Newtype and Nirvana

Glad that you are back, Boaz.

Firstly I would say a connection between Newtype and Nirvana via Tomino's personal knowledge of Buddhism is quite plausible.

But I think it's quite wrong to attribute too much Buddhism influence into Newtype. Buddhism emphasizes personal enlightenment (Hinayana) and enlightenment of all (Mahayana). It's quite a stretch to find evidence of the teachings of either school in Newtype. Especially, Buddhism's Nirvana is the reward for escaping from Samsara. It is very tempting to compare the endless cycles of wars, destruction and suffering in Universal Century to Buddhist view of the material world. However, the Gundam heroes reject the idea that Samsara is an unbreakable cycle and Newtype Nirvana is an acceptable escape from the pains and suffering of the material world. So while he could "always go back to where Lalah is", he couldn't indulge in his own spiritual bliss and let the Samsara cycle continues in the Gyps War (Zeta) and CCA.

Somewhat OT: a stroke, near-death experience and other neurological conditions causing spiritual experience is well-known. Whether one experiences a Western or Eastern favor is very variable. One famous example is Hildegard von Bingen whose migraine caused profound religious experience of the Catholic favor.

Dr. Core