Buddhism With An Tử Matter.VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=THICH CHAN TANH.

An death, or "peaceful death" is performed by a "suicide machine" by Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who specializes in pathology research at various hospitals in California and Michigan, designed in 1989 under the name "mercitron" ”.

This machine is to help those who suffer from incurable diseases no longer have the opportunity to run for treatment, only to relive the days of "waiting for death" in extreme pain, dying according to their will, a death "quickly, gently. ”, Rather than living in constant torment.

After nine years of implementation, Kevorkian has helped 130 patients retire from life with "mercitron". In 1998, Jack Kevorkian sent to CBS TV a video of the scene of the death of a patient named Thomas Youk, 52, with upper sclerosis, with his help. Then, this video was broadcast on ABC News with the witness of 16 million Americans, and then the whole world began to know a new "technology" in the medical industry: "electronic technology"! It was this video that made evidence that Kevorkian was convicted of a "second-degree murder", and was sentenced to 10-25 years in prison.

On June 1, the "death doctor" Jack Kevorkian was released on parole after eight years in prison. During that eight-year period, although Kevorkian was in prison, his work continued, and certainly will continue in the future, not only limited to the killing field of "mercitrons", but also in the struggle of those who support or oppose the problem of euthanasia. The evidence is that many religions, not only in the United States, but all over the world, have explicitly vowed to do everything they can to make the death not become legal. Meanwhile, the people of Oregon, the first state of the United States, passed a law that would allow people with terminal illnesses to live for more than six months to ask doctors to assist with death. Between 1998 and 2006, 292 Oregonians chose this death.

Clearly, the issue of euthanasia has become a concern of the times. The problem becomes "sensible" when a person has the right to choose for himself a "peaceful death" rather than to live in constant pain. Indeed, there are cases, illnesses, life scenes, ... that only death is liberation - liberation for yourself and for your loved ones less burden, anxiety! Therefore, "mercitron" is not only accepted by patients but also "grateful". But many people refuse, even oppose, because it is too "cruel" and "unethical".

So, in the face of that situation, Buddhism inherently sees life as a dream, like illusory, sees birth and death as illusory games, all dreaming, impermanence, non-self ... opposing the matter of death?

When Buddha was still in the world, when he was living in Bhikkhu-li (Vaiśāli), there was a Bhikkhu who was seriously ill, for a long time, the treatment did not heal. Bhikkhu-stilts raising sick told Bhikkhu-stilts that sick persistent that: "I do not maintain life, recite sutras or religious thinking anything. Everyday I have to go to the house to look for food, drink, medicine that is suitable for the sick, making people fed up with me. I'm not sick but equally miserable ”. The sick monk said, "Then what to do? I'm also fed up with this pain, unable to bear it anymore. It would be nice if he killed me. " Bhikkhu-stilts raising sick said: "He did not hear World Religion should not kill people themselves or what?". Bhikkhu-stilts said: "If so, the teacher because I go to help people with knives come here". The bhikkhu who raised the disease said: "Don't you hear that World-Honored One should not go looking for someone to hold a knife to kill." Bhikkhu-stilts said, "Then what do you say?". Bhikkhu-stilts raising sick answer: "The teacher just prayed to live not want to die, but if you want to die, there is no way to die." After that, the Bhikkhu-stilts became ill because they did not need anything and desire anymore when they suffered pain, suffering, suffering and suffering, so they committed suicide ( Malaya Law,  DTK / ĐTT 22, n ⁰  1425).

The Buddha learned about the incident, He called upon the sick monk Bhikkhu and rebuked: "You have never heard Tathagata use countless means of praise for those who lead a virtuous life, with a loving body, a loving mouth , loving kindness, and offering offerings to them what is needed? Now why do you praise death? It is illegal, illegal, not true to what we have taught, we cannot use this to cultivate good deeds. ”

The Buddha rebuked the sick monk who influenced the ill bhikkhu to seek death (that is, to suggest, exhort or incite others to seek death rather than to live in the torment of illness. disability, as in the case of death), also means that the Buddha did not agree with the search for death, in any case and in any way. In the Buddhist precepts, killing oneself, telling others to kill, praise or agree with the killing is a serious crime. Accordingly, the creator of the "mercitron" machine, people who agree with this practice, including patients, are not in accordance with the spirit and discipline of Buddhism.

The Buddha by countless means to show sentient beings that it is very difficult to obtain a human body, so it is extremely precious to be a human being. Imagine, there is a blind tortoise living on the ocean floor. It rises to the surface every thousand years to take in air. Once, when it had just emerged, its head slipped into a blooming tree floating on the surface of the sea! An extremely rare occurrence, but being made human, according to Buddhism, is even more rare.

The human body is hard to be like that but it is easy to lose, because of the strong rule of the impermanence law, and once lost, it is difficult to get back. So how precious human life is. In particular, there is only a human life, in this body image, whether ugly or beautiful, whether luxurious or cowardly, whether healthy or sick ... it is also the only means or tool to make a boat to take us beyond. escape sea suffering birth and death. Among sentient beings, only sentient beings will be able to practice the method of liberation. The sūtras record countless dharma talks of the Buddha, so let us be aware of the impermanence of life in order to try to practice liberation so as not to lose chances. Moreover, with the Buddha's teachings, if we truly cultivate and practice, surely attaining enlightenment, we will not only escape this present life of suffering, but permanently separate from the paths of suffering in the three realms, the life of peace and liberation, even though the time of practice is only one day, even just one breath. The Buddha asserted: "Now I tell you, in my line of writing, there are people of righteousness, no disguise, no illusory puppet; I have been teaching this person for ten years. Because of this predestined relationship, he or she may be within a hundred, thousands and ten thousand years of only one joy, mind, and many meditations. This is definitely yes. For thousands of years, only one level of joy, bliss, much meditation. This is definitely yes. For thousands of years, only one level of joy, bliss, much meditation. This is definitely yes.

