The Bardo Prayer Which Protects From Fear

When the journey of my life has reached its end,
and since no relatives go with me from this world
I wander in the bardo state alone,
may the peaceful and wrathful Buddhas send
out the power of their compassion
and clear away the dense darkness of ignorance

When parted from beloved friends, wandering alone
my own projections' empty forms appear,
may the Buddhas send out the power of their compassion
so that the bardo's terrors do not come.

When the five luminous lights of wisdom shine,
fearlessly may I recognize myself;
when the forms of the peaceful and wrathful ones appear
fearless and confident may I recognize the bardo.

When I suffer through the power of evil karma,
may the peaceful and wrathful Buddhas clear away suffering;
when the sound of dharmata roars like a thousand thunders,
may it be transformed into the sound of mahayana teaching.

When I follow my karma, without a refuge,
may the peaceful and wrathful Buddhas be my refuge;
when I suffer the karma of unconscious tendencies,
may the samadhi of bliss and luminosity arise.

At the moment of spontaneous birth in the bardo of becoming,
may the false teachings of the tempters not arise;
when I arrive wherever I wish by supernatural power,
may the illusory terrors of evil karma not arise.

When savage beasts of prey are roaring,
may it become the sound of dharma, the six syllables;
when I am chased by snow, rain, wind, and darkness,
may I receive the clear, divine eye of wisdom.

May all sentient beings of the same realm in the bardo,
free from jealosy, be born in a higher state;
when great thirst and hunger are caused by passions,
may the pain of thirst and hunger, heat and cold, not arise.

When I see my future parents in union,
may I see the peaceful and wrathful Buddhas with their consorts;
with power to choose my birthplace, for the good of others,
may I receive a perfect body adorned with auspicious signs.

Obtaining for myself a perfect human body,
may all who see and hear me at once be liberated;
may I not follow all my evil karma,
but follow and increase what merit I may have.

Wherever I am born, at that very place,
may I meet the yidam of this life face to face;
knowing how to walk and talk as soon as I am born,
may I attain the power of non-forgetfullness
and rememberance of past lives.

In all the stages of learning, high, middle and low,
may I understand just by hearing, thinking and seeing;
wherever I am born, may that land be blessed,
so that all sentient beings may be happy.

O peaceful and wrathful Buddhas, may I and others
become like you yourselves, just as you are,
with your forms and your auspicious marks,
your retinues, your long life and your realms.

Samantabhadra, the peaceful and wrathful ones,
infinite compassion, the power of truth of the pure dharmata,
and followers of tantra in one-pointed meditation:
may their blessings fulfill this inspiration-prayer.