11 replies to this topic

[Mr. Gordo]

In Chinese Pure Land Buddhism, there are many accounts of having precognitions of one's death after meditating on Amitabha Buddha (nienfo / nembutsu). Are there similar accounts in Christianity?

Thanks!

[ChaosTech]

Sure, my step mom's mother, died a few years ago. She was an avid believer in "The Lord," and she was a pretty nice lady. They found her dead on the floor with a permanent smile on her corpse, and a heavy spiritual energy or presense in the room that everyone could feel for many hours.

I think the devout old ladies and men of most all if not all religions die with no fear, only joy, as they have spent an entire lifetime getting through it believing in what they do, and have an iron hard belief that they are going on to the next level or going home, and this is so joyous.

Personally I'll probably die in fear and agony, not of what comes next, but of the attachment to my very sensative physical body. I've always been very sensative, and this is why I avoid all fights and roughhousing. Whatever the case, prison taught me, I'll die with an iron will though, so I'm happy as a mage. As the highest accomplishment in most magical systems is the strength and unswerving detachment of the magician's will.

[Shadow-Gnostikoi]

Um... Sorry ChaosTech, but doesn't look like you answered the question....

Anyways, back to the topic itself, the idea of precognition of death seems specific to Buddhist lore so far as I've read. In Tantra as well, one sees that as a reccurent theme. But I haven't encountered any topics in Christianity so far.

[Curious Cat]

That was a very interesting video. I had not heard stories like that before. Thank you for posting, Gordo.

[Mr. Gordo]

Thanks for your thoughts ChaosTech and Shadow-Gnostikoi. I wasn't sure if there were similar accounts in Christianity.

Curious Cat said:

That was a very interesting video. I had not heard stories like that before. Thank you for posting, Gordo.

I've been reading an enormous amount about Pure Land Buddhism lately and find an affinity towards it.

[jes]

Could you explain the fish and the stick they were talking about?

[Morrigan]

If you were to read the writings of medieval catholic ( especially female) mystics you will find a good amount of death visions. Both men and women often envisioned themselves suffering as their Lord has suffered and dying with/like Him. As female life was tied to food so was their role in mysticism. Starving to death, being eaten by the hungry, dying an turning into corruption, becoming a host were common themes. The death of mystics often included miracles of lights, flying hosts, food multiplication, food transmutation all of which were common themes in their visions. For further reading check out: Holy Feast and Holy Fast: The Religious Significance of Food to Medieval Women (New Historicism: Studies in Cultural Poetics) Holy Feast and Holy Fast: The Religious Significance of Food to Medieval Women (New Historicism: Studies in Cultural Poetics) and the writings of Simone Weil, Julian of Norwich, Hildegaard Won Bingen, Margarette Porete, Elisabeth of Schonau, and Catherine of Siena.

So in short yes there is some death precognition in Christianity

[ChaosTech]

Shadow, she had a minor precognition of death, because they found her smiling and a spiritual presence was there. Like the story of the fish lady in the video. Smiling, buddhist robes on.

[Mr. Gordo]

jes said:

Could you explain the fish and the stick they were talking about?

Yes, the wooden fish was used as a percussion instrument when reciting sutras, dharanis and mantras:

Wooden Fish

[Mr. Gordo]

Morrigan said:

If you were to read the writings of medieval catholic ( especially female) mystics you will find a good amount of death visions. Both men and women often envisioned themselves suffering as their Lord has suffered and dying with/like Him. As female life was tied to food so was their role in mysticism. Starving to death, being eaten by the hungry, dying an turning into corruption, becoming a host were common themes. The death of mystics often included miracles of lights, flying hosts, food multiplication, food transmutation all of which were common themes in their visions. For further reading check out: Holy Feast and Holy Fast: The Religious Significance of Food to Medieval Women (New Historicism: Studies in Cultural Poetics) Holy Feast and Holy Fast: The Religious Significance of Food to Medieval Women (New Historicism: Studies in Cultural Poetics) and the writings of Simone Weil, Julian of Norwich, Hildegaard Won Bingen, Margarette Porete, Elisabeth of Schonau, and Catherine of Siena.

So in short yes there is some death precognition in Christianity

Thanks for that information and resources Morrigan. Just to clarify, these visions were not just of them experiencing death, but of them predicting the time of their death, yes?

[Morrigan]

Mr. Gordo said:

Thanks for that information and resources Morrigan. Just to clarify, these visions were not just of them experiencing death, but of them predicting the time of their death, yes?

A bit of both. I cannot recall which specific mystics predicted their death however I know a few did, usually in the form of saying: "I will be seeing the Lord before St. Swiggins Day" or " an Angel of His Most High said that I have but a few months to wait until I receive his kiss" As the Song of Songs was critical to most female mystical experience they often spoke of their Bridegroom ( Jesus) coming on or by a certain date. The debate centered around if their deaths were predicted or if their biographer ( called a confessor) doctored it. In the end it best to take the mystical experiences on face value as the person involved/people at the time would have in order to understand how these experiences worked in the Catholic mindset.

[Mr. Gordo]

Ah, I see. Much appreciated!