Life in Relation to Death: Second Edition by Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche

Author:Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche [Rinpoche, Chagdud Tulku]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: -
Publisher: Padma Publishing
Published: 2015-05-10T03:00:00+00:00

Afterword to the Second Edition

SINCE ITS ORIGINAL PUBLICATION in 1987, this book has fulfilled the wish of His Eminence Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche that it provide brief but profound instructions on preparing for death. Because it is short and accessible, it has been read by a wide range of people, many of whom have commented that it is a book they feel comfortable giving to their elderly parents or to friends who are dealing with life-threatening illnesses.

A rich array of literature about the transitions of death is now available from Buddhists and teachers in other traditions, as well as from hospice workers, counselors, and memoir writers. Life in Relation to Death maintains its place among these writings by the practicality of its advice and by the powerful, beneficial intention of Chagdud Rinpoche.

The publication of this second edition created an opportunity to include some additional practical information. To that end, although the original text remains essentially unchanged, four appendixes containing sample documents have been added. The first is a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, the second a living will for life-support treatment, the third miscellaneous statements related to the two preceding documents, and the fourth a letter of instructions from a Buddhist practitioner regarding final arrangements.

Putting worldly affairs in order can be an important spiritual process. Writing a will enables us to look at our attachments and transform them into generosity. Our attachments will only obstruct us in the transitions of dying and death, whereas our legacies to relatives, friends, and charities will create merit that benefits us immensely in the afterdeath intermediate states and in future lifetimes. Having written a will, we should offer a dedication prayer that our wealth, possessions, virtue, and merit not only benefit those who receive them directly, but also enhance the prosperity and happiness of all beings in all realms of existence. Through the positive, selfless intention of this prayer, we increase the scope of our generosity tremendously.

Working through the decisions about life-support treatment in order to write a living will allows us to rehearse possible scenarios of dying and transform them into a powerful recognition of impermanence. Our compassion turns to those who die in a coma with their choices left unexpressed, helpless if their preferences are violated. Once we have written our instructions for life-support treatment, we can face the possibilities of the dying process—including medical emergencies or coma states—with greater confidence. We know we have done what we can, and even if our instructions were not followed precisely, it would not be because of our own lack of foresight.

Similarly, writing a letter of instructions for our final arrangements affords a special opportunity to relieve our loved ones of difficult decisions and to respond to their sorrow with forethought and compassion. As we think about what we need or would wish in order to die in peace, as we envision our own funeral, the persistent tendency to distance ourselves from death dissipates and we gain an invaluable measure of equanimity.

Chagdud Rinpoche has often been asked how arrangements for the deceased were handled in Tibet.

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