Documentary containing remarkable footage of the rites and liturgies surrounding and following the death of a Ladakhi elder. The Dalai Lama explains his own feelings about death, while other scenes within a palliative care hospice in San Francisco depict the use of the texts to counsel dying patients.

An ancient source of strength and guidance, The Tibetan Book of the Dead remains an essential teaching originating in the spiritual cultures of the Himalayas. The first part of the film reveals its history and examines its traditional use in northern India, as well as its acceptance in Western hospices. In the second part of the film, an old lama and his novice monk are followed as they guide a Himalayan villager into the afterlife. The soul's 49-day...