Three Important Matters at the Time of Death
Written by Master Yinguang
First, be skilful in guiding and comforting so to make the patient gives rise to the right faith;
Secondly, people take turns to Nianfo to assist the person in having pure mindfulness (of Amituofo);
Thirdly, avoid moving the body and crying to prevent mishaps.
The most tragic thing in the world is nothing more than death, but no one in the world can escape it. Therefore, those who want to benefit the self and others should have considered it early. In fact, the word 'death' was originally a pseudonym and was used as a consequence of the end of the period of this life, so to give up this body and change to another type of body. Those who do not know the Dharma have no idea about it, they can only flow along with their karma.
Now that since we have heard of the Pure Land Dharma of the Tathagata to save sentient beings, we should give rise to faith and vow, and recite the Buddha's name (Amitabha), prepare the provisions for our rebirth, in order to free ourselves from the illusory suffering of life and death, and realising the true bliss of abiding in Nirvana.
If you have parents, brothers, and relatives who are seriously ill and unable to recover, it is advisable to express filial piety and compassion, and advise them to recite the Buddha name (Amituofo) and seek rebirth in the West (Western Pure Land), and to assist Nianfo for him, so that when the sick person dies, he can attain rebirth in the Pure Land, the benefits obtained from this are inexhaustible. Here I will list three important principles which serve as a basis for the passing of the dying. Although the language is vulgar, the meaning is based on Buddhist scriptures; Upon encountering such a situation, one shall follow as such, the three things are:
First, be skilful in guiding and comforting so to make the patient gives rise to the right faith;
Secondly, all the people take turns to Nianfo to assist the person in having pure mindfulness (of Amituofo);
Thirdly, avoid moving the body and crying to prevent mishaps.
If one can follow these three methods, it is destined that one can eliminate the karma from past lives, increase the pure causes, be guided by Amitabha Buddha, and be reborn into the West. Once one has gained rebirth, one will transcend the ordinary and become a sage, transcend the cycle of reincarnation, and through gradual cultivation, one will eventually realise Buddhahood. Such benefits obtained rely entirely on the power of assisting Nianfo. Being able to act like this is true filial piety to parents; To brothers and sisters are true brothers; To children, it is true kindness; To friends and to ordinary people is true righteousness and true benefit. By cultivating one's own pure causes and inspiring the faith in others, gradually it can form a trend to influence each other. Now I will explain each item individually, so one will know what to do when the time is here.
First, be skilful in guiding and comforting to make the patient gives rise to the right faith.
Urging the patient to let go of everything and Nianfo wholeheartedly. If there are matters that need to be explained, explain them immediately. After the explanation, left them aside and don’t think about them. Think that I now should follow Amitabha Buddha to be born in the Buddha-land. All the wealth and happiness, family members, and various mundane situations in the world are obstacles that will cause harm. Therefore, I should not give rise to a single thought of attachment.
One should understand one’s True Nature has no death originally (our Buddha nature has no birth and no death). The so-called death, is only to give up this body and to change to another. If one does not Nianfo, one will follow the karma of good and evil and be reborn in the paths of good or evil (the good paths are heaven realm, human realm, the evil paths are animal, hungry ghost, hell and asura realms. The asura realm can be called either the good or evil path, because the karmic causes and resonating fruits are mixed with good and evil). If, at the time of death, one wholeheartedly recites “Namo Amituofo (Namo Amitabha Buddha)” with this sincere heart, one will definitely move Amitabha to show great compassion to come to pick you up, leading to a rebirth (in the Pure Land).
Don't doubt that I am a karmic mortal, how can I Nianfo in such a short time and be able to exit the cycle of reincarnation and reborn in the Western Pure Land? One should know the great compassion of Amitabha, even those who have committed the ten evils and five gravest offences, at the time of death when the hell realm appears, if there is a good teacher who teaches him to Nianfo at this time, just ten recitations, or even just one recitation, he can be received by Amitabha Buddha and be reborn in the West. These people, even when they recite a few recitations they can be born, how can we doubt ourselves with heavy karmic obstacles, not Nianfo enough and not be reborn? One should know that our original true nature is no different from the Buddha. It’s just we ordinary beings due to illusions and heavy karmic obstacles cannot enjoy like the Buddha, now since we have taken refuge in the Buddha, it’s like a son relying on his father, only to restore what we originally have, not obtain from the external.
