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Death and Rebirth


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Preparation for a Departure 

 

Ven. Thich Nguyen Tang
Translated into English by Helen Quang Tue Nguyen
 

  

Death is an event that every single one of us has to face in life with no exception.  Seeing this truth shall make us be ready when it comes with neither fear nor wonder as Hau Nhu On expressed: 

“The ocean of sorrow is boundless with waves in no limit.
Beings sail into for the desire, unaware of that’s dangerous.
The sails have gone with the wind; the sails have gone off.
All are in the ocean with full of distress!” 

Really, in the vast of unsatisfactory and distress, we are the “guests on earth” stopping by for a visit and go as dead and continue making other visits within the “ocean of sorrow” as the life is recycled.  Quy Son Linh Huu, the Zen Master has reminded: “The impermanence: aging, sickness, death could come to us at any time.”  This message gives us the idea: be prepared for the death.  The most important point we should bear in mind is after leaving the body the soul would look for other life.  In Buddhism, after death, if being’s mind still not pure enough to get to the enlightenment or to be on Pure Land, would go to one of the six realms:  Heaven, Human, Demi-gods (Asura), Hell, Hungry ghosts, Animals (including insects).  The destination where to go has been set by the karmas created during the life just finished, which means, the current life sets and builds a foundation for the coming lives.  Therefore, one has to be ready and carefully prepare his/her personal items to bring along on a timeless voyage.  

What should we prepare? 

This good question has no best answer.  However, at the beginning of the book, the Tibet Buddhist Monks have advised us: The best way to prepare for the death is doing good and be away from doing bad for the whole life if possible.  This flyer has emphasized that all the wholesome or evil karmas created since born are our personal items those we shall bring with after the life ends.  The karmas would lead us to where the destination should be. 

Because of seeing clearly the lives of beings in the six realms, Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha had more than one time giving a warning about the retributions.  The requitals in the next life are the results of what we have done in the current life.  He taught, “If one takes life of others, the requital is one may die young; if one steals things, the requital is being poor then; who in life practices the sexual misconduct (cheating the spouse) may become a bird, pigeon; who gives malicious speech to others will get a return of the relatives could not get along well; if not respecting or looking down on others the result is carrying the disease in the mouth or be reborn with no tongue; who gets angry or could not control the temper will be born in ugly body and face; who is very stingy, the consequence is life with plenty of dissatisfactions; one likes to shoot animals, the consequence is living in situation of dreadfulness or disturbance; who pays no respect to parents would receive a misfortune life; who set fire to the forests would receive an abnormal mind or psychological problems till death; who treats the foster child badly would be beaten up by others in lives; who trap the young birds would receive the situation of relatives being apart; who insults The Three Gems, in next lives will be blind, deaf, mute, or speech defect; who disrespect the religions, the mind would be in unawareness state and would stay in three realms: hell, hungry ghosts, or animals for long; who destroys the worship places such as temples would stay in hell for countless lives; who insults the Arahats or pure priests will stay in the animal realm for long; who takes lives by pouring boil liquid, by setting fire, or by cutting would pay his/her life in the same way; who breaks the vow on precepts would become wild animal and stay hungry; who wastes the resources (property) or demands an expensive life would end up with to be poor living in misfortune; who is too arrogant would be born in a low class and to be run by others; who plays adversary speech would be reborn with no tongue or multiple tongues; who is superstitious would be born in rural area…” (“The Sutra of Bodhisattva Ksitigabha”, Chapter 2, of the Vietnamese translation version by Ven. Thich Tri Tinh). 

We have read the list of the cause and the affect.  So, beside trying not to create the evil karmas (causing by power of greed, hatred and delusion; taking lives; stealing things; living in the sexual misconduct; giving improper speech; living on drug abuse) we should seriously build the wholesome karmas (by controlling the carving habits; not to get angry; participating in charity works; living in precepts; practicing meditation; setting animals free; donating love and materials; and practicing the Teachings) to bring the calmness and the happiness to ourselves and to others.  A very common lesson is: bringing the happiness to others would give you the happiness.  Otherwise, you would receive the dreadful moments if causing damages on others.  The pleasure or displeasure within you or on the way is brought in just by you.  You are the one who would inherit now and then. 

