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This commentary is based on the six bardos teachings from a series of hidden treasure textsknown as the Profound Dharma of Natural Liberation through the Intention of the Peaceful andWrathful Ones (Zab chos zhi khro dgongs pa rang grol), discovered by the great terton Karma Lingpa in the fourteenth century. The word "bardo," made popular in the West through the English translation of the Bardo Thodol or The Tibetan Book of the Dead, which also belongs to the same series of treasure texts, means an intermediate or in-between state. The practice of the six bardos, according to the hermeneutics of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, is essentially the meditative practice of living and dying. Natural Appearances, Natural Liberation not only contains very practical advice, but also hasmany teachings of the Nyingma tantric tradition embedded in it. The original text is not intended as a study of spiritualism or psychology. Neither is it intended to be viewed as handbook for taking care of the deceased, nor as a treatise on emptiness. The intention is to condense the very deep and profound tantric teachings of the six bardos into practices approachable by all sentient beings so that many can swiftly attain various states of liberation. This book offers a scholarly but accessible explanation of the ancient wisdom embedded in this ancient Buddhist classic. Tam Shek-wing (1935-) is a Buddhist scholar, painter, poet, writer and social critic. He is the founder of the Vajrayana Buddhism Association and Sino-Tibetan Buddhist Studies Association in North America. Master Tam was born in Guangzhou, China. As a young man, he received systematic training in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism under the guidance of H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche.In 1986, Master Tam emigrated from Hong Kong to Hawaii, and then to Toronto in 1993. As early as the late 1970s, Master Tam began publishing writings on Buddhism, with an emphasis on the teachings and meditative practice in Vajrayana Buddhism. To establish Sino-Tibetan Buddhist studies as a legitimate field in Buddhology, Master Tamhelped organize publication of the Monograph Series in Sino-Tibetan Buddhist Studies. Thepublished works sparked interest in establishing new curricula in Buddhist Studies in a numberof universities in China, including Renmin University of China in Beijing, Zhejiang Universityin Hangzhou, Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, and Nanking University in Nanjin. Since2008, Master Tam has been a visiting professor at these universities, where he lectures on thetathagatagarbha doctrine and its practice.

The teaching of Tathagatagarbha may appear simple on the surface, but in reality, it is woven into many aspects of Buddha's teaching, making it difficult to grasp."Elucidating Tathagatagarbha" is divided into three parts.Part I is on the "profoundly secret Tathagatagarbha." It is written for lay readers. Beginners and non-Buddhists can make use of it as a guide to understand worldly affairs from the Vajrayana perspective.In Part II, Tam discusses Buddhism against a backdrop of Western philosophy. Philosophy offers a number of examples illustrating practical applications of the Tathagatagarbha teaching. Many consider Buddhism as a way to retreat from the world, when in fact, there is an interplay of our everyday affairs and their transcendence, making them inseparable. In this way, Tathagatagarbha is like a "great philosophy." Through its application, one cultivates the practical (worldly) and wisdom ( transcendent) merits.Part III is The White Conch Pearl, a poem of praise following the Buddhist scriptural tradition Tam wrote years ago, together with an in-depth commentary by the author.In praise of fourfold dependent origination, it is the author's hope that this book will create new awareness of the Tathagatagarbha teachings and dispel any misunderstandings about their true meaning.