What will Ajahn’s advice be for someone who is about to die?

The teachings of Ajahn Suchart.

1st April, 2022

Question: What will Ajahn’s advice be for someone who is about to die?

Will Ajahn’s advice be different if the advice is given to meditators or to non-meditators?

Tan Ajahn: It depends on how much they can do. If they cannot meditate or cannot understand the three characteristics, they can be told that the body is not you, that it doesn’t belong to you, and that they have to give it up.

If they cannot do this, then you might ask them to calm their mind, stop thinking about death, just chant or use a mantra. If they cannot do this, maybe ask them to listen to a Dhamma talk, just to get their mind away from thinking about death, because they are not ready for death yet.

You can tell them to reflect on the good things they have done, the charity they have done. 

Ask them to think that dying is just like going to sleep. 

And when you awaken, you get a new body; this is like the changing of the body.

When you die, you go to sleep, when you wake up, you wake up with a new body, you become a baby.

So, it depends on the person.

Try to tell them everything, so that they can decide what to do because sometimes you cannot tell exactly what they need. Try telling them many different ways.

“Dhamma for the Asking, Dec 2, 2014”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

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