[Buddha-l] [Fwd: Kyabjé Pema Norbu Rinpoche Enters Parinirvana]

[Dan Lusthaus]

> Speculating about the elaborate social rituals,  could these
> codes have been molded by and under elite Chinese (or possible
> older, Eurasian) influences, ...?

Joanna,
Actually this reminded me more of Jaina practices than anything Chinese. In
recent decades there have been several very accomplished Jaina women who,
following a long Jain tradition, die by basically starving to death, i.e.,
entering meditation and not moving until dead (creating no new karma that
would incur further samsaric consequences). Only very few people are given
dispensation for this type of demise, i.e., are considered sufficiently
spiritually accomplished to engage in this. This is also attended by the
same sort of attention and fanfare the Tibetan announcement gave, only by
the Jaina community. It is interesting that, at least in the late 20th c,
the only Jains considered of sufficiently superior accomplishment to receive
dispensation to go out this way have been women.

Dan