Guru
Rinpoche's Pure Land
Once,
in meditation, I had a vision. It was a particular kind of vision and
as soon as I saw it, I knew it was a past life memory.
In
that life, several hundred years ago, I was a very devoted christian
contemplative monk in Western Europe. We would pray to Jesus day and
night in our monastery. Very deep practice. It was pure devotion,
nothing like I've seen in christianity today.
One
day, when there was a resting day at the monastery, all monks were
out in the woods, on the hills and other places to have a bit
leisure, but I decided to continue working on the roof of the church
in our monastery. I was working just above the main door, perhaps 25
meters from the ground, when my foot slipped and I fell directly in
front of the main entrance. I could vividly remember how the falling
felt like and how the ground kept coming closer until my body hit
against it. My body was crushed and died in an instant, there was
nothing to be done.
But
the moment when my body hit the floor and my mind, or soul ejected
out from the body, an immense space opened in front of me, and Jesus
Christ himself was standing in front of me, with a joyoys smile
inviting me to go with him. There was nothing ”holy” or ”exalted”
in this moment, though immense love and closeness between me and him.
He appeared on the very instant I died, to come get me and to guide
me on.
 |
| Painting of Zangdok Palri, Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land. |
Now,
Open Heart, is a form of Pure Land Buddhism where our main ”deity”
is Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava and the pure land is his pure land,
Zangdok Palri. Remembering again this past life experience of mine, I
felt like tying lifelong devotion and practice to the fact that when
we, as Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land practitioners pass away, he will
come to get us to his pure land, where we can continue our practice,
in the most excellent guidance, in case if we haven't yet attained
buddhahood in this body.
Please,
don't take this as a matter of belief, for yogis are not believers.
Take it as a hypothesis and deepen your devotion and practice. There
is no reason, other than rejection, why you couldn't visit Zangdok
Palri already in your meditations in this body.
Namo
Guru Rinpoche.
-Kim
Orgyen Pema, 18.3.2019
