Final Moments Support
At the moment of death, each person's consciousness varies. The actions and deeds of one's life will manifest as karmic impressions, guiding the nature of one's mind. At this crucial time, karma takes full control. If one's negative karma is strong, it will dominate, leading the consciousness to the three lower realms. If one's positive karma is greater, it will lead to rebirth in the heavenly or human realms.
If a person has practiced Buddha recitation diligently during their life, the seed of Buddha remembrance is strong, and they will be guided by the Buddha to be reborn in the Western Pure Land. However, if this seed is weak and cannot manifest, others can assist by reciting the Buddha's name, making it easier for the Buddha seed to emerge. Therefore, regular practice strengthens the Buddha seed, and recitation at the time of death helps to recall and maintain the right mindfulness of Buddha, increasing the hope of rebirth in the Pure Land.
Merits and Benefits of Assisting in Buddha Recitation at the Time of Death:
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Assisting a Person to be Reborn in the Pure Land: Helping someone achieve rebirth in the Pure Land leads them to eventually become a Buddha, a merit greater than any other. Assisting someone in attaining Buddhahood brings the highest merit.
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Helping the Dying Person Maintain Right Mindfulness: When medicine is no longer effective and a person's life is nearing its end, the one reciting the Buddha's name helps the dying person maintain right mindfulness, enabling them to peacefully and comfortably transition to rebirth in the Pure Land.
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Improving the Dying Person’s Mental State: Reciting the Buddha’s name at the time of death creates a serene atmosphere, helping to reduce the dying person's fear and suffering. This opens their mind and heart, allowing them to receive the compassionate guidance of the Buddha.
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Caring for the Family: Assisting in recitation benefits not only the dying person but also provides comfort and care to the family, helping them find peace and planting the seeds of Bodhi (enlightenment).
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Accumulating Merit: Those who assist by reciting the Buddha’s name for the dying or deceased not only help others but also cultivate their own merit. This practice, known as "borrowing the opportunity to cultivate," accumulates significant merit.
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Enhancing One's Own Practice: Assisting in Buddha recitation benefits not only the dying but also enhances the spiritual practice of the reciter. By reciting the Buddha’s name for others, the one assisting deepens their own practice and strengthens its effectiveness.
Ritual
Site layout
(1) Install the statue of Amitabha Buddha, offer flowers, incense, candles, etc. It is appropriate but not forced to be located in the west. If there is a statue of Amitabha in the hospital room, there will be no new one. Cigarettes should not be too strong to prevent the patient from breathing.
(2) The location of the Buddha statue should be so that the sick can see it.
chanting buddha
(1) The person who helps recite the chanting only chants ‘Amitabha’, only strikes the chime, does not use other instruments, and does not recite other scriptures.
(2) When the chanting aid reaches the patient's home, if the condition is critical, it is advisable to dispense with equipment and other rituals, and can just go forward and just knock on the chime and recite the four-character Buddha.
Number of people
Each class has two to five people reciting together, and no more than ten people at most. Each class can support recitation for two hours.
Enlightenment
(1) If the patient's consciousness is clear, the person in charge of chanting assistance can advise him to put aside all circumstances and recite the Buddha's name along with it; he may recite it from his heart or listen to it with his ears.
(2) If the sick person has attachments, the person in charge of aiding mindfulness will explain briefly that he can recover quickly before his life span is over, and that he will be reborn in bliss as long as his life span is over, so as to improve his mindfulness.
prevent obstacles
(1) The patient’s family members must nominate at least one person to be responsible for caring for the patient and to communicate with the chanting support group on all matters related to the patient.
(2) Regardless of the family members, relatives and friends of the sick person, starting from the beginning of recitation, they are not allowed to approach the sick person or interfere with other people's affairs. For those who know the Buddha, the person who protects the Buddha's memory can ask for permission from the person in charge of assisting in reciting the Buddha's memory, and then he can participate in assisting in reciting the Buddha's memory.
Taboo
(1) If the sick person wants to take a bath or change clothes, he must do so before assisting in chanting, and his family members are responsible for doing so; however, it will also depend on the condition of the patient and the urgency. There is no need to force or inflict pain on those who do not want it.
(2) After starting to chant, bathing, changing clothes, moving, etc. are prohibited.
(3) Do not talk to the sick about trivial matters, comfort them with worldly sentiments, inquire about wills, sigh or cry, so as not to arouse love and hinder their death.
(4) When dying, you can sit, lie down, lie on your side, or lie on your back as you wish, and cannot be forced.
(5) No movement, bathing, or changing of clothes is allowed within eight hours after death. If the joints become stiff due to long-term care, you can use a towel, splash hot water on it, wrap it around your elbows and knees, and then rinse it with hot water. It will soften in a short time.
(6) Within eight hours after death, you are not allowed to touch the body, test its temperature, and you are not allowed to cry.
End of memory aid
(1) After the patient dies, the Buddha's voice should not be heard for eight hours; after this time, the task of assisting in chanting is over.
(2) After the recitation, the body can be bathed, changed, moved, and the family members can cry.