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home ::ethnic groups: buddhists: death and the dead
buddhists: death and the dead
moment of death
Tibetan Buddhism explains the process of death in eight clear stages. At the fourth stage, breathing stops (when the air element dissolves), but death has not yet occurred because the consciousness still exists for up to three days.
after death and preparation of the body
It can take up to three days for the consciousness to leave the body, which is when death occurs, according to Buddhist tradition. There are signs to indicate that this has happened – heat is no longer emitted from the heart, the body begins to emit an odour and a small amount of fluid leaves the sexual organ or nostrils.
The body should not be moved until the consciousness has left; thus, if death occurs in hospital, arrangements should be made to move the body from the ward to an empty room, where mantras can be chanted and prayers read. If the body needs to be touched while being moved, some Buddhists believe that the hair on the crown of the head should be pulled (or the crown touched if it is bald or shaven) to stimulate the consciousness to leave via the crown (an exit point encouraging fortunate rebirth). Once the crown has been touched, other body parts may also be touched.
Some aspects of Buddhist tradition advise that people should not cry in the presence of a dying person or someone who has ceased to breathe because this could disturb their consciousness and clarity of mind at the moment of death. However, prayers and chanting may be performed by the family or a priest to aid the calming of the patient's mind.
talking to the family
It may be necessary to ensure that the family are aware of the wishes of the deceased and that the body should be left for several days to allow the consciousness to leave the body. If the family members are Buddhist also, it is important to give them time and privacy for prayers and mantras.
post-mortem
Technically, there should not be an issue with carrying out a post-mortem on a deceased Buddhist because the body of the person is not held in great reverence once their consciousness has departed it. However, it is exactly this point that can cause a problem: some Buddhists believe that it takes at least three days for the consciousness to leave a body and that no disturbance or movement should take place during this time. A quick post-mortem could therefore endanger this process. Speak to a Buddhist priest if in doubt.
As a post-mortem may help to further medical knowledge of a disease and eventually result in a cure, this would be considered an act of kindness to humanity, which is central to Buddhist belief.
organ donation
Although organ donation is a subject that is still under some debate, it should be possible to discuss organ donation with the family of the deceased without causing offence. It is possible that the harvesting of organs will disturb the process of dissolution that takes place after death, and would therefore be considered undesirable. However, the good karma that a person would gain by helping someone else to live after their own death may offset the perceived dangers of disturbing their body too quickly. Although most Western Buddhists now consider organ donation to be a good thing, it may be best to consult with a priest as there are many different styles of Buddhism and not all of them agree on this point.
burial or cremation
In Tibetan Buddhism, a traditional method of disposing of a Buddhist's body was 'sky burial', whereby the body was taken to a specific place, broken up into pieces and then left exposed on a wooden platform to be slowly disposed of by the elements and animals. In this way, with the consciousness having left it, the body would gradually dissolve back to the natural elements. The slowness of this process also gave the consciousness a decent period of time to leave the body without undue – and possibly confusing – haste.
Nowadays, sky burial is rare except in rural areas of India and Tibet, and the norm is for a cremation to take place several days after a body has lain in state. Ask a Buddhist priest for more details if there are doubts about the handling and disposal of the body.
grieving
Although the relatives and friends of the deceased will miss them, the expression of grief for someone who has died is not a Buddhist trait. Prayers and mantras will be chanted over the body for several days by family and friends and, if they are practising within a monastic tradition, they may make a donation to a local temple or monastery for the monks to do this as well.
However, by the time of the cremation, emphasis will have shifted to celebrating the life and good deeds of the dead, and securing happy memories of them. In Tibetan Buddhism, there is an after-death state, or bardo, where the consciousness of the deceased, if Enlightenment is not gained in the bardo, undergoes a journey leading eventually to rebirth. During this period, which can last for up to 49 days, relatives and friends will try to create a positive atmosphere, which is seen as helping the dead person either attain Enlightenment in the bardo or achieve a happy rebirth.
donation of body to science
Provided that sufficient time is allowed for the dispersal of the consciousness from the body, Buddhists have no problem with donating their bodies to science. In fact, if their donation can benefit other people, then it could be seen as a compassionate act.
However, this may not be the case for Buddhists from the Far East, where some rural communities combine Buddhism with more traditional ancestor worship, and so may wish to dispose, or even keep the body, of their dead. It is a good idea – as always – to consult with an expert or local Buddhist centre first.
suicide
In Buddhism, an individual is ultimately responsible only to themselves – if they are unethical or unskilful, they will undergo the consequences of their actions. Thus, suicide is not forbidden, but it is deeply regretted by the Buddhist community. No punishment is assigned to the memory of the unfortunate deceased, but the fact that their act of self-harm may resonate throughout their next few rebirths is considered very sad.
termination of pregnancy
For information about the termination of pregnancy, see the section on 'birth, babies and motherhood'.
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