A Guided Tour of Hell: A Graphic Memoir

Description

Dante's Inferno meets the Tibetan Book of the Dead in this graphic memoir / fine-art book--the unforgettable true story of the author's visionary excursion into Buddhist hell, with stunning color paintings that bring a modern spirit of imagination to the sacred art of Asia. Sam Bercholz was devoting himself to teaching Buddhism after retiring from his successful publishing company, when suddenly he was blindsided by a heart attack. As he succumbed to clinical death in the hospital, he found himself entering a classic near-death experience--but the last place he expected to end up was Buddhist hell. And not just one hell, but numerous horrific hell regions, both hot and cold, where countless beings suffer unspeakable pain due to their own mental conceptions. A sublime being appears and tells Sam- You have been brought here to witness and understand the suffering of human beings. Thus begins a nightmarish expedition that evokes both horror and awakening as Sam is guided though a gallery of hell-denizens by a feminine embodiment of wisdom, who ultimately redeems him and returns him to life. Powerful storytelling is matched by the illustrations of master painter Pema Namdol Thaye. Comic-book drawings illustrate Sam's life story and hospital ordeal, while fantastic color paintings of his hell experience bring a startling modern spirit of imagination to the sacred art of Asia.

SAMUEL BERCHOLZ is the founder of Shambhala Publications. He has taught Buddhist philosophy and meditation practice throughout North America, Europe, and Australasia for more than forty years. PEMA NAMDOL THAYE, commonly known as Pema Namdol, is a master Tibetan artist who has garnered international acclaim as a painter, sculptor, 3D mandala specialist, traditional Tibetan architect, author, and art educator.

"Sam Bercholz, one of the most genuine and heartful teachers of dharma I've ever had the pleasure of knowing, has written a harrowing and vivid account of what might await us after death. A dark thrill to read, it is also a generous gift, reminding us that what we do here matters urgently."-George Saunders "An apocalyptic guided tour through the infernal Buddhist hells realms revealed during a near-death experience. A courageous and subjective account, resonant with Buddhist doctrine, that veers far from the heavenly realms of much modern NDE literature. Sam Bercholz's narrative is vividly illustrated by Pema Namdol's brilliant artwork."-Robert Beer, author of The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs "This book is an astonishingly generous offering: a tour of hell, guided with love. This is not a pacifying love. Rather, it is a love that destroys illusion to leave the reader in a state of discomfiting wakefulness. If you seek a deeply refined and discerning spiritual view that will compel you to journey beyond conventional thought, never to return, this book is for you."-Susan Piver, author of Start Here Now "A Guided Tour of Hell graphically illustrates the naked consequences of the destructive side of our attitudes and actions. Buddhism says, when our mind is released from this physical setup, we could enjoy a heavenly world of peace and light, or suffer in a hellish world of darkness and pain. No one else creates these worlds for us. They are the reflections of our own past mental habits. Thank you, Sam, for returning with these mesmerizing descriptions of what you witnessed on the other side. I hope that they will make us mindful to become better people."-Tulku Thondup Rinpoche, author of The Healing Power of Mind and Boundless Healing "A fascinating and deeply thought-provoking testimony, powerfully illustrated. A must-read for anyone who wonders what might happen at the time of death, or for most of us who wonder what might happen." -Matthieu Ricard, author of Happiness