Is death
really frightening?
Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda
---o0o---
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LIFE IS UNCERTAIN -
DEATH IS CERTAIN
This is a well known
saying in Buddhism. Knowing very well that death is certain and it is a
natural phenomenon that everyone has to face, we should not be afraid of
death. Yet, instinctively, all of us fear death because we do not know
how to think of its inevitability. We like to cling to our life and body
and so develop too much craving and attachment.
A child comes into this
world bringing joy and happiness unto all near and dear ones. Even the
mother who had to bear extreme labor pains is pleased and delighted to
behold her new-born child. She feels that all the trouble and pain borne
by her were well worth it. However, by crying, the child seems to
suggest it too has its share of suffering for coming into this world.
The child grows into an adolescent and later into an adult, performing
all sorts of good and bad deeds. He eventually grows old and finally
bids farewell to this world leaving his kith and kin in deep sorrow.
Such is the nature of existence of a human being. People try to evade
and escape from the clutches of death but no one is able to do so. At
the moment of death, they have their minds hovering over their hoard of
acquired wealth, unduly worrying about their dear children surrounding
them. Last but not least, they deep evincing much concern over their own
precious bodies, which, despite the tender care and attention, lavished
by them are now worn out, decaying and exhausted. It grieves one's heart
to separate oneself from the body. It is unbearable though unavoidable.
This is the way most people take leave of this world - with moans and
groans. The pangs of death are considered dreadful, an attitude fed by
ignorance.
FEAR OF DEATH
Men are disturbed not by
external things, but by beliefs and imaginations they conjure up in
their minds with regard to the form of their future lives. Death, for
example, is not by itself dreadful: the dread or terror exists only in
our minds. It is not often that we are brave enough to come face to face
with the thought of our own mortality. Insistence upon the truth of
suffering may seem horrible and unacceptable to the mind which is unable
to face realities, but it certainly helps to reduce or eliminate the
dread of fear by knowing how to face death. Once life is launched, like
a bullet it rushes to it destination - death. Realizing thus, we must
bravely face that natural occurrence. To be considered free in life, we
must also be free from the fear of death. Fear only comes to those who
are not able to comprehend the laws of Nature. "Wherever fear arises, it
arises in the fool, not in the wise man," says the Buddha in the
Anguttara Nikaya. Fears are nothing more than states of mind. Remember
what science teaches us about the process of dying? It is only a
physiological erosion of the human body. We needlessly frighten
ourselves with imagined or anticipated horrors which never come to pass.
As a famous physician, Sir William Osler puts it: "In my wide clinical
experience, most human beings die really without pain or fear."
A veteran nurse once
said: "It has always seemed to me a major tragedy that so many people go
through life haunted by the fear of death - only to find when it comes
that it's as natural as life itself. For few are afraid to die when they
get to the very end. In all my experience only one seemed to feel any
terror a woman who had done her sister a wicked thing which it was too
late to put right."
"Something strange and
beautiful happens to men and women when they come to the end of the
road. A fear, all horror disappears. I have often watched a look of
happy wonder dawn in their eyes when they realize this is true. It is
all part of the goodness of Nature."
Attachment to life on
earth creates the unnatural fear of death. it creates strong anxiety on
life; the man who will never take risks even for what is right. He lives
in fear worrying that some illness or accident might snuff out the
precious little life he cherishes. Realizing that death is inevitable,
the one who loves life on earth will go into a devout prayer expressing
the hope that his soul will survive in heaven. No man can be happy in
such a tempest of fear and hope. Yet it is hard to despise or ignore
these manifestations of the instinct for self-preservation. There is
however a method of overcoming this fear. Forget the concept of self;
turn one's love of the inward outwards, i.e. provide humanitarian
service and to shower love on others. Whoever constantly keeps in mind
the fact that he would someday be subjected to death and that death is
inevitable, would be eager to fulfill his duties to his fellow human
beings before death, and this would certainly make him heedful in
respect of this world and the next. Being engrossed in service to
others, you will soon release yourself from the heavy selfish
attachments, hopes, vanity, pride and self-righteousness.
