It was Padmasambhava who is said to have taken Buddhism into the land of Tibet. Dorie initiated one of his followers into these secrets, which in turn initiated another, who in turn initiated Padmasambhava. He is considered a founding disciple of the Nyingma sect of Buddhism, which places a high emphasis on ascetic monasticism dedicated to a life of earthly poverty and meditation. This venerable manuscript was traditionally written by a Buddhist lama named Padmasambhava, or “Lotus Born.” According to the tradition, an Indian yogi named Garab Dorje spent 32 years in solitary contemplation upon which the primordial Buddha taught him great mysteries. In the land of Tibet, home of Buddhism, there is an interesting answer to that important question found in a book called “The Tibetan Book of the Dead.” Ay, but to die, and we go we know not where, to lie in cold obstruction and to rot …. Shakespeare’s Claudio in “Measure for Measure” bemoans the uncertainty of that question, saying “death is a fearful thing. One of the questions which a great many religions of the world address is: What happens when we die? Gregory Elder, a Redlands resident, is professor emeritus of history and humanities at Moreno Valley College and a Roman Catholic priest.
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