8 lou Reed memoriel   Mo Tucker reads a letter from John Cale
Channel: Jim Fouratt
Date: 2013-12-17

Putting the memorial into context: In the Buddhist tradition it takes days 49 days for the spirit to leave the body.It is called "bardo." Like Jewish Shiva,  Irish wakes and different cultural rituals, it is a time for the living  to share stories and simply just sit together to help each other and most importantly  help the spirit be fully freed into  into the Cosmos, December 16 was the fiftieth day and at the Apollo Theater  a celebration of Lou Reed's life and work took place with his friends and family gathered with his wife the artist Laurie Andersen all saying goodbye,   good speed Lou 

BARDO: In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the 49th Day Ceremony is a way to ease that longing. A brief liturgy of readings and ritual offers loved ones the chance to let go. But equally important is what the ceremony means to the deceased. The 49th Day observance commemorates entry into reincarnation.

The ceremony marks the end of a period called the bardo. The word literally means gap or in-between state . In Tibetan Buddhism, the bardo is the 49-day transition period between death and rebirth.

This period  is considered an opportune time for one's ``pure consciousness,'' which continues after death, to work toward enlightenment by confronting the wrathful and peaceful energies that are part of one's karma. The ceremony helps give the person courage through that process.