Death can be Cheated?

[Jessie Fong]

Another article had people discussing about the "merits" received while sponsoring coffins.  Apparently, this is widespread in Thailand.  I read an article also related to coffins, but this time it is about trying to cheat death (and thus you prolong your life) when you lie in the coffin (before you are dead).  Bizarre?

Meantime, chanting is carried out.  You are supposed to feel relieved and re-born as you emerge from this experience.

A friend of mine told me that he had visited a temple in Thailand where this was carried out. It was explained that this act would allow you to experience and accept death.
 
I do not know of any teaching that puts you through this experience. 

Would anyone care to share how this is going to help us prolong our life?

[buddhalovely]

Adult stem cells, used in bone marrow transplants for over 40 years, are harvested from the patient – the most resilient cells are then extracted and concentrated, and re-injected into the patient's body to a targeted area using a virus or protein delivery system. But, it is in embryonic stem cells that the limitations of reprogramming into other cell types are lifted and where the exponential benefit of embryonic stem cells lies. They can become practically any type of human tissue, making them a more appealing option than non-hybrid adult stem cells.

The article adds that, "Geron, a biotechnology company … this year won the Food and Drug Administration's approval to conduct the first-ever study of embryonic stem cells in humans." So, it seems, despite the ethical considerations, mankind will now move forward with the testing of embryonic stem cells in humans. However, there are risks. Embryonic stem cells can form tumors. Additionally, they are foreign – like a transplanted organ – and require powerful anti-immunity drugs to prevent rejection.

"It's that latter problem [use of anti-immunity drugs] that makes scientists particularly excited about iPS cells, which would have the clinical potential of embryonic cells but can be created from a patient's own cells. Reprogramming an adult cell into an embryo-like, more malleable state sidesteps the issue of immune rejection, not to mention the moral debate," the article suggests.

[Big Uncle]

I assume you are talking about prolonging one's life and not just living forever or immortality. In Buddhism, there are many practices to heal and prolong one's life and there are many deities and practices that bestows this capability. Practices like Amitayus, White Tara and Namgyalma are the 3 deities associated with long life and health. They are a great practices to extend one's life so one may be able to take full advantage of one's life to practice the Dharma and collect even more merits for a better future rebirth.

[dondrup]

I cannot comment on the effectiveness of the procedure as described. 

What benefit would one get from lying in the coffin as described? Coffin is synonymous with death.  One’s meditation on the death process is heightened and made more realistic for sure!   No one should attempt this feat unless one is brave and provided one is properly guided with the Buddhist teachings about death. I can say that the experience will help that person to understand death better.  The effect from this is that this person will use his life wisely to practise Dharma and in the course of his practice, he may prolong his life with the relevant practices as described below.

There are many Buddhist practitioners who would go to the cremation grounds, cemeteries and graveyards to meditate on death.  These are powerful methods to overcome ego, fear and to generate the mind of compassion.

There are many practices that will prolong life and Big Uncle has mentioned the long life yidams or deities practices.  Liberating animals and giving medicines to the sick and old are some other methods to extend one’s life.  The point to note is prolonging one’s life in order to practise Dharma and to benefit others.

[Jessie Fong]

I assume you are talking about prolonging one's life and not just living forever or immortality.

Yes, Big Uncle. The article touched on "prolong your life" .. if someone had found the secret to immortality or the fountain of youth, please let us know.

Read ... A recent report (http://buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=52,7190,0,0,1,0) mentioned that "Buddhism in Thailand can take strange forms, embracing animist superstition, magical practices - and the entrepreneurial spirit of many senior monks. Many Thais say that the true spirit of Buddhism is being lost." If this new ritual taps on greed for quick fixes and the fear of death, it's unskilful. In the film at least, the ritual never encouraged the creation of good karma as the right means of diluting the ill effects of bad karma. It is illogical that playing dead will eradicate all present bad karma - especially since remnant karma is a burden (or blessing) that is carried over to the next life anyway. The true way to completely "cheat death" once and for all is to realise deathlessness - Nirvana - which is what the Buddha did!

