The Waking

  Aaron Lee, from Facebook This blog is devoted to American Buddhist, Aaron Lee, who died on the 21st October 2017 at the age of 34. Although he was known to many for his blog, ‘Angry Asian Buddhist’, I am mainly going to cite some of the things that he told the former editor of the Buddhist site ‘Lion’s Roar’, Sam Littlefair, shortly before his death. May they sustain, inspire and encourage you as they did me. By the way, it may help you to understand the following better if you know that the Buddhist concept of a ‘refuge’ is an ultimate source of guidance and protection. In his last year, Aaron shifted his focus from activism towards creating “refuges,” which he described as spaces where someone can feel safe, supported, and nurtured. In a blog post, he wrote, “In the hospital, I found my speech and actions could become refuges for my family and caregivers — providing them with a space where they could feel calm, positive and helpful.” When I spoke to Aaron for a second time, in ...

  I’ve been reading and enjoying the book ‘Still Here: Embracing Aging, Changing, and Dying’ by Ram Dass and I came across this passage a couple of minutes ago that brought me to a stop. I have learned that it is useful to pay attention to such moments so here is the passage: “The moment of death does not necessarily transform us; we die, after all, as who we are, no better or worse, no wiser or more ignorant. We each bring to the moment of our passing the summation of all that we’ve lived and done, which is why we must begin as soon as possible to prepare ourselves for this occasion by waking up, completing our business, and becoming the sort of people who can close their eyes for the last time without regrets.” I wondered what my last words or thoughts might be and thought that, at the moment, they would very likely be something along the lines of the English phrase, “Oh dear!” but a bit less polite. So then I thought about what I would like to bring to that moment, so that I cou...

  Remember, friends, as you pass by, As you are now so once was I. As I am now, so you must be. Prepare yourself to follow me. An old epitaph by Anon. Meditation can be a wonderful practice when someone is getting close to the end of their life . I f this is you, i t can help make your transition more conscious, easier and more peaceful. It can also help face up to the reality of death and prepare to die with acceptance and equanimity. I certainly intend to enjoy more meditation if I have time to prepare when my time comes . If it’s someone else who’s dying, and meditation is not their thing, you can bring a peaceful presence just by sitting quietly nearby. And, of course, you would also be helping busy medical staff, as well as family and friends, by creating a calmer atmosphere. A quick internet search will uncover many meditations on the subject of death itself, intended as preparation. I have always valued simplicity though, so the following is ...

 When I was about 9 years old I had what is now called a near-death experience or NDE and, although it was not deep or profound, it did have some long-lasting effects. There has been a substantial increase in interest in NDEs since those days and that has inspired me to share my story and to say a couple of things about the phenomenon, as a psychologist who has studied NDEs for a number of years. For those not familiar, as the name suggests they are experiences that usually happen when someone is close to death but who then recovers and describes the experiences they had during that time. Common features of such experiences include:     • Changes in the sense of time, either speeded up or having feelings of timelessness     • Changes in understanding about their own life or life more widely     • Intense feelings of peace and/or joy     • Vivid sensations and being surrounded by light     • A feeling of leaving their body and becomi...