The four signs

1     Mirage (it is like an appearance of water when the light of the sun strikes a desert in the summer).

2     Smoke (Which is like blue puffs of smoke. It is similar to smoke billowing from a chimney in the midst of a mass of smoke.)

3     Fireflies (It is like burning red sparks seen within puffs of smoke from a chimney, or like red sparks on the soot on the bottom of a pan used for parching grain.)

4     Flame of a Butter lamp (It is like the sputtering point of a butter-lamp's flame when it is about to go out.)

The four empties

1     Radiant white appearance (It is call like moonlight dawns) and the empty.    The knot at the top of the head is loosened, and, since the white drop obtained from the father, which has the aspect of the syllable hum upside-down, has the nature of water.  

2    Radiant red increase (It is called like sunlight) and the

       very empty.   All the winds in the right and light channels below    

       the heart have entered the central channel through its  lower

       opening {at the base of the spine or in the sexual organ} and the

       knot of the channel-wheel at the navel gradually loosen. thereby,

       the red drop that is obtained from the mother, comes upward,

       because it is nature of fire.

3      Radiant black near-attainment (it is call the darkness) and

       the great empty.

4        Clear light (it is call the clear light of death) and the all empty.

(2)  The Stages of  Achieving the Intermediate state

       or bardo state

 1.     The stages of Achieving the Intermediate State

          Description of the Intermediate state. The entity of such an    

          intermediate being has five features.

          A).  It has all sense faculties. ( it has all five senses)

          B).  Since it has been born spontaneously (on its own ), all its major

                 and secondary limbs are simultaneously completed. (the whole  

                 body is completed  all at once)

    C).  Since it has a subtle body (Since it has a body of no substance

            it cannot be destroyed even by a diamond.

           D).  Except for birthplaces. such as the mother's womb, it is not

                  obstructed even by  mountains, fences and so forth.

                  (Since it has a body of no substance, it cannot be obstructed

                  by any thing such as mountains, walls, fences and so forth.)

           E.)   Through the force of karmic powers it can in an instant go    

                   wherever it wants and not even a Buddha can stop it.

                   (Because of the karma that has already been created, it goes

                  where it must go and no one and nothing can stop it.)

2.  Changing type.

      It does not change to another type of migrator [among the six

      types of migrators: god, demigod, human, animal, hungry ghost     

      and hell-being]

      (Asanga says that is not certain that, once an intermediate state

       of a particular type of being has been achieved,  it will necessarily

       be born that way, there being reversals into another type of

       migration) 

3.   Synonyms. (different names for bardo)

      Vasubandhu's Treasury of Knowledge, notes these other names   

      for bardo:

      A).   Mind-Arisen

      B).   Seeker of Existence

      C).   Smell-Eater

      D).   Intermediate State

      E).   Establishing Existence

4.   Length of Life

      The longest is seven days, there is no certainty.  if within seven

      days the causes of birth do not happen, at the end of the seventh

      day a small death occurs whereupon an other intermediate state

      is achieved.

      Asanga says bardo will last no longer than seven weeks and

      rebirth will occur within that time

5.  Seeing the former body

     Asanga says:  even when an intermediate being sees its former

     body (physical support), due to the force of having cut off any

     relationship with that body, it does not think, "that is my body" and

     it does not wish to enter its former body.

6.  Manner (Mode) of exit from the body after death.

     A).  One who is to be reborn as a hell-being exits from the  anus;

     B).  As a hungry ghost, exits from the mouth;

     C).  As an animal, exits from the urinary passage;

     D).  As a human, exits from the eye;

     E).  As a god of the desire realm, exits from the navel;

     F).   If one is to be reborn in the form realm, the exit is from

             middle of the brow,

     G).   If one is to be reborn in the formless realm, it is from the

             crown of the head.

7.   Perception

      Vasubandhu's Treasury of Knowledge, explains that intermediate 

      beings are seen by others of similar type and by those with a pure

      divine eye. intermediate being of higher type perceive lower ones,

      but lower ones do not see higher beings.

8.   Size 

       Vasubandhu's Commentary on the ' Treasury of Knowledge'

       explains that an intermediate being of a human of this world is the

       size of a five-or six year-old child. However, not everyone agrees

       with that belief (it is said that such is not one-pointedly certain).

9.   Aspect.

      Asanga's Actuality of the Levels says that , to an intermediate

      being of a bad migration (animal, hungry ghost, or hell-being         

      there  is a black flag, or a very dark night (pervaded by darkness);

      to an intermediate being of a happy migration (human, demigod  

      or god)  there appears a(n outstretched) white cloth, or bright,  

      moonlit night (pervaded by moonlight).

 10.  Color

• The body's color in the intermediate state of a hell-being is

•  like a log burned by fire;

• Of a hungry ghost, like water;

• Of a an animal, like smoke;

• Of a god of the desire realm or human, like gold;

• Of a god of the from realm, like white.

11. Shape

Vasubandhu's   ' Treasury of Knowledge'

Says that an intermediate being has the fleshy aspect or physical shape of the "prior state" of that migrator as which it will be reborn.]

There are four states:

• Birth state: the first moment of connecting to the new life.

• Prior state or live state: existence from the moment after connecting to the new life until the death state.

• Death state: existence during the last period of death or at the time of   experiencing the clear light of death.

• Intermediate state: existence that occurs between the death state and birth state.

Asanga's explanation is that the bardo being has the physical shape of the next life.

12. Mode of movement

Asanga says

• that an intermediate being of a god goes upwards;

• Of a human goes straight forward;

• Of a bad migration goes downwards, head first.