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Death and Dying: Practices and Resources
The Most Essential Practices
Lama Zopa Rinpoche recommends various practices to perform when someone is dying or has died. However, the most essential practices to do are:
- The Holy Name of Buddha Rinchen Tsugtor Chen
During the 2010 Light of the Path retreat, Lama Zopa Rinpoche advised that this verse is the very first thing to recite in a person or animal’s ear when they are dying or dead. - The Eight Prayers
A collection of prayers which is commonly recited in the gelug monastic communities for the recently deceased. - The Array of Sukhavati Pure Land: A Concise Mahayana Sutra
This sutra can be recited three times and then tap the sutra on the head of the dying person three times. PDF | Audio - Recite OṂ MAṆI PADME HỤ̄M and Request to Chenrezig. PDF | Audio
- Medicine Buddha Practices
- Medicine Buddha Sadhana – A short practice
- A Brief Meditation-Recitation on Guru Medicine Buddha – A concise practice written and arranged by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. PDF | Audio
- Medicine Buddha Puja – The Wish-Fulfilling Jewel – A simple puja (set of prayers) that can be performed by anyone with faith in the Buddha – English | Sinhalese
- Extensive Medicine Buddha Puja – The Wish Granting Sovereign
- Medicine Buddha Mantras
- Benefits of Medicine Buddha Mantra and Practice by Lama Zopa Rinpoche
- Blessing Medicine
- Additional practices suggested by Lama Zopa Rinpoche to benefit the dead
- Aroma Charity for Spirits (Sur Offering)
- The Jangwa Practice Associated with the Medicine Guru [Buddha] Entitled Freeing the Wretched from the Chasm
- Liberation Box – A collection of tools to facilitate a fortunate rebirth
- Liberation Card for a Dying Person (Chinese, English, French, Spanish)
- Mantras to place on the body of someone who is dying or has died
- Ten powerful mantras for the time of death – PDF
- Five Powerful Mantras for Liberating Sentient Beings from the Lower Realms – PDF Audio
- Recitations for the Time of Death – Audio
- Recitations for Alleviating Pain – Audio
- Namgyalma mantras – audio; video; Lama Zopa Rinpoche on the benefits; and mantra card
- Nyung Na: The Means of Achievement of the Eleven-Face Great Compassionate One
Prayer Services for People Who Have Passed Away in the Past 49 Days
You can request prayers for people who have passed away in the past 49 days. The names of people who have recently passed away are given to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, FPMT sangha communities, and individual Buddhist practitioners with a request for their prayers. You can also subscribe to the prayer list so that you can contribute your own prayers to those who have died in the past 49 days.
Kopan Monastery
Kopan Monastery offers free prayer services as well as opportunities to sponsor pujas for those who are dying or have passed away.
Jangwa Pujas
The following FPMT centers offer jangwa pujas to benefit the dead, please contact them directly for more information:
- Mahayana Buddhist Association (Cham Tse Ling) Hong Kong
- Potowa Center Tangerang, Indonesia
- Chokyi Gyaltsen Center Penang, Malaysia
- Losang Dragpa Centre Selangor, Malaysia
- Rinchen Jangsem Ling Retreat Centre Triang, Malaysia
- Kopan Monastery Kathmandu, Nepal
- Dorje Chang Institute Auckland, New Zealand
- Amitabha Buddhist Centre Singapore
- Jinsiu Farlin Taipei, Taiwan
- Land of Medicine Buddha Soquel, USA
There are also many FPMT hospice services that help provide end of life care for those in need.
Books and Study Programs
Further resources are available to learn how to prepare for your own death, and how to help others who are dying.
Books and Reading Materials
- Heart Advice for Death and Dying – This book contains essential advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche for preparing for the time of death and leading a fulfilling life.
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How to Face Death without Fear: A Handbook by Lama Zopa Rinpoche – This well-structured handbook by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and edited by Ven. Robina Courtin sets out how to help others before, during, and after death.
- How to Help Your Loved Ones Enjoy Death and Go Happily to Their Next Rebirth: A Handbook by Lama Zopa Rinpoche – This PDF document, which is available free of charge, is an early draft of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s book How to Face Death without Fear.
- How to Make Your Possessions Most Meaningful at the Time of Death – In this PDF document, which was created as an insert for the book Heart Advice for Death and Dying, Lama Zopa Rinpoche sets out how to use our money so as to create merit that will bring us happiness and good conditions for Dharma practice in future lives.
- Meeting Death with Wisdom: A Mandala Ebook on Death & Dying – This is a collection of teachings, advice, stories, and interviews drawn from Mandala magazine’s archive that takes a look at how both high lamas and ordinary students have experienced the death and dying process.
- Practicing the Five Powers Near the Time of Death – Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s commentary on integrating the five powers into one lifetime as the best preparation for the happiest death (also available in Heart Practices for Death and Dying)
- Wholesome Fear: Transforming Your Anxiety About Impermanence and Death – A condensed and edited version of the book Heart Advice for Death and Dying by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
FPMT Education Programs
- Heart Advice for Death and Dying
An FPMT introductory course available online and in some FPMT centers. The course provides practical instructions for the time of death to anyone who is interested in learning about death and dying from the Tibetan Buddhist perspective. - Discovering Buddhism, Module 5. Death and Rebirth
An FPMT foundational-level course available online and in many centers. It explores life, death, and rebirth and the nature of mind. Students learn to use the fear of death to overcome the fear of death. They discover how to use the certainty and imminence of death to enhance their quality of life.
*Additional information and advice is available to FPMT centers, projects, and services in the Death and Dying Resources section of the FPMT Affiliates Area.
