A Tribute to the Wisdom Beings

Some time ago I became friends with a man who was part of my early introduction to Buddhism and was one of the major influences that lead me to undertake my retreat in Tibet in 2007.  Recently, after the Kyegu earthquake, he accompanied our Rinpoche, the spiritual director of the Kyegu monastery, on a 4 day trip, of which just one day was spent in the ruins of the town and monastery providing some solace to the shattered inhabitants.  The emotional impact on my friend was enormous.

During this time, his mother had a massive stroke, leaving her incapable of moving, feeding herself or talking.  I will pass you across to him----

"Totally dependent and in high care in hospital. I said to Tony last Friday that i was going to call on many pushy Wisdom Beings to give her body a reminder of what she used to know. These Wisdom Beings showed up later that day as poor Mum had an epileptic seizure while a doctor was visiting her. A few days later she is walking and talking. Apparently it rewired many lost functions. So thank you all for helping her along."

So how to explain this?  Why even bother to try?  It is surely enough to know that there are mysteries beyond our ken, and beyond that of so many more learned people.  Just the possibility of Wisdom Beings, who care about all sentient beings, can serve as an inspiration to us to also care about all others and find the happiness that comes with loving kindness and compassion.

Yours in Dharma and wonder,

Vajramate

The Gift of a Dying Person

This Sunday was my 71st birthday and I spent an enjoyable lunch and afternoon with my wife, daughter and son-in-law.  A few hours later my daughter left a message to say my aunt, her great-aunt, had died at the age of 99 after a serious fall when she had fractured her skull and broken her neck.  Over the last few days she had stopped communicating and drifted into death.  I had not seen her for about 15 years, as she lives on the other side of the continent and we were never very close.  But she was my daughter's favourite and she used to visit my aunt every year or so.

My aunt was the last survivor of 4 sisters and one brother, killed at El Alamein in WWII.  Although the 2nd eldest, she was the rock of the family and I felt she was particularly hard on my mother, the youngest, and even harder on me when I was a teenager.  As I got older, I saw it differently and developed a grudging admiration for her being such a tough, outspoken, self sufficient old bird.  After all, it took a broken neck before she would finally give in to Death!

So on Sunday night I went into Powa and Bardo prayers.  I now realise what a beautiful gift my Aunt has given me as she died.  In the reading I did on Bardo Prayers I slowly became aware that we all have the opportunity to contact those who have been before, no matter how long ago.

Completing this blog 3 months later:  This realisation is enough on its own to be sufficient for this blog.  It is inherent in the Buddhist teachings that we are all connected eternally in our various manifiestations through samsara.  So at any time, through meditiation and contemplation, we can still relate to those who've been before - and - why not - to those yet to come?

May whatever merit there in in these ramblings be for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Yours in Dharma,

Vajramate.