The text commonly known as The Tibetan Book of the Dead (more accurately translated Listen and Be Liberated from the Intermediate State) heartens the soul of the deceased for the fight to come with torturers, namely, the deceased's evil deeds. In a Zen koan, a clever monk bows and is said to grab the whiskers of a tiger, but his teacher hits him. In this collection of readings, explanatory notes, questions and suggestions for more reading, Van Voorst (Western Theological Seminary) covers texts from Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto, giving an overview of the structure, its provenance, teachings, use in ritual and meditation, and later developments of themes. The result is a overview at the undergraduate level also accessible to the general reader. The study questions double as classroom discussion topics and the publisher provides a companion website. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)