CHAPTER 8. HOW TO HELP THE DEATH AND THE DEAD.

For the mind alone hurtling through the intermediate as a cloth in the wind,  
Finding solace in the strong hands of the peace and wisdom  
is the chance to soar in pure land without shivering from fear and crying from sorrow. 
How much relief is there when saved from wandering through the unexplored realms!

When a person is dying, we have the opportunity to bring that spiritual assistance to him or her. Lama, trained helpers and fellow practitioners can offer prayers, meditations and rituals to guide the dying and the dead on the journey after death. their. There are also many simple but meaningful things that carers, relatives and friends can help. 

MAIN THOUGHTS AND ACTIVITIES

The way we behave around a dying person or after a dying person can make a difference to his or her experiences in this crucial transition. While a person is dying or dying and for many days afterwards, it is important for the loved ones to try to restrain their attachment or attachment to the deceased. Even if we can not stop these thoughts and attitudes, we should avoid speaking or expressing them with words or actions. We should not grieve, weep or moan. It is also important not to "dump the garbage" of the dead, or gossip about the downsides or the bad things the dead have done, or even think of them in the head. we. 

The narratives of the  delogs  in chapter 5 show that those who live sad or weeping can cause the dead to experience the darkness, the snow, the horrible sounds and painful emotions. They are going through an intermediate period. The relatives of the dead should try to keep a mental state and a calm and calm atmosphere is how much good. We should praise, rejoice, rejoice and pay homage to the dead for the achievements of that person while alive. We should never think in such a way: "He is dead now. I will be rich. " Or "I'm finally free because he's dead". 

The mind of a dying person may still be around for many hours, days, sometimes weeks after leaving his body. They even have the ability to read the thoughts of the living. If they find out that other people are thinking and behaving badly towards them, that will become a very powerful element to stir up negative emotions and these emotions will become the cause of a future life suffering for them. 

Therefore, at least for a period of a few days to a few weeks after a person dies, we, the loved ones, should strive to maintain the positive thoughts and memories of the dead and behave appropriately. 

The sadness of a loved one's death is natural. But although you will be sad, you should not make the sadness worse but be less sad. The first thing is to try not to see that sadness is negative and start a emotional struggle. Instead of sadness, you can think, "Yes, I am sad, but this is only because of love and respect for my loved one." To have such a wonderful memory and love is so wonderful. As soon as sadness attaches to a positive meaning and transforms the sadness into joy, the whole painful nature of sadness becomes the power to help you overcome sadness in a happy way. At times you may need to remind yourself: "If you keep nurturing your sad feelings with the thoughts and images of your loved one who has just died, delog , so I have to stop sad. " Such understanding and determination will help us to no longer have feelings of sadness. 

The important thing to remember is that for your loved one, death is not over. Life continues. If your loved ones suffer for illness or old age, death is a good opportunity for them to end suffering, enjoy health and a better life. Especially, if there is a part of your life that is positive, you have to remember that and concentrate your mind on that part of this earth of your loved one and you take pride in it. that work. That will give you the power to overcome grief and be a spiritual support for your loved ones. 

The most effective way to do this is to stay focused on prayer, meditation, and the enjoyment of the blessings instead of the sadness and gnawing of your life. 

PRAYER AND EXCITATION

The relatives and especially the helpers who want to choose the prayers or meditations for the dead, first these meditations and experiences that bring inspiration and benefit For the helper himself. Then, they should share their inspiration and benefits with the dying or dead. If you do not experience those emotions, you do not have much to share with the dying person or the dead. 

In choosing what prayers, meditations or rituals should be performed, it is always important to choose what both the helper and the dead are related or familiar. 

Unless the dying person or the deceased is a sublime witness, it is very important to rely on the power of a source of blessings. Your blessing may be a Buddha like the Infinite Buddha, a Pure Land of the Buddha as the Pure Land, a Bodhisattva, a saint, a sage, or a mentor. your own spirit. 

Helpers must see, feel and believe that the source of their blessings is an omnipotent source of wisdom, unconditional love and boundless power. If you can imagine the source of such a blessing, it will actually appear to you in the same way, thanks to the power of pure awareness itself. 

CREATING A WORK

The most precious thing you can do for a dying person or a dead person is to create merit and to dedicate it to the cause of happiness and enlightenment. 

Buddhism teaches that to attain Buddhahood, you have to accumulate two things: merit and wisdom. By positive thoughts, emotions, and actions done with binary mind, we accumulate merit or good karma. By being aware of the ultimate nature, not dominated by dualistic perceptions and emotions, we accumulate wisdom without being conditioned by karma and conditioned. In order to have a life or a happy rebirth, we have to accumulate merit. To attain Buddhahood, we must have wisdom. 

There are many ways to create merit as follows:  

 nourish thoughts and actions of generosity, morality, patience, diligence and meditation. 

 Apply these ideas and offerings to positive activities, including reciting prayers, meditating, serving others, caring for the sick, and saving lives. 

 Create faith and devotion to the source of blessings, compassion for all sentient beings, and contemplation of any positive object of the mind, can be an image (Buddha image a holy person, a sacred sound, a love (devotion, compassion, peace, bliss), blessings, 

 Obey the precepts, purify evil deeds (either by meditation, worship or by positive thoughts and actions that help purify negative karmas), transmitting teachings , offerings to the deities, giving gifts to the needy, charity giving, sheltering, sponsoring religious ceremonies, creating religious objects (such as paintings, statues, temples, monuments), road construction and shelter. 

You can also accumulate merit by performing religious rituals, in front of or in the midst of forms, sounds, and spiritual experiences of the source of the blessings. That will expand your mind and your life to receive spiritual qualities such as the sublimation of the mind with positive perceptions and feelings with devotion, praise and joy. record. 

After creating merit, one of the most effective things you can do for the deceased is to dedicate all the merits of your good deeds to the peace of a particular person. for all sentient beings. There are large volumes of these devotional prayers in the Buddhist scriptures. While reciting such prayers, one thinks of merit mercy for all sentient beings (especially those who have died so that they are at peace) without expecting anything. 

If you can do it on your own behalf, it is a very good job. But it is also very good if you just inspire others to do the same or to sponsor merit-making ceremonies by lamas or ordinary people. 

BUDDHISTIC  
DEFINITIONS FOR NON-BUDDHIST PEOPLE

As we know, there are people who are willing to accept Buddhist views even though they themselves are not officially Buddhists. There are people who appreciate Buddhism in general but find it difficult to accept the complex Buddhist images or views on death and post-mortem. And there are people who do not care much about Buddhism and even oppose Buddhism and Buddhist views on death. 

In traditional Tibet, the whole population is a devout Buddhist, so of course such problems do not arise. But now that Buddhism has developed in the West, should we help in the Buddhist way even for the dead, if they live they will certainly refute that help? 

Some teachers said that the sentient beings wandering in the middle of the stage needed help. They will search for any source of visual, sound or emotional peace to support them. At the time of death, they will be eager to find anything that can provide them with shelter and relief. Therefore, they will be glad to receive prayers, meditation, and merits that will help them a lot even if they do not respect Buddhism while they are alive. 

Some other masters think that if the dying person has thoughts of not loving Buddhism or is opposed to Buddhist images and concepts when they are alive, they can carry such tendencies when they are at home. In the intermediate period, because the habits of the mind are difficult to give up. If so, in the minds of such people, the Buddhist way of doing things to help them can cause them resentment or even hatred and this only harms them. 

In my own view, it is certainly safe and beneficial to imagine or create a sense of peace and calm around the dying person or the dead. You can comfortably contemplate that air, think and feel that you, the dying person and that air all mix in a sense of peace. As a helper, you can also imagine seeing positive images, hearing the sounds and mellow words, so that these impressions create a peaceful atmosphere. Then relax in the air with open mind. These practices are based on the true essence of Buddhism and have universal positive traits, not specific to Buddhism or Asian culture at all. 

