“The mind is the mind regardless of any religion he or she believes in.”

The teachings of Ajahn Suchart.

“The mind is the mind regardless of any religion he or she believes in.”

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Question (F): How about sharing of merits if the deceased are not Buddhists or are not familiar with Buddhism?

Than Ajahn: It doesn’t matter.

This is the law of nature. It doesn’t mean you have to be a Buddhist. The mind is the mind regardless of any religion he or she believes in.
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Question (F): What about the tradition of doing prayers to the deceased, like 7 days prayers after their deaths or prayers during a hundred days?

Than Ajahn: It’s just a way of prolonging the separation from the deceased. People don’t want to cremate the person they love so soon and so sudden. 

Therefore, they keep the body for a hundred days. And during these 100 days, they take the opportunity to make merit for themselves and share it with the departed ones. That’s all.

It’s just a tradition. Sometimes, people don’t want to lose someone even though he or she has already died. People don’t want to burn the body immediately. They want to keep the deceased’s body for a few more days.
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Question (F): So, it doesn’t really matter if we don’t do those things?

Than Ajahn: The Buddha had said to his disciples to keep his body for 7 days. Let people paid respect to his body for 7 days and after that they can cremated it. Luangta Mahā Boowa had said to just keep his body for one day.

The body doesn’t mean anything once the person is dead. It doesn’t do anything.

It’s just the material thing. So, whether you keep it or you don’t keep it, there is no difference. The longer you keep it, the more responsibility you have to bear to look after the dead body.
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Question (F): So, Is it the same thing with praying or chanting that we do for the dead?

Than Ajahn: You should do it regardless of whether a person has died or is still alive because chanting is a method of meditation.

Youtube: “Dhamma in English, Nov 9, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

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