• Liberation Upon Hearing in the Between

  • Living with the Tibetan Book of the Dead
  • By: Robert Thurman
  • Narrated by: Robert Thurman
  • Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (382 ratings)

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Liberation Upon Hearing in the Between  By  cover art

Liberation Upon Hearing in the Between

By: Robert Thurman
Narrated by: Robert Thurman
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Publisher's summary

One of the 25 most influential people in America according to Time magazine, and "the leading American expert on Tibetan Buddhism" ( The New York Times), Robert Thurman illuminates the Tibetan Book of the Dead with up-to-date insights for modern audiences. For centuries, this text has been read aloud to the dying, who Buddhist masters say are capable of hearing up to three days after clinical death, as a guide through the tumultuous and often terrifying process of dissolution. Now, in Liberation Upon Hearing in the Between, Professor Robert Thurman demystifies this esoteric teaching and reveals the Tibetan view of dying: it is not an ending to be feared, but a wondrous and liberating culmination of our life's journey, potentially opening into glorious new beginnings. Entering the bardo, the in-between state in which one reality dissolves and the next has not yet formed, we need not become prey to our fears and hopes. Instead, we can relax into our natural clarity and stabilize the journey. And this treasured teaching is for much more than just changing our understanding of death. Whether we have lost a dear relationship, awoken from a dream, or face the loss of our bodied life, simply hearing these teachings steadies our minds and hearts so that the journey from one state to the next changes from a tragic voyage into a clear adventure through the brilliant sky of great liberation.
©2005 Robert Thurman (P)2005 Sounds True

What listeners say about Liberation Upon Hearing in the Between

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent!

Robert Thurman talks about the book commonly known as the "Tibetan Book of the Dead". He's a great scholar of the book, of the tradition from which it arises, and of its relation to other world religious writings and beliefs. He's also obviously himself a deeply spiritual person. So the talks are delightful, combining both fascinating scholarship and religious commitment. His talk is by turns serious and humorous, concentrated and playful. I highly recommend this, and one by no means need to be a Buddhist to enjoy it and benefit from it.

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31 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

At Long last

Would you listen to Liberation Upon Hearing in the Between again? Why?

Not only would I listen to this again, I listen to it daily!

What other book might you compare Liberation Upon Hearing in the Between to and why?

This generic question needs to read the question and look at this book. The title should give you a clue. But I will say that even Sogyal Rinpoche's Tibetan book of Living and Dying is the only book in the ball park for any sort of comparison. This translation and most especially Bob Thurman's delivery is quintessentially American . Yes , Bob is a real American Buddhist teacher amongst a growing handful.

Have you listened to any of Robert Thurman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to Bob Thurman before. First at the San Francisco Zen Center. He is a delight. Totally insightful and yet not too

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

My extreme reaction to this is : This is by far the best most easily accessed translation of the teaching to date.

Any additional comments?

After practicing Tibetan Buddhism beginning in Scotland in 1970 to this date, I have found Bob's manner and insight into the teachings perfectly suited to this moment in human history. Thank you my friend for persevering...

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Disappointing

I was prepared to be educated and perhaps in the bargain to improve my mind with this lecture. How interesting I thought. How disappointing I found. Robert Thurman peppered his lecture with political statements which had absolutely nothing to do with the Tibetan Book of the Dead. You say I'd probably not be so rankled if I agreed with his statements. You're right but I ask why his statements were necessary. They threw me off course, I became totally distracted and lost interest in the subject. One final regret is that I used an Audible.com credit for this audiobook.

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17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

I LOVE Robert Thurman

If you are going to only get one Bob Thurman download do the "Jewel Tree of Tibet" this on he rambles on a bit more and it's more one of his lectures then truly a book about the Tibetan Book of the Dead. But personally I like his quirky style, funny political commentary, and his version of Buddhism. It makes really lofty intellectual material accessible and interesting. I have listened to it at least 4-5 times already.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Well worth listening for old/young hippies

If you ever found the Tibetan Book of the Dead interesting or useful, this one is for you. Contemporary, without leaving the origin, explanatory, explainig and recommending parallell concepts in our own cultural paradigm, without leaving his context.
If you ever had some things that you did not quite come to terms with during acid, this might me healing for you. It was for me.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Interesting but disquieting

The author is engaging and obviously knows his subject. The content is hard to grasp for this Western mind at least and in parts rather uncomfortable.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Not for the Novice

What does Robert Thurman bring to the story that you wouldn???t experience if you just read the book?

Robert Thurman is beyond the doubt a notable Buddhist Scholar. As such, this book is not for the novice or the beginning intermediate level Buddhist. Dr. Thurman goes into great and granular detail on buddhist doctrine. As a Buddhist book on the perspective of death, the story was lost in the detail.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

the perfect adjunct to the book

read this before and after reading the awesome translation. you will be that much better prepared for the culmination of your life between .

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Bob Thurman teaching the Tibetan Book of the Dead

It's a very difficult book about the death process and reincarnation explained in easily digestible modern speech. The Bardo, the in-between life and death. Explaining the nature of our subtle mind, which, according to Buddhism, does not die. Bob explains how the belief in a final poof, death, gone forever leads us to be a bit psychotic while we're here, because we disregard karma.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

just a stand-up

this is not for learning about enlightenment. he just wants to be a stand-up comedian. returning.

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2 people found this helpful