[RedLantern]

The reason for us to prolong our life should be,for us to be able to benefit and not harm others.Below are a list of many Buddhist practices that create the causes for healing and prolonging life.Individual guidance of a Tibetan Guru is best suited for the individual.
Practices to purify the mind from causes of sickness and early death.
1.  Meditation
2.. Cultivating bodhicitta - the alturistic mind of cherishing and serving others.
3.  Nyungnay  - a Chenrezig practice of purification with mantra,visualization,prostration and fasting.
4.  Medicine Buddha practice.
5.  Tara practice (especially White Tara}
6.  Mantras
7.  Saving lives of others
8.  Tonglen or giving and receiving loving kindness and compassion meditation
9.  Engaging in virtue such as generosity.

[ratanasutra]

I do not think that death can be cheated.  i heard that apart from thailand, people in south korea also believe in this.

I heard from a Thai friend that people lie in a coffin because they believe it can get away their bad luck, and there are 4 monks do a chanting like when people pass a way while they are lying down in the coffin. Some people who did this realized about life and death during this process that at the end of life they take nothing with them. And when it over the monks did a prayer and blessing to them. Some of people avoid non virtue actions after went through this but some still act and did same as before.
   

[sonamdhargey]

It is like when a Lama warned a student about his death and by giving certain instructions to avoid untimely death. Does that mean cheating death?  Maybe the tradition of the Thai Buddhist uses this method as a purification practice or a practice to remind ourselves about death. To remind us how precious our human life is and to put our life to good use and not waste time on things that does not help us in the end.

Like what Jessie Fong said, becoming Buddha is the way to be free from birth and death and i totally agree with that and that way there is no death and no birth.

[sonamdhargey]

Adult stem cells, used in bone marrow transplants for over 40 years, are harvested from the patient – the most resilient cells are then extracted and concentrated, and re-injected into the patient's body to a targeted area using a virus or protein delivery system. But, it is in embryonic stem cells that the limitations of reprogramming into other cell types are lifted and where the exponential benefit of embryonic stem cells lies. They can become practically any type of human tissue, making them a more appealing option than non-hybrid adult stem cells.

The article adds that, "Geron, a biotechnology company … this year won the Food and Drug Administration's approval to conduct the first-ever study of embryonic stem cells in humans." So, it seems, despite the ethical considerations, mankind will now move forward with the testing of embryonic stem cells in humans. However, there are risks. Embryonic stem cells can form tumors. Additionally, they are foreign – like a transplanted organ – and require powerful anti-immunity drugs to prevent rejection.

"It's that latter problem [use of anti-immunity drugs] that makes scientists particularly excited about iPS cells, which would have the clinical potential of embryonic cells but can be created from a patient's own cells. Reprogramming an adult cell into an embryo-like, more malleable state sidesteps the issue of immune rejection, not to mention the moral debate," the article suggests.

I'm trying to understand this article to relate it with Death can be Cheated? And I can't see where is the relation between stem cell and death. Care to share how to connect this two? Is this article trying to suggest that we human can use stem cell to rebuild our human body and remain youthful. Or we can use the stem cell to revive a dead human body?

[bambi]

It is bizarre Jessie! I am not sure how lying in a coffin will prolong one's life though but I do know that there are 3 practices and benefits that can as mentioned by Big Uncle.
If the person lie in the coffin and do not feel the transformation then what is the purpose? It is just like lying in a box with the lid on. If this practice is to encourage people to be better with the correct guidance and motivation, I believe it will be an amazing experience.

[pgdharma]

If Buddhists truly fear death, they ought to liberate themselves from not just death in this lifetime, but rebirths and "redeaths" too. It is more skilful to cultivate the fearlessness of death after accepting death, than to fear death itself. How many times can death be cheated anyway, if it is possible? To conquer death, we need to conquer our inner Mara - our defilements of greed, hate and delusion, the very culprits who bind us the wheel of Samsara.

