The Bardo

 In Buddhist teaching the Bardo is the place or state between death and rebirth. I'm not Buddhist and I don't subscribe to the Buddhist philosophy. But, as in most and maybe all ancient wisdom there is a seed of growth and truth there.

This is the time of year when my mind turns to thoughts of rebirth and new beginnings. But, the thing with beginnings is for something to begin or restart something else has to die.

I've given a lot of thought to what is going on with me. The great American sage Stephen King once wrote that in your 60's the bodies expiration date is really close to expiring. I was born in 1957 so you do the math if you want. I personally am not as interested in counting these days. 

I was watching a spiritual guru or teacher on youtube. No. Not my guru. I don't do guru's. I use the word in mild sarcasm here because he ( Eckhart Tolle) doesn't call himself a guru. It's just the audience was hanging on his every word. He does have wisdom mixed in with the natural human follies and along with Alan Watts & some people like Donald Hoffman I find much to learn from and much to toss out. But, I have the same human follies so what do I know?

Eckhart was asked about the near death experience and I was interested in his take. However he basically recited the " we are one consciousness experiencing itself and the ego dies." Which I call Buddhism 101. Nothing especially new and honestly it's just speculation. Which is something I'm good at. I can pull stuff outta my butt like nobodies business. Matter of fact my most aha moments have been when my mind is racing to make sense out of this horrible, wonderful, tragic, beautiful experience we call life. But then again I've also flipped cars, stopped by the police and been drunk, stoned and stupid a lot so again. Take anything I say with that in mind. I had a very misspent youth. And years of ongoing healing.

I do agree with Eckhart and the Dali Lama that we are part of the one indescribable and unknowable ( at least in this side of life) consciousness or beingness that all being comes from. Now you might think brain chemistry answers it all but it doesn't. You might think a pissed off old dude in the sky answers it all. It doesn't. Any God that can be regulated to earthly temper tantrums and one size fits all answers isn't the whole of God or ground of being. That type being is more like Thor or Superman. 

I tend to agree with Jesus in that the kingdom is within and we are all a part of The One. Actually so do Buddhist, Hindu's and Eckhart Tolle. But, as Christ was saying before Rome and the church interrupted him. "God is love and love never fails." So for me the death of the body doesn't equal the annihilation of my being or ego. It frees this particular child of God to continue on the journey of becoming. 

I have become a universalist in my old age. Of God (however you can conceive if him/her/they/it is truly love and love never fails then somewhere there is a reunion of all the love and a reconciliation of all the pain and hate that has been out along the journeys. 

I have my own reasons for suspecting reincarnation is a real mechanism for our evolving soul on this planet and maybe throughout the universe. I don't what death is but I think it's a transition. Anyway just some thoughts tonight after listening to a deep thinker and trying to honestly sit with my own thoughts. 

Peace.