ILLNESS AND DEATH
Both illness and death
are natural happenings in our lives and must be accepted as such with
understanding. According to modern psychological theory, undue mental
stress is caused by our refusal to face and accept life's realities.
This undue stress, unless overcome or subdued, actually causes grave
physical illness. Maintaining a sense of undue worry and despair over an
illness will certainly make it worse. As for death, it must never be
feared by those who are pure in heart and action. We are all a
combination of mind and matter and as such there is actually no
individual self to die. The kammic reactions arising from past evil
deeds may linger with us on our rebirth thus causing us to shoulder the
kammic sufferings in a new life. Such an eventuality can be obviated if
we make every effort to acquire merit by leading a virtuous life and by
doing meritorious deeds wherever and whenever possible. By doing so we
can face death bravely and realistically since in accordance with the
teachings of Buddhism there is no 'savior' upon whom we could entrust
our burdens in order to relieve ourselves from the consequences of our
wrong actions. We should constantly remind ourselves of the Buddha's
advice: "Be ye refuges and islands unto yourselves; labor on with
diligence." Buddhists should not go into grief and deep mourning over
the deaths of relatives and friends. There can be no halting of the
wheel of circumstance. When a man dies, the karmic sequence of his
conduct passes on into a new being. Kith and kin, friends and relatives
can accompany the dead body up to the grave, but not further. Only a
man's deeds, good or bad, go forth with him. Those left behind should
bear their bereavement with calmness and understanding. Death is an
inevitable process of this world. That is the one thing which is certain
in this universe. Forests may be turned into cities and cities into sand
dunes. Were mountains exist, a lake may be formed. Uncertainty exists
everywhere but death is certain. All else is momentary. We had our
forefathers, and they in their turn had their own, but where are they
all now? They have all passed away.
Let not the
sophisticated assume that a pessimistic view of life is being presented
here. This is the most realistic view of all realism’s. Why should we be
unrealistic and blind our eyes to real facts? For does not death consume
everything? It certainly does. Let this not be forgotten. The role of
death is to make every man aware of his destiny; that however high he
may be placed, whatever advanced aid in technology or medical science he
may have, his end is all the same, either in a coffin or merely reduced
to a handful of ashes. The sequence of birth and death is a continuing
process until we become perfect.
MAN’S INFLUENCE PERSISTS
The Buddha said: "Man’s
body turns to dust, but his name or influence persists." The influence
of a past life is sometimes more far-reaching, more potent than that
held by the living body with certain limitations. We occasionally act on
thoughts inspired by personalities whose mortal remains have turned to
dust. In our accomplishments, such thoughts also play an important role.
Every living person is deemed a composite of all his ancestors who have
gone before him. In this sense, we may assume that the past heroes,
great philosophers, sages, poets and musicians of every race are still
with us. As we link our selves to the past martyrs and thinkers, we are
able to share their wise thoughts, their noble ideals and even the
imperishable music of the ages. Even though their bodies are dead, their
influence lives on. The body is nothing but an abstract generalization
for a constantly changing combination of chemical constituents. Man must
realize that his life is but a drop in an overflowing river and must be
happy to contribute his part to the great stream which is called life.
Not knowing the nature
of his life, man is sunk in the mud of ignorance of this world. He weeps
and wails. But when he realizes what his true nature is, he renounces
all transient things and seeks the Eternal State. Prior to achieving the
Eternal state he will have to face death again and again. Since death
itself is meaningless, man should not try to overcome the continuous
repeated births and deaths.
According to Buddhism,
this not the first and last life we have in this world. If you do good
with confidence, you can have a better future life. On the other hand,
if you feel that you do not want to be reborn again and again, you
should work towards this end by making every effort to develop the mind
by eradicating all craving and other mental impurities.
BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY
The Noble Saint who has
attained the stage of highest perfection does not weep at the passing
away of those dear and near to his as he has completely eradicated his
emotional feelings. Ven. Anuruddha, who was an Arahant, did not weep at
the passing away of the Buddha. However, Ven. Ananda, who was at that
time only a Sotapanna, having attained only the first stage of
sainthood, could not but express his deep sorrow. The weeping bhikkhu
had to be reminded of the Buddha's view on situations of this nature, as
follows:-
"Has not the Buddha told
us, Ananda, that what is born, what comes to being, and what is put
together, is subject to dissolution? That is the nature of all
conditioned formations; to arise and pass away - Having once arisen they
must pass away - And when such formations cease completely, then comes
Peace Supreme." These words describe the foundation on which the
structure of Buddhist philosophy is built.
CAUSE OF SORROW
The cause of our grief
and sorrow is Attachment in all its various forms. If we want to
overcome sorrow, we have to give up attachment - attachment not only to
persons but also to possessions. This is the ultimate truth; this is the
lesson that death signifies. Attachment provides us many things to
satisfy our emotion and to lead a worldly life. But the same attachment
becomes in the end the cause of all our sorrows. Unless we learn this
lesson, death can strike us and fill us with terror. The fact is
beautifully illustrated by the Buddha, who said: "Death will take away a
man though he is attached to his children and his possessions, just as a
great flood takes away a sleeping village."
This saying implies that
if the village had not been asleep but remained awake and alert, the
havoc created by the flood could have been avoided.
DEATH IS UNIVERSAL
Let us now examine how
the Buddha solved this problem for two persons who, through attachment,
were both deeply grieved by death. One person was Kisagotami. Her only
child had died after being attacked by a serpent. She went to the Buddha
carrying the dead child in her arms to ask for help. The Buddha asked
her to bring a few mustard seeds from a family where no one had died.
But she could not find such a family. Every house she visited was either
in mourning or had mourned over a death at one time or another. Then she
realized the bitter truth: that death is universal. Death strikes all
and spares none. Sorrow is the heritage of everyone.
The other person whom
the Buddha advised was Patacara. Her case was sadder. Within a short
period she lost her two children, husband, brother, parents, and all her
possessions. Losing her senses, she ran naked and wild in the streets
until she met the Buddha. The Buddha brought her back to sanity by
explaining that death is to be expected as a natural phenomenon in all
living beings.
"You have suffered from
similar situations, not once, Patacara, but many times during your
previous existences. For a long time you suffered due to the deaths of a
father, a mother, children or relatives. While you were thus suffering,
you indeed shed more tears than there is water in the ocean."
At the end of the talk,
Patacara realized the uncertainty of life. Both Patacara and Kisagotami
comprehended suffering an death learned through their tragic
experiences. By deeply understanding the First Noble Truth of
"suffering", the other three Noble Truths were also understood. "Whoso
monks, comprehends suffering," said the Buddha, "also comprehends the
arising of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path leading
to the cessation of suffering."
THE FIVE AGGREGATES
Death is the dissolution
of Khandhas. The Khandhas are the five aggregates of perception,
sensation, mental formations, consciousness and corporeality or matter.
The first four are mental aggregates or nama, forming the unit of
consciousness. The fifth, rupa is the material or physical aggregate.
This psycho-physical combination is conventionally named an individual,
person or ego. Therefore what entities that exist are not individuals as
such, but the two primary constituents of mind and matter, which are
rare phenomena. We do not see the five aggregates as phenomena but as an
entity because of our deluded minds, and our innate desire to treat
these as a self in order to pander to our self-importance.
We will be able to see
things as they truly are if we only have patience and the will to do so.
If we turn inwards to the recesses of our own minds and note with just
that bare attention, note objectively without projecting an ego in the
process, and then cultivate this practice for a sufficient length of
time, as laid down by the Buddha in the Sati Patthana Sutta, then we
will see these five aggregates, not as an entity, but as a series of
physical and mental processes. Then we will not mistake the superficial
for the real. We will then see that these aggregates arise and disappear
in rapid succession, never being the same for two consecutive moments,
never static but always in a state of flux, never being but always
becoming.
