Andrew Holecek

A spiritual masterpiece of unparalleled profundity, The Tibetan Book of the Dead is as applicable today as it was a thousand years ago.

While it was written as a guidebook for death, it is equally The Tibetan Book of Life. Studying The Book ironically brings you more fully into life, and gives birth to a new view of reality. This talk will explore the universality of the “death principle,” and how you can practice death now using this text as a guide. According to the Tibetans, death is a journey of the mind, and by exploring your mind with this book at your side, you can “die before you die.” But why is The Book so hard to understand? What are the “access codes” that allow you to decipher this impenetrable text? And what are the many “near enemies” that await the unprepared reader? This talk will equip you with the tools necessary to understand this magisterial tome.

In this seminar, participants will:

About the Course

Written in self-secret “twilight language,” The Tibetan Book of the Dead is unfathomable to most people. This course will show you how to penetrate the text, and bring it fully to life – and death. We will focus on the first of the three death bardos, or “transitional processes,” that structure the book: the painful bardo of dying. Why is it painful, and what can we do to remove that pain? We’ll explore the eight stages of death, and how meditation prepares us to die. What are the reverse meditations, and how do they transform pain? What do we do about sudden death? Learn about the five types of phowa, or “ejection of consciousness,” the role of dream yoga as a way to prepare, and how to transcend anxiety and fear. Why is our fear of death a secondary and therefore inauthentic fear? What are we really afraid of? This course will show you how to help others die, and give you the confidence to face your own death with ease. By understanding The Book, we can transform death into a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

About the Course

Written in self-secret “twilight language,” The Tibetan Book of the Dead is unfathomable to most people. This course will show you how to penetrate the text, and bring it fully to life – and death. We will focus on the first of the three death bardos, or “transitional processes,” that structure the book: the painful bardo of dying. Why is it painful, and what can we do to remove that pain? We’ll explore the eight stages of death, and how meditation prepares us to die. What are the reverse meditations, and how do they transform pain? What do we do about sudden death? Learn about the five types of phowa, or “ejection of consciousness,” the role of dream yoga as a way to prepare, and how to transcend anxiety and fear. Why is our fear of death a secondary and therefore inauthentic fear? What are we really afraid of? This course will show you how to help others die, and give you the confidence to face your own death with ease. By understanding The Book, we can transform death into a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

About the Course

Written in self-secret “twilight language,” The Tibetan Book of the Dead is unfathomable to most people. This course will show you how to penetrate the text, and bring it fully to life – and death. We will focus on the first of the three death bardos, or “transitional processes,” that structure the book: the painful bardo of dying. Why is it painful, and what can we do to remove that pain? We’ll explore the eight stages of death, and how meditation prepares us to die. What are the reverse meditations, and how do they transform pain? What do we do about sudden death? Learn about the five types of phowa, or “ejection of consciousness,” the role of dream yoga as a way to prepare, and how to transcend anxiety and fear. Why is our fear of death a secondary and therefore inauthentic fear? What are we really afraid of? This course will show you how to help others die, and give you the confidence to face your own death with ease. By understanding The Book, we can transform death into a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

About the Retreat

All of life is held within the context of death.

By acknowledging and preparing for death now, we will find ourselves living more fully and fearlessly. Join us as we celebrate the preciousness of life, and ready ourselves and others for this final journey. With talks, guided contemplations, meditations, videos, and discussion groups, we will learn how to die a good death, and how to help others die.

As the Buddhist tradition proclaims, “If you die before you die, then when you die you will not die.” With preparation, we can transcend death, turning the greatest obstacle into a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and even attain enlightenment.

The bardo (“gap, transitional process”) teachings lead to the death of death. The journey through the bardos is a journey into our mind, so by exploring the bardos we are exploring ourselves. They also apply to any moment that ends – which means these teachings apply directly to daily life.

About the Course

Written in self-secret “twilight language,” The Tibetan Book of the Dead is unfathomable to most people. This course will show you how to penetrate the text, and bring it fully to life – and death. We will focus on the first of the three death bardos, or “transitional processes,” that structure the book: the painful bardo of dying. Why is it painful, and what can we do to remove that pain? We’ll explore the eight stages of death, and how meditation prepares us to die. What are the reverse meditations, and how do they transform pain? What do we do about sudden death? Learn about the five types of phowa, or “ejection of consciousness,” the role of dream yoga as a way to prepare, and how to transcend anxiety and fear. Why is our fear of death a secondary and therefore inauthentic fear? What are we really afraid of? This course will show you how to help others die, and give you the confidence to face your own death with ease. By understanding The Book, we can transform death into a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Leave the pressures of life behind and let the natural beauty of the Sedona desert settle your mind and open your heart. Soak up the sun, savor the organic food, and meet like-minded people while you learn about the refined aspects of mindfulness, and the meditations that transcend it.

A Unique Weeklong Event

This inaugural retreat offers a deeper look at mindfulness, a healthy critique of its limitations, and an exploration of the rich array of post-mindfulness meditations. With mindfulness as a platform, we will discover the wonders of the natural mind using a host of practices from the wisdom traditions.