·        The signs shown before death:

People who has years in practicing and has achieved some levels of pure mind normally feels relaxed and calm when facing with the death and could set ahead the destination where he/she wants to go.  We, the beings with full of defilements could not plan for the destiny after leaving life.  Depending on the karmas created, we travel along the side of the six realms for the best-fit habitat leaded by the karmas.  Each landing is for each departure and repeating the cycle within the ocean of sorrow in no rest.   Here, the Buddhists do not believe in the “destiny” theory:  accepting and taking a plan pre-set for life.  However, the Buddhists believe in the concept: we are the masters of ourselves.   That means the Buddhists decide what seeds to sow for a creation of karmas (evil or wholesome).  Since the karmas are created, they would be the master and would take over the role.  Therefore, the Buddhists should be very careful on behaviors of acting, talking, and thinking to bring in life the truthful happiness.  

According to the Buddhist Sutra, a person at a moment right before death, depending on his/her feeling in conjunction with karmas the soul would land on the realm that is best fit.  There are some signs could help us to predict. 

·        The good signs showing the soul would be landing on the Pure Land:

Staying calm and relaxed

Knowing ahead of the departure date (usually)

Staying in perfect concentration

Knowing ahead of the time and taking bath and change before the departure

Chanting Buddha’s names either loudly or quietly

Giving some moral teachings to train people

Sitting up straight with hands shape at heart in lotus bulb at the departure

There maybe some fragrant releases

There maybe some bright glories go into the corpse

There maybe some heaven music appears

 

·        The signs showing the soul would go to the Heaven Realm:

Showing love to people

Showing the compassion

Feeling relaxed and calm

Staying in concentration and conscious

There is no stinky smell released from body

The nose is straight

Not showing the temptation

Not attaching on property, relatives, spouse, or children

The eyes are bright

Smiling at the sky

 

·        The signs showing the soul would go to back to the Human Realm:

Thinking good and right at the last minutes

No pain at the body, no pain at mind

Not showing off, usually thinking about parents

Loving to hear the names of friends, relatives, and siblings

Having clear mind always, clearly recognizing right or wrong

Thinking and talking straight

Knowing the benefactors

Cheerful at people who comes to share before departure

Reminding what and who should be doing

Showing the perfect belief and requesting for a ceremony of the Three Refuges on Three Gems

 

·        The signs showing the soul would go the Hell Realm:

Seeing relatives not to be friendly at the moment of departure

Erecting hands in the air with attempting to touch things

Do not listening to good friends for the advices

Crying to show pain

Leaking body’s fluid without being aware of

Closing eyes tightly

Prefer the face to be covered

Eating at the gesture of lying on side

Bad smell releasing from body, mouth…

Feet and knees are shaking

The nose is not straight

The left eye is moving more

Having red eyes

Lying in bed with the face down

Body is winding with the left hand points down to the floor

 

·        The signs showing the soul would go to the Hungry Ghosts Realm:

Licking the lips

Having body running temperature very high

Feeling thirsty and hungry and like to talk a bout the meals

Eyes usually open wide

Eyes look dry like wooden birds’

At first, the right knee gets cold

Making a fist at the right hand

 

·        The signs showing the soul would go to the Animal Realm:

Attaching on children and spouse

Fingers and toes get winding

Sweating at the body

Talking heavily

Like to soak food in the mouth

 

·        Preparation at the moment close to the death

 If a patient is in the hospital, the relatives should invite the Buddhist monks/nuns or the pure Buddhists to provide the supportive recitations.  This would help and lead the patient to the next landing place.  Other method is to request the service from Pastoral Care or from the Chaplain Services available at the hospital.  Usually, the Worship Center is right in the clinic. 

The alternative way is turning on the CDs or cassette tapes those contain the chanting Buddha’s name.  The relatives should be around the patient to support by reciting “Namo Amitabha Buddha” without interruption.  Never shed tears or cry out loud along with telling all kind of stories to remind.  This would pull the soul back and refuse seeking a rebirth.   One of the respectable relative should stay next to the patient and tell him/her about the theory of Three Dharma Seals:  “Life is Impermanent with Unsatisfactory, and No-Self, nothing is truly existed.  Being together and then apart is just the way life supposed to be.  Keep going forward in calm and cheerful.” 

