The Tibetan Buddhist Afterlife As Metaphor

In the Tibetan Buddhist afterlife, a pious devotee — rich or poor, laity or priest, men, women or children — will be escorted by a deity who protects him and carefully explains what is happening.

Together, they travel until they come before Yama — the Lord of Death. His actions in this life are then measured by Yama, who counts out black and white seeds representing negative and positive karmic actions.

If there are more black seeds of negative actions, then he will be led to the hell realm by Yama.

If there are more white seeds of positive actions, then he will be escorted to the many paradises and Buddha worlds,

From the figurative and symbolic aspect, the Tibetan afterlife is the metaphor for the disciple's initiation by his guru. Death refers to the figurative death of the disciple's worldly life.

The hell realm refers to anger and its destructiveness to a person's psyche.

The deity who protects symbolizes the yidam of the disciple, which is the root of spiritual accomplishment.

All those many paradises and Buddha worlds represent the perfect purity of all phenomena.

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References:

Description of afterlife:

• Delok: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=D%C3%A9lok
  
• Buddhist afterlife beliefs: http://www.near-death.com/experiences/buddhism04.html
  
• Lingza Chokyi's Near-Death Experience: http://www.near-death.com/experiences/buddhism02.html
  

Four Great Kings:

• Four Great Kings: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Four_Great_Kings
  
• Four Heavenly Kings: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Heavenly_Kings
  
  • Guardian King of the South: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Virudhaka
    
• Lokapala: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lokapala
  
  • The Four Heavenly Kings "are invoked ... and exhorted to behave ... and protect the Dharma and its practitioners in the Shurangama Mantra".
    

The Eighteen Hells: http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Eighteen_hells
Yidam : http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Yidam

Shin Buddhists venerated and protected by the gods

When we say "Namu-amida-butsu,"
Brahma and Indra venerate us;
All the benevolent gods of the heavens
Protect us constantly, day and night.

When we say "Namu-amida-butsu,"
The four great deva-kings together
Protect us constantly, day and night,
And let no evil spirits come near.

...

When we say "Namu-amida-butsu,"
Nanda, Upananda, and the other great nagas,
Along with the countless naga-gods, revere
And protect us constantly, day and night.

When we say "Namu-amida-butsu,"
Yama, the king of the dead, reveres us,
And the officers who judge the beings of the five courses of existence
All protect us constantly, day and night.

When we say "Namu-amida-butsu,"
We are protected by the great king of maras
Residing in the sixth heaven;
This he vowed to do in the presence of Sakyamuni Buddha.

The gods of the heavens and earth
Are all to be called good,
For together they protect
The person of the nembutsu.

-- Hymns of the Pure Land, stanzas 100-101, 102-106

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Originally posted: February 5, 2006 2232H
Update posted: March 7, 2013 0237H

Reference:
Within the context of the hell realm, the five courses of existence refers to the god realm, the demi-god realm, the human realm, the animal realm, and the hungry ghosts realm.

Brahmāloka may be the sixth heaven.

Look at this world all decked out

See it as a bubble,
See it as a mirage;
One who regards the world this way
the King of Death doesn't see.

Come, look at this world
all decked out
like a royal chariot,
where fools plunge in,
while those who know
don't cling.

-Dhammapada 13, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

See also http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/khuddaka/dhp/tb0/index.html#n170

In Chapter 13 of the Dhammapada, the message is clear:

The wise do not cling to the world -- they know much better than to be distracted by what it has to offer.

However, the underlying message is still to go out and participate in the world.

For the disciple may grow attached to thinking by being apart from it, one is unblemished by it. This is a subtle form of clinging to the world.

And the remedy for that is to cultivate happiness and joy.