Korea Journal of Buddhist StudiesISSN:1598-0642(Print)불교학연구회

‘Bardo Thödol’ is widely known as 'The Book of Dead' which major content is to reveal the secret of deliverance that the dying or dead person would listen in the state of Intemediate Body(中陰身). The book was noteworthy because it deals with an environment of death as real world that the dead people would experience right after his death, and because it presents a method of deliverance overcoming the limit of philosophical or ideal speculation. Looking into the ‘Bardo Thödol’ those who partly contributed to the formation of the book are schools of Guhyasamaja tantra from Jñānapada to Nagarjuna, and those schoole built the practice system of Generation Stage(生起次第) and Completion Stage(究竟次第) that have influenced the development of latter age's Esoteric Buddhism in India.The foundation of ‘Bardo Thödol’ originated from the Pañca-krama is actually the Minute Yoga System(微細瑜伽) which is to become conscious of Wind(風) and Senses and awareness in the state of Intermediate Body, and realize her or himself the emptiness of consciousness discriminated by Manifestation of Normal(顯明), Extension(顯明增輝) and Intermediate(顯明近得); and afterward accomplish the enlightment by realizing the ultimate emptiness of Dharma-kaya along with the body of three state, namely physica body, Intermediate Body, and Ultimate Body.The development of latter age's Esoteric Buddhism in India after the formation of Guhyasamājatantra was pervaded by Mother Tantra(Yogini Tantra) which practice system is composed of the Visualization of Sex, Utilization of Tilaka and Wind so as to dissolve the physical energies melting into the Center Channel of body; so that it attempt to get liberations not by abandoning but utilizing her or his physical body.It is founded the revolutional development in the ‘Bardo Thödol’ that it is shown the application of practice system of Guhyasamāja tantra to the attainment of liberation in the stages of Intermediate state of dying or dead person. But as it is stated a specific tantras in the ‘Bardo Thödol’ it is necessary to examine the tantras or commentaries of latter age's Esoteric Buddhism to find what schools or sects has contributed more to the formation of ‘Bardo Thödol’.