By performing the appropriate repentance ritual action, monks came to serve as indispensable guides to the dying in their journey from death to rebirth. My father’s religious cultivation, particularly the Pure Land practice, closely reflects some of the main teachings of two masters, whose works are known to the Vietnamese monks. When using the body and mind to repent all the sins committed in the past, and cleanse all unwholesome deeds, defiled residue still lingers in one’s mind. We acknowledge that Mr. Williams (Bill) Brian Williams, who was born in Philip Island, Victoria, Australia, on October 19, 2017, aged 80 years old, will be sadly missed and has contributed significantly to your families. I taught her how to recite the name of Buddha Amitābha by counting the longer rosary beads at least twice a day, once in the morning after she got up, and once in the evening when she went to sleep. Together, they sit down next to the dying, make her remember her good works, and have the family members recall all the positive deeds that she performed in her life. 1-361; Lidai xanbaoji, T. 49, pp. You can harvest a fruit that is as fresh and sweet as the balm of compassion. Donating money or material for building temples, printing sutras, and giving food and necessary items to the members of the Sangha are also counted as meritorious deeds. Buddhism may have first come to Vietnam as early as the 3rd or 2nd century BCE from the Indian subcontinent or from China in the 1st or 2nd century CE. help, comfort and guide a dying friend or loved one The first four verses which the monk recites three times, and are then repeated by the dying person with the help of the family members, and are as follows: In the past I had committed all unwholesome acts. It is really simple, just behave in a manner which you believe is responsible, good and positive for yourself and towards others. My brother invited the abbot to come and instruct my mother in the essential preparation for her death. Twice a day, nuns from the temple where my niece was a novice took turns to recite the Amitābha Sūtra and the Buddha’s name. In 2007, the original Vietnamese version is now republished by Saigon Cultural Publisher in Ho Chi Minh City. When their mind is at peace, the dying person can then concentrate on the name of Amitabha Buddha and vow to be reborn into the Pure Land. The Buddhists of the second group, like my mother, need a “spiritual friend” to initiate them in the religious path. The lowest level of intellect should consider Buddha recitation as the first step of a ladder, zealous effort (virya) as the ladder itself, (and) accumulate wholesome deeds and make vows to be born in the Buddhaksetra. The act of repentance is to ask for forgiveness for past errors and to reform and prevent future transgressions. The opposite is an unlucky death and would cause the children some difficulties. The abbot told me that my mother had experienced a very good death without physical pain and without any sign of psychological sorrow or suffering. 105 Lynch Rd, Fawkner, Vic 3060. Contact Sea Services Today at 1-888-551-1277. At that time, she was very weak but her mind was very sharp and clear. Some spirits are reborn 3 days, 21 days, 49 days or 100 days after death, and in some cases even 7 years. In a related preparation for the seriously ill person, chanting repentance texts, sometimes called “scriptures,”[23] and performing penance prostrations were designed to help the dying person eliminate their worrying mind. The mind is the source of all confusion, and the body the forest of all unwholesome actions. In Vietnam, often the translator of Buddhist sutras or texts does not hold a copyright. It recounts two personal stories of my parents, whose deaths reflect the two traditional practices among of ordinary Vietnamese Buddhists. Pure Land Buddhists worship Amithaba Buddha, or A Di Da Phat, believed to be a fully enlightened buddha who presides over a heavenly realm known as the Pure Land and is separate but related to the historical Shakyamuni Buddha. We Buddhists believe that the spirit of a person will linger on for sometime and can be affected by what happened to the corpse. This was to prepare her to have at least a clear image in her mind when she would pass away. On the one hand, the tragic event was vividly and deeply ingrained in my nine-year old mind and that horrific image is still carried with me to this day. Thus, now than more than ever, it is a time to repent. When his ulcer was healed, Wuda stayed in the area and compiled the Water Repentance so that people of later generations could also have an opportunity to repent their past unwholesome actions. After the monk gives a dharma talk, and family members remind, review, and recall all the meritorious deeds that the dying person had done in this life, the monk then recites, on his