Save the spirit in the intermediate state .VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.

The salvation in this period wants to be effective, it is thought that we need to study the basic characteristics of the bardo in order to be able to apply it rationally.

Some features of the intermediate state body

1. After death, a very good person dies immediately returns to the good realm, the extreme evil, the karma pulls back to the realm of hell, hungry ghost, and animal, the rest of the rest must go through the intermediate state of body, is the temporary period of waiting to inspire more karma is decisive for the path of rebirth for the next life.

2.  This intermediate state body  lasted only seven days. medium and long body for a maximum of 7 weeks or 49 days.

3. Each time  the neutral body  repeats the experience of death, it must fully recur the details of the official death: the peaceful dead re-experience a peaceful death; a dead person struggles, in great pain ... experiences that suffering 7 times more intense than when dying (the cause is because of a pure spiritual intermediate state, having no flesh to prevent becoming conscious of suffering or peace is seven times more intense than in life.

Another point to note is that during the transient period of the Trung Am rebirth, all the negative karma of previous lives appeared again, in a fiercely condensed way, making the consciousness extremely confused.

This is the reason why Buddhism has the custom of chanting for the dead consecutively "seven doors", each of which, if arranged in time just before the moment of the intermediate state body, has to experience the same death again, it is extremely valuable. That event helps the intermediate state feel peace, a beneficial factor for rebirth.

4. It can be said that the intermediate state  body  has divine power, a subtle state of seeing, hearing, or knowing the mind of the living, can also go everywhere in the blink of an eye, through all obstacles, to summarize the human mind. Death at this stage is very acute, but also very fragmented and often insecure. (Therefore, the bereaved should always give birth to loving and cherishing the dead, so remember that even if you just recite in the heart of contempt, filial piety, you will also be discovered by the dead, and are born angry and fall into evil. ; if relatives quarreled, the situation worsened).

5. 49-day period is the most important period for the living to help the dead, helping them create a good near-death karma.

As Dudjom Rinpoche explained, during the first 21 days of the Middle Ages, the dead still have some strong impressions of past life, so this is the most important period for the living to help the dead.

After that, the reincarnation gradually became an image and became a major influence, so their career opportunities were more difficult than the first 21 days.

6. After 49 days, if not reincarnated, the consciousness will no longer be in the form of the intermediate state body, so it will no longer accept the experience of life and death every seven days, because it has changed to a demonic life. From this point on, it becomes even more difficult to save the spirit.

The role and method of salvation:

Therefore, if the holy spirit has had a moral life, has once attributed to the Buddha Dharma, just listening to the introduction, listening to chants, listening to reminders ... can be instantly transformed.

1. The role of self-cultivation of incense:

 - Must be clearly aware that the spirit spirit must awaken and transform itself, so that rebirth and transcendence will have the chance to achieve. fainting, all supportive efforts of relatives and monks are in vain.

- Therefore, if the incense spirit has a moral life, has once attributed to the Buddha Dharma, just listening to the introduction, listening to chants, listening to reminders ... can be instantly transformed.

Although Huong Linh has never recited the Buddha's name, thanks to its good rootness, dependence on the sincerity of relatives, but as a rule of Buddha, a non-disturbing Buddha Recitation heart can also be led by them to the Western realm.

2. Role of relatives (especially devotion, filial piety):

- Family members also play an important role in saving the dead, because only relatives who are bound by karmic karma, with deep attachment to the dead, have enough sympathetic conditions to make the dead happy. receive that kindness, transforming evil karma into good karma.

Therefore, relatives should be constantly keeping sincere filial piety towards the dead, so it should be remembered that within 49 days, the dead consciousness is very sensitive to clearly understand the feelings of the living, so the condition The prerequisite when doing any Buddha, relatives should also focus sincerely on the dead, lovingly asking for prayer, their consciousness will feel happy, so that thoughts of goodness arise and be born. (On the contrary, during this time, if descendants give birth to rebellion, speak indiscriminately, generate discord, the consciousness of the dead will clearly become miserable, angry and perverted.)

