In Tibetan, the term bar do literally means the "middle" or "interval." Within these instructions, bardo refers to the period between being alive and death, or the interval between death and taking a subsequent rebirth. These teachings provide pith instructions that introduce one’s own pristine awareness, allowing for its swift realization. Practitioners of Secret Mantra and Dzogchen often find that those who struggle to comprehend the nondual nature of reality while alive can easily recognize it during the intermediate state and thereby attain Buddhahood.

This practice is connected to the yoga of luminosity; it is a method where the visions of clear light arise easily, securing one's future path. The practice of transference (phowa), focuses on how consciousness leaves the body. It is a vital method that guides the dying process toward peace and happiness, ensuring a favorable future rebirth. Our human life is not very long. Furthermore, there is no certainty that sudden misfortunes or obstacles will not occur at any moment. Since natural disasters, epidemics, and mechanical accidents happen unpredictably, no one can be sure they will remain unaffected. Thus, the practice of transference is of great importance for everyone.

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These teachings present the essential knowledge of how the five elements of one’s body gradually dissolve at the time of death, showing the relationship between the

external and internal elements. If one gains stability in the practice of transference, being reborn in a sublime pure land is not merely a matter of aspiration, but something that can be accomplished through your own practice.

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Thus, for two days, we will engage in the instructions on the intermediate state and the practice of transference. This particular instruction is the Dzogchen transference, coming from the lineage of the rainbow body seeker, Shardza Rinpoche.