The American Book of the Dead

Guidebook

Sometime around 1971 E.J. Gold starting publishing his thoughts. He wrote a number of pamphlets or booklets, some extended essays. Starting with the “Avatar’s Handbook” and ending with “The Butterfly of Retribution” – these 17 publications are gathered in a volume known as “the Lost Works.” (You can find this book, and others at Gateways Books and Tapes.)

As one reads through these writings you can see an author gaining strength. Forming an idea that is waiting to emerge. Then in the mid 70’s E.J. Gold released two volumes. The first is called the American Book of the Dead. We discussed that volume in depth, here.

The second book is known as The Guidebook. As with the classic Red Cover ABD, the Guidebook is a message to the voyager. Each shows the voyager a path through the otherwise murky bardos – in the Class ABD we are moving in concert with the Tibetan Book of the Dead, reformatted for the Western practitioner. In the Classic Red Cover ABD, the voyager is led slowly along the path of recognition as each chamber is unwrapped. We are given extensive preparatory material, we are ‘readied’ for the voyage.

The Guidebook is different. We are “tossed into the deep end” starting with the first pages of the book. These pages are not even numbered. The author entitles these pages as the MAP.

“This is a map out of ordinary consciousness.”

That is where we start. First, uncouple your Self from the ordinary… Are you done yet? Come on there is Real Work to do here.