The Gandharva
The Gandharva is the name of the being one becomes while transiting the afterlife. Invisible and fairy-like, Gandharvas are vehicles of being that initially experience the Bardo of the Luminosity of True Nature, followed by the Bardo of Becoming, which ultimately results in rebirth.
Gandharvas are traditionally known as the ‘Musicians of the Gods’ and also as ‘odour eaters’. Whether they literally consume smells for sustenance or are simply related to the sense of smell remains uncertain.
There are two stages — called Bardos — that the Gandharva experiences, both occurring within the mental arena.
The Bardo of the Luminosity of True Nature arises for the first three days following death and may continue for an indeterminate period. During this time, one retains a likeness of one’s previous life. The initial three days are intensely dreamlike, and unless one is trained in meditative or occult practice, the Gandharva often remains unaware of the process. Here lies the rare chance for full enlightenment as one encounters the raw Dharmakaya, though recognition of it is easily missed.
During this phase, one’s entire life experience is vividly present, offering a moment to comprehend karma. For those not ready to acknowledge the truth of their past, mental habits reassert themselves, and a renewed sense of self returns — now with full knowledge, but still lacking the insight necessary to break free from Samsara. This Bardo can be tormenting, though it is not a hell realm. Subjective experiences may range from peaceful and benevolent visions to wrathful and terrifying apparitions. As the sensory faculties disintegrate, karma embedded within those senses unfolds into these vivid experiences.
As the skandhas of the prior being disintegrate — depending on how karmically entangled they are — the Bardo of Becoming begins. While still occurring in a dreamlike mental realm, this Bardo becomes more dynamic. The Gandharva may travel anywhere by thought alone, feeling as if blown about by the wind. The only place it cannot access is the womb of its next birth.
The Gandharva is naturally drawn to locations that reflect its karmic disposition: circles of light suggest a deva (heavenly) rebirth; empty hollows in forests or the earth signify a ghostly rebirth; places of violence and suffering attract those consumed by anger, leading toward hellish rebirths. Attraction to male and female animals or humans suggests corresponding animal or human rebirths.
As this Bardo comes to its conclusion, one hears one of four terrifying elemental sounds — shuddering earthquakes, crashing waves, thunderous lightning, or the roaring of burning forests. The only refuge from these sounds is the womb of the future existence, perceived as a crevice of various colours:
- Black — Ignorance — Animal rebirth
- Red — Anger — Hellish or Ghostly rebirth
- White — Desire — Human or Deva rebirth
Conception in Buddhism involves the coming together of three elements: the red substance (the mother’s ovum) provides the physical body; the white substance (the father’s sperm) provides the nervous system; and finally, the Gandharva fuses with the developing heart base, creating the mind (or spirit) of the new being.
It is said that Gandharvas can perceive one another. Skilled lamas, through projection of consciousness and the divine eye, may even interact with and guide newly departed Gandharvas toward more fortunate rebirths. Practitioners who master the projection of consciousness are said to resist the karmic forces that ordinarily drive rebirth, allowing them to choose their next life consciously. This practice of selecting one’s future incarnation is not limited to mystical Buddhism; even some Western esoteric traditions, such as Aleister Crowley’s Moonchild, reference similar concepts.
However, it is said that only a Bodhisattva can maintain awareness throughout the entire embryonic development and birth process. Such individuals, described in the literature, may display profound insights and abilities from an early age, well beyond their natural development.
“At the moment of death, one sees the clear light of the Dharmakaya; if recognition arises, liberation is possible.”
— Padmasambhava, Tibetan Book of the Dead