In addition, it is very important to do a form of universal merit and to dedicate it to the deceased as sowing seeds for a peaceful journey and regeneration, and happy. 

EVERYTHING IS FOR EVERYONE

Even if the dying person and the dead are not a Buddhist and are not even willing to accept Buddhism, the following formulas will also be beneficial, safe and worthy of respect. weight. Helpers can use all of these formulas or change them to suit the needs of an individual who is dying. These formulas are based on Buddhist principles but have the same charisma and appeal to everyone. 

 Imagine seeing in the sky the source of the blessing in the form of the beings of light. These sentient beings with great beauty, unconditional love, boundless joy, wonderful tranquility, full power and complete radiance are radiated in all directions. Warm and blissful with love. 

 You see the beam of blessings radiating from the source of the blessings. These blessings of light are filling the whole space with a great sense of peace, dispelling the darkness of ignorance, sorrow and fear. 

 Listen to the melodious sound of words and praises or prayers filled with space like an ensemble. Feel the infinite joy, the strange peace and the fullness of the vibration of the sound created. 

 Think and feel that the dead are seeing beautiful blessings, hearing the soft sounds and feeling love, peace and transcendence, the qualities of light blessings 

Finally, feel that you and the dead enter into an indissoluble state, in the boundless light of total bliss. Take a rest and relax in it for as long as possible. Do this several times. 

 Occasionally express strong aspirations by thinking and saying, "May the [name of the dead] be firmly abiding in the womb of the immeasurable light of peace and full bliss in the medium and in all future lives ". 

WORDS GUIDE FOR BUDDHIST  
AND WHO WANT TO BUDDHISM

In addition to prayer and meditation, these helpers can provide instructions for Buddhists and those who are willing to doctrine of Buddhism. 

With devotion to the source of blessings and love for those who are dying, give them direct instruction or just whisper in your mind. Please say all or part of the following instructions. You can tailor these words to fit the person who is dying. 

You can start the instructions with a simple but powerful prayer, such as OM AMITABHA HRI, the words of the Buddha of Infinite Light, or OM MANI PADME HUNG, the words of the Buddha of Compassion . Instead of these verses, you can choose any prayer that you and the dying person are familiar with. 

OM AMITABHA HRI! Hey, "John" [let's just call the dying person], please relax and calm me down. "John," he was dead and was in the middle of the transition period. Being aware and accepting that you are dead is a very important thing. Please listen to me! Now you have to consider carefully what you need to think and do. He is in the midst of choosing the future of happiness or suffering. 

With clear mind and attention, remember your meditation and stay with that meditative experience. Remember your loving spiritual teachers and all the blessings. If you miss them, they will be with you. Think they are looking at you with wisdom and love. Do not stop thinking about them. They will accompany him to secure him a peaceful journey and rejuvenated joy. 

Today you are at the most important moment of your life. Your future depends on how your mind will react today. In short, he keeps reminding himself of the meditation experience he has, the blessings he has revered and the teachers he has been close to. 

OM AMITABHA HRI! Hey, "John," during his journey through the Middle Ages, he could see angry images, ugly looks, or frightening situations. But you have to remember that these appearances are not real. They are just the manifestations and reflections of his own mind and its habits, like illusions and illusions. Do not cling to them, do not cling to them, do not panic or fight them. 

Remember that all images are in fact images of light. In their essence, they are peaceful, blissful and fleeting. In fact, they are the presence of blessings and teachers. 

When you see any picture, beautiful or ugly, if you call it the image of light and peace then it becomes a picture of light and peace. When he hears a sound, if he calls it the sound of light and peace it becomes a sound of light and peace. In the middle, if you think right, you can change and transform any situation easily because everything is just a reflection and reaction of your own mind. Please always keep in mind that annoying visions are not real, just like dreams, and always remember that in their nature they are all in peace. 

