In this tradition, the term “bardo” (bar do) literally signifies an “intermediate” or “in‑between” state, a transitional phase that stands between more fixed conditions of existence. It is not a place in the ordinary sense, but rather a state of consciousness that unfolds between death and a new birth. Within this interval, the mind is said to encounter a series of visionary experiences—peaceful and wrathful forms, deities, and other karmic manifestations—that reflect its own deepest tendencies. These appearances are not merely spectacles; they are occasions in which the fundamental nature of reality is revealed with unusual clarity.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead presents this bardo as a critical passage in which liberation or further rebirth becomes possible. Because consciousness is less bound by habitual patterns in such a transitional state, there is a heightened potential either to recognize the true nature of mind or to be swept along by confusion and fear. The text therefore functions as a guide, offering instructions meant to be read or recalled during this interval, so that the dying or deceased consciousness can navigate these experiences skillfully. In this way, “bardo” names both a precarious threshold and a profound spiritual opportunity, a liminal span in which the direction of one’s future existence can be decisively shaped.