The Highest Adventureaccustomed, instead, he turned down the narrow
and seldom-walked road of renunciation. Hoping
to transcend the natural world, he subjected
himself to intense ascetic disciplines. After many
years of seeking, while meditating under the
Bodhi Tree, he claimed an experience of ultimate
reality he called Nirvana. As a result, to those
who subscribe to his philosophy, he became the
“Buddha” (the “awakened one”).
Buddha’s conclusions and my revelation differ
drastically in some areas, but I still deeply
respect the passion for truth he displayed and
the compelling, spiritual thirst that sent him on
such an amazing quest.
A near-death experience in my freshman
year of college proved to be a pivotal point for
me. That almost-tragic night, I had the distinct
impression that my soul was leaving my body
and passing into a very ominous, pulsating
darkness. I felt totally unprepared.
It’s been said that those who desire to die well
must first learn to live well. I certainly had not
been living well, so I wasn’t ready to die well,
either.