REBIRTH
The four mental
aggregates, viz, consciousness and the three other groups of mental
factors forming Nama or the unit of consciousness, go on
uninterruptedly, arising and disappearing as before, but not in the same
setting, because that setting is no more. They have to find immediately
a fresh physical base as it were, with which to function - a fresh
material layer appropriate and suitable for all the aggregates to
function in harmony. Kamma acts as a law and this law operates to re-set
the aggregates after death. The result is "re-birth".
A BUNDLE OF ELEMENTS AND
ENERGIES
In brief, the
combination of the five aggregates is called birth. Existence of these
aggregates as a bundle is called life. dissolution of these things is
called death. And recombination of these aggregates is called rebirth.
However, it is not easy for an ordinary man to understand how these so
called aggregates could recombine. A proper understanding of the nature
of elements, mental energies and the law of Kamma and co-operation of
cosmic energies is important in this respect. To some, this is a simple
and natural occurrence. To them death means the separation of the five
elements and thereafter nothing remains. To some, it means
transmigration of the soul from one body to another; and to others, it
means indefinite suspension of the soul; in other words, waiting for the
Day of Judgment. To Buddhists, however, death is nothing but a temporary
end of a temporary phenomenon. It is not the complete annihilation of
this so-called being.
CAUSES OF DEATH
According to Buddhism,
Death can occur in any one of these four ways.
I. It can be due to
the exhaustion of the life span assigned to beings of that particular
species. This type of death is called Ayukkhaya;
II. It can be due to
the exhaustion of the Kammic energy that caused the birth of the
deceased. This is called Kammakkhaya;
III. It can be due to
the simultaneous exhaustion of the above mentioned two causes -
Ubhayakkhaya; and
IV. Lastly, it can be
due to external circumstances, viz, accidents, untimely happenings -
working of natural phenomena or due to a Kamma of a previous existence
not referred to in (ii). This is called Upacchedake.
There is an excellent
analogy to explain these four types of death. It is the analogy of the
oil lamp. The light in the oil lamp can be extinguished due to any one
of four causes:-
I. The wick in the
lamp burns up. This is likened to death through the exhaustion of the
life span;
II. The consummation
of the oil in the lamp is likened to death through exhaustion of the
Kammic energy;
III. the consummation
of the oil in the lamp and the burning off of the wick at the same
time - is likened to death occurring through the combination of causes
described in (I) and (II) occurring simultaneously; and
IV. The effect of
external factors such as the wind blowing out the light - is likened
to death caused through external factors.
Therefore, Kamma alone
is not the cause of death. There are external contributory causes also.
The Buddha’s teaching categorically states that Kamma does not explain
all happenings in our lives.
FACE FACTS
How should one best face
this unavoidable occurrence? By being forewarned --that is, by
reflecting that death will, and must come sooner or later. This does not
mean that Buddhists should view life with gloom. Death is real, and has
to be faced --and Buddhism is a religion of reason that trains its
followers to face facts, however unpleasant they may be. The Founder of
the Sikh religion Guru Nanak said "The world is afraid of death, to me
it brings bliss." I clearly shows that great and noble people are not
afraid of death but are prepared to accept it. Many great people have
sacrificed their lives for the welfare of others. Their names are
recorded in the history of the world in golden letters for posterity.
DEATH IS INEVITABLE
It is rather paradoxical
that although we so often see death taking its toll of lives, we seldom
pause to reflect that we too can similarly sooner or later be victims of
death. With our strong attachment to life, we are disinclined to carry
with us the morbid thought, although a reality, that death is an
absolute certainty. We prefer to put off this awful thought behind us as
far away as possible - deluding ourselves that death is a far-away
phenomenon, something not to be worried about. We should be courageous
enough to face facts. We must be prepared to face stark reality. Death
is a factual happening. If we appreciate such eventualities and equip
ourselves with the realization that death is inevitable; even that has
to be accepted as a normal occurrence and not as a dreaded event which
we should be able to face when it eventually comes, with calmness,
courage and confidence.