- Relatives can also support the spirit of spiritual transformation by vegetarian methods, chanting, doing good deeds ... dedicating to the holy spirit. (According to the Jizō Bodhisattva Sutta Pitaka, the 7th product, of the seven merit, incense also benefits a part)

- Relatives should also avoid killing characters in the name of the funeral to organize entertainment, making incense spirit jointly responsible for new karma.

3. The role of monks and nuns to host the ceremony:

According to Venerable Thanh Nghiem, “it is not necessary to invite monks and nuns to chant sutras. When a monk is offered, he only wishes to pray for the benefactor. ”It can be understood that it is good to invite monks and nuns if it is not favorable or for some reason. it is the family members who sincerely recite the chant also.

Anyway, when the tangled family is confused, if guided by an experienced teacher, the living person feels reassured, but the spirit also has more metabolic conditions.

- If the host is a virtuous teacher who has been respected by the holy spirit, the teacher's magic will help the spiritual spirit transform very strongly. (It should also be noted that the spirit of incense is delicate, so a teacher who chants fluently, but has a low-righteous stomach, can make the spirit of the spirit clear and cause affliction.)

 - Being hosted by monks and nuns, the funeral can fully fulfill all rites: Entering Ceremony, Funeral Ceremony, Praying Ceremony and Rice Offering, Di Quan Ceremony, and Funeral Ceremony.

Dharma Buddha is the dharma to study, listen and learn to transform.

4. Miscellaneous:

- The program ends the funeral, including the following items: To invite monks and nuns, thank the deceased, give speeches, thanks to family members ... should be organized right before the relocation ceremony, for if you wait until it is complete - your burial is over - then the order is gone ...  

- In case of residing in the locality where there are no conditions to invite monks and nuns to celebrate ceremonies: In this situation, according to the teachings of the monks, the homeowner should boldly take it upon himself or ask the layman to understand, arbitrarily depending on the sutras. If the Buddha recites the sutras and recites the Buddha's name for the supreme prayers, the results are also good.

In fact, the Dharma of the Buddha is a dharma to study, listen and learn to transform.

The problem is that the homeowner needs to be sincere, wholeheartedly for the sake of the spirit, but earnestly reminds me, even though the funeral is simple and rustic, the spiritual value can still be very profound.

For example, when living in mourning, the homeowner can lovingly say: "Mommy (or Grandpa, Grandmother. Father ...) Mommy!" I have devoted my whole life to sacrifice and endure so many hardships to take care of us. Thank you as immense as the sea, we are only causing pain for you, not yet paying a bit of deep love, now you are gone.

Now, kneeling in front of the mother's shrine, we would like to officially receive the funeral, we only know how to sincerely repent, sincerely recite the chanting for you to be happy in the pure land. We would like to recite the Buddha's teaching about Amitabha and recite Buddha's dedication to you.

Please listen to me, please recite the Buddha's name together with us. Please feel free to remember the Buddha and please let go of it, don't worry about life anymore! .. "

This is just a simple suggestion, the owner should confide according to the family's own circumstances.

5. Post-funeral anxiety:

- Organize a ceremony to worship, every 7 days, especially the last Saturday ceremony at the pagoda.

- In addition to this official ceremony, every day and hour, if you remember the deceased, your relatives should continue to recite the Buddha's dedication, with the firm belief that their sincerity will be inspired by the spirit. heal.

- Regarding the donation money, if there are means, it is recommended to use it in the works of merit and goodness, to create good conditions for both incense and the sender of cigarettes.

- The best time to practice for the dead while keeping the intermediate form, the first 3 weeks are the most important because at this time the dead are still strongly related to life, so they easily receive help. In short, the practice of relatives greatly affects the future of the dead, which can help them liberate, or be reborn in a good way.

The next time - around the 21st to the 49th day - their physical form begins to decide, so their chances of getting into a career become difficult and limited.END=NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).GOLDEN AMITABHA MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.10/10/2020.