Personal Experience of A Brush with Death: Divine Protection that Saved My Life
I am Theng Ying and I am a Malaysian currently living in the state of Johor. Born into a Buddhist family, I have been practicing a syncretic mix of Chinese and Nichiren Buddhism since young.
Today, I have a testimonial to share. This is a real-life experience that happened to me back in 2014. I could still recollect that very moment vividly. Thinking about this incident still brought chills down my spine. This incident is a stark reminder that life is delicately fragile and there are certain things that just could not be logically explained in a scientific way.
Back in 2014, I was fresh out of college and worked as a Pupil-In-Chamber in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Few weeks before the “fateful” day on 22 May 2015, I accepted my best friend’s invitation to attend her admission to the bar ceremony, known as “Long Call Ceremony.”
The Long Call ceremony was held in Seremban, the location of which was about 1.5 hours car-ride from Kuala Lumpur. Therefore, I drove my car early in the morning to avoid the morning rush hour.
After the ceremony ended around noon. I joined my friends for the luncheon-cum-friends-gathering at the café before heading back home at about 4pm.
There was an infamous Automated Enforcement System (“AES”) camera located along the highway to Kuala Lumpur and the speed limit was only 90km/hour. Thus, I was mindful that I must slow down before reaching the AES in order to avoid any penalty charge from the AES.
There were three lanes in the highway and I took the middle lane at the speed of about 85km/hour. At that time, there was a heavy downpour and the road was slippery. As such, I stayed vigilant and kept my speed at 85km/hour.
Suddenly, a motorcyclist just cut into my middle lane from the right lane (fast lane) without giving any signal or prior notice. He was so indescribably close to me, and the swerve was so quick and sudden that I thought, ” Oh no! We are going to collide!”
At that nick of time, a miracle happened. My body was literally enveloped and protected by an incredibly strong force; I could neither feel nor hear my heartbeat. It was at that split second that I felt the time had just momentarily – STOPPED.
The strong force disappeared as swift as it came. When the force was gone, I heard my heart pounding so vigorously as if it was going to jump out of my chest any moment. When I regained my composure, I saw the motorcyclist driving slowly in front of me to the left lane safely.
The recollection of the incident is so vivid and I will not forget for the rest of my life. Till now, I am still perplexed by the entire incident, wondering how both of us managed to escape the unavoidable collision. I am convinced, however, that I am divinely protected by the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and the Buddhist gods at that crucial moment.
“ ‘O virtuous man! Hundreds of thousands of Buddhas will protect and guard you with their divine powers. Among all living beings such as heavenly gods and humans, none can equal you except Tathagatas. The wisdom and meditation of shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, or even bodhisattvas cannot match yours.’ (Lotus Sutra 23: 2.16)
Life is so vulnerable and ephemeral; you will never know when death beckons and life just ends unexpectedly. Had it not been for the divine protection, I am sure I would not have been spared from the accident. It is beyond words to express how grateful I am to be alive and still kicking.
After the brush with death, my perspectives and priorities of life have shifted. Chasing the rat race for insatiable material gain is meaningless; what is more important is to cherish what we have, appreciate the abundance of life at the present moment and continue to develop myself holistically so that I could bring forth my greatest potential within.
Nothing brings as much happiness to me as the efforts to create values through my Buddhist practice. I am currently actively participating in the Buddhist activities together with my family.
Brief Biography:
Theng Ying is a Legal Associate working in the state of Johor, Malaysia. Currently, she is pursuing a Master Degree in Law from the University of London. During her leisure time, she enjoys music, yoga, and travel.