OUR DUTIES AND
RESPONSIBILITIES
With the certain
knowledge that death will ultimately overtake us one day, we should
decide, with the same calmness, courage and confidence, to discharge our
duties and responsibilities towards our immediate dependents. We should
not procrastinate our responsible duties. We should not leave things for
tomorrow when they can be done today. We should make good use of time
and spend our lives usefully. Our duties to our wives, husbands and
children deserves priority and should be performed in due time. We
should execute our last will and testament, without waiting for the last
moment, so that we may not cause undue distress, difficulties and
problems to our families due to our neglect. Death may call at any time
- it is no respect of person or time. We should be able to face this
ultimate event bravely with hope and confidence if we prepare for the
next existence.
CRAVING AND IGNORANCE
Can death be overcome?
The answer is - Yes! Death exists because of birth. This repetition of
countless births is called samsara. If this cycle of existence is to be
stopped, it can be cut off only at the stage of Avijja (Ignorance) and
Tanha (Craving) - These are the roots in this cycle of births and have
to be exterminated. Therefore, if we cut off Craving and Ignorance -
birth is overcome, death conquered, Samsara is transcended and Nibbana
attained.
We should try to
understand that everything in this universe is uncertain. Existence is
only a vision. When we analyze everything either scientifically or
philosophically, in the end we find nothing but void.
"To be afraid of dying
is like being afraid of discarding an old worn-our garment". (Gandhi)
It is hard to bear the
loss of people whom we live because of our attachment to them. This
happened to Visakha a well-known lady devotee during the time of the
Buddha. When she lost her beloved grand-daughter she visited the Buddha
to seek advice in her sorrow.
- Visakha, would you
like to have as many sons and grandsons as there are children in this
town?' asked the Buddha.
- 'Yes, Sir, I would
indeed!'
- 'Then, Visakha, in
such a case would you cry for all of them when they die? Visakha, those
who have a hundred things beloved, they have a hundred sorrows. He who
has nothing beloved, has no sorrow. Such persons are free from sorrow."
When we develop
attachment, we also must be prepared to pay the price of sorrow when
separation takes place.
The love of life can
sometimes develop into a morbid fear of death. We will no take any risks
even for a rightful cause. We live in fear that an illness or accident
will put an end to our seemingly precious life. Realizing that death is
a certainty, we hope and pray for the survival of the soul in heaven for
our own security and preservation. Such beliefs are based on strong
craving for continued existence.
Each and every
individual should be aware of the role of death in his or her destiny.
Whether royalty or commoner, rich or poor, strong or weak, a man's final
resting place for his body is either in a coffin lying buried six feet
underground or in an urn or in the water.
All human beings face
and share the same fate. Due to ignorance of the true nature of life, we
often weep and wail. When once we realize the true nature of life, we
can face the impermanence of all component things and seek liberation.
Until and unless we achieve our liberation from worldly conditions, we
will have to face death over and over again. And in this respect, too,
the role of death is very clear. If a person finds death to be
unbearable, then he should make every endeavor to over come this cycle
of birth and death.
CONTEMPLATION ON DEATH
Why should we think
about death? Why should we contemplate it? Not only did the Buddha
encourage us to speak about death, he also encouraged us to contemplate
it and reflect on it regularly. That which is born will die. The mind
and body which arise at the time of conception develop, grow and mature.
In other words, they follow the process of aging. We call it growing up
at first, the growing old, but it is just a single process of maturing,
developing, and evolving ultimately towards inevitable death.
Today, according to a
world record, about 200,000 people die, on the average, everyday.
Apparently about 70 million people die every year.
We are not used to
contemplate death or come to terms with it. What we usually do is to
avoid it and live as if we were never going to die. As long as there is
fear of death, life itself is not being lived to its fullest and at its
best. So one of the very fundamental reasons for contemplating death,
for making this reality fully conscious, is that not for making us
depressed or morbid; it is rather for the purpose of helping to free
ourselves from fear.
