The Bardo - Laurie Anderson

After death, according to the Tibetan Book of the Dead, all creatures then

spend 49 days in the Bardo.

And the Bardo isn’t a place — it’s more like a

process, that lasts 49 days, as the mind dissolves.

And, as the Tibetans

believe, the consciousness — or let’s say the energy — prepares to take another

life form.

Bleep.

Bleep.

All goes to darkness.

And the next thing you see is

your next life.

A slow awakening to this world, or another world.

Now you are in another form.

Without a body

Recognise this

The cities.

The mountains.

The rooms.

The trees.

The trains

Optical illusions.

Not there.

Like dreams made of nothing

Things you love, just living things, move with a different speed.

They disappear.

Echo.

Repeat.

(…a different speed…) Anger, turned to

liberation.

Earth into water.

Water into fire.

Fire into air.

Air into

consciousness.

The many days of silence, and loneliness.

You are not alone in

leaving this world

At first you don’t realise you’re dead, but continue doing things you used to

do.

Looking for things you’ve lost.

Your mind overwhelmed by memories.

And plans.

What am I?

What am I?

(…looking for your food bowl and wondering

where…)

Recognise this

The monkey mind, my teacher calls it.

Dissolving like moonlight in a cloudless

sky

Recognise this

You can move through walls

Recognise this, as the play of your own mind

Leave attachment to the things you left

Could I have done this?

Could I have said this?

(…get some good food and bring her home…)

The long ago fears of childhood.

No solid self.

The longing after your own

happiness.

(…own happiness…) The longing after your own happiness.

(…

own happiness…) Trapped in your thought flow

Wake up

Wake up

Clocks have stopped.

Once you wore that.

Once you did that.

Everything you knew

about time, slipping, repeating…

Do not be afraid

Like all mornings, (…just as you say…)

Recognise this

Leave behind aggression.

Leave behind passion

Recognise this