April 19, 2024

One of the Ten Titles about Buddha—Good Death

 

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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