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Good Life, Good DeathBy Gehlek RimpocheRiverhead Books, October 2002 Reviewed by Cecily Leonard Good Life, Good Death, Tibetan Wisdom on Reincarnation, written by Gehlek Rimpoche, uses common sense and everyday language. It is based on key Tibetan Buddhist notions that in life "we can transform ourselves into completely wise and loving beings," and at the moment of death "work with our pure nature and become enlightened." Far from morbid or moralistic, it reminded me of the better guide to giving birth that I read during my first pregnancy, the one that worked! Living in the West for many years, still Rimpoche's Tibetan understanding of our common plight is unflinching. The cause of our suffering, even from a plane crash, is simply that we have inflicted harm on others, over and over. We might blame faulty parts for an accident, but these are temporary conditions, and the original cause has always been our negative emotions. From a Western perspective, the only material accessible to psychology, Rimpoche explains, is what happens in the course of one life. Instead, when investigating our problems we should "make the investigation more thorough," because unless we find the original cause, "we will never be able to totally prevent it from happening again." "Did you ever ask yourself where your desires come from...And why, when you get what you worked so hard for, it doesn't really satisfy you?" Rimpoche cajoles the reader to investigate their negative emotions like anger, resentment and attachment thoroughly, what it feels like, where it comes from, to recognize it, to see its downside. Each time Rimpoche offers an alternative, or antidote, like patience. Not the patience that might wait it out, but one that is full of enthusiasm, the kind that creates positive karma. Rimpoche's examples are sometimes shocking--but serve a purpose. Can you imagine being reborn as a snake writhing around your old corpse--because of attachment? Makes you think! That is one of the objectives of this book, to really consider, to investigate thoroughly, cause and effect, and to change our habit, and "to change the course of our journey once and for all."
My resistance to taking on someone else's pain is, apparently, quite normal. Fortunately, whatever wrongs we have done are, like other things, impermanent, and so we can change our habit, generate compassion if even for ourselves first, stretching our limits to include all beings eventually. This is a good idea, because we experience good things now as a result of what we have done in the past, and, because mind continues, we can improve our future lives too. That mind continues after death is also the basis for reincarnation. Yet Rimpoche speaks of reincarnation from a non-believer's perspective, describing his doubts and his own recollections of past lives as equalling zero. In a matter of fact way though, he recounts being asked to transfer a dying person's consciousness to the mind of enlightenment. He did his best for the dying woman, and later found that she had "visited" one of her teachers, at that exact moment. Rimpoche is definitely "not here to try to convince you about reincarnation," but suggests we give it the benefit of the doubt. That something continues, however subtle and not yet measured scientifically, is supported by very tangible descriptions of what are called the outer and inner dissolutions that happen as a person dies. Rimpoche describes too being sometimes able to clearly see even after a person's breathing and heart has stopped that he or she has not left their body, but that the complexion greys when they have gone. Because death is an opportunity, and life a chance to become wise and compassionate, clear guidelines, and practices, are given as to how to meet these challenges. For example, even if death were to happen suddenly without time to recognise the signs, "try to remember that everything is pure, try to remember your source of inspiration. And don't dwell on attachment or hatred." Sounds like good advice. This is really a do-it-yourself guide, and as Rimpoche says, no one can do it for us. "To do a spiritual practice is to sleep with it, live with it and die with it." It is not written as a guide for carers so I was surprised when told we could help someone who is dying "by telling what we know." Having needed time to work with what is in the book until that point, my first reaction was that to tell a person who is dying would be too late! The book might help me understand what someone is going through, though, and if I remember at my own death, "it might not come as a surprise," as Rinpoche says, and I suspect as in my good birth guide example, will be easier. Difficulties I had when reading the book were mainly semantic. Like, how can there be "an indestructible physical drop" if everything is impermanent? I missed an index, but the book's not designed as a quick fix guide. Although sources are not always attributed precisely, the book resounds with what Buddha taught, and with Rimpoche's teachers' advice. What Rimpoche writes about suffering its causes, cessation and the path to the cessation, is, I am sure, authentic. Suggested readings are given at the end. I read this hurriedly at first in order to pass judgement, to criticize, and missed the point entirely. Instead because Good Life, Good Death describes a personal process, my advice now would be to buy it, and then to take your time, enjoy it, think about it, and see what happens! Related links
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