The Last Breath

The Last Breath with Ajahn Pasanno

I brought this hand-size book back home from Temple Forest Monastery. The book embraces the final days of Jay until his last breath. Jay was convicted in 1983 for the robbery and the murders of 2 people. He admitted to involvement in the robbery but denied having committed the murders. Yet, he refused to name his accomplice and was convicted and sentenced to death. His last day was February 9, 1999.

"The story is of a person who was able to utilize the adverse circumstances of incarceration Death Row in San Quentin Prison and develop the inner resources to face his death with courage, grace and compassion."

Since birth, we all have been walking our lives towards death row similarly to what Jay faced except that our last day could not be easily determined by court or judge but our fate and mother nature. Jay really taught us how we could "live diligently" with mindfulness of death.

Overwhelmed with heavy heart and sympathy for Jay while reading the book, I also felt thankful to him and Ajahn Pasanno.  If next life as a human being was waiting for Jay, I prayed for him to be able to fulfil his life as he wished for which was staying on the path of Dhamma. Almost 23 years had passed, he might have been born again already. Who knows?

"Is there anybody you have not forgiven yet?" Jay thought about it. " I haven't forgiven myself completely," he said softly at last. 

The Last Breath » Amaravati Buddhist Monastery