TANTRIC BUDDHISM (INCLUDING CHINA AND JAPAN)sins .... For the sake of the patient take refuge in Bcom-Idan-'das De-bzhin-gshegs-
pa Sman-gyi -bla Bai-<,liir-rya'i-'od and do its connected rituals .... The rnam-shes
will return and it will have been like a dream ... "
23 See, e.g., Blang dor gees bsdus gsa! ba 'i sgron me, Dharamsala: Shes rig par khang,
pp. 95-9.
24 See Lichter and Epstein, op. cit., and Epstein, 1977.
25 In relation to the 'das-log as a creative figure, Wallace (1959: 58) notes that "a vast
quantity of content has been introduced into the cultural repetoire of mankind by hal-
lucinatory ideation .... " McKellar (1977: 94) remarks that hypnogogic stetes can
produce "convincing supernatural etiologies even in unbelievers." See also the papers
in Siegel and West, 1975 and Keup, 1970 on the induction of and cross-cultural com-
parison of hallucinatory states.
26 Remarks such as these are common in the 'das-log texts and seem to emphasize the
ethical aspect of action versus worldly notions of ascribed status. Even though one's
born station is high as a result of past virtue, virtuous action cannot be foresworn.
27 Bya-bral Kun-dga'-rang-grol's biography gives a detailed description of the various
parts of Bardo (f. 2b ff.):
a. G.ya' rna sngo sing nge ba I. Ri dmar mchin ba 'dra
b. Bshan thang dmar po m. Brag ri sngon po
c. Bye ma'i Ia n. Khrag mtsho khol rna
d. Spang gshong 0. Ri dkarpo
e. 'Khrul snang bar do p. Shal rna ri
f. Dmar sgang gi grong mo che q. Ral gri lo rna nags tshal
g. Brag ri thor leags zur pa 'dra r. Mar me byang thang
h. Ma thar Ius pa sgang s. Grang dmyal gong rna
I. Bca' 'phrang gong rna t. Rdo leb thang
J. Mun pa'i gling u. Chus lung
k. Bskal pa'i me dpung
28 'Das-logs may also tour the other realms of being, but these are perfunctory visits at
best. For example in Byang-chub-sengge's biography (X, A), which is 273 pages
long, only pp. 203-7 concern realms other than hell and the human realm. For a brief
description of hell see Sgam-po-pa, 1959: 57 ff. For a comparative study of Buddhist
hells, see Law, 1973 and Matsunaga and Matsunaga, 0972.
29 A cursory survey of the biographies produces the following list of causes for punish-
ment: highway robbery, stealing from the clergy or holy places, causing others to
commit sin, giving unclean things to religious persons, giving false weight and
measure, selling and making beer, prostitution, saying the Three Gems are untrue, not
respecting parents and teachers, abusing the clergy or their patrons, being an oracle or
diviner, doing black magic and making hail, being jealous of others' good deeds,
saying the Mani is untrue, doing astrology, poisoning, beating animals and overwork-
ing them, castrating animals, hunting, being a smith or fletcher, butchering or slaugh-
tering animals, killing lice, plowing fields and killing bugs, being a bad doctor,
having perverse views, fornicating, not repaying debts, robbing corpses, pretending to
be a 'das-log, etc. Causes for a good rebirth in the cases tried before Dharmariija are:
being a repentful sinner, doing smyung-gnas and other ceremonies, making offerings,
being kind to the weak, giving a place to stay to travellers and pilgrims, dressing
statues, giving mang-ja, keeping one's vows, being kind to the sick, and so forth. The
odds for receiving punishment are obviously overwhelming.
30 For similar scenes where saints, lamas, and mal)i-pas save their followers, see, e.g., I,
A: 292, 325; X, A: 87-167 passim; XV: 548.
31 For an overview of "classical" shamanism, see Eliade, 1972. On possession and non-