TO A FRIEND

This is a copy of an email to a friend whose medical condition is fragile:

I was thinking about what you said a while back re Buddhist meditation and it just "sunk in." You had the idea that the meditation was meant to "bring you out of your body," and I noted that that's not its purpose and continued to pontificate as usual. But now it dawns on me that you were seeking a meditation that does allow one to "transcend the physical." I did practice such a meditation for ten years or so pretty much on a daily basis. It's a theosophical rendition of what is probably a Hindu meditation. It takes you out of your body by moving up the chakras until you are beyond it and then you come back down into it with what might be called spiritual insights. I'd be happy to describe exactly how it's done, if you might be interested.

For most of my life I was hardly in my body and believed this was how it was for everyone. There are causes for this that I could share with you if you might want to hear them. Suffice it to say that I could sit zazen for hours and hours and hours once upon a time, though now I can't at all--which is probably a good thing. So I spent much effort trying to "get in" rather than "get out."

But I, for many years now, have been very interested in knowing how to "make the transition" out of the body when I die, for one must be able to be in the proper mind that can adapt to a different (non-physical) state of being. I have finally internalized what I see as true regarding this: the non-physical state of being is our natural state, whereas being in the body is actually an unnatural state for us. I think that's why I enjoy sleeping as much as I do--being out of the body. Rudolf Steiner said that death is much like going to sleep--but then waking up without the physical part, which can be disconcerting if one isn't aware of what's up.

Just wanted to share these thoughts with you. I think life and death can be seamless. Time is somewhat relative and our self-identification needs to be expanded if not replaced.