Assistance in chanting and care

The significance of chanting for the dying

Everyone dies, but where do we go after death? Without liberation from the cycle of birth and death, we remain in the cycle of rebirth. Within this cycle, there are two paths: one is the three good realms of rebirth in heaven, as a human, or as a deity; the other is the three evil realms of hell, as a hungry ghost, or as an animal. If a person in this world has not cultivated themselves to the point of controlling their own life and death, or has never cultivated themselves and is unaware of the need for cultivation, they will need others to help them recite mantras at the time of death. This effect is due to the combined blessings of Amitabha Buddha’s vows and the merit of those who assist in the recitation.

For the critically ill, the first step is to make them know and believe that as long as they recite the Buddha’s name, they will be reborn in the Pure Land. This is because few people at the moment of death can maintain a undisturbed mind and free from attachment. The chanting of the Buddha’s name by those assisting in reciting it can help the critically ill avoid fear, anxiety, and reluctance to let go, guiding their thoughts towards the pure land. If the critically ill person still harbors fear, anxiety, and reluctance, it will cause them to fall into lower realms and make rebirth in the Pure Land difficult.

As for the power of the Buddha’s original vow, according to the *Amitayurdhyana Sutra*, Amitabha Buddha, in his initial vow, offered a special expedient means: even those who have committed the ten evil deeds and five heinous crimes, at the moment of death, if they encounter a virtuous teacher who teaches them the Dharma, comforts them, and instructs them to recite the Buddha’s name sincerely and continuously, completing ten recitations of “Namo Amitabha Buddha,” will be reborn in that Buddha’s Pure Land. Today’s assistants in chanting are the virtuous friends of the critically ill, encouraging and assisting them in chanting the Buddha’s name, and helping them sincerely recite Amitabha’s holy name. This is how, through the power of the assistants and the power of the Buddha’s original vow, the dying person is reborn in the Pure Land. If one has already been liberated from the cycle of birth and death, having someone chant for them at the time of death is establishing a Pure Land connection with them, respectfully sending them to the Lotus Realm.

Join the chanting group

Master Sheng Yen, founder of Dharma Drum Mountain, once said: “Participating in chanting for the dying is a very solemn matter. It not only purifies one’s own heart and the family of the deceased, but also purifies the deceased’s rebirth in the Pure Land. Although chanting for the dying can benefit others, the greatest beneficiary is the one who chants for them. We should strive to be assigned the opportunity to chant for the dying and express our gratitude to those who make it possible for us to do so.”

【Purpose】

To elevate human quality and build a Pure Land on earth.

To care for the suffering of all beings and promote the practice of chanting for the dying.

To purify funeral rites and promote environmentally friendly etiquette.

【Aims】

To help the dying or the deceased establish a correct understanding of life and death, freeing them from fear, allowing them to depart peacefully, and to be reborn in the Pure Land.

To provide comfort to grieving, suffering, and helpless bereaved individuals through Buddhist concepts and methods.

To enable those who participate in chanting for the dying to grow through compassion, strengthen their faith in Buddhism, and practice the Bodhisattva path of benefiting both themselves and others.

By seizing every opportunity to recite the Buddha’s name, and by utilizing the opportunities for assisted chanting, one can diligently practice reciting the Buddha’s name. Even if no one is there to chant for you at the time of your passing, you can still reach the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. The Dharma Drum Mountain San Francisco Center’s Assistance and Care Group sincerely invites you to participate in this beneficial assisted chanting and care activity, to cultivate good karma, cherish every opportunity for assisted chanting, and be grateful to those who make our chanting possible.

Click here to join the Assistance and Care Group

Application for chanting assistance

Whether or not you are a follower of Dharma Drum Mountain, you can apply for chanting assistance from Dharma Drum Mountain. However, please be sure to obtain the consent of your family members first, and that they are willing to cooperate in chanting in a Buddhist manner, without offering meat, serving leftover food, or burning paper money. If your family members do not agree or object, please do not force them to apply for chanting assistance. Chanting assistance is one of the seven services of Dharma Drum Mountain’s Major Care. For related services, please contact info@ddmbasf.org or call (510) 246-8264 (available during temple opening hours).

Q&A for chanting

1. Will chanting for the deceased cause negative influences?

Some people feel possessed or affected by negative influences after participating in chanting for the deceased, and therefore fall ill after returning home. They were perfectly healthy before the chanting, but became ill immediately afterward. What is the reason for this? These are just folk tales in China; Buddhism does not have such beliefs. We consider chanting the Buddha’s name the best method for assisting the deceased, because the Buddha’s name is the highest of all mantras. All evil spirits and demons will be influenced by the Buddha’s name; how could there be any negative influence? Please don’t have any reservations. If you really become ill because of chanting for the deceased, it has absolutely nothing to do with any belief in negative influences. If you are sick, you should see a doctor immediately. Furthermore, people with poor health should participate in chanting for the deceased even more, to build good relationships. If you do encounter ghosts, the Buddha and Bodhisattvas will protect you. Even the deceased might come to bless you, because they want to thank you for chanting for them and sending them to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss.

2. Can someone without spiritual practice help others with chanting?

Some say that if you don’t practice spiritually, helping others with chanting will not only bring no merit but also bad luck; be careful, a ghost might come knocking. This is nonsense. We should listen to the Buddha’s teachings, not such superstition. You must have faith. When we help others with chanting, we are sending them to the Pure Land of Buddha. This merit is immense; the deceased will be grateful to us, how could they become ghosts? Besides, the definition of “spiritual practice” is broad and narrow. Starting to chant and recite Buddha’s name right now is already an act of spiritual practice.

3. How to help a dying patient?

When facing death, people are usually very afraid and panicked. This is because they don’t know where they will go after death, or because of unfulfilled wishes, attachment to family, and material possessions—they have many worries and cannot let go.

From a Buddhist perspective, when faced with someone in a state of confusion or near death, we still treat them as if they are still conscious. We guide them using Buddhist concepts, explaining the truths of the universe and life: suffering, emptiness, impermanence, non-self, and dependent origination and cessation. Physical life is fragile and fleeting, while the Dharma body and wisdom life of Buddhism are infinite and imperishable. Therefore, life is not something to rejoice in, and death is not something to fear.

Ideally, we should understand what unfulfilled wishes and afflictions the dying person may have, telling them that we will help them resolve these. We ask them to entrust their body to the doctors and their life to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, to let go of all worldly attachments and not be burdened by any worries. We should also explain the Western Pure Land to them, letting them believe that there is a refuge after death, giving them strength, faith, and hope, and inspiring them to dedicate their life’s merits to seeking rebirth in the Pure Land.

Amitabha Buddha is the Great Physician. If the patient’s karmic retribution is not yet exhausted, single-minded recitation of Amitabha’s name can help them recover sooner. If their karmic retribution is exhausted, and they resonate with Amitabha Buddha’s original vows, they can be reborn in the Western Pure Land through Amitabha Buddha’s power. “Faith, aspiration, and practice” are the three requisites for rebirth in the Western Pure Land. This means having absolute faith in the existence of the Western Pure Land and being certain of being received by the Buddha. Therefore, regardless of whether the deceased has any religious beliefs, family members can first recite the Buddha’s name to assist them. This is because the sound of reciting the Buddha’s name naturally creates a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere. Not only those in their final moments or those who have already passed away, but also those whose minds are at peace will join in reciting the Buddha’s name, thus guiding the dying person onto a path or a good way to be reborn in the Western Pure Land.

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