Also, Amitabha Buddha had made the vows in the past: “If there are beings who hear my Name, believe in it sincerely and vow to be born in my Land, even for ten recitations, if they cannot be born, may I not realise Buddhahood.” Because of this, all sentient beings Nianfo at the time of death and vow to be born in the West, there isn’t one who is not received (by Amitabha Buddha). One must not doubt! To doubt is to obstruct the self, this causes the worst harm! Also to liberate from this suffering world is the happiest thing, one should give rise to the heart of joy, and one should not be afraid of death. Even if one is afraid of death, one will still die, and then one will not be reborn. Because your heart goes against the Buddha’s heart, although the Buddha has great compassion, for those who don’t want to receive the teachings he also cannot help much.
"Amitabha Buddha", the great Name accumulated by millions of merit, is like a great furnace, and our evil karma from past lives is like a small snowflake in the sky. Ordinary karmic beings, because of chanting the Name of Amitabha Buddha, the karma is eliminated, like a snowflake approaching the furnace, it immediately disappears, not to mention that after the evil karma is eliminated, all good roots will naturally grow and become enriched. How can we doubt that we will not be reborn and the Buddha will not come to guide us? With such thoughtful guidance and tactful comfort, patients can naturally give rise to the right faith. This is the main content of persuading the patient.
As for those who are children, they must be filial and sincere, and they must not follow the conventional favour and rely on gods for healing. If you do these useless things with your heart, your sincerity will be distracted, and you will not be able to understand the matter of chanting the Buddha's name. When their parents are dying, many people spare no expense to invite many doctors to see them. This is called "buying filial piety" and they want people to praise them for being filial to their parents. Little do they know that heaven, earth, ghosts and gods have already seen through their hypocritical heart! Therefore, those who are extravagant and wasteful about the burial of their parents, if they are not affected by natural disasters, there will definitely be man-made disasters! As children, you should pay attention to making sure your parents' consciousness go to a good place. Those things secular people praise, it is not worth the smile of discerning people, let alone pursue it vigorously to cause the great crime of unfilial piety?
Secondly, all the people change shifts to recite the Buddha's name (Amituofo) to help the patient's pure thoughts. The patient has been guided before, so that he can develop the right faith. But the patient’s heart is weak, it is not easy to Nianfo uninterruptedly, let alone those who don’t usually Nianfo, even for those who Nianfo, at this time they will also need to rely on the power of others to assist Nianfo. Therefore, relatives in the family should show filial piety and compassion and assist Nianfo for him. If the illness has not yet reached the final stage, one can take turns in different groups. It is advisable to divide into three groups. There is a fixed number of people in each group. When the first group begins to Nianfo out loud, the second and third groups can Nianfo in silent. If there are small things that need to be done, one can do it during silent recitation, but when one is on duty, one shall not leave. When the second group finishes, the third group continues, one shall take turns. Reciting for one hour and rest for two, in that way, even after Nianfo for one day and one night, one will not feel too tired.
One should know that those who are willing to assist Nianfo and help others to attain rebirth, he will also receive the fruit of being assisted Nianfo by others in the future, let alone to say one can pay filial piety for their parents by doing so, even assisting Nianfo for ordinary beings, it can also cultivate one’s blessings and grow one’s own good roots. Actually, doing so will benefit the self, not only for others. To enable a person's rebirth in the Pure Land is to make a sentient being to become a Buddha. This kind of merit is truly inconceivable!
The three groups can take turns to make the Nianfo sound continuously, and if the patient still has a bit of energy and can still chant, he can chant in a low voice. If he can’t chant, he can use his ears to hear single-heartedly (recite in his mind) and have no other thoughts, naturally he can resonate with the Buddha. The Nianfo sound cannot be too high, as it can hurt the Qi (energy) and is difficult to last; it also cannot be too low, or otherwise, the patient cannot hear clearly; it should not be too fast nor too slow. If it is too fast, the patient will not be able to follow; if it is too slow, the patient cannot catch the breath and thus cannot obtain the benefit. Only if it is neither high nor low, neither fast nor slow, the words are distinct, and each recitation is clear so that each recitation enters into the ears and passes through the heart (of the patient), so he can be benefited!
The only instrument for Nianfo should be the chime (yinqing), and nothing else can be used. The sound of the chime is clear, hearing it can make the person’s heart feel pure; the sound of the wooden fish is turbid, so it is not suitable to be used for assisting Nianfo for the dying. (Editor’s note: Don’t worry about the instrument here, one can just Nianfo without instrument). Also, it is suitable to recite the four-character Buddha name (Amituofo). In the beginning, recite a few six-character Namo Amituofo (Namo Amitabha Buddha), and then focus on reciting the four characters "Amituofo", do not recite "Namo", because if the words are few, it is easy to recite, and the patient can either follow along or listen carefully (recite in the mind), which saves effort. The relatives at home recite it like this, and the friends invited from outside also recite it like this. No matter how many people there are, they should recite like this. Don't just recite for a while, rest and recite again, as it can interrupt the patient's Nianfo. When eating, one should take turns to eat, and the Nianfo sound cannot be stopped.
