Medicine Buddