Having been raised as a strict Catholic during
the 60s and 70s, my notion of the Afterlife was heaven, hell, and purgatory.
Somewhere during my grade school catechism
classes, I had an argument with the Irish priest giving us a lesson on baptism and
how only those souls who had been baptized into our church were given the
chance to enter heaven. When I asked him if babies who die are allowed into
heaven, he said not if they haven’t been baptized. He explained that their
(poor innocent (my words)) souls still possessed the stain of original sin. As
you can imagine, it was at this point that my young mind began to dismiss
belief in the Catholic church and the concept of heaven and hell in the
Afterlife.
The one good Christian lesson I did learn was
from my grandmother, a staunch Catholic. She told me that every night before
she said her prayers, she would count her tender mercies. She would think of
three good things she did for others, and three good things others did onto her
during the day. This is one of the best exercises in gratitude I have had the
joy of practicing. It influences the way I interact with those dear to my heart,
as well as those strangers I encounter randomly.
Later, in my late teens, I dabbled in Zen Buddhism.
For a decade or so, I attended regular retreats and meditated daily. Along the
way, I learnt (a bit) about reincarnation. Not enough to say I understand or
believe in it, but certainly enough to see parallels with the thermodynamic rules
of entropy and enthalpy.
A friend of mine, who was raised as a Buddhist
in Thailand, told me something about karma that I carry close to my heart. She
said we are put into this world with three types of karma. The one is filled
with challenges from past lives we are meant to overcome. The next is one is
lessons we are meant to learn, now, in our current circumstances. And the last,
is one we fill to carry us into our future lives. So, each kind deed or word spoken
can fill any of the buckets…
Today is the anniversary of my father’s death.
On such a day, I tend to think about his Afterlife. Where he is. What he is
doing. It is a day, which begins with meditation. I will also go to my
favourite cathedral and light a candle for him; in gratitude, for having had
him in my life. Yet, I also know he still lives on close to my heart. I believe
his spirit will guide me today, as it does every day. Wherever or whatever
Afterlife is, I believe it to be interlocked with sorrow and joy I’m
experiencing right now.
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