OM AMITABHA HRI! Hey, John, in the middle of the transition, he can see and remember his fortune, his friends and his loved ones. He could hear people calling him and mourning for him. If there are such things, then you must remember that you are now dead. He was separated from everyone and everything. People who call upon him for attachment and for them he also has sentimental attachment but that will not help him, because these images and sounds are just reflections of his sorrow, fear and confusion. No one will be able to come to him and he can not stay with them. If you are attached to them, because of your attachment, they will become obstacles on the way to peace and liberation. 

Look at them as reflected images, in which there is no substance. Listen to these sounds like the sound is echoed, not real. Then the attachment and fear of his mind will disappear like dew at sunrise. 

He must remember his experience of meditation and the presence of blessings along with him and within him. If your mind can see and feel the sources of blessings and meditative experiences, they will all become great sources of happiness - that is the path that leads you to liberation. 

So, instead of remembering friends or enemies, always remember your meditations and blessings. 

OM AMITABHA HRI! Hey, "John," in the middle of the room, he could hear thunderous sounds and terrible words. If you listen to these things, then remember that the screeching sounds and those terrible words are just the appearance of your mind. These sounds are created by the mind like hallucinations or echoes. Do not be afraid, do not cling to, do not attach or do not fight them. 

Listen to those sounds as the sound of the waves of love, peace and inspiration. Listen to those sounds as the sounds, the waves of his devotion to blessings. And remember these sounds as waves of love and compassion from the blessings that come to you. 

OM AMITABHA HRI! Hey, "John," in the middle of the transition, he may have feelings of unease from fear and loneliness. If he feels that way then he must remember that these are just feelings made by his own mind. They are not real; His mind made that feeling like a nightmare. Do not attach to them, do not cling to them, do not scare them or fight them. 

Please consider that these feelings are not real. They are like ripples on the lake. Let go of them; do not pull them back. If you release them, they will melt away like water bubbles. Then he will enjoy the true nature of the mind which is peaceful, blissful, pure and omniscient. 

Speak again, remember the presence of the blessings that are with you and within you. Remember your feelings at meditation. Enjoy the peaceful feelings that you have experienced in the presence of the sources of blessings and meditation. Always stay calm, the natural state of mind! 

MEDITATION FOR THE BUDDHISM  
AND OTHER ARTICLES

If the dying person and the deceased are a Buddhist or a meditator and if you - the helper - have experienced meditation practice, then you can use the ritual practices presented in the " Some simple Buddhist etiquettes for the dead "in appendices A and B. Or you can use the simple meditations below and may adjust some if necessary. 

Remember, it is very important that the helpers provide spiritual help to the deceased or the deceased in the state of the meditation experience that the deceased and the helpers really like. . 

Meditation for helpers has been tempered

If you, the helper, have been trained in meditation better than the dying person or the dead, or if both have the same level of training, then you must be active in the practice of meditation, reciting prayers and sacrifices. And you also have to provide the dying person with all the instructions for dying and going through the intermediate stages, but it must be the right way. This means that the instructions should not be too much and too deep. If you give too many instructions, the dying person may not have the strength, time, and ability to benefit from the instructions (even if he or she is alive). So what do you consider yourself to say in terms of dosage? You should convey something concise and inspirational, It is suitable for dying people so that they can understand and remember it on the long journey after death. Here you have the opportunity to lead the dying person through the dying and intermediate periods to help them reach the shore, as if you were carrying a sick person across a floodwaters. 

You can communicate to the deceased or the deceased in whole or in part of the following instructions. The instructions must be clear, simple and sincere. The dying person and the dying person may not be aware or be there to accompany you meditating or praying, so you may have to do it alone. However, you should think that the dying person or the dead person is listening to you and is praying and meditating with you. Communicate the following instructions in plain words or just whisper in your mind:  

In the sky in front of you [ dead or dying], imagine the vast land of beautiful and strange as the pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. In the midst of this pure land, see the presence of a source of blessings such as the Buddha of Infinite Light such as [or any Buddha, saint, or sage] accompanied by countless Other enlightened beings, such as the Bodhisattvas, Arhats and spiritual masters. Look at them as fully enlightened beings who radiate unconditional love, outstanding wisdom, endless peace, full bliss and unrivaled power. 

