Parinirvana Buddha. {Photograph} by Ankur Panchbuddhe.
At this time, February 15, is called Parinirnava Day in a lot of the Buddhist world. It commemorates the anniversary of the Buddha’s demise, or Parinirvana. It’s a time for allowing for the important reality of change, instability, and impermanence (anicca).
It’s conventional on Parinirvana Day to learn the scriptures in regards to the Buddha’s demise: particularly the Mahaparinibbana Sutta. It’s additionally conventional to go to temples to meditate, and to do not forget that our personal lives right here on earth are restricted. Parinirvana Day can be a time for remembering family and friends who’ve handed, and infrequently we’ll place their pictures on the foot of an altar.
For me, this weblog typically acts as a form of memento mori, or reminder of demise. To the very best of my information 5 individuals who have shared articles right here have handed away: two of them I knew personally, whereas others I’d solely exchanged emails with. I needed to take the chance of Parinirvana Day to convey them to thoughts, to say a little bit about them, and to encourage you to learn their articles.
Suvarnaprabha
The primary is Suvarnaprabha, whose title means “Golden Radiance.” That was an excellent title for her, since she had a vibrant character, stuffed with humor, though she most popular to go by “Suvanna,” discovering her Sanskrit title a bit combersome. She could possibly be deeply severe, however she typically laughed and impressed laughter in others. I vividly keep in mind going along with her to see Robin Williams carry out in San Francisco, the place she lived, and us spending the night with tears working down our faces.
On Wildmind’s weblog she wrote an recommendation column known as “Ask Auntie Suvanna.” The unique intent was for this to be a humour endeavor, however as time glided by the requests for assist turned sadder and sadder. Suvanna’s responses have been at all times type and clever, although, and have been typically hilarious. I’d counsel beginning along with her items on the Buddhist approach to excess body hair, and On eating vegetarian monkey brains.
She additionally wrote a chunk about teaching meditation in prison, which was very near my coronary heart as I used to be doing the identical factor on the similar time.
Suvanna documented her expertise with most cancers in two blogs, the first of which detailed her preliminary analysis and remedy, and the second of which, Crap, I’ve Got Cancer, took up the story of the most cancers’s return.
Saddhamala
Saddhamala (“She who’s garlanded with religion”) was another person I knew personally. We first emailed one another round 1998, once I was on the Rocky Mountain Buddhist Middle in Missoula, Montana, and she or he was at Aryaloka Buddhist Middle in Newmarket, though at the moment she wasn’t but ordained and glided by her delivery title, Nancy Nicolazzo. A couple of years later I moved to Newmarket myself, and I noticed her a good quantity.
She was generally known as Nancy in her work as a chaplain and volunteer coordinator at a hospice, and it was in a hospice that she handed away. She’d had most cancers that had metastasized. Understanding that demise was inevitable she’d determined to not search remedy. She was a proficient girl who’d additionally labored as a advisor. The truth is I as soon as employed her to assist me make my workplace area extra pleasing and environment friendly, and the outcomes have been great.
Saddhamala wrote many articles for Wildmind. She had executed quite a lot of educating and tended to distill her solutions into lists of ideas for apply. Generally, although, she wrote extra personally, for instance when she discussed her family background.
Marcus Hartsfield
Marcus wasn’t somebody I knew personally, and I should have met Marcus on social media. He was a therapist in California, and practiced on the San Francisco Zen Middle. One of many hanging issues about Marcus was the variety of tattoos he had — a lot of them Buddhist themed. I requested him to put in writing an account of his journey on Wildmind’s weblog, and so he wrote, Bodhi art: reclaiming the body with Buddhist tattoos, illustrated with a variety of pictures.
Marcus handed away in 2013, I feel. Not being a buddy of his, I by no means did find out how Marcus died. Somebody who knew him stated he’d been in poor health, however she didn’t know something past that.
Hazel Colditz
Hazel Colditz was one other Wildmind contributor I by no means had the great fortune to fulfill in particular person. I’m certain I’d have preferred her. Hazel was a talented photographer, documentary maker, and sculptor of rock and metallic. She lived within the Arizona desert. We met on social media when she provided to assessment a ebook for me. She ended up writing three evaluations in whole, for “Taneesha Never Disparaging” by M. LaVora Perry, “Sitting Practice” by Caroline Adderson, and “Jake Fades” by David Man. I at all times loved her views, and she or he was a pleasure to work with. She handed away in January, 2012, having battled an aggressive type of most cancers for a number of months, and having endured a number of main surgical procedures.
Navachitta
Navachitta was a part of the Auckland, New Zealand sangha of the Triratna Buddhist Group. She was ordained into the Order in the summertime of 1990 in Taraloka, in Shropshire, England. I by no means new her personally, though we corresponded periodically by e-mail for a few years, and I at all times appreciated her assist and encouragement.
Navachitta was a therapist who labored in personal apply and was very energetic within the restoration neighborhood. You possibly can learn extra about this side of her work in an interview she did with a consultant of North West Buddhist Recovery.
One great anecdote: Whereas dwelling in Britain, Navachitta as soon as went to a builder’s service provider, saying she was in search of sacks. However listening to her New Zealand accent, the boys she was speaking to sadly thought she was in search of “intercourse.” Hilarity (though to the very best of my information no sexual activity) ensued.
Earlier than her premature demise she solely had time to put in writing three articles and evaluations for Wildmind’s weblog. One, entitled From drama to Dharma, was on habit to drama. Her second piece, Looking for the silver lining of our dysfunction, is concerning the connection between habit and the doubtless useful trait of novelty-seeking. Her remaining piece was a review of a book of poems by a fellow Order member, Satyadevi. The poems have been impressed by pure and industrial disasters that had taken place in New Zealand.
Navachitta handed away in London on the age of 62 from a extreme bacterial and viral an infection.
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I hope these tales have inspired you to discover the work of the 5 people I’ve drawn consideration to.
However on a deeper stage, all 5 of their deaths have been sudden. I do know I make assumptions about how lengthy I’ll stay (late eighties to early nineties?) and the way I’ll die (both in my sleep or in a hospital mattress?), however none of us ever is aware of when our time will come. It could possibly be immediately.
And so the Buddha inspired us to be conscious that demise can come at any time, not in order that we turn into afraid or depressed, however in order that we be impressed to take advantage of this valuable alternative to apply.
Life is swept alongside,
next-to-nothing its span.
For one swept to outdated age
no shelters exist.
Perceiving this hazard in demise,
one searching for peace
ought to drop the world’s bait.
We’re additionally requested to keep in mind, much more pithily, the remembrance, anicca vata sankhara : “Impermanent, certainly, are all created issues.” Let’s mourn our losses, whereas tempering them with an consciousness of their inevitability. And above all, let’s take them as an inspiration to stay the very best lives we will create.