behalf, the repentance texts, loud and clear, so the dying person can follow, either verbally or silently. It’s difficult to exactly define what is a Vietnamese Buddhist. The first phase is a chanting of the six-character formula Nam Mô A Di Đà Phật, when a dying person is lying on his deathbed. • Preferably a dying Buddhist should be moved to a private area to allow prayers to be conducted in privacy. When there was no live chanting, her grandchildren played a cassette tape with beautiful voices chanting so she could listen. Indeed, it is the best method to liberate sentient beings from the endless cycle of life and death. This repentant ritual, though short, is an important part of the preparation for death. Oh Buddhas and Bodhisattvas abiding in all directions, Endowed with great compassion, Endowed with foreknowledge, Endowed with divine eye, Endowed with love, Then a friend of mine introduced me to this Buddhist prayer. Most importantly, I came back to Vietnam a few times to do research and also to visit her. After a brief argument, my father put on his nicest clothes and told them that he would not go anywhere. 182-83, citing Amitabha’s nineteenth vow in the Longer Sutra: “Were I to obtain Buddhahood, and yet if I were not to appear surrounded by my host before sentient beings of the ten directions at the time of their death even though they gave rise to the aspiration for enlightenment, performed virtuous deeds and established a vow with sincerity of heart desiring to be born in my Pure Land, then I would not accept true enlightenment”. I would like to thank Professor Raoul Birnbaum for organizing the conference; and also James Doran and Mary Hastings for going over the paper. Later, Thích Nhất Hạnh retranslated and wrote comments on this short but popular scripture. As he calmly accepted his own fate, his untimely death, his conscious mind was focused on Buddha Amitābha. They would also invite them to come to their house to comfort, give short dharma lectures, and chant sutras for the dying. People who falling into this kind could be categorized as sincere Buddhists, as they have a good knowledge of Buddhist teaching and self-discipline in their practice. In his whole life, he follows the religious way and cultivates meritorious deeds for his final moment on earth with a calm and focused mind. Thus in preparing for this journey, they must think of all the wholesome deeds they did in lifetime that could transcend their mind with a virtuous consciousness at the last moments. Their lives and religious practices not only underline some of the teachings generally seen in East Asian Buddhism, but also reflect the basic beliefs of Pure Land Buddhism which widely practiced in Vietnam. The following information is generalized to fit many or most Buddhist traditions. By taking refuge in them, one could eradicate all defilements and would not be reborn into the realms of hells, hungry ghosts, and animals. I deliberately replace Japan and Shinran with China and Vietnam and Zhuhong, since this popularized form of Pure Land practice is similar in all these three countries. So why do so few of us even think about death, let alone make any effort to prepare ourselves for it? It has no page number. He instructed that devotees should generate aspiration for enlightenment, perform virtuous deeds and establish a vow with sincerity of heart, and desire to be born in Pure Land. For an uneducated person or one of low intellectual capacity who cannot visualize Amitābha and the Western Paradise, Chuyết Công strongly advises simply chanting “Namo Amitābha Buddha”. Thus his “consciousness” is not ready to leave his body. This lockdown is for 5 days. Realms, according to the severity of ones karmic actions, Buddhists believe however, none of these places are permanent and one does not remain in any place indefinitely. Unlike the emperor, his main consort did not believe in Buddhism. Death is thus an evitable event that nobody on earth can escape. By proper performance of the repentance ritual, it is believed that dying would eliminate all the unwholesome karma, which could endure the potential sufferings in purgatory or hells and with the purified mind, he can be reborn into Amitābha Buddha’s Western Paradise or have had a better rebirth. The chanters must completely believe that their oral and mental recitation of the name of Buddha Amitābha will aid the dying person concentrate her mind on the Buddha; and with the continuous chanting for a good period, it also would help the dying person’s wondering and distracted mind return to concentrating on the Buddha. The wooden blocks used to print the book were stored in the Lotus Tower of the same monastery. The experience of my mother represents the second major category of how Vietnamese Buddhists prepare for their next life. It is believed that the meritorious works and virtuous