Buddhist Beliefs about Death and Dying - Essay Example

Beliefs About Death and Dying: The Chinese Buddhist Perspective Chinese Buddhist view on death and dying The Chinese Buddhist view of death and dying is consistent with Buddhist teachings. People are generally self-centered and this nature, they acquire Karma which places them in a constant state of transmigration in the six realms. One is able to transcend this cycle by following Buddhist teachings and devoted practice. A person may achieve a transcendental state in the present or a future lifetime. Similarly, Americans like most Christians believe that people are judged by God based on actions they performed during their lifetime. However, judgment is final and the soul would be sent to either heaven purgatory or hell, depending on how good or evil the person lived. The Chinese believe that human life exists with the two factors of consciousness and warmth. Dying therefore is a gradual process where the person's consciousness separates from the body. Death occurs when the body experiences a complete loss of awareness and body temperature. Americans believe in the body and the soul, and the two are separated once death occurs. A person is said to be dying when bodily functions fail and begin to cease. Those who have achieved higher states of being no longer go through transmigration. However, they may undergo rebirth if they so choose son that they may further their enlightenment towards the Buddhist path or to help sentient individuals follow the path. Upon death, people of exceptional goodness go to Buddha's Pure Land through Buddha's blessing. Very bad individuals immediately proceed to the hells. The Chinese Buddhists believe that the soul would experience a state of limbo for an indefinite period, which would not exceed forty-nine days. During this period, the consciousness would experience a floating sequence of scenes and it would not have the power to choose. This state of limbo ends when the Karma pulls the consciousness and is reborn in any of the six realms. Thus, the Chinese Buddhists believe that death is like a gate from which a person departs one life to begin its journey into a new one. Since there are people who are revived after losing all vital signs, death is also considered as a revolving door which one can also re-enter. The spot which retains warmth after the rest of the body has become cold is considered as the point where the consciousness leaves and separates from the body. The relative position of this point on the body is believed to indicate in which realm the consciousness would go to (Lin 1995). Chinese beliefs after death Chinese Buddhists believe in reincarnation wherein the spirit undergoes a continuous cycle of rebirth and death until ultimate enlightenment is attained. In contrast, Christian tradition holds that the soul is given judgment on whether it is saved and proceeds to heaven or receive eternal damnation and sent to hell. As the soul passes from one stage of life to another, it also becomes mindful of thoughts and emotions. Buddhists believe that one can be born in any of six realms which are outside humanity. These realms are the hells, animal kingdom, human world, world of jealous gods, and the heavens. Karma determines a person's next life. Karma can be compared to a record of the good and bad things a person has done and it follows one throughout his existence. If a person has lived a life devoid of right thought and action, his rebirth would be into a world of lesser existence. According to the teachings of Buddha: "Impure acts defile a person; stinginess defiles an offering; so evil acts defile not only this life but also the following lives." (The Teaching of Buddha by Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai, 1996 Kosaido Printing Co. Tokyo, Japan). However, a person has the ability to remove his bad Karma and move into a higher state of existence. The Chinese Buddhists believe that hell is not a state of suffering for all eternity, unlike what is believed in the West. It is a temporary place which one passes through and can leave once bad Karma is removed and a higher state of being is achieved. The Chinese believe that life, death and rebirth are part of a continuum which cyclically occurs. In contrast, Americans believe that the soul has one life and one existence and is afterward given final judgment according to one's deeds in life. Chinese Buddhist belief focuses on how one lives life in the present. The objective is to search for good, rejection of evil, and the transition from a state of ignorance to one of enlightenment. In leading such a life, then one will be reborn into a state of higher existence. The Buddha imparted his doctrine on death during his final hours, "Make yourself a light. Rely upon yourself: do not depend on anyone else. Make my teachings your light My disciples, my last moment has come, but do not forget that death is only the end of the physical body. The body was born from parents and was nourished by food; just as inevitable are sickness and death. But the true Buddha is not a human body: -it is Enlightenment. A human body must die, but the Wisdom of Enlightenment will exist forever in truth and in practice." Cross-cultural counseling It is common that support for people who have lost loved ones would come from relatives and friends. However, physicians, nurses and social workers can also make significant contributions in helping people cope with their bereavement. Worden (Worden 1991) enumerated several goals for grief counselling: To assist the grieving person to actualise and accept the loss by encouraging the person to talk about the loss and the events surrounding it To help the grieving person identify and to express feelings such as anger, guilt, anxiety, helplessness and sadness To help the bereaved make independent decisions and be able to live without the deceased To help the bereaved begin new relationships and withdraw emotional attachments with the deceased To provide support during critical periods such as birthdays and anniversaries Help the bereaved normalize his grieving and explain the individual differences in the period it takes to grieve To provide continuous support and not on a limited schedule as in grief therapy Help the bereaved to understand her coping style and behaviour Identify coping mechanisms which are problematic and making