Padmasambhava

If only more people could have that kind of calm: the light is already shining.

Within moments of starting to read this passage, my mind had already started to wander. That's not to say that the passage bored me: on the contrary, it took only a few sentences of Padmasambhava's teachings to make my mind burst into thought. I had never though of a deathbed as a place of healing. One hears of deathbed conversions to a faith. It's been an scape plan for years, from the stylistic Oscar Wilde to the fictional Bart Simpson: it's a way of living life as you want to with no consequence.

This idea of deathbed teachings is entirely different, and altogether fascinating. I've considered death as an exit: there's not much left to do but wave goodbye. The Buddhists, however, disagree, adding another facet to this already fascinating religion. Instead of false hopes or promises, Buddhists continue to teach those about to die, giving them some final words to contemplate. People can claim understanding all their lives, but how can we truly know what we will believe when we're about to die until we are about to die?

That's what the first part of the passage made me think. The second part, the readings from The Book of the Great Liberation, was again very moving, but not as thought provoking. I have to admit, Buddhist optimism is hard to overlook. They're sense of peace and tranquility is a promise not easily ignored, especially when unsure of which faith to choose. I can't help but disagree with some of the core concepts of Buddhism, but the idea oneness is a universal I've been seeing a lot of lately. From string theories to religions, it's becoming an overwhelmingly accepted concept. Maybe it's not coincidence, and we are all truly connected with one another. Maybe we are all all from the same mind.

Or maybe Douglas Adams is God.