It is as if I have entered what the Tibetans call the Bard-literally, between-two-existences- a dreamlike hallucination that precedes reincarnation, not necessarily in human form… In case I should need them, instructions for passage through the Bard are contained in the Tibetan book of the dead- a guide for the living since it teaches that a man’s last thoughts will determine the quality of his reincarnation.

The Snow Leopard