As I write this, the Catholic pope approaches death

As I write this, the Catholic pope approaches death, according to news reports. Though I am not bound to the man by religion, he is perhaps the most influential living spiritual being of our time. So his passing offers me (and many others, I am sure) time to reflect on our own station in this world.

Every major religion I have studied offers the same basic facts about humanity: we are imperfect, and we are impermanent. Each of us is born, lives for a finite time, and passes on. In Christianity, a benevolent God welcomes us when we die to a kingdom of glory, despite our shortcomings, as long as we accept the possibility of something greater than ourselves.

Buddhist and other Eastern philosophies urge us to accept our imperfections and embrace humanity, in fact the whole universe in its flawed form. None suggest fatalism, abandoning ourselves to what comes our way; instead spiritual pursuits urge us to seek self-improvement.

The pope, like the Buddha, and like you and I, is human, imperfect. We hope that his profound trust in God offers him a greater insight into the ways of morality, but still, he is a product of the time and the space he inhabits. Time may prove his views (and thus the Church’s) on many subjects fallible.

As a Buddhist, I look back upon tales of the enlightened Buddha resisting the entry of women into the Sangha and wonder how a perfect being could possibly have not allowed it at once. Many might interpret the Buddha’s resistance as proof of a greater level of knowledge than is privy to you or I, but I prefer to believe that Buddha, like Christ, like the pope, was fully human, flawed and imperfect.

What enlightened him was total acceptance of the limits of our humanity. Knowing his limits, he found such freedom and room to flourish, rather than struggle against the bonds that cannot be broken.

Let our spiritual leaders, and especially their deaths, become reminders of our impermanence. Perhaps, with brilliant examples of their leadership and love, whether we agree with their philosophies or not, we will begin to understand the incredible possibilities we each share within the boundaries of our earthly existence. If you believe in God, please accept his love and trust, and flourish. If you believe in the Buddha, heed his teachings and seek the way of loving-compassion.

To Pope John Paul II, I say thank you, father. Amen & Namaste.