For many years, since 1974, the first time a reading from the American Book of the Dead was offered to help another being “in transit” or passing, we have been collecting stories about the often remarkable events and results surrounding the practice of reading for the benefit of another. Indeed, an entire discipline now called Labyrinth Reading has grown around this practice which was borrowed and continues to advance the ancient Tibetan Buddhist tradition of reading from the Bardo Thodol or Book of the Dead. In our upcoming book, tentatively titled “Each Word a Universe,” we will endeavor to share some of these stories and show how the practice of doing readings has guided and enlivened the space around the passing of many individuals.
Over the years we have found that one remarkable thing about labyrinth reading is that it does not matter what sacred text is being read to the person who is dying. The instruction itself can be selected by the voyager (the one in crisis or who is dying) or can be aligned with his or her favored religion. For example, the Lord’s Prayer, Rosary, Last Rites or any passage from the Bible could be read 3 to 7 times for someone of the Christian faith who is passing. The reading should never be foreign or in any way uncomfortable for the listener (voyager). In cases where the voyager has no religious preference, the Clear Light reading from the American Book of the Dead serves well as a non denominational offering.
The purpose of the labyrinth reading is to center the voyager on being present in his or her own voyage. We remind him or her again and again that this is completely her own experience in the here and now and she does not have to get caught up in visions or distractions.
When my time has come
and impermanence and death have caught up with me,
When the breath ceases, and the body and mind go their separate ways,
May I not experience delusion, attachment, and clinging,
But remain in the natural state of ultimate reality.
tibetan nyingma master - longchenpa rabjampa - 14th century - www.worldprayers.org
Reading does not involve any philosophical or religious system of belief, but, as mentioned above, if a particular spiritual belief system is favored by the voyager it can be used with good effect. It is very important even in these instances, where the voyager has a strong religious belief, that the reader must be sure not to “religiousize” the reading space.
The reader’s purpose is basically one of non-participation, a simple, clear, untainted delivery of the instructions. It is a fundamentally more technical than spiritual. The reader is adjured to focus on getting the instructions through to the voyager, nothing more. An entire course has developed for readers to develop clear reading skills – The Labyrinth Reader’s Course. A big part of this course is learning how to read under various distracting conditions and one of the first tenets is that any effects or changes in the reading space should be discounted.
This is the same as in any real practice. The details matter, the attention matters, but not any “spiritual” effects. The Tai chi teacher emphatically says “Simply and with full attention concentrate on doing the form. Do not focus on the chi and its effects on you. Ignore the chi.”
It’s very important to note this up front. In our book we do not wish to sensationalize the Labyrinth Reading process at all. We read or convey instructions to the voyager to help them to stay undistracted in the present moment. Whatever personal affinity or practice they’ve had in this life that can help with connecting to them we are willing to use.