referrals for grief therapy. Grief is a universal experience that affects all ages and cultures. Nevertheless, there are many facets of grief that are barely known or understood. Among these are the roles played by cultural heritage in a person's experience of grief and mourning. There exists the potential that an individual's inner experience of grief and her cultural expression of grief may be contradictory. This could be explained by the difference in connotation of the terms "grief" and "mourning". Grief is the personalized experience and reactions to the perceived loss of a loved one. Mourning is the outward expression of the inner grief. It is the socially and culturally prescribed behavioural displays of grief. An integral part in helping family members cope with death is respecting the family's cultural heritage. It also involves helping the family decide on how the death would be commemorated. There are five questions which are considered important by clinicians in helping people cope with bereavement. This is especially important when counselling Chinese Buddhists, who have distinct beliefs about death and have special ways of grieving and mourning, observing rituals to honour the dead and their ancestors. 1. What are the culturally prescribed rituals for managing the dying process, the deceased's body, the disposal of the body, and commemoration of the death (McGoldrick 1991) In the United States, the deceased Chinese Buddhist is stored in special refrigerators to await the memorial service ceremony. The deceased is often embalmed and cosmetics are applied to give it a good appearance. Because they believe that cremation, refrigeration or the use of chemicals can cause suffering to the consciousness which has already completely separated from the body, the family can delay sending the deceased to the funeral house and not allow the use of chemicals. 2. What are the family's beliefs about what happens after death (McGoldrick 1991) Chinese Buddhist believe in life after death and that the soul will undergo a continuous cycle of life, death and rebirth. They person can be born in any of six realms depending on how good or evil his life was. The Chinese Buddhists also believe that the living can help their departed relative attain merit even after death through the performance of certain rituals and observance of rules. These merits would help them attain higher states upon rebirth. 3. What does the family consider an appropriate emotional expression and integration of the loss (McGoldrick 1991) There are two objectives related to the rituals and activities undertaken by Chinese Buddhists. The rules and rituals they observe are for the purification of bad karmas and the accumulation of merits. The presence of bad karma can pull the soul into the undesirable realms and prevent the attainment of a higher state of being upon rebirth or transcendence from transmigration. Acts of mourning and rituals should be done selflessly and compassionately to help the departed soul acquire merits which will bring him towards a transcendent state. Selfish acts can help in bringing the departed into heavenly realms, but will not contribute to his liberation from transmigration. In the United States where there are large Chinese communities, there are monasteries, monks and nuns who can provide professional help to families. These are often voluntary. 4. What does the family consider to be the gender rules for handling the death (McGoldrick 1991) If a married woman dies, then a representative from her maiden family should be present as she is placed in the coffin and it is sealed. 5. Do certain types of death carry a stigma (e.g., suicide), or are certain types of death especially traumatic for that cultural group (e.g., death of a child) (McGoldrick 1991) The Chinese Buddhist make sure that a dying person stays in a comfortable and peaceful place. This is often accompanied by the chanting of the Amitabha. Upon being pronounced dead, the body is not disturbed for at least eight more hours to make sure that the consciousness has completely separated from the body. A Buddhist staying in a hospital is often brought home to be comfortable. If the person dies in the hospital, the family makes arrangements that it is untouched for eight hours. A patient in an intensive care unit can be moved to an ordinary room where he can find peace and comfort. If the death is by accident, family members often go to the site of the mishap to escort the soul back home. A professional accompanies the family and summons the soul to follow back home. This is done even if the accident happens abroad. Death is a universal experience for all cultures. How a cultures views and approaches death varies. However, it is common to all cultures that coping with grief entails special attention. Health and social work professionals have much to contribute in helping people cope with bereavement. Most important of all, the assistance they provide should consider the unique beliefs and attitudes that other cultures have on death and dying. By respecting these beliefs, the counselor is able to bridge the cultural difference and expedite the relief of anxieties of those in mourning. References: Cowles, KV: Cultural perspectives of grief: an expanded concept analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing 23(2): 287-294, 1996. Cowles, KV, Rodgers BL: The concept of grief: a foundation for nursing research and practice. Research in Nursing and Health 14(2): 119-127, 1991. Death and Dying: Chinese Beliefs On Death and the Afterlife. About.com. http://dying.about.com/cs/religiousviews/a/BuddhistBeliefs_2.htm Lin, Yutang (Crossing the Gate of Death in Chinese Buddhist Culture. A presentation in Understanding Death in Chinese Buddhist Culture: LIVING AND DYING IN BUDDHIST CULTURES, a program presented by SHAPS Buddhist Studies Program and Summer Session University of Hawaii at Manoa, June 17, 1995. http://www.buddhistinformation.com/crossing_the_gate_of_death_in_ch.htm McGoldrick M, Almedia R, Hines PM, et al.: Mourning in different cultures. In: Walsh F, McGoldrick M, eds.: Living Beyond Loss: Death in the Family. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1991, pp 176-206. Rando, TA: Treatment of Complicated Mourning. Champaign: Research Press, 1993. Worden JW: Grief Counseling and Grief Therapy. New York: Springer Publishing Company, 1991. Read More