Author: Tao Qing Hsu (Hsu, Tao-qing)
When we are young and learning Buddha, we may never think
what the meaning is about Good Death. For the young women and men, the problem
what they encounter is how to survive and live well, most of them never think
about what the death is and how to die well.
The meaning of good death in the views of Buddha’s
teaching
If you have noticed the issue about long-term care, you
may notice the issue about how to help the dying patient to experience the good
death. There are a lot of discussion of ideas, methods and experiences of good
death for a person. However, it is not the points in this article. In this
article, it talks about the good death from the views of Buddha’s teaching. In
the Buddhist Scripture--The Scripture of the Ten Titles Said by Buddha,
the Buddha explained what the Good Death meant:
Why it was called the Good Death. The Buddha said. That
is the meaning of marvelous going. Such as greed, anger, obsession, etc.,
dragging all sentient beings towards the other evil going. This is not named
good death. Tathagata's right wisdom was capable to eliminate all confusion.
Wonderfully appearing and beyond the world can go toward the Buddha-fruition.
It was hence named Good Death.
How to get the Good Death in learning Buddha
“Good” here means “virtuous”. From the meaning of the Good Death explained by Buddha,
we know that the Good Death means the marvelous going. How do we go
through the marvelous ways? That is, our inner Tathagata's right wisdom has
been eliminating all confusion in our lives. Meanwhile, such wonderfully
appearing of our inner Tathagata's right wisdom and such eliminating all
confusion of beyond the world can lead us go toward the fruition of
becoming a Buddha. That is, we are able to achieve or have achieved the
Buddhahood. Such situation or state is named Good death.
What kinds of states belong to good death in the views of
Buddhism
Such sort of ways include not to own any negative
thought, mind, emotion, mindset and any such motive, behavior and
action. That is because such negative things would make us go to the path
of the evil. For instance, the hatred mindset is the ignorant fire which
usually "burn down" our rational brains and merits, and "burn down"
other’s lives and properties. That is, if we had the hatred mindset, it was
possible for us to harm ourselves and others, and to cause any damages in the
spiritual, physical and material. The jealous mindset is easily caused
the hatred mindset and the behavior of breaking any good matters of
others.
What kinds of states do not belong to good death in the
views of Buddhism
The individually or group greedy mindset is easily to
damage the interests and rights of the huge ordinary people through the ways of
cunning smarts or injust means or the fake goodness, or through the ways of
violence, threaten or fraud. The personal or group stupid obsession with
any beliefs or with any ideologies might cause the large ordinary people being
blind in their good wise, thinking and judgment, even to cause them being poor
in the spiritual and material.
The souls of more low level have no bright in their
heart.
In the views of Buddhism, such sorts of negative
mindsets, actions and things are regarded as the evil human beings and the evil
matters and which will make the persons who had done these evil things go to
the evil paths after they die. That is the paths of animals, the hungry ghosts
and the hells. Such sorts of fruitions of the evils are not regarded as Good
Death. As we have mentioned a lot in the articles in the blog, it is easy and
possible for the human beings with the Triad Dark personalities and the
five-poisonous mindsets to go into the fruitions of the evils after their lives
are terminated, and it is regarded as Bad Death. That is because their souls
have to be taught and the retribution so as to compensate the beings who they
have harmed before. Therefore, we know that such sorts of souls are the
beings of more low level and there are no bright in their heart. That there are
no bright means that there are no wisdom, mercy and empathy.
A thought of goodness will lead a person into the good
death.
I say "it is easy and possible." That is
because if the human beings with the Triad Dark personalities and the
five-poisonous mindsets have a thought of goodness and are willing to be taught
and reformed, and are willing to do the goodness for the public or the large
ordinary people or all human beings, they will change their fates and the
consequences. Then, they will have the opportunity to obtain the Good
Death.
The cause of the Bad Death and how to avoid the Bad Death
Except for the mentioned above, we know that the opposite
of Good Death is Bad Death, such as unexpected dying, dying accidentally,
tragic death, suicide, murdered by others, etc. Such causes include the cause
by the self and by others. In the views of the Buddhism, such causes derive
from the five poisonous mindsets of, or any negative thought, emotion and
behavior of the self and of the others. Therefore, we know that if we
could do the goodness with integrity and honesty and with the good will, it
would be possible for us to avoid any Bad Death. That is because there are good
angels or the guardian gods who will protect us in our daily lives. Meanwhile,
our righteous thought, wisdom, mercy and empathy will be the best protection
for our personal lives to help us go to the Good Death.
The concept of Good Death in learning Buddha
is very highlighted in the practice of the teaching of
Buddha and underlined in the cultivation of self-thought and action.
In the teaching of Buddha, we at present know that what
is the Good Death, how to experience the Good Death, who will obtain the Good
Death, where to go during and after the Good Death, why it is the Good Death
and when we will experience the Good Death. Therefore, the concept of Good
Death in learning Buddha is very highlighted in the
practice of the teaching of Buddha and underlined in the cultivation of
self-thought and action. It is different with the concept of good
death what we know in the medical care or long-term care or physical care or
mental care. Even though it is some kind of difference, there is no conflict
between them.