The second reason is
that contemplation of death will change the way we live and our
attitudes towards life. The values that we have in life will change
quite drastically once we stop living as if we are going to live
forever, and we will start living in a quite different way.
The third reason is to
develop the ability to approach and face death in the right and peaceful
way.
The contemplation of
death has three-fold benefits:
- relieving fear;
- bringing a new quality to our lives, enabling us to live our lives
with proper values; and
- enabling us to die in dignity.
It enables us to live a
good life and die a good death. What do we need?
The contemplation on the
following factors are encouraged in Buddhism:
* I am of the nature
to age, I have not gone beyond aging;
* I am of the nature
to sicken, I have not gone beyond sickness;
* I am subjected to my
own kamma and I am not free from kammic effects;
* I am of the nature
to die, I have not gone beyond dying; and
* All that is mine,
beloved and pleasing, will change, will become otherwise, will become
separated from me.
When we contemplate this
reality with a peaceful mind and bring it into consciousness, it has a
powerful effect in overcoming the fear of old age, sickness, death and
separation. It is not for making us morbid, rather it is for freeing
ourselves from fear. That is why we contemplate death: it is not that we
are eagerly looking forward to dying, but that we want to live and die
without fear.
DEATH IS PART OF LIFE
Death comes to all and
is part of our life cycle. Some die in their prime, others in old age,
but all must inevitably die. Uninvited we came into this world and
unbidden we leave it. Inevitably I am going to die - so does everybody,
every plant, every form, every living being, which follows the same
path. Soon it will be autumn, the leaves will fall off the trees. We do
not cry, it is natural, that is what the leaves are supposed to do at
the end of the season. Human beings experience the same thing.
Religious people usually
have less fear of death than very materialistic people, because
materialists are particularly interested only in this life to satisfy
their-fold senses.
But from the Buddhist
perspective, death is not the end and each birth too is not the
beginning of a life. In face death is the beginning of life and
conversely birth is the ending of life. It is just one part of a whole
process, a whole cyclic process of birth, death, rebirth and dying
again. If one has some understanding of this on-going process, death
begins to lose its ability to create morbid terror, because it is not so
final after all. It is only the end of a cycle; just one cycle along the
way and then the way continues ad infinitum with other cycles. The
leaves fall off the trees, but it is not the end. They go back to the
soil and nourish the roots; next year the tree has new leaves. The same
can be said of human life. Conditioned by the moment of death is
rebirth. An understanding of this basic principle helps to relieve
ourselves of the fear about death.
LIVING CONSCIOUSLY
We live our lives in
many foolish ways without even considering how much time we waste for
nothing. How much time have we wasted today worrying about next year,
about the next twenty years, thinking about the future, to the extent
that we have not been fully living even this very day?
And our values in life
will change. What is important in life? What is motivating us? What is
the driving factor in our lives? If we really contemplate death it may
cause us to reconsider our values. It does not matter how much money we
have for we cannot take any of it with us. Even our own body has to be
left behind for others to dispose of in one way or another; it is just a
heap of refuse left behind. We cannot take our precious body with us
when we leave this world.
The quality of life is
more important than mere material acquisitions. The quality of life is
primarily the quality of our minds. How we are living today may be more
important to us than many other external things. But the condition for
rebirth, and that of rebirth is conditioned by death and the quality of
the mind this is one thing we take with us. This is the one inheritance
that we do not leave behind for others:
* I am the owner of my
kamma, heir to my kamma,
* Born of my kamma,
related to my kamma abide and supported by my kamma.
* Whatever kamma I
shall do, for good or for ill, of that I will be the heir.
All that which will
follow us will be the qualities that we develop within us, the qualities
of mind, the spiritual qualities and the good or bad qualities. These
are all what we inherit. These are the conditions which will determine
our rebirth and shape the future. These in turn will give rise to a new
value in our lives. We may enjoy the millions we have already gained but
it is more important that we live more peacefully and start to build up
some virtuous qualities. It can have a very good effect on the way we
live our lives and on the values we develop. It is not just a matter of
being successful; it is how we become successful.
DYING A GOOD DEATH
Having considered all of
these, if dying becomes no longer an alarming event but an actual
experience, we can with confidence face it. Not only that we can also do
a lot towards dying a good death. If we have led a good life, dying is
easier. But regardless of how we have lived, we can still endeavor to
die a good death. To help in the dying process, we stress very much the
development of the same quality of fearlessness.
For many people, it's
more the fear of pain and the fear of separation from all their loved
ones, more than anything else, that is fearsome. At the time of dying,
encouragement and reassurance are most essential. For a start you need
to reassure yourself. The pain indeed will be excruciating and will be
difficult to bear, but we are fortunate in that advances in modern
medicines make it possible to reduce the amount of physical pain a human
being has to experience before death. Pain need not be such an
overwhelming object of fear.
I usually reassure a
dying person, such as someone who is terminally ill, for example with
cancer, that the will not needlessly be allowed to suffer and, that
prompt treatment will be given to alleviate his pain. An important
result of this is that the patient can relax and die more peacefully.
The other worry is the
inevitable separation from one's possessions. Of course, if we've
contemplated this before, it's a lot easier. We know that to come
together implies separation. If a dying person hasn't done this kind of
contemplation, then you need to gently encourage and reassure him or her
that the children and those left behind will be well taken care of. They
need to be reassured that it's all right, that there are friends to take
care of them; they need to be encouraged to relax and be peaceful, not
to worry about other things, that they'll all be taken care of.
The whole emphasis is on
trying to encourage the dying person, to become more peaceful. How can
one die a good death? The Buddhist way is to maintain an atmosphere of
peace in the room where someone is dying. It's not very conducive to
have people shouting, screaming and crying. What does that do to the
poor person who has this very important thing to do, to die? They make
it very difficult for the dying person to die peacefully. It's good if
friends and relatives who are present, show by their presence that they
care, that they love, that they are willing to contribute something to
support.
"Religious symbols are
very useful and come in handy in such situations. If the dying person is
a Buddhist, then a small Buddha statue, and possibly the presence of
Buddhist monks with soothing words of chanting will be very beneficial
so as to allow the dying person to pass away with the greatest peace and
dignity. It's a wonderful thing for them to move into their new life in
the best possible way." -- (Ajahn Jagaro)
PEACEFUL DEATH
Everyone hopes and
desires to have a peaceful death after having fulfilled his lifetime
duties and obligations. But how many have actually prepared themselves
for such an eventuality? How many, for instance, have taken the trouble
to fulfill their obligations to their families, loved ones, friends,
country, religion and their own destiny? It will be difficult for them
to die peacefully if they have not fulfilled any of these obligations.
We must learn to
overcome the fear of death by realizing that the gods are also subjected
to it. Those who have allowed fleeting time to pass away frivolously
will have good cause to lament later on when they themselves are nearing
the end of their lives.
When people see their
own lives as being only a drop in an ever-flowing river, they will be
moved to contribute even their little part to the great stream of life.
The wise know that to live they have to work for their liberation by
avoiding evil, doing good and purifying their mind. People who
understand life according to the Teachings of the Buddha never worry
about death. Death is no cause for sorrow, but it would indeed be
sorrowful if one dies with out having done something for oneself and for
the world.
I DIED TODAY
David Morris was a well
know Western Buddhist scholar who died at the age of 85. Soon after
hisdeath the writer of this booklet received a letter from him
(obviously he had written it earlier with instructions for it to be
posted on his death.) It went like this, 'You will be happy to know
that I died today. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, you will be
relieved to know that my suffering from the sickness has finally ended.
And secondly, since I became a Buddhist I have faithfully observed the
five precepts. As a result you know that my next life cannot be a
miserable one'. Life is like a dream. Death is a factual happening
and rebirth a natural occurrence. In preparing for that eventuality one
would either have to continue or to end the repeated cycle of births and
deaths so as to be free from suffering and this what human intelligence
is all about.
-ooOoo-
See also:
Vietnamese translation
