Welcome to the SC Dharma Group Teachings PageColumbia TeachingsGeshe Dakpa Topgyal: Death and Dying (Part 1)Dateline: Columbia: January 19, 2001 Death and Dying The purpose of Buddhist teachings is not to create more Buddhists on the earth, but rather to create more good human beings on the Earth. Therefore, wherever I teach I do not encourage anybody to be a Buddhist. There is no purpose if you already know how to be a good human being. It takes time to know enough about Buddhism to decide if it’s useful in everyday life or if it’s just intellectually satisfying. If you study carefully, you will see Buddhist teachings are aimed at disciplining one’s mind, to correct what went wrong in the mind, how our mind creates the harshness of the world. Without correcting the mind, there is no way to run away from the harshness of the world. Buddhism is meant to improve the quality of perceptions through which we see the reality of phenomena. Buddhism helps us understand how the mind influences how we want to see objects. We try to force the material world to perform the way we wish it to be. Reality and what we expect do not match. Clinging It’s important in Buddhist spiritual practice to understand the meaning and usefulness of the human form, how precious it is. Because we are human our intellect allows us to engage in spiritual practice, to gain the highest form of human happiness, unconditional happiness, which is not subject to change by external circumstances. There’s more to life than struggling for survival. When we’re born in a human form, it is a waste to spend all our time and energy on day-to-day survival. If we don’t know how to live, we don’t know how to die. Why? Death is part of our life. Death It’s very important to learn how to die because it’s part of life, the most critical moment of our life. When death comes upon us, no matter how financially well off we are, all becomes useless and hopeless. When you reach the edge of death, doctors, healers, friends, relations give up hope. In front of you, they may say you’ll be okay; behind your back, they may be talking about your funeral, arguing who will get more. At that moment, you are the only one who can handle the situation. You will experience four types of fear: 1. fear of separation from loved ones 2. fear of leaving your possessions behind 3. fear of not being able to remain part of this world 4. fear of losing yourself or the I If you have some understanding and proper training at the time of death, you can recognize each fear. If you don’t recognize and identify your fears and separate from them, you become one with the fear and then lose hope. According to Buddhism, death is a separation between mind and body; the intimate connection between mind and body collapses. Death is not when the brain and mind stop functioning. Eight stages to natural dissolution The meaning of dissolution: What connects the mind and body collapses. Each of the five elements in the body dissolves one by one into the other. There are externals signs visible to others and internal signs experienced only by the dying person. 1. Earth dissolves into water. The external sign: The dying person asks to be pulled up, asks for more pillows. This is because earth is dissolving into water, and that provides a sinking sensation. Eyesight also diminishes. The internal sign: The dying person experiences hallucinations. 2. Water dissolves into fire. The external sign: The mouth and nostrils become dry. The internal sign: Sight becomes hazy. 3. Fire dissolves into air. The external sign: The body temperature drops. The body cools from feet to chest or head to chest. The air breathed out is chilly, rather than warm. The internal sign: The dying person sees sparks, small and intense like fireflies. 4. Air dissolves into space. The external sign: The dying person’s inhalation and exhalation rate changes. Breathing becomes panting. Exhalations become longer than inhalations. The internal sign: The dying person sees a large flame. 5. Space dissolves into consciousness. The external sign: The dying person exhales, long exhalations, three times followed by three short inhalations. Then breathing stops. The internal sign: The dying person sees a transparent bluish light. At this point, brain function has ceased, and the heart has stopped beating. This is clinical death. The three states after clinical death include white radiant appearance, red increase and near black attainment. These will be explained in the next teaching. Source: South Carolina Dharma Group Contact: Claudia Smith Brinson Phone: 803-799-4901 E-mail: csbrin@infi.net |