Taking Control

Imagine having no control over what happens today. Where you will eat, what you will do, where you might wind up, who you might meet. While it may sound like an adventure, it could also be a nightmare. And what if on this journey, we could not take anything or anybody. This is “Survivor” in the extreme. While such a proposition seems to have a lot of possibilities in our familiar world, in the Bardo—the after death state—the possibilities are limitless. We are like a cork at sea, or a leaf in the wind. We don’t know where the next wave or the next gust of wind will take us. Alone and without the support of our usual talents, skills, friends, or credit card, we have to face the greatest challenge of our lives.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure

We have heard this saying since we our earliest years. And it couldn’t be more true in relation to the afterlife journey. In fact, if we have not prepared for this dramatic event, there is no possibility of catching up at the last minute. We will just have to “fly by the seat of our pants.” But our usual intelligence, cleverness, charm, good looks are of absolutely no use to us. Nor will our financial or material resources be of any benefit. What will matter (unless we are getting outside help by a trained Bardo specialist) is our previous familiarity and training in the bardo process.

Like a stranger in a strange land, if we have studied the geography, language and customs of the foreign country, then even as a newcomer we will have a tremendous advantage. We will know what to expect, and respond appropriately and effectively.

Training

As any athlete, performer or public speaker knows, rehearsal is everything. The more we rehearse things in our mind, over and over, the more prepared we are for the real experience that lies ahead. Even in the small things in life, such as making a point at a group meeting, or talking to a telephone rep about a mistake on a bill we received, we tend to go over these things in our head several times, thinking of what to say and how we should react. This is how the human mind works. We learn through repetition and we become proficient through habit. Once that habit is engrained in our make-up, we can feel free to ad lib a bit, use our creativity and resourcefulness. A good musician can improvise wildly because he spent years practicing the scales and learning the basics.

Meditation is no different than this, though when it comes to the dying process, it is far more important than anything else we have had to learn.