Death the Transition of Life
Recently there has been a report about the death of a hermit who has been living in his save for the last couple of decades. It is being said that his history is unknown as he has barely spoke or seen anyone for years. A villager has come to the nunnery to ask about advice and how to treat his body. There are different ways to treat a body once someone dies depending on their level of attainment. We are also not sure how to go about this, as his history is unknown. However, we can speculate and give them our advice as to what should be done.
Death has a huge significance, as it signifies the transition of the next life. This is when karma is activated and determines the deceased persons next life within the cycle of rebirth. This is also an important time for the living as it reminds us all of the Buddha’s teaching on impermanence. In Tibet the most common way to treat a person’s corpse is cremation or have their bodies dismembered and fed to vultures. For masters who have been meditating for a significant portion of their life they will usually be cremated and have their ashes stored in stupas as relics. Buddhist does not believe in burying the dead. The feeding of one body to the vulture is known as Sky burial. This offering is an act of generosity or the detachment to one’s body.
A sky burial is one of the oldest traditions in Tibet when disposing of the dead. This is because in Tibet the ground is unsuitable for a burial and where fire is scarce there are no wood to burn the body. Usually a monk or lama will be called to hold the funeral. However, time is also a concern as the corpse may attract predators and spread disease. The person who cuts the corpse is also very important as lamas can not perform this task. Tibetans believe that this is good karma as it sustains the life of vultures that live on the mountain.
Tibetans believe that once someone dies they will go through a period of 49 days in a state of death and rebirth called bardo. Moreover there will be a 4-day trance where the person does not know they are dead. During the end of this 4-day trance the person will see a bright light. It is believed that depending on their reaction to this light the person will enter the cycle of rebirth or escapes it. If they fear it then they will be reborn again, however if they welcome it they are able to escape the cycle of rebirth. This is when the person will realize that they are dead. Their life will flash by them and they will see everything they have done. When they see this they will long for their bodies which then they will seek another birth. Through their previous actions and thought they will choose their new parents based on this will give them a new body.
As much as this time is important for the hermit as he transitions to the next life or becomes enlightened it is also a very precious time for the nunnery and the village. Many are reflecting on death at this time. It reminds us to appreciate this life and that we have a body and also helps us reevaluate what we’ve been doing. Perhaps if we’re unhappy about what’s been going on in our lives we can change our ways for the better. However, death should not be something to fear and one should prepare for it.
Not knowing the attainment of the hermit is hard to determine how his body should be treated. However he will still be attended by monks and qualified practitioners who will perform rituals on chant on the behalf of his death. The body will be only be handled by certain people who are qualified for this job. The nuns in the nunnery will be at the designated day when the body is treated and we will recite mantras. I believe that the hermit should be cremated. There is a possibility that he has been mediating in his cave to attain enlightenment. His non-communication with others is a sign that he was practicing solitude and meditation. One thing that can be said is that he was not attached to anyone as he was alone most of the time. It is hard to say but this is what I think. The hermit should not be touched for 3 days, as it is believed that there is still some consciousness left in the body. This is to not disturb his consciousness, which can affect his rebirth. Moreover, we believe that the dead is much more sensitive and have greater wisdom than that of a regular person therefore the dead can be greatly effect by the thoughts of the living. This is why mourning is not suggested and best to be avoided. The dead may become attached to his body and can divert his focus away from the Buddha. However, mourning or remorse will not be shown, as the hermit has no known close friends or relatives.
I believe that the hermit should be cremated and have his ashes thrown into the river. It is believed that ashes in the river will purity those who will be touched by it. Similarly if ashes are scattered in high places will be blown by the wind and who ever those ashes comes in contact with they will be purified of negative karma. His body will not be treated before the cremations. His body will be burned for around 4 days when the fire has burned out. Then his ashes will be collected and stored into a container. I don’t think his ashes should be kept at the stupa as it is still unclear what his level of attainment is.
There was a monk who I remember speaking to who said that he learnt that when someone is dying depending on the heat of their body during their death that it determines weather the person will be reborn to a higher or lower realm. He said that if the dying person’s head is hot while the lower half of his body is cold then he will go to the higher realms. If the dying person’s head is cold but their legs or feet are hot then this means that they will be reborn into a lower realm. He said that he tested this with a close friend who was dying and his head was hot while his legs were cold. He believes that his friend is birthed to a higher rebirth.
For the living this is a time of reflection, which can also be said as the mindfulness of death. One should occasionally think about death as no one can escape death. This reminds me of the time when the lama came to talk to us about the mindfulness of death. Someone who is not mindful of death will cause sorrowful rebirths, as they do not take the opportunity to learn the dharma. He also says that being reborn as a human being is precious and should not be wasted on chasing after pleasures, which are only temporary. If we are not mindful of death then we will become very fearful when it occurs. This fear is the dying person’s attachment to possessions or people. Because this person was not mindful of death he or she will have regrets in their life and realized that he or she has not made use of this life. If we wish to not regret anything when our death comes then we must give up attachment to one’s body, relatives and possessions. What determines our future is how we respond to the events of our lives that create future karma.
