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.