The Tibetan Book of the Dead, or Bardo Thödol, stands firmly within the broad stream of Buddhist teaching while giving a uniquely detailed account of the dying process and what follows. It rests on shared foundations such as impermanence, karma, rebirth, and the absence of a permanent self, presenting death not as an absolute end but as a transition within the ongoing flow of conditioned existence. The text assumes the standard Buddhist understanding that actions shape future experience, so that the visions and circumstances encountered after death arise in dependence on past karma. In this sense, it does not replace general Buddhist teachings on death, but rather presupposes them and extends them into a more elaborate map of the intermediate state.

In comparison with early Buddhist presentations, which tend to emphasize mindfulness of death, the cultivation of wholesome states at the time of dying, and trust in the Three Jewels, the Bardo Thödol offers a more structured description of what consciousness may encounter between death and rebirth. While earlier sources do not typically provide a visionary manual for this interval, the Tibetan text articulates a sequence of bardos and links them to the possibility of liberation or a more favorable rebirth. It stresses the importance of mental clarity and recollection of the Dharma during this period, echoing the broader Buddhist conviction that the quality of mind at death carries great weight.

Within the Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna context, the Bardo Thödol reflects teachings on Buddha‑nature, emptiness, and the transformative power of meditative practice. The appearance of the “Clear Light” at death is presented as an opportunity to recognize the innate purity of mind, resonating with the Mahāyāna view that awakening is possible through directly realizing the empty, luminous nature of experience. The text’s descriptions of peaceful and wrathful deities, mantras, and visualizations are characteristic of Vajrayāna, where such forms are understood as expressions of enlightened mind rather than external entities. These elements are framed as supports for recognizing that the seemingly solid experiences of the bardo are, in fact, projections of mind without inherent existence.

At the same time, the Bardo Thödol remains continuous with more familiar Buddhist death practices: it encourages a calm and virtuous attitude at the time of dying, remembrance of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and the compassionate assistance of others through chanting and guidance. Its distinctive contribution lies in giving ritual and contemplative shape to these principles, portraying the post‑mortem journey as a series of chances to see through fear and confusion and to respond with insight. In doing so, it gathers core Buddhist doctrines into a single, vivid framework, using the liminal space of death and rebirth as a powerful field for the realization of wisdom and the ripening of karma.