If not here -- where?

If not I -- who?

If not this -- what?

If not because -- why?

The American Book of the Dead is said to contain instructions for dealing with transit -- one's passage through the bardos. Some folks might think that the word bardos comes from the Tibetan. But we know better. The word bardos is short hand for "not here", "not now" and "not this". Or at least that is what it seems like.

Maybe this here now is not the bardos. Maybe this here now is the bardos. Would you know the difference?

We are told in The American Book of the Dead (ABD) that we can't rely upon our perception to know the difference. One of the nice things about TV guide is that it gives us the tools we need in order to follow the show plots. If we are following a character in a movie and he or she is seeing strange phenomena we can refer to the TV guide to know what is happening. If the movie is categorized as a Sci-Fi film then we know that they are seeing strange aliens from another planet. If the movie is categorized as drama then we can pretty much guess that the lead is experiencing some kind of mental breakdown. If the movie is categorized as fantasy then obviously the strange phenomena is the manifestation of magic spells or perhaps fairae and pixies.

Most of the time we proceed in our lives very much like the supporting actors in a "B" horror film. Even when our friends disappear in front of our eyes and Boris Karloff shows up with a Red Mask dangling out of his hind pocket we don't clue in to the fact that something is happening. We stand with our back to the open cupboard just waiting for the secret panel to open just moments before we take a knife in the back. I wish whoever oils the secret panels in horror films would take a look at my office door. Obviously he is a miracle worker at removing squeaks.

But hey, without the TV Guide to go by how can we know the difference between a dream sequence, a flash back, a psychotic break, a sci-fi happening or the effects of a witches spell? The ABD tells us we can't. And based on my own observation about myself I'd say that's a safe bet most of the time. It is the rare occasion in the dream that I know I'm dreaming. It is the rare occasion in this walking around dream that the ever present countenance of the bardos shines through the equally ever present veil of occlusion.

In a horror film it would be better to assume the dark shadows are not an insurance salesman. And in this dream it would be better to assume we are walking around in the bardos.

Why?

Because the vigilance would be more appropriate.

Mostly we use the perception of familiar surroundings as an excuse to relax our attention and drop our vigilance.

Consider this example.

There is an airline in which all of the high end managment must spend a specific number of days working in low-end grunt type jobs once a year. The point is I suppose for them to stay in touch with their work force and the roots of their business. This is all well and good. I still would not want to be an employee working with these guys caught ragging about the jerk-face bosses by an incognito managment type. Maybe they wouldn't hold it against one. But what's the chances?

This obviously is a rather mundane example with simple unemployement as the negative result. What about the circumstance of a young voyager wandering through the bardos? Just as one comes abreast of a bush there is a startling sound from the right. Quick as a bunny one jumps into the bush leaping for safety from the shocking ambush. If one is walking around in the normal waking dream no harm is done other than perhaps suffering a bit of embarassment. But if one is in the bardos jumping into said bush can have dramatic consequences in terms of automatic convulsive rebirth.

If one behaves in the bardos as if one is in "normal" life some rather not nice concequences are sure to be the result. If on the other hand one behaves in "normal" life as if one is in the bardos the likelihood of wildly inappropriate action is reduce to near zero.

So if you don't know whether you are in the bardos or not would it not behoove one to behalf as if we were.

In this regard, at least, I tend to be as conservative as possible.

If I'm told that heath inspectors are coming to secretly check out my restaurant I will be extra careful with each new customer that day. Until such time as I believe the health inspectors have come and gone each stranger will get very clean silverware, spotless dishware and lipstick free glasses. Not one bug or rat part will be included and any omelette. Why? Because my hypothetical restaurant is important to me and I don't want to lose it do to a bad inspection. And since the inspectors are coming secretly I don't know which stranger will be the inspector.

When it comes to the bardos and considerations of being on one's toes the situation is even more so. Why? Because once again this "familiar" thing may just be a trap.