WakeUpTV will also focus on areas such as holistic health, alternative medicine, and treatments – but not on sports or pure entertainment programs.

There will be news-related and socially oriented programs, investigative documentaries, and interviews. There are also plans for debate programs and talk shows with live audiences and, as I said, a separate section where we will share knowledge about spiritual and personal development together with a large number of Nordic actors. Everything will be packaged with high production values”.

Oddane is now trying to attract investors – both micro-investors and those who are willing to invest larger sums. However, it is currently unclear when the TV station is expected to be ready and start broadcasting programs.

Israel’s Eurovision public vote record sparks suspicion of coordinated campaign

Published 20 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Israeli representative Yuval Raphael performing at this year's Eurovision.

Israel’s contribution to the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 has become a hot topic – not only for its performance, but also for the record-high number of votes from the audience. Now, suspicions are growing that organized campaigns may have influenced the result.

According to the Schibsted newspaper SvD, both experts and Eurovision fans have reacted to Israel receiving so many votes from TV viewers. Israel’s representative Yuval Raphael won the public vote by a large margin, but Austria took home the final victory thanks to higher scores from the jury groups.

As in Malmö last year, Israel’s entry was controversial even before the final, mainly because of the ongoing war in Gaza.

It is worth noting that Yuval Raphael survived the Hamas attack at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, and she says that the experience has shaped her and her entry, “New Day Will Rise”, which she believes carries a strong message of hope and reconstruction.

EBU will investigate

According to SvD, there are suspicions of coordinated efforts on platforms such as Telegram, Facebook, and X, where users have shared instructions on how to vote from different countries and use VPN services to circumvent geographical restrictions.

Similar patterns have been seen in previous years, but this year’s mobilization is described as unusually extensive. There have also been reports of automated bots and paid advertisements targeting the Eurovision audience.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organizes the contest, has confirmed that it is following up on the information and analyzing voting patterns. In a statement, the EBU says it has advanced systems to detect and stop cheating, but that it always reviews its procedures after the contest.

Journalist asked critical questions about Israel – banned from Eurovision

The situation in Gaza

Published 15 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Journalist Szymon Stellmaszyk, banned from Eurovision 2025.

Polish journalist Szymon Stellmaszyk has been denied accreditation for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Basel. He believes this is due to a critical question he asked Israeli artist Eden Golan last year – something the EBU denies.

Szymon Stellmaszyk has covered the Eurovision Song Contest for 20 years and runs both the Facebook page “Let’s talk about ESC” and the industry website “Radio Newsletter”. This year, for the first time, he has been denied accreditation to cover the contest in Basel.

The background, according to Stellmaszyk himself, is a critical question he asked Israel’s contestant, Eden Golan, during Eurovision in Malmö last year. He asked whether Golan, given the political situation and the war in Gaza, thought her presence could pose a security risk to other participants and the audience.

The question attracted attention and was criticized by some, but Stellmaszyk emphasizes that it was not intended to be offensive or “anti-Semitic”. In an email to Stellmaszyk, which the Swedish state broadcaster SVT has seen, the EBU justifies its decision by saying that the platforms Stellmaszyk uses do not have sufficient reach.

“Restriction”

Szymon Stellmaszyk himself is convinced that the EBU is making excuses and that it is in fact about the question he asked last year.

– This is some kind of revenge and, in practice, a restriction of freedom of expression, he says.

It should also be noted that this year’s EBU media handbook contains a new rule stating that published content must be “respectful” towards Eurovision and the EBU. Eurovision boss Martin Green says the wording is unfortunate and promises that it will be reworded for next year.

At the same time, he does not want to comment on individual cases, but points out that there are a limited number of places for journalists.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2025 will be held in Basel, Switzerland.

Bizarre children’s series described as “digital drug”

Cultural revolution in the West

Published 10 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The characters of the children's series Cocomelon with its abnormal proportions.

The children’s series Cocomelon attracts young children around the world with its colorful animations and catchy songs. Despite its enormous popularity, criticism of the series is growing, with some warnings that its extreme editing could have a very negative effect on children’s brains.

More and more parents and experts are questioning the extremely fast pace of Cocomelon and whether the mass-produced style is really good for young minds, or whether it risks overstimulating children and making them restless.

One of the major objections to Cocomelon is its rapid editing technique, where camera angles change every two to three seconds. This is a hectic and exaggerated pace that is unfortunately all too common in modern children’s entertainment, but here it is taken to a new level.

According to a study by PubMed Central (PMC), the executive functions of 4-year-olds, such as self-control and working memory, are at risk of being severely impaired after being exposed to fast-paced clips for too long.

Many parents also report that their children become agitated after watching children’s series such as Cocomelon, and there is plenty of criticism on social media platforms such as X.

Mass-produced aesthetics

Other research also indicates that rapid camera and clip changes can negatively affect young children’s concentration. The fast pace is no accident either. Cocomelon is designed to capture children’s attention, but some argue that it now goes too far.

According to Findmykids.org, the constant impressions can trigger dopamine release, causing children to seek the same quick rewards even outside the screen – something that can make it harder for them to focus on calmer activities such as reading or playing.

In addition to the pace, the series’ aesthetics have also been criticized. Like most animated productions today, the characters have disproportionately large heads and overly cheerful expressions, which some find unpleasant.

For many parents and viewers, it feels like the series is made on an assembly line where quantity takes precedence over quality, resulting in an aesthetic that is more frightening than charming.

Opinions are divided

Unlike traditional cartoons such as Scooby-Doo, Cocomelon is animated in a way that prioritizes quantity over quality, which is evident in the disproportionate characters and the assembly line feel.

Opinions about Cocomelon are divided. Some experts, such as Rebecca Cowan at Walden University, argue that there is insufficient evidence to single out Cocomelon as the problem – instead, it is total screen time that may be harmful.

– Without empirical research on the show Cocomelon, there is no data to substantiate claims that this show is overstimulating due to the pace of the scenes, she says.

But others warn that the series’ pace and overstimulating elements can have a very negative impact on children’s development, especially in terms of concentration and calmness.

Cocomelon may seem like an easy solution for entertaining young children, but it is worth considering what the fast pace and mass-produced style do to young viewers.

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