deeds that a person cultivated in her lifetime could help her transcend this current life and enable them to get a better rebirth in the next life. There they will be taught the Buddha’s dharma, they will attain enlightenment, and enter Buddhahood . He takes refuges in the Three Jewels, receives and observes the five Buddhist precepts. Vietnamese Buddhists Prepare for the Next Life [1]. Those who keep vegetarian four days a month are to practice on the two mentioned days, plus the days before the new moon and the day before the full moon. Take the first step and call Sea Services at 1-888-551-1277 today. However, from a Buddhist perspective, particularly the teachings of the Pure Land School, my father was able to single mindedly chant the name of Buddha Amitābha seven times before his death. After he left, he advised that family members continue chanting. Taking refuge in the Buddha, I will not fall into the realm of hells. The eight common verses mentioned above are considered the essence of repentance. He found the old monk’s temple under two tall pine trees and asked for help. The abbot also told my mother to keep thinking and concentrating on the image of Amitābha, set her mind on the Buddha and pray to be born into the supremely happy realm of the Western Paradise. Taking refuge in the Sangha, I will not fall into the realm of animals. With two of his assistant monks, and members of a chanting group from the nearby nuns’ temple, he led an hour session chanting Amitābha’s name. At the same time, he should be aware of the suffering of being reincarnated into the six realms, the suffering of being condemned into various hells, and the suffering of being born as animals, hungry ghosts, bad spirits, and evil deities. The things that are traditionally chanted at a funeral in many Buddhist traditions are sections from the Sutras. The final step is to chant name of Buddha Amitābha. They are always bound into the cycle of birth and death, and they could never be liberated from suffering. That have always floated over the ancient forest in wisdom. Buddhism in Vietnam. We usually think of Buddhism as a tradition that teaches quiet sitting meditation, and it is certainly that. At another passage in his book, Trần Thái Tông emphasizes that: Learners of today, if not cultivating this human body and three karmic conditions [of deed, speech and thought] to practice Buddha-name recitation and make vows to be born in Buddha-land, what would be more difficult? It reads: The First Realization is the awareness that world is impermanent. The whole text was retranslated by a famous monk Thích Trí Quang, with a shortened title Thủy Sám. Plum Village Chanting and Meditation Book, 2000, p. 286. This is the most important step because reciting Amitābha Buddha is to recall one's enlightened nature. In the end, everything is a part of the cycle of birth and death. It was as if he were trying to calm us as we were looking out from the window with horrible fear. In Vietnamese Buddhist tradition, the repentance ritual is an important part of the deathbed practice. Finally, chanting the Amitābha’s name is like going back to one's native home; if he does not make the actual journey, how can he get home?[8]. If a devotee can practice and achieve this method, surely he will be reborn in the Pure Land at the highest level of the highest grade. 348 and 544. By then she was retired from working in the rice field and on the family farm. Nếu tiếp tục, chúng tôi cho rằng bạn đã chấp thuận cookie cho mục đích này. This essay has been presented at the conference Dying, Death and Grieving a cultural Perspective, RMIT University, Storey Hall, 349 Swanston Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 22nd and 23rd March 22, 2002. :. Before and at the moment of death and for a period after death, the monk, nun or spiritual friends will read prayers and chants from the Buddhist Scriptures. When a monk or nun visits a dying person and is informed that he or she will die within a few days, or a week, the clergy first will give him or her a short dharma talk. Maintain a calm, stable and compassionate atmosphere around the person before, This is a study of the practices that Vietnamese lay Buddhists make to prepare their next life. All walks of life, regardless of their own human dispositions and qualities or the stage of their life when they embraced religious practice, are guaranteed a rebirth in the Pure Land, if they generate sincere faith in Amitābha. It is important that the body is treated gently and with respect and that the priest can help the spirit continues its journey calmly to higher states, not causing the spirit to becoming angry and confused and may be more likely to be reborn into the lower realms. It is from a personal confession and repentance. Normally there are two different phases recitation of Amitābha’s name. The