Two Meanings of Bardo

The transition between Band 5 (level 3) and Band 6 (level 1) can be referred to as a bardo which resembles very closely indeed Buddhist notions of the transition as between death and rebirth.

Now according to the Tibetan tradition this represents the state of existence as between two lives on Earth.

Of course this presupposes the doctrine of reincarnation in its somewhat literal sense, to which I personally would not subscribe.

However accepting the traditional accounts, the question arises as to how precisely this transition as between death and rebirth (in a new body) takes place.

So on the one hand after death there is the clearest spiritual experience of reality of which one is capable which then gives way to terror arising from one’s previous sinful inclinations. So we have here in starkest form the battle as between the “higher” and “lower” aspects of the self. And the manner in which this is resolved then plays a key role in determining the nature of one’s next earthly existence.

However this very same battle takes place for one, who in the same mortal existence attempts to make the transition as between Bands 5 and 6.

And again the manner in which this is resolved determines whether one moves on to true experience of the radial bands or perhaps - as is certainly possible - back to an earlier stage.  

In earlier writings I have referred to the original dream state. Though this state in its more transcendent expression also characterises Band 3 Level 3), its most complete expression would be associated with Band 5 (Level 3) where transcendent and immanent characteristics are better combined.

This original dream relates to pure spiritual intimations of eternity. So with phenomena of both a real (direct) and imaginary (indirect) nature, being eroded in memory as soon a they arise, one rests more easily in the present moment (continually renewed) which is eternal.

However this likewise exposes one most intimately to existential dread. So on the one hand one seems on the threshold of a pure spiritual life anchored in the eternal now; on the other hand one is faced with loss of one’s customary natural existence in space and time, and because one can no longer take rest in phenomena, this leads to a keen feeling of existential fear.

And these two aspects keep alternating very quickly. So at one moment one may feel as if drenched in a spiritual tide removing all remaining trace of the wilful ego; the next moment one can feel as if being pushed over a precipice with no means of visible support.

Put another way one is now most intimately aware of how spirit and nature are truly complementary in experience.

There is just one other intriguing matter that I will address in this entry. In some Buddhist accounts, 49 days are said to elapse as between the death of the old self and rebirth in a new body. And during this time one is given repeated opportunities to identify with one’s true spiritual identity, rather than returning to past karmic activity.

Now again I would see no literal significance in the use of 49 days. However when suitably interpreted it can be seen to contain a profound holistic mathematical meaning.

49 days would relate to 7 weeks (with of course each week containing in turn 7 days).

7 as we know is a prime number and in conventional terms seen as one of the essential building blocks of the natural number system. This is commonly represented in linear terms (where successive numbers are denoted as equidistant points on the number line).  

However the reciprocal of 7 i.e. 7 leads to a decimal expression where the 6 digits 142857 continually repeat.

There are in turn remarkable circular properties associated with the number 142857. If for example we multiply the number by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, the same 6 digits will reappear (with just the circular sequence changing).

Therefore though 7 as a prime is associated with the most linear notion of number, 1/7 leads by contrast to the opposite extreme, where repeating digits of the decimal expansion possess remarkable circular properties.

Put another way 7 - as a unique building block of natural numbers - represents the independent extreme of number; by contrast 1/7 leads to the corresponding interdependent extreme.

Again 49 = 7 * 7.

Now I have dealt with at length in other blogs with a crucial feature of multiplication that remains unrecognised in formal terms.

So imagine we have 7 rows of coins with 7 coins in each row.

In a somewhat laborious fashion we could start with row 1 and add up each individual coins, then continue on to row 2 adding each coin to the total and so on until by the end of row 7 we would have counted 49 coins.

Alternatively we can use the recognition that as each row contains the same no.of coins, we can thereby multiply the number of coins in each row by the total number of rows.

So we have 7 * 7 = 49.

However the crucial point that is overlooked in conventional mathematical terms is that we are in fact thereby using two distinct notions of number.

In other words when we recognise the individual identity of each coin (in each row) we are treating number in an independent manner.

However when we recognise the shared identity of coins in each row - now using the operator, which is necessary for multiplication to take place - then we are treating number in an interdependent manner.   

Put another way number can be given both analytic (independent) and holistic (interdependent) interpretations. And both of these meanings must be combined for multiplication to meaningfully take place.

However in conventional mathematical terms the holistic (qualitative) aspect of number is simply reduced in a mere analytical (quantitative) manner.

This reduced treatment of number in turn corresponds with a reduced psychological approach whereby number is interpreted in merely conscious terms.

However properly understood, both conscious and unconscious aspects should be incorporated in all understanding of number (and by extension all mathematical understanding).

So in the manner I have outlined, 49 serves as an especially good archetype of the two extremes in understanding (where conscious and unconscious aspects alternate quickly in experience).

And this experience characterises both the transition from Band 5 to Band 6 and the Buddhist transition as between death and rebirth.

The reciprocal of 49 is also fascinating in that it starts .020408…

Now 2, 4 and 8 are especially important through the complementarity of opposite polarities in attaining integration with respect to development.

So 2 is associated with the horizontal (real) polarities entails both external and internal aspects (within a given level).

4 is associated with the addition of the vertical (imaginary) polarities, that entail whole and part aspects (between levels).

8 is associated with the further addition of the diagonal (real and imaginary) polarities that entails fundamental form and emptiness aspects (within and between levels).

Indeed the Buddhist dharma wheel provides a very good mandala of what is involved above.