A Buddhist funerary text and guide to the afterlife, which was to be read aloud to the dying or recently deceased to help them attain enlightenment and liberation from the endless cycle of death and rebirth, The Tibetan Book of the Dead is said to have been written for a Tibetan king some 13 centuries ago. It was rediscovered in the 12th century, concealed in a mountain by the treasure seeker Karma Lingpa, who handed its teachings down for future generations. Based on the 1927 translation by Kazi Dawa-Samdup, this slipcased edition features a beautifully embossed gold-on-red cover, and the annotated text is complemented by color photos and vivid reproductions of Tibetan and Buddhist art.