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.
____
Vietnamese
version
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Update 01-03-2008