A Buddhist View of Life, Death and
Rebirth
Ecie Hursthouse
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Buddhism is one of the oldest world religions. It was started by an
Indian prince named Siddhartha who was born 544 years before Christ. He renounced his
family and kingdom and studied and practiced all the spiritual teachings of that time,
until one day, he vowed not to move from his seat under a Bodhi tree until he discovered
the truth of all existence. He did this by examining the nature of his own mind.
To a Buddhist, the word "mind" does not mean brain or merely
cognitive ability. Mind is formless, shapeless, colourless, genderless and has the ability
and potential to cognise all phenomena which is called being "Enlightened". The
word Buddha means Awakened (One). Like the sky, the mind’s basic nature is pure,
luminous and knowing but like clouds obscuring the sun, one’s mind is obscured by
delusions. However, through virtue and meditation one removes the delusions and becomes
awaken, a Buddha. In other words, everyone has the potential to become a Buddha.
The mind also has three levels - gross (for example the mind we are
using now to understand each other) subtle (roughly the unconscious mind and very subtle
mind which could be described as the essential energy of the mind). It is the very subtle
mind that is usually only experienced at the time of death or in advanced meditation
practices.
What bearing does this have on life and death?
Buddhists believe every action created with either our body, our speech
or our mind leaves a subtle imprint on our mind which has the potential to ripen as future
happiness or future suffering, depending on whether the action was positive or negative.
This is a very simplistic description actually it is not black and white, it is very
complex - maybe it is best thought of as different grades of grey. For example, if one
learns to play the piano, one automatically has the potential to become a pianist
depending on so many factors (such as: how much one practices, the tutor, one’s talent,
etc) So basically these imprints remain on the very subtle mind until they ripen or until
they are purified by spiritual practices. This is called the Law of Karma, or the Law of
Cause and Effect.
It is the very subtle mind which continues like a stream from one so
called "life" to another. This is called Reincarnation. The type of rebirth one
takes is determined by the cause, in other words, the strength and direction of one’s
karma. Because of the continuation of this very subtle energy or mind, it is the state of
one’s consciousness at the time of death which usually determines one’s rebirth. If
the mind is calm and peaceful and carries positive thoughts then the natural outcome is a
happy rebirth. If one’s mind is in a state of anger, fear or has strong desire this
generates an unhappy rebirth. The mind that arises at the time of death is usually the one
that the person is most habituated to. People tend to die in character, although this is
not always so.
Therefore, the Buddhist teachings strongly emphasise that the time to
prepare for death is now, because if we develop and gain control over our mind now and
create many positive causes then we will have a calm and controlled mind at the time of
death; we will be free of fear and have no regrets. An advanced meditator even looks upon
death as a potentially rewarding experience to gain higher realisations and even
Enlightenment. So he or she will make all efforts to understand and prepare for death in
order to make the best possible use of the experience. In fact any practicing Buddhist
will want to know as early as possible the probability of imminent death for these reasons
and also to prepare one’s family.
Death has been described as being "as difficult as a turtle
separating from its shell!" Usually what we think is "me" includes a
concept of our body as part of ourselves. Losing what is most familiar and precious to
"ourselves" is a wrenching and agonising process. So the Buddhist tries to
cultivate the attitude that the body is like an old car which the driver has to abandon.
Since the quality of the future rebirth is said to depend largely on
the quality of the final moment of consciousness, the Buddhist will also want to be as
alert as possible, some may even refuse pain relieving drugs if it makes them feel
intoxicated. So it is important to find the right balance between being free of pain and
in control of the process.
The dying Buddhist would also be likely to request the services of a
monk or nun in their particular tradition to assist in making the transition of death as
peaceful and free of fear as possible. Before and at the moment of death and for a period
after death the monk, nun or spiritual friends will read prayers and chant from the
Buddhist Scriptures. In many traditions, this death bed chanting is regarded as very
important and is ideally the last thing the Buddhist hears.
Death is seen as a highly complex and interdependent process in which
both body and mind disintegrate simultaneously. There are two parts: an outer dissolution
when the senses dissolve and an inner dissolution of the gross and subtle minds. Thus even
after a person dies from a clinical point of view, the inner process of dying continues
for some time. Ideally its preferable to die at home or in a Buddhist hospice where one
can have a peaceful meditative atmosphere and the body can remain undisturbed for a while
after death.
This is especially important in the case of an advanced practitioner
who may be resting in meditation. But it is also important for an ordinary person. If the
person is disturbed or upset at the moment of death it can have an adverse effect on the
mind’s migration through death into the next rebirth.
Generally speaking, for a Buddhist, awareness of death plays and
important part in their philosophy of life although for some older Asian Buddhists it is
considered taboo to talk about death. Death however is certain, no one has escaped it. But
the duration of our life time is uncertain. Disease and accidents can happen at any time.
Therefore, to a Buddhist, life is short and precious, so it's wise to make the best use of
it by practicing kindness and other virtues.
Responding to the Needs of the Dying
While there can be many ways of classifying and discussing the needs of
the dying; the following are what we have found to be essential and universal for all
people (in bold text) and a few suggestions (in lighter text).
Honesty - be yourself (It's not who you are but how you are!)
The best is all we have to give. ·
Listen with your heart.
Admit your feelings.
Understanding - comes from open-hearted listening - ·
letting go of self,
listening without a sense of "I know"
allowing the other person to be as they are
abiding in empathy like the earth which supports all life
Freedom - 'holding on' verses 'letting go' - may be assisted by any of
the following: ·
having permission to die from family and friends
gaining reassurance that survivors will be OK
receiving help with unfinished business (physical and mental)
finding meaning in life and death, making sense of suffering
aspiring to a positive direction - e.g. to complete one noble act, to
die in grace, to be the best one can be, to die without regrets
getting in touch with their own strengths of faith & spirituality
through inspiring poetry, music, memories, quotes, etc.
Acceptance
moods & downs are OK; the patient feels safe to express them
repressed emotions - anger, grief, jealousy, guilt are all empty of
being self-existent, cultivate a non-judgemental attitude
remember we are all the same, in wanting to be free of suffering,
wanting happiness and awaiting death
Respect
remember inherent Buddha /God-like nature/the essential goodness of the
person
acknowledge their courage > can inspire others, family and friends
celebrating their good deeds - what will live on after they are dead
Love
built on the fore-mentioned, from empathy and true compassion
sharing laughter makes hearts light and free
compassionate touch - the nonsexual intimacy of unity with another
human being or animal
bonding with eye contact, with touch or laughter, goes beyond
mortality, beyond words, heart to heart in universal oneness
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Source:
http://www.amitabhahospice.org/hospice/teachin1.htm