The sources of blessings are here to protect you, care for and support you on the journey through the medium. They are here to lead you to the Pureland Pure Land. 

Feel the peace in front of their presence. Feel the warmth, safety from your presence. Feel the satisfaction of your needs in your presence. Believe that from now on you will be protected and guided by countless enlightened ones. 

Read the prayers and prayers, while you think and feel the sounds of prayers like the waves of invocation toward the sources of blessings to pray for them to help and bless. friend. You also have to think and feel that the sound of the prayers is the diligent wave of the source of your blessings. 

You can hear the common sounds and sounds of prayers as waves of love, wisdom, and strength from blessings. Feel those sounds as the vibration of your own blissful mind, devotional prayers, wide love, outstanding intellect, boundless energy, and tranquility of tranquility. 

See the immeasurable beam of blessings of great bliss coming from blessings coming to you. These light sources of blessings are overwhelming your body and the whole space around you. They are the lights of unconditional love, extraordinary wisdom, unrivaled strength, total warmth, boundless joy and wide peace. 

Whatever image you see, the sound you hear or the emotion you experience, you must see, hear, feel and believe that it is pure image, sound and enlightened wisdom. of blessings. 

Finally, relax in the awareness of the inner peace and the blessings of the blessings. Feel like it all became one. 

A guide for those who help the meditators who are dying

If the dying person has a higher meditation experience than your experiences, the helper, you must meditate, recite prayers and perform rituals, but mostly do so quietly. and at a distance until the meditator is clear. You should let the meditator die gently to the other side by just helping passively, quietly. 

In this case, the most important thing is to focus on letting the dying person walk their path at their own pace. Avoid making sounds or moving around them. Another thing is that when the meditator is not clear, no one can touch his body. The disturbing sounds, touches, or the inadvertent and ignorant suggestions of a normal person can make the dying meditator distracted from the meditatorial path of his ultimate journey. myself. 

So, until the meditator has settled, meditation, prayer and rituals must be performed quietly and at great distances. When the meditator has already died, the prayers and rituals can be performed directly, with or without the body there. 

HELPING OTHER PEOPLE IS HELPING ME Helping

those who are dying and dying is a great opportunity for us to learn and practice in our lives and deaths. When we see a dying person, we have a vivid proof of the impermanence and the meaningless struggle of samsara. This is a very powerful energy to persuade us to go to the pure path of cultivation. 

However, if we do not look at strong situations like this to learn, although we can often see death and death, we can become accustomed to such experiences. so Then we can become emotionless, like a rock, so that nothing can touch us. 

For those who help others, at the moment they need help not only as an opportunity to learn but also as a powerful way to create merit. Moreover, the dying person also creates merit because they have become the cause of the merit of the helpers. Thus, both the helper and the benefactor benefit. Therefore, we must be sober and dexterous, see the death of others as a lesson and an opportunity for us to practice. If we can see deadness and death as their nature, then we have no reason to feel angry, attached, or jealous of anyone. So there will be no negative feelings to cause distress, fear or confusion. Then we can naturally enjoy the sense of non-self in our hearts, Awareness of not accepting self. This can lead to the attainment of ultimate peace. 

IMPORTANT STORIES

 We should say once again that it is important that family members, supporters and caregivers at the bedside of a dying person be serene, calm and reverent. If possible, for many days no one can say or think something that can normally upset the dying person. The mind of the dead may be floating somewhere or visiting the homes of friends, loved ones and if they hear or feel something unhappy, unkind or rude, it will make the mind their awkwardness. If their mind becomes angry, sad or fearful, this will push them into a painful journey and cause them to reincarnate into the realm of suffering. 