The coffin ritual could be modified to be a meditation process, for contemplation on mortality. There is already a long Thai Buddhist tradition of monastic contemplating impermanence by meditating on the stages of decay in corpses, while the coffin ritual seems to advocate clinging to life. It is this clinging though that perpetuates rebirth and the suffering it entails. This bizarre Thai ritual where believers think death can be cheated (thus prolonging life) by lying in a coffin before their actual deaths, while chanting is done for them and bad karma can be dissipated too is more of a psychological effect, if we are to imagine we have passed away, while lying still during a solemn mass "funeral", and there would be the tendency to feel renewed upon re-emergence. Mindful reflective listening to chanting also does wonders. It is illogical that playing dead will eradicate all present bad karma - especially since remnant karma is a burden (or blessing) that is carried over to the next life anyway. The true way to completely "cheat death" once and for all is to realize deathlessness - Nirvana - which is what the Buddha did!

[Tenzin K]

Something new to me but what is the reason for doing so?

After we experience death or accept it what are we going to do?

Accepting death in Buddhism is not something new in fact it is mention in the Buddhism text.
By experiencing death and accept it should change our view of life. We should appreciate what we have and the great opportunity of learning dharma and practicing it. Every moment we live on and if realize how fortunate we able to live in the 8 opportune condition we should transform our mind and do something virtue for our live. We should contemplate the experience of death every day in the first morning we wake up before doing any other things and set the motivation and hold on towards the day to remind us how lucky we are that still alive and all the basic necessity available to learn and practice dharma.

[psylotripitaka]

Yes, your death can be cheated by attaining meaning clear light and the pure illusory body (deathless vajra body).

[Ensapa]

Another article had people discussing about the "merits" received while sponsoring coffins.  Apparently, this is widespread in Thailand.  I read an article also related to coffins, but this time it is about trying to cheat death (and thus you prolong your life) when you lie in the coffin (before you are dead).  Bizarre?

Meantime, chanting is carried out.  You are supposed to feel relieved and re-born as you emerge from this experience.

A friend of mine told me that he had visited a temple in Thailand where this was carried out. It was explained that this act would allow you to experience and accept death.
 
I do not know of any teaching that puts you through this experience. 

Would anyone care to share how this is going to help us prolong our life?

To me, it is just something to psyche people up into thinking that things are okay after they do this ritual. To me it makes no sense at all: sleep in a coffin all you want, but if it is not going to make you a better person, it will not unless the person who sleeps in there really thinks about life and really feels like they're dying. Else, its just another silly ritual that people do just because they are too bored. I really dont buy into this type of things, but if its your cup of tea...go ahead.

[dsiluvu]

I have heard that if a person is suffering from a tragic "death" threatening disease or illness such as "cancer", there is a great and very powerful practice that can help alleviate this type of bad situations including black magic and spirit harms. In fact it can even prolong the practitioner's life. Here is a short excerpt from Lama Zopa Rinpoche himself...

Vajrapani Hayagriva Garuda

"Certain deities manifest to protect sentient beings from the harm of nagas. The Vajrapani-Hayagriva-Garuda deity, for example, specifically manifests to protect sentient beings from nagas as well as from harmful spirits. Vajrapani, embodiment of the perfect power of all the Buddhas, is the opponent of the spirits that cause such things as epileptic fits.

Of course, we have to remember that the actual origin of harm from nagas and spirits is our own three poisonous minds of ignorance, anger, and attachment. Nagas and spirits are simply conditions for our disease; the real cause of their harm is our own mind.

While Vajrapani-Hayagriva-Garuda practice is a remedy to spirit harm, its ultimate purpose is to liberate us from the three poisonous minds. We should do the practice not just to protect ourselves from this harm, but to liberate ourselves by actualizing the path of method and wisdom within our mind.

Our ultimate aim, of course, is to cease karma and delusion, thus overcoming not only disease but the entire suffering of samsara, including the cycle of death and rebirth. We will then be able to complete the path to enlightenment and work perfectly for all sentient beings."

- Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche   

Vajrapani Hayagriva Garuda Mantra

Om Vajrapani Hayagriva Garuda Hum Phat (7x)[/size]


( To clear inner, outer and secret obstacles especially spirit harms, naga harms, causes of negative energy and to create protection for all purposes - by Geshe Tenzin Zopa)