Tathagata's right wisdom was capable to eliminate all
confusion.
Tathagata's right wisdom was capable to eliminate all
confusion. What is the meaning of all confusion in Buddhism? The confusion
means do not understand the original and clean and pure heart, mind and
thought. Meanwhile, such original and clean and pure heart, mind and thought
are blinded or polluted by various odd, fake or seemed reasonable opinions or
dogmas or ideologies and so on. In a word, that is the confusions of seeing,
thinking and worrying which are caused by the fantasy mind of the self and
others.
The fantasy mind is major caused by the five-poisonous
mind of the self and others. The five-poisonous mind means the greedy, hatred,
stupid obsession (or the stupid infatuation and attachment), arrogant, and the
suspicious, which involve the jealous mind, restless mind, violent mind,
ruthless mind and the brutal mind and so on. Mental violence is also one of
them. In the views of the Buddhism, all of these fantasy mindsets and
confusions are not the truth. For instance, some of the religious ideologies or
politic themes are created by the people who have the cunning smart and selfish
intention in order to manipulate and slave the large masses.
Only when we truly practice the teaching of Buddha and
prove the Tathagata's righteous wisdom by the self can we insight the deceit
and trick, and get rid of any manipulating and slaving from the
five-poisonous-mind persons. Then, we might have one question. What is the
Tathagata’s righteous wisdom? In a word, it is the original and clean and pure
heart and thus arise any applying from it by any convenient ways so as to face
all kinds of changes of the world and to handle it or to resolve any problems.
That is to live at ease by the Tathagata’s righteous wisdom.
The honesty to practice the teaching of Buddha is to the
self.
Most young persons are very simple men or women, and they
are not quite acquaintance about what the five-poisonous-mind is. Maybe
they have a little or a lot of five-poisonous-mind, but they cannot perceive it
very well. To perceive the five-poisonous-mind of the self and the others, and
to control the self not to do harmful things thereby, it requires the
honesty to practice the teaching of Buddha and it also takes time. The honesty
to practice the teaching of Buddha is to the self, not to others, because
learning Buddha in the thinking and action is very personal thing at the
beginning. However, if we do not have a decision and great vow with the sincere
heart to achieve the fruition of becoming Buddha in the beginning, we
would not learn Buddha diligently. That is why it is responsible to the
self to be honest. Only to be honest to the self, the guardian gods and all
Buddhas in the ten directions will help us and care about us.
Those dishonest persons will follow their fate and the
causality what they have done.
Otherwise, they don't pay attention to us and don't care
about us. In fact, they had reminded and taught us to be a good person and do
the good thing for all beings through many ways since there were records in the
history of humans. Unfortunately, there are still a lot of people ignore the
reminder and teaching from all Buddhas. That is, those dishonest persons
will follow their fate and the causality what they have done. If they do the
evil, they go into the path and the consequence of the evil. Now we know that
it is the Bad Death and they will go into the three evil paths -- the animal,
the hungry ghost, and the hell. That is their retribution and suffering in
their fantasy mind. However, it is "very real in the feeling" just as
the nightmare. We know that such sorts of "world and phenomena" are
not created by others, but by the self.
The cause is the consequence. The consequence is the
cause.
In Buddhism, there is the principle of that the cause are
equivalent to the consequence. That is what kind of causes is created by a
person is equivalent to the corresponded consequences in which this person will
have to bear and suffer. That is, no matter the cause and the corresponded
consequence are, it is created by the same person. Meanwhile, such sort of
corresponded consequence is able to be the cause. It can become the cause and
basis to go into the path of Bodhisattva. That is, no matter how bad the
corresponded consequence is, it is the good opportunity for the person to
create a good cause to achieve the Buddhahood for the self. No matter how bad
the situation of outside or inside in our life is, we always hold the positive
views and attitude to take the action in the views of Buddhism. Then, it would
be the beginning of the good.
Then, this person would have an opportunity to deserve
the corresponded and good consequence in the future or in the next life. Such
logical principle is also applicable to the group. That is, a group, such as a
community, a society, a company or a country, is able to create good causes so
as to gain the corresponded and good consequence. If they create the evil cause,
they will gain the corresponded and bad consequence. In a word, the cause is
the consequence. The consequence is the cause.
The Buddhism is not the ideology of brainwashing or the
manipulation by the name of God or Buddha.
That is why if someone said that they were atheist and
they did the evil or if someone said that they believed in God or Buddha and
they still did the evil, we know it and it is not necessary for us to take time
to debate with them. Therefore, if we profoundly learn Buddha, we will
find that the Buddhism is not the ideology of brainwashing or the manipulation
by the name of God or Buddha. The Buddhism owns the deeply dialectical
theory and we can question it by any ways, if we know how to question it. Meanwhile,
we understand that it is absolutely impossible for the Buddhism to be
manipulated by any politic party or any ideology or any dogma. If
any politic party manipulates the Buddhism with any ideology and any dogma, we
know that it is a thing of quite stupid.
