The true story of my grandmother

My paternal grandmother died in around 1983. During her last days, she was hospitalised at Kwong Wai Siew Hospital at Serangoon Rd. While in hospital, she still could talk. I remember I had visited her a few times while in hospital before her death. I remember clearly that she had told me that she would not wish to be cremated but to be buried after her death. She was subsequently buried at Choa Chu Kang Cemetery, and about 12 years later, her remains were exhumed and placed at the Kwong Wai Siu Columbarium at Bishan.

These few weeks is the Chinese Qing Ming period. When I was with my father a few days ago, he mentioned something that set me thinking.

My father said that prior to being hospitalised for the last time, my grandmother was sick at home. She saw 2 'persons' at the window beckoning her to take her away. She told my aunt (my father's sister) and my aunt told my father. Now my father told me about this.

It had aways been a belief among Buddhists that during the dying days, some "beings" will appear to the dying. They were supposed to guide or accompany the dying in his journey into the next world.

So it happened to my grandmother as well.

When I read writings about NDE (Near Death Experience), there are always anecdotal stories of dying persons meeting angels, or guides, or spirits, or buddha or 'Jesus' at the end of a tunnel bridging to the other world. There seem to be consistency among the various religions in this aspect of NDE.