upper class had the means to donate money and land to the Buddhist temples for merit making and the intellectuals to visualize Amitābha and Pure Land. Sparśa is identified within the Buddhist teachings as: One of the seven universal mental factors in the Theravada Abhidharma. The third step in helping the dying is to take refuge in the Three Jewels. The ultimate goal for Buddhists is to aspire and vow to be born in Amitābha’s Western Paradise. The setting was the front porch of an old homestead in a small village in northern New York where both had lived for more than half a century. Buddhism is probably the most popular religion in Vietnam and is mainly of the Mahayana tradition. According to a government source, 73.2% of Vietnamese have no religion, 12.2% are Buddhists, 6.8% Catholics and 1.5% Protestants. For example, at the time of dying you could dedicate all your virtues so your next life will be a good life. He banned animal sacrifice and was against human execution. After repentance, the chanter must take refuge in the Three Jewels, and vow to practice the seven bodhicita deeds. The general consensus is that they are afraid that they could not strictly and fully observe the five precepts, that they could not be a vegetarian even a few days a month, and that they could not visit their teacher and listen to dharma talks. Sometime they need a good friend, or a compassionate teacher to encourage and instruct their thinking, studying and practicing for the preparation of the next life. I remember that around midnight the whole family was asleep. However, having her exposed to daily chanting by the nuns at the temple was a good preparation for her to get familiar with the melodic invocation of Nam Mô A Di Đà Phật. I also begged her to recite the Buddha’s name whenever she missed me, as she usually did because I lived far from home. The second master whose writing and teaching have a great influence on Pure Land practice was Trần Thái Tông (r. 1226-1258) was a famous king of Trần dynasty (1225-1400). When my father opened it, three men in black pajamas armed with AK-47 rifles came in and yelled at my father to prepare a week of provisions to go to the jungle with them. In the case of my mother, she could not read and write, thus, she could not chant any Buddhist sutras. His very own body is bound to this universal law, and thus death is inevitable. Also, by then, her life was getting better as I had bought her a house and supported her annually with money for living expenses. He states that even the amount of the seven precious jewels that cover the entire world does not measure up to a single remembrance of the Three Jewels. Later I learned that she did not stay there long because she missed her grandchildren. Because they should be able to concentrate on the Buddha-name recitation. This teaching appears in the March-April, 1997 issue of Mandala, the newsmagazine of the FPMT. The first volume explains the reasons for repentance and why one must perform the repentance ritual. [28] The text was first published in 1962 by Department of Vietnamese Buddhist Nuns in Vietnam. As a Buddhist, she should remember the impermanence of all things. While people like my mother, were initiated into the practice late in their life and need more assistance from the monastics, family, and friends. It is believed that that the dying person may feel guilt, sorrow, or regret for whatever wrongdoings he committed in this and past lives. Because of his arrogance, Wuda’s past evil karma had a chance to manifest in a form of an ulcer on his knee which looked like a human face. [3] His facing death with a calm and concentrated mind on Amitābha reminded me of two verses he often recited in the chanting book, saying that when person is dying “his mind should neither be emotionally attached to anything nor be upset. I talked to the abbot by telephone during her deathbed period, and three times after my mother’s death. In short, the first four steps help create the necessary conditions for the last one, i.e., chanting the name of Amitābha Buddha. In his new book, 'Living is Dying', Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche offers a broad spectrum of advice about how to prepare for dying, death and beyond no matter who you are. Chapter ten explains different methods of transferring virtuous merits, and encourages readers to take great vows related to the six body faculties. If she died peacefully, it would be a blessing for her children and grandchildren. Death does not discriminate between the young or the old, the rich or the poor, the high class or the low class. As a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, working as a Buddhist chaplain at several of Melbourne's hospitals and as well as Melbourne assessment prison, I have witnessed many personal tragedies faced by the living and of course the very