In the Nick of Time

Here's something related to the entry on "Reverse Psychology on Seeking Birth in Pureland". About two weeks ago, I was meditating when I found myself keep falling asleep. The first few time I kind of let it be... meaning that once I wake up, I carry on meditating without any self-blame or any other hassle. But as time got nearer to the end of the session, I got a little panicky. Running through my mind was the thought, "Darn it, I'd better meditate properly! Time's running out!" And surprisingly, every time I jolted out of the subsequent micro-sleep periods, I become incredibly refreshed and entered a calm and clear concentrated state of mind within seconds. (However, I got complacent and fell asleep again later!)

I can relate this to one's last moments. In the nick of time, if one knows that he is running out of time, he might snap into a state of clarity. But this has to do with habit too. It will be much easier and more automatic for a regular meditator. I write this to refute the idea that it is always very hard to have a good state of mind while dying. The reverse can be true; the nearer to death the easier it is! But the more inconsistent your regular practice is, the harder it will be! reply