Right after the moment where the patient is just died, his/her relatives should adjust body’s parts to the right position gently.  Leave the corpse alone for at least three to five hours because at the moment of death the soul maybe still inside the corpse.  Touching the body would make the soul feel uncomfortable or pain, if the soul gets up set then this could lead him/her to be born in a bad realm.  About five hours after stop breathing, the relatives could clean the corpse with warm water or with alcohol or with some kinds of au de perfume before changing cloth.  Suggest removing all the jewelries to prevent theft (after the coffin buried).  If he/she was a Buddhist, the first layer of cloth should be white and new, next is a gray or brown Buddhist uniform.  The body should be covered with a “Bright & Clear/Prabha" blanket. 

·        Funeral:

Funeral is started right at the moment a person died.  The process is generous and last for days.  This requires the relatives to be patient, working in calm.  Depending on the religion the relatives should conduct the funeral within the religion ceremonies.  If a person died was a Buddhist, the ceremonies should be conducted to the Buddhist process.  It would be simple, less expensive, not superstitious superstition, not burning votive paper objects, but serious and solemn. 

First, one relative of the dead person should contact the temple for help on the funeral rites.  Second, one relative should contact the funeral home for the coffin, and for other services requested by the law.  The rest of the group should take care of other works like cleaning the altar tables, informing friends and relatives… 

 The alter table for Buddha should be prepared with the Buddha’s statue or photo set in between of two stands of lights along with an incense burner, setting aside some fresh fruits on plate nearby a vase with bundle of fresh flowers.  Do not forget a cup of clean water. 

The table for a dead person should be prepared with more details and pretty.  Offering a plate of fresh fruits, fresh flowers, three glasses of water, ancestral tablet written by the monk (with name and date of birth and date of departure), and his/her picture.  Try to frame the clear and pretty photo. 

·        Funeral rites:

By plan, the timelines will be set for each ceremony.  The monks/nuns and the Buddhists together with the relatives stay in front of the Buddha table to reciting the sutra to pray for the soul.  The coffin then is covered followed by the process called Distribution of Mourning Wears.  All the offspring gather in front of the coffin and the monks/nuns chant the sutra and bless the mourning wears by sprinkling the water on them before distributing to relatives.  Each person will perform a set of two kowtows before tying a white band around the head and putting on the white uniform. 

In tradition, the son of the dead person, of course, who has to wear a whole set of mourning clothing including white gown, pants, and headband.  A daughter merely wear a white headband with white pants (no top).  For a son in law, the mourning wear is just a headband.  The offspring receives a white headband with a dot of green or red color at the center of a band based on the offspring is on the side of the mother or the father.  The spouse of the dead person would wear only a headband. 

Following the process of Distribution of Mourning Wears is the Offering Cooked Rice Ceremony.   We should offer the soul some vegetable foods and some tea or water (instead of wine).  The next ceremony is Praying for Rebirth on the Pure Land.  The most important part is concentration on reciting sutra to pray for the soul.  The musical band for the funeral is just to make the process looks formal but could not help or lead the soul where to go. 

On the day that the coffin will be removed (Removing Coffin Ceremony) for burning or burying, the monks/ nuns, the Buddhists, and relatives would gather for chanting sutra in concentration to help for the departure. 

Followed the ceremony of Removing Coffin is the Establishing Altar Table Process.  The soul is led back home or to the temple.  The picture and the ancestral tablet are set back on the table for praying later.  Many people misunderstood the meaning of the Establishing Altar Table Process.  They thought this process is for setting tables with foods and ready for the celebration, expecting the family to open a banquet to all guests and relatives.   

The Seven- days Preying and Offering is happened seven days after the day a coffin buried.  There is also a Hundred- days Preying and Offering ceremony to prey for the soul.  One-Year Preying and Offering for a full year ceremony (365 days after death) is next.  The last ceremony for a funeral is Three-Years Preying and Offering (1095 days after death).  The mourning-wears are removed (from children and spouse).  Every year then on, in memory him/her, on the day a person dead, the family opens a ceremony at home or at ten temples along with donations, setting free animals to transfer merit to the dead person in wishing her/him to be reborn in the better realm. 

Briefly, in Buddhism, death is not done but just a process of a departure for another landing if the mind of a dead person is not pure enough for the enlightenment.  There will be more lives after death based on the karmas created.  Karmas would be a master taking us travel along the side of best-fit realm for a landing. 

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 Vietnamese version

 

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Layout: Quang Tue Huong
Update 01-03-2008


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