process of dying and that of death and many of these poor people faced their death with fear, with misery and pain before departing this world. Of course, some other Buddhist teachings and literature, as well as religious training and traditional practice, were integrated into counseling the dying, as well as members of the family. [10] James C. Dobbins. The second phase involves invoking the final chanting with ten words Nam Mô Tiếp Dẫn Đạo Sư A Di Đà Phật. philosophy dedicated to controlling an individual’s emotions through quasi-monastic practices Years later, he became famous, even bestowed him a title “National Master” and also received a throne made of sandalwood. For Chuyết Công, before invoking the name of Amitābha, one must first start with taking refuge in the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. In January 30, 1968, I witnessed the untimely death of my father, a strong Buddhist devotee, who was executed at close range by Vietcong soldiers during the Tet Offensive. A few months ago, in sun-drenched, seemingly timeless July, my eighty-eight year old mother-in-law, Norma, entertained her long-time friend, Marvin, also an octogenarian and a recent widower. Chuyết Công's writing and teaching on the subject laid important groundwork for Vietnamese monks and nuns to help at the deathbed, as we see later in the second part of the paper. Some speak directly to the departed soul, reminding of the inevitability of what has just occurred and the need to stay focused and of a clear mind, while others implore the deities for compassion and a good rebirth for the departed. [28] This translation is still widely used for public chanting and has been reprinted many times both in Vietnam and abroad. Moreover, if he combines recitation of Amitābha’s name with chanting the Amitābha Sūtra, the Larger Sūtra, or any of the other sūtras, transfers all merits to sentient beings, and vows to be reborn in the Pure Land, he will surely be reborn there when he dies. Their stories, in one way, are a personal matter the family members may keep in their private memories. Those who aid the dying on their deathbed often employ their work experience and the religious training that they have received. The government-controlled Vietnam Buddhist Church was established in November 1981, and it emerged as the only officially sanctioned organization authorized to represent all Buddhist groups both at home and abroad. When the mind is forgotten, offenses are no more. Inspired by nearly one hundred questions that were put to him by friends and students, Rinpoche describes how to: Chapter IV, “Vietnamese Buddhism from Mid-3rd Century to the Why are we wasting time without performing the repentance ritual? People like my father told in the story, practiced all his life for the final moment of death no assistance from others except the Buddha, major bodhisattvas, and the holy assembly. When the mind is purified, what trace of wrong is left? Within the nine levels of the Pure Land, the dying person is for sure to be reborn in a lotus and welcomed home in the supreme happy realm. If he would be born into a human being, the bad karmic residuals may cause him continued suffering. Everything, every phenomenon, passes through a period of birth, maturity, transformation, and destruction/death/emptiness. 429-430; and T. 49 pp. There's a good translation of the Heart Sutra here: Heart of Perfect Wisdom Sutra Through this positive and compassionate outlook of life, always being aware of the impermanence of life and having a loving attitude towards all living things in this transient existence we will be free of fear in opposite to grasping selfishly to life due to not having experienced happiness in life. [26]. She believes in the common religious knowledge and concepts, such as karma, reincarnation and afterlife, and practices some remembering the name of Buddha Amitābha, yet she is not totally devotional and serious as those in the first category. Being a vegetarian, even for a few days a month, releasing live creatures, comforting the old, caring for the sick, feeding the hungry, listening to the dharma, sitting meditation, chanting sutras, performing repentance rituals, and participating in one-day retreats can also generate meritorious deeds. Often, the clergy would sit down with family members and ask them the best virtuous deeds that the dying person did in her lifetime. The International Buddhist Progress Society, have presided over our Burial at Sea Memorials. [25] Cebei sanmei shui chan 慈悲三昧水懺 or Cebei shuichan 慈悲水懺 Vietnamese Từ Bi Thủy Sám), Taisho numbered 1910, volume 45, pp. During that time, he stayed at the temple, performed volunteer work, such as cleaning the temple ground, setting up lunch for the monks during their summer retreat, preparing paperwork and writing the names of the deceased for whom the monks prayed