The
Rememberers: The First Turning
By
Palden Lhamo
The
past, present and future are fluid in The
Rememberers: The First Turning,
woven into a story of five friends, longtime “nest mates”
following their Buddhist paths towards enlightenment. Earth will not
last forever with the destruction mankind imposes on it, and they
have been chosen to help mitigate the inevitable suffering and
possibly even save the planet. They have been granted the gift of
remembering past lives to expedite their task.
They
have a plan, set prior to this lifetime, to spread the concept of
karma and rebirth to all people. Without knowing anything more than
their “true” names, they must locate each other in their new
bodies and lives before they can carry out their mission. Each had
chosen their parents and body from the “Pure Lands” before birth
specifically to accelerate their own journeys to enlightenment.
This
book was hard to put down. The story of their journeys is an engaging
mystery/thriller with a well-written, gentle message. The author,
Palden
Lhamo,
includes brief, easy-to-understand explanations of basic concepts in
Buddhism. She
also writes, “The intention of this work is not to convert, but to
spark a questioning within the reader's mind about life, death,
meaning, and reality.”
No
matter your feelings about religions, the message here is about
kindness, courage and living your best life. The welfare of others is
as important as your own, and giving and caring about everyone and
everything is the key to true enlightenment.
Whatever
viewpoint you read it from, this is a delightful book that will stay
in your mind for a long time.
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