"Again, no, not counting ten years, but nine years, eight years, until one year, ten months, nine months, until one month; ten days, nine days, until one day and one night, if I have been taught, then the next morning they can make great progress. In the early morning, when teachers were taught, they could make much progress in the evening. Because of this predestined relationship, within a hundred, thousands and ten thousand years only a level of joy, bliss, much meditation, attained two fruits. Or Tu-da-function or An-na result. ”

Thus, by this life, we can attain liberation within twenty-four hours of practice. So why do we not create all conditions for ourselves, for our loved ones to be happy forever, but only to the peaceful ones?

We only see the sufferings of human life due to lack of rice, lack of clothes, money, or illness ... of life, rolling along six paths of samsara, endless birth and death. Once you have not escaped the illusionary waterfall, then it is useless to seek the death of suffering present illness, if not the way to open the gates to hell. Therefore, the duty of a Buddhist when confronting with death, practice as the Buddha taught:

“If we are an intellectual Buddhist, if we want to go to another intellectual Buddhist who is suffering from miserable sickness, then teach these three methods of peace of mind to them; Say: 'Hey you! Accomplish pure indestructible faith for Buddha, for Dharma and Sangha. '

"After the three measures of peace of mind are taught, you should ask, 'Do you have attachment to your parents?' If the other person is attached to his / her parents, then one should teach letting go and should say: 'If you are attached to your parent and live, it is worth attachment. If it is not attachment to life, then what is attachment to? ' If the other person says there is no attachment to the parent, he should be happy to encourage and ask, 'For wives and children, slaves, money and all the things you have attachment to?' If you say attachment, you should advise letting go, like a legal attachment to parenting attachment. If you say not attached, then rejoice to encourage and ask, 'Are you regretting for the five senses of the world?' If they say nostalgia, they should explain that the five worldly desires are a place of evil, impure, corrupt, smelly, unlike the five sensual pleasures of heaven. Please advise that the other desires worldly desires and desires five heavenly desires. If the other person says that the mind has separated itself from the worldly desires and has previously thought of desiring to overcome heaven, then rejoicing in the good deeds and telling them: 'The five sensual pleasures of heaven, are impermanent, suffering, No, vandalism. The gods of heaven have a more venerable form than the five gods of heaven. ' If the other said that he had abandoned thinking of heavenly sex and only thought of his form than the five desires, then he was happy to improve and said, 'The sex of being is also a law of impermanence, vandalism, only the peace of production, is Nirvana with the cessation of the action. People should abandon the attachment to their friends, but should rejoice in the joy of Nirvana of silence, supreme, and triumph ”(Kinh-A-Ham). then the wedding wholesome encouragement and said to them, 'The five sensual pleasures of heaven, are impermanent, suffering, no, disappearing. The gods of heaven have a more venerable form than the five gods of heaven. ' If the other said that he had abandoned thinking of heavenly sex and only thought of his form than the five desires, then he was happy to improve and said, 'The sex of being is also a law of impermanence, vandalism, only the peace of production, is Nirvana with the cessation of the action. People should abandon the attachment to their friends, but should rejoice in the joy of Nirvana of silence, supreme, and triumph ”(Kinh-A-Ham). then the wedding wholesome encouragement and said to them, 'The five sensual pleasures of heaven, are impermanent, suffering, no, disappearing. The gods of heaven have a more venerable form than the five gods of heaven. ' If the other said that he had abandoned thinking of heavenly sex and only thought of his form than the five desires, then he was happy to improve and said, 'The sex of being is also a law of impermanence, vandalism, only the peace of production, is Nirvana with the cessation of the action. People should abandon the attachment to their friends, but should rejoice in the joy of Nirvana of silence, supreme, and triumph ”(Kinh-A-Ham). then also joyfully encouraged and again said: 'The sex of the body is also the impermanent, vandalism, only the peace of renunciation, Nirvana with the cessation of the acts. People should abandon the attachment to their friends, but should rejoice in the joy of Nirvana of silence, supreme, and triumph ”(Kinh-A-Ham). then also joyfully encouraged and again said: 'The sex of the body is also the impermanent, vandalism, only the peace of renunciation, Nirvana with the cessation of the acts. People should abandon the attachment to their friends, but should rejoice in the joy of Nirvana of silence, supreme, and triumph ”(Kinh-A-Ham).

That is the way to visit and raise sickness of Buddhists. In general, when an unlucky person suffers from an incurable disease, we must find ways to "reveal" that person the unreal, deceitful and transient nature of life like the moon at the bottom of the water. , the shadow in the mirror, like the flames of burning heat, like the echo of a call, like clouds floating in the sky, like bubbles ... and advising them to let go of all thoughts of grasping the ego, mine ; directing them to the peaceful realm of Amitabha Pure Land, advising them to make a vow to rebirth there by reciting or generating the idea of ​​Amitabha Buddha and His realm, there is no need for the "mercitrin" machine, People who suffer from incurable diseases, even if they do not survive, will also pass away.

In short, Buddhism does not agree with the use of the "mercitron" system, nor does it cling to life in a state of waiting for death, but by all means and methods of making the patient "enlightened" before death. And whether this applies or not depends on the cognitive process and the ability of "enlightenment" of mankind on the issue of life and death, as well as about Buddhism. END=NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).WORLD VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST ORDER=GOLDEN AMITABHA MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.25/11/2019.