during their daily chanting. It is usually a melodic intonation metering with the soft sound of a wooden fish, struck by one of the chanters and conducted by the clerics, members of a chanting group, or family members. Death is inevitable. In the chapter entitled “Essay on Buddha-Name Remembrance” (Vietnamese Niệm Phật Luận) of his famous book, Collected Works of the Royal Teachings on Emptiness [Ngự Chế Khoa Hư Lục], the king monk expounds the practice of remembrance of the Buddha’s name in order to be reborn in the Buddha’s Land. In Buddhist traditions, this death bed chanting is regarded as very important and is ideally the last thing the Buddhist hears. The three-hour ritual, a prayer for peace and health for all of humankind, begins at sunset. 967-978. Who’s who in the new SBS supernatural thriller ‘Hungry Ghosts’, Revered Indian Buddhist Monk Bhikkhu Bodhipala Dies after Contracting COVID-19. The Water Repentance is not only known for its beautiful and sincere repentance literature, but is also popular for a story of its composer. It was the saddest moment in my life. Berkeley: Parallax Press, 2000, p. 268. The people of Vietnam have traditionally followed Mahayana Buddhism, which is practiced to this day.Tradition holds that the Indian Buddhist monk Kalacarya was in residence at the Dau temple in the north of Vietnam in the third century and that the Indian scholar Vinitaruci brought Chan Buddhism (Vietnamese; Thien, "meditation") to the same temple in 580. How do we prepare for death?. The clergy remind them that this very dear body is subjected to decay and death and that death is a transformation from one life to another. If there is birth, naturally, there will be existence for a certain period of time, and then decay and death will eventually come. Buddhism spread first from China to Vietnam’s Red River Delta region in approximately the second century A.D., and then from India to the southern Mekong Delta area at some time between the third and the sixth centuries. In a Zen funeral for example, the deceased is given the refuges and precepts, in a way very similar to ordination, and the Heart Sutra is chanted. Back to Religious Views of Death, Cremation and Burial at Sea, Sea Services is A+ Rated By The Better Business Bureau. The assistance and support from dharma friends, or groups of casual friends, are important in giving them further strength for the last jump into the next life. [29] For the original text, see Taisho 1909, Vol. This is not the case. His message, based on a pragmatic philosophy, taught how to free oneself from all needs in order to achieve illumination. My father said that if they wanted to kill him, he would rather to die on his property, so that his family would have his body to bury. Or the monk can read a short passage from The Diamond Sutra: Just examine the various conditioned dharma, it is no different than a bubble or dewdrop; observe and realize everything is impermanent, births and deaths are like lightning flashes. Right below the surface, however, we find that there is a great deal of prayer in Buddhism. Of these three chapters, there are twenty sections dedicated to paying homage to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas on behalf of heavenly beings, the immortals, Indra, Braham, Mara, good deities, nagas/dragons, ruler and his successor, parents in this life and parents in past lives, the principal spiritual teachers, monks and nuns in ten directions of the present and the past, denizens in Avīci (the lowest level of hell realm), denizens in hells of frozen rivers and hot irons, denizens in the hells of drinking copper liquid, hungry ghosts, animals, and sentient beings in the six realms. Generally speaking, for helping patients on their deathbed in Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhist tradition, there is no a single ritual guidebook, written manual, or religious treatise to guide the monastic community and lay people, nor is there a single standardized practice. After his death, my mother told me that somehow my father felt something would happen to him in the near future. He became Buddha, meaning the « Illuminated ». The power of the prayer has been achieved by Medicine Buddha, so it's very powerful for their prayers to succeed. The malnourished baby boy was found abandoned at the bottom of a 2.4m drain, covered by a concrete slab, after a cyclist and his daughter heard the baby’s screams early Sunday morning. This was repeated like that for a whole week. The Five Essential Meanings of Enlightened Mind (Vietnamese Ngũ Chủng Bồ Đề Yếu Nghĩa),[6] an important work written by Chuyết Công (a Chinese monk who lived, practiced and helped revitalize Vietnamese Buddhism in the seventeenth century) on the subject of Pure Land, and has a great impact on Vietnamese Buddhism.
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