From what we have observed in history and some people and
things that have happened in modern times, some people use cunning, clever and
unscrupulous methods to get the power and wealth they want, and they proudly
think that they are the winners in the world. From a Buddhist point of view,
they have lost their kind and upright hearts, wasted their bodies and lives,
and failed to seize the opportunity to obtain human bodies in this life to
cultivate the self, improve their spirituality, and advance themselves to the
three good paths. On the contrary, they allowing themselves to run
towards the three evil paths are actually the real loser.
As long as you read and recite the Medicine Master's
Sutra with an honest and kind heart, you can avoid sudden death.
The Medicine Master's Sutra mentions that as long as you
read and recite the Medicine Master's Sutra with an honest and kind heart, you
can avoid sudden death. We know that sudden death is often difficult to accept
for yourself and your family. Many things are not arranged, and may also cause
some family members to have different opinions or disputes, for example,
disputes over inheritance.
The Medicine Master's Sutra also mentions various kinds
of unforeseen deaths, such as died of fright, death from torture, die from
hatred, die from greed, die from infatuation, die for blindly following an
ideology manipulated by evildoers. These are unwholesome deaths.
People who have achieved success in spiritual practice
can predict the coming time and know when they will be reborn.
People who have achieved success in spiritual practice
can predict the coming time and know when they will be reborn. Although most
people do not believe in Buddhism, they are kind-hearted and behave well. They
will also feel that their life span is about to end, and they can make
arrangements for themselves early, both psychologically and in daily life.
Buddhists follow the teachings of the Buddha and do not
do any bad things such as the five poisonous thoughts.
Ignorant people with five poisonous attachments think
that those who study Buddhism and believe in Buddha are stupid people and are
easy to fight and bully. Because these ignorant people have not practiced
Buddhism, they do not know that those who learn Buddha have the education
and practice of solid moral life. Therefore, Buddhists who have a good
foundation are very aware of the good and evil mentalities and behaviors in the
world, and they also understand the consequences of good and evil mentalities and
their behaviors. Therefore, they follow the teachings of the Buddha and do not
do any bad things such as the five poisonous thoughts and actions.
Doing nothing is one of the practices of learning
Buddha.
Even if ignorant people such as the five-poisoned minds
fight, bully, harm or seduce these Buddhist practitioners with a mentality that
they think they are smart and conceited, these Buddhist practitioners will not
be affected and develop the five-poisoned minds to retaliate or respond. For
example, some people use their cunning smart to do all the specious things in
order to manipulate others or hurt others or make others bear the cost to get
the benefits they want. Things like this do not mean that those who practice
Buddhism do not know how to do it, but they don't want to do
it. In these situations, doing nothing is one of the practices of learning
Buddha.
Not having hatred towards these ignorant people with the
five poisonous minds in our heart is a sign of compassion for
oneself.
When these ignorant people with the five poisonous minds
laugh at the stupidity of those who practice and study Buddhism, usually those
who practice and study Buddhism remain silent and do not respond. Why? First,
it is compassion for all living beings, and second, it is compassion for oneself.
Because those who practice Buddhism already understand who will go to the three
evil paths and how they will suffer there. Therefore, we compassionate these
living beings. And not having hatred towards these sentient beings in our heart
is a sign of compassion for oneself.
Others’ greed, anger and ignorance may cause their own
tragic death, and may also drag us down to our tragic death.
We cannot say that other people’s greed, anger and
ignorance have nothing to do with us, because others’ greed, anger and
ignorance may cause their own tragic death, and may also drag us down to our
tragic death. For example, someone’s personal greed, anger and ignorance may
cause harm to the general public and may cause financial losses. The freedom of
the public may be restricted. And the victim may be dissatisfied, so he vents
his anger and deliberately detonates an explosion in a building to cause serious
harm. At this time, if we happen to be in the building or pass by, we may be
affected and may be injured, or just killed in a bombing. The casualties caused
by many incidents can be compared, for example, wars caused by the struggle for
sovereignty.
Use cunning and deceitful means to set up traps to frame
people, use confusing right and wrong, and use methods that seem reasonable and
correct but are neither reasonable nor correct to take advantage of people and
collect wealth. Even if they gain the world's wealth, even if they win
sovereignty and obtain supreme power, it would not the good death. These are
all going to the three evil realms. Even if they die sitting down or lying
down, it is not a good death.
In Conclusion
Therefore, what we know about the good death involves the
realms of physical good death, mental or spiritual good death, and worldly
and beyond worldly good death. In summary, if we can practice Buddhist
ideas, whether we are Buddhists or not, I believe we will have a good death.
Buddhist ideas do not limit only Buddhists to practice. I have observed many
who are not Buddhists, who follow their teachings to treat themselves well and
love all living beings, and loving all living beings is actually the practice
of Buddhist thought to a certain extent. Therefore, as long as we deeply
understand and appreciate the profound meaning of practicing Buddhism, we will
understand that Buddhism completely breaks the barriers and oppositions of
various religions, politics, and ideologies, and possible manipulation.
Even if you are not a Buddhist, if you have thoughts and practices in this
regard, I believe you can benefit yourself and all sentient beings.
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