Martin Goodson
Death’s Three Messengers
Gateway Talks
A young man on his wedding day finds himself standing in front of Yama, Lord and Judge of the Dead.
In this talk, which coincides with Halloween, a young man on his wedding day finds himself standing in front of Yama, Lord and Judge of the Dead.
The man bitterly complains having been taken away before his time and Yama in an unusual gesture of compassion agrees to send him back and also offers to send the young man three messengers so that he will be reminded that is time will come. What happens when the now older man finds himself once more before Yama teaches us that facing the truth of our own impermanent nature is so easily forgotten. Not because we are not surrounded by Yama’s messengers but because something inside us does not want to acknowledge this central truth of the Buddha’s own message.
The story is taken from a collection of training stories called ‘Look and See’ by Ven. Myokyo-ni.
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