 Those who are standing around the dying person or the body of the dead must be friends, especially fellow practitioners. It is important not to let anyone who has an unhealthy mind or the victim of hatred be there. 

 Do not touch the parts below the dead body until the person dies. When there is no warmth in the heart, the pulse is not beating, the consciousness of the dying person leaves the physical body and the person dies. 

 While a person is dying, we should not sit near his lower body or his feet. We also should not place anything religiously close to the lower body of the dead or in the direction of the person's feet. According to the teachings of the sutras, if you let the dying man's attention be drawn to the lower part of his body, his consciousness can escape through one of the open holes below. The openings below can be the door to reincarnation into the lower realms. So it is better to draw attention to the dying person above. We can do this by gently rubbing the top of the dying person's head (if that's not an offense in your culture), or sit next to a dying person on one side of your head. that (near the shoulder) 

 For a few days after the death of a loved one, let's keep that person's belongings exactly as they would have liked. By doing so, you will avoid disturbing the consciousness of the dead in case the consciousness lingered near the body for some time. 

 It is very important not to let the dead, their bodies and even their memory become an object of attachment, anger, dislike or discomfort in someone's mind, including family, friends, and neighbors. If the person becomes a source of negative thoughts and emotions or causes a negative karmic ring, they will suffer very bad consequences. 

 If you have something to eat, drink or wear or wear and these things are blessed, bring them to the dying person, eat, wear or wear when he or she is still awake. According to Tibetan Buddhist tradition, there are things that have been blessed (Tibetan:  dudtsi, bDud rTsi , Sanskrit:  amrita, nectar or pollen), in the form of powder or tablets made of herbs mixed with the blessing materials and are offered for many days with ceremonial and meditation. People believe that such material will help a person to escape if he or she tastes, smells or touches them with confidence. Tibetans also use sacred figures (talons) that print Buddha images and words on it and are worshiped with prayers and meditation. These drawings are folded and placed on the dying person's body when he or she is alive and will be burned with the body after death. It is said that if such drawings (charms) are worn on people with faith will help the deceased to achieve liberation. 

 In addition, helpers can put the blessings in the mouth of the dead, either sprayed or placed on the body. Although the consciousness has been separated from the body, the body remains the main symbol of that person's karmic connection with the samsara. Doing something spiritual about the body - by purifying it, teaching it, blessing it - will help the dying person directly (if their consciousness is near and willing to receive benefits) or indirectly. In Tibet, the body is kept for several days while the assistants perform ritual purification, using the body as a substitute for the dead. (If a body can not be preserved, a dummy should be used instead.) 

In the traditional Tibetan Buddhist culture, the body is kept for days or weeks (in some cases up to 49 days) while the lamas continually pray and perform rituals. (as we will refer to in the next chapter, "Rituals for the dying and the dead"). However, if the body was buried in a single day, it would not affect the mind of the dead. Although the mind of the dead becomes clearer and sharper while they are alive, there are things they can not see or they see in another form. (For example in the story of the  delogWhen Denma sees her body as a crystal tower, Chokya sees her body as a snake and Changchub sees her body as a dog's body.) However, if the body is kept around A few days are better because living organisms in the body, such as germs and energies of life force, are likely to die naturally. It is especially important not to bring the funeral to the funeral when there is still warmth in the heart. If the heart is still warm, his consciousness is still with the body. If the retention of many corpses causes negative emotions in the minds of others or creates an uproar or controversy among relatives or neighbors, it will have consequences. Negative news is more beneficial to the dead. If so, the dead should be buried as soon as possible. The criterion for deciding this is not the issue of personal rights or preferences, but rather that we choose what is good and can benefit the deceased and for yourself, who is alive. 

 The most important thing is to keep the air calm and calm to help increase peace. Happiness will bring more peace of mind - that is the law of karma, the natural principle of karmic cause and effect.END=NAM MO SAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=THICH CHAN TANH.VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=GOLDEN AMITABHA MONASTERY=AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.8/11/2018..