Graceful Exits (eBook)

Aftertaking leave of his teacher Huang-po, Lin-chi—,often called the ChineseSocrates—,went on a long pilgrimage before settling in a small temple around850. He taught there about ten years and then retired. In 866, when he wasabout to die, he seated himself and said, 'After I am extinguished, do notlet my True Dharma Eye be extinguished.' A monk came forward and said,'How could I let your True Dharma Eye be extinguished?' Lin-chiasked, 'When somebody asks you about it, what will you say to him?'The monk gave a shout. 'Who would have thought my True Dharma Eye would beextinguished upon reaching this blind ass!' said Lin-chi. Then the master,although not ill, adjusted his robes, sat erect, and died. * KaluRinpoche tried to sit up by himself but had difficulty doing so. Lama Gyaltsen,feeling that this was perhaps the time, supported Rinpoche's back as he sat up,and Bokar Tulku Rinpoche took his extended hand. Kalu Rinpoche wanted to sitabsolutely straight, but the attending doctor and nurse were upset by this, sorelaxed his posture slightly. Nevertheless, he assumed the meditationposture—,his eyes gazed outward in meditation gaze, and his lips moved softly.A profound feeling of peace and happiness settled on the room and spreadthrough the minds of those present. Slowly Kalu Rinpoche's gaze and his eyelidslowered, and the breath stopped. * AsChuang-tzu approached death, his disciples wanted to give him a large andexpensive funeral. But Chuang-tzu said, 'The heavens and the earth willserve me as a coffin and a coffin shell. The sun and moon and stars willdecorate my bier. All creation will be at hand to witness the event. What moreneed I than these?' Hisdisciples gasped, 'We're afraid that carrion kites and crows will eat thebody of our master!' Chuang-tzureplied, 'Above the ground my flesh will feed the crows and kites, belowthe ground, the ants and cricket-moles. Why rob one to feed the other?'And then he smiled. I shall have Heaven and Earth for my coffin,' he said.'The sun and moon will be the jade symbols hanging by my side. All theplanets and constellations will shine as jewels around me. All beings will bepresent as mourners at the wake. What more could I need? Everything has beentaken care of.' * Sensingthat death was near, Master Razan called everyone into the Buddha Hall andascended the lecture seat. First he held his left hand open for severalminutes. No one understood, so he told the monks from the eastern side of themonastery to leave. Then he held his right hand open. Still no one understood,so he told the monks from the western side of the monastery to leave. Only thelaymen remained. He said to them: 'If any of you really want to showgratitude to Buddha for his compassion to you, spare no efforts in spreadingthe Dharma. Now, get out! Get out of here!' Then, laughing loudly, themaster fell over dead. * In1885, Ramakrishna developed cancer of the throat, and steadily grew worse. OnAugust 15 of the following year, realizing that his end was near, Ramakrishnaassured his wife, Sarada Devi, that she would be all right and that his youngdisciples would take care of her as they had of him. He died the next day. Inhis last days, he addressed himself saying, 'O mind, do not worry aboutthe body. Let the body and its pain take care of each other. Think about theHoly Mother [Sarada Devi] and be happy.' Afterthe cremation of his body, Sarada was removing her jewelry, as Hindu widows do,when Ramakrishna appeared to her. In the vision, he told her not to remove herjewelry, assuring her that he had not gone away but has only passed from oneroom to another. Confident of his...