How do buddhists deal with death

These good actions are set out in the Eightfold Path , which includes right speech, right livelihood, and right concentration.

Good actions will result in a better rebirth , while bad actions will have the opposite effect. Depending on the actions performed in previous lives, rebirth could be as a human or animal or even ghosts, demi-gods, or gods. Being born as a human is seen by Buddhists as a rare opportunity to work towards escaping this cycle of samsara.

The escape from samsara is called Nirvana or enlightenment. Once Nirvana is achieved, and the enlightened individual physically dies, Buddhists believe that they will no longer be reborn.

The Buddha taught that when Nirvana is achieved, Buddhists are able to see the world as it really is. Nirvana means realising and accepting the Four Noble Truths and being awake to reality. Some Buddhists believe that enlightened individuals can choose to be reborn in order to help others become enlightened. Even if, when the actual moment comes, they themselves are incapable of mastering the situation in the traumatic, dream-like state between lives, they may nevertheless respond more readily to the psychic guidance given by lamas and friends reciting the traditional bardo prayers designed to lead them through the experiences and into a good rebirth.

Yet other accomplished meditators perform the profound consciousness transference po-wa practices of vajrayana. These enable the mind to be forcefully or peacefully depending upon the prowess of the meditator fused with the primordial enlightened mind of Buddha, either temporarily or permanently. Finally, those of unwavering faith will experience their guru or their yidam coming to welcome them away from the coarse, dark limitations of this life into the boundless light and truth that is mind's true nature.

Forever In-Between: Bardo. Buddhists believe nothing lasts. Everything is always in a state of change. When viewing things with microscopic precision, it becomes clear to them that, in the world of mind, consciousness is renewed every split second and that, in the world of matter, atomic particles are always in flux and movement.

Tantric teachings describe all existence as a migration from what was to what will be. In that sense, all is bardo or 'in-betweening'. However, this continual flux, viewed macroscopically as beings' lives, has four distinct phases, each with its own very specific type of experience. Being born and being alive is known as the this life bardo: the most powerful phase of them all. In it, one has more control over the mind than in the other three bardo and can choose lucidly how to act physically and verbally.

The period at the end of life, as one dies, is the traumatic dying bardo. The breakdown of the biological support of life during this period engenders a series of moods and feelings which are hard to dominate.

The moment immediately after death, usually very brief, when the primordial nature of existence manifests, is the expanse of purity bardo. The ensuing dream-like state between lives, in which one has little or no choice of action, is known as the becoming bardo.

The Traumatic Bardo of Dying. What exactly do Buddhists believe happens at death? It can be summed up technically as the progressive cessation of activity of the five bio-dynamic forces prana and the resorption of the bodily elements.

As the digestive bio-dynamic Fire Companion prana degrades, food can no longer be digested and bodily heat diminishes, from its extremities inwards. As the oxygenating bio-dynamic Life Sustaining prana degrades, the mind becomes unclear and confused. As the excreting biodynamic Downward Expeller prana degrades, one can no longer eliminate bodily wastes. As the energising bio-dynamic Upward-Moving prana degrades, one can no longer eat or drink and finds it increasingly difficult to breathe.

When the motility bio-dynamic degrades, the limbs can no longer function and the blood vessels shrink. As the earth element dissolves into the water element, one can no longer stand, the head lolls, the face takes on a grey complexion and one loses saliva. You do not have to ignore or deny your grief, just keep your composure as you help your loved one face death with serenity. How do Buddhists grieve? The Buddhist concept of death as a natural part of life, with an inevitable rebirth, may lead those outside the faith to believe that grief is minimized in Buddhist traditions.

This is not the case. Grief is a universal emotion, and those left behind must learn to adjust to a new life without their loved ones. Buddhists are, however, encouraged to remain calm and peaceful in the presence of one who is dying. There is a story told of a woman who brought her dead child to Buddha and begged him to bring her child back to life.

Buddha asked the woman to bring a mustard seed from a house where no one had ever died. Only then would he grant her wish. After the cremation, loved ones collect the remains of the deceased, place them in an urn, and place the urn in a shared family grave. This illustrates how a focus on grieving as a family and community can help Buddhists overcome their sadness after a death. It also reflects the emphasis on family prominent among cultures in the areas where Zen Buddhism is common.

This particular ritual involves mourning after an abortion or miscarriage. Traditionally, in Japan, the significance of the ritual is to calm what might otherwise be an angry spirit. For example, one woman who had an abortion in high school endured grief for years even though she felt comfortable with her choice.

This prevented her from fully healing. Chants to Jizo, who you could describe as the Buddhist equivalent of a patron saint for children, follow. This often occurs at statues of Jizo when possible. That said, while this ritual is certainly new to the U. If so, this ritual serves as an example of how a religion can evolve over time to serve the new needs of its followers. Its growing popularity outside of traditionally Buddhist environments also reminds us that grief practices from other religions and cultures can help us overcome sorrow when practices from our own culture lack.