If the patient is about to stop breathing, they should recite together in three groups until the patient has stopped breathing. Then divide into groups and recite for three hours (Editor's note: In many teachings, Master Yinguang advocates reciting for twelve hours because he is afraid that the family members may not have the patience, so he made this statement. Of course, the Master hopes that we can recite for as long as possible, at least one day and one night.) Only then take a rest and can manage and arrange future affairs. When Nianfo, one should not allow relatives and friends to come to the bed and say comforting words. They should join everyone in reciting the Buddha’s name (Amituofo) for a certain period, which will truly benefit the patient. If we use worldly emotions is like pushing the person into the sea (of Samsara). Although it is understandable from an emotional perspective, it is truly heartbreaking from a rational perspective. This matter entirely depends on whether the host can understand the reason and arrange for people to persuade relatives and friends in advance, so as not to hinder and cause the patient to be emotionally affected, leading to victimisation and distraction, and not to attain rebirth!
Thirdly, avoid moving and crying so as not to cause mishaps. When the patient is dying, it is the time when mortals, sages, humans, and ghosts part ways. It is very crucial! At this time, you can only use the Buddha's name to enlighten his spiritual consciousness, and one must not take a bath for the patient, change clothes, or move from his sleeping place. No matter how he sits or lies, he can only stay in his original position and cannot be moved a little bit, nor can you show sadness or even cry for him. Because at this time, the body can no longer control itself, and if you move it, he will suffer from twisting pain in limbs and feet. From the pain, anger will arise, and Nianfo will stop, and the consciousness will go with the anger, mostly will fall into poisonous snakes and beasts, horrifying to the extreme. For example, when a dying person sees sadness and crying, he or she will generate affection and cease Nianfo, the consciousness will go away with the affection, resulting in an inextricable bondage from life to life. At this time, the most beneficial thing is to recite the Buddha's name wholeheartedly; the most harmful thing is to move and cry to the dying person carelessly. If moving or crying makes him feel hatred or love (attachment), then how can he still be reborn in the West? Even a ten-thousandth hope is gone!
Also, when a person is dying, the hot air from down up is a phenomenon of superbirth; from up down is a phenomenon of degeneration. Therefore, there is a saying that "the top to the holy, the eyes to the heaven, the humans are from the heart, animals are from the knees, and the hells are from the bottom of the feet (顶圣眼生天，人心饿鬼腹，畜生膝盖离，地狱脚板出)". But as long as everyone sincerely assists Nianfo, the dying will naturally be reborn in the West immediately. Don't go to touch the dying person frequently. If the spiritual consciousness has not left yet, the stimulation will cause troubles and pains in his heart, so he cannot be reborn. This kind of fault is really immeasurable and boundless. I hope that relatives and friends, everyone should sincerely recite the Buddha's name, and don't feel his heat, and test which part of him is the last to become cold. Those who are children, pay attention to this matter, is true filial piety. If we act according to all kinds of human feelings in the world, then it’s like we are pushing our parents into the sea of misery so as to get ordinary ignorant people to praise us for our filial piety. This kind of "filial piety" is the same as the "love" of Rakshasa. The Buddhist scriptures say: "The Rakshasa woman eats humans and says: 'I love you, so I eat you.'" The actions of those ignorant people make their parents lose their great happiness and suffer extremely, isn't it the same as the love of the Rakshasa woman? I say this not to be unreasonable, but to hope that people will be practical and make sure that the dead can attain rebirth and the living are blessed, to satisfy the filial sons and daughters and their sincerity in loving relatives. Maybe what I said seems a bit intense, but people who truly love their relatives must be able to understand.
The saying such as "the holy is born from the top and the eyes to the heaven " mean that after a person has lost his breath and the whole body has become cold, the one with the last heat left on the top of the head must have transcended the ordinary and entered sainthood, escape from births and deaths, and attain rebirth in the Western Pure Land; the fact that “the eyes to the heaven” means that if the last heat left on the area of the eyes and the forehead, then one is born in the heaven; the last heat is from the heart means one has returned to the human realm; the last heat from the lower abdomen means that one is born into the hungry ghost realm; the last heat from the knees means that one is born into the animal world; If the last heat from the bottom of the feet, then one falls into the hell realm. This is the real situation reflected by the two forces of good and evil committed by the person during his life; other methods cannot fake it. At this time, if the patient can sincerely recite the Buddha’s name (Amituofo), coupled with the help of his family members and friends in assisting Nianfo, he can definitely be reborn with his karma, become a saint, and be reborn in the Land of Bliss. Don't touch and test frequently, it will cause trouble. I especially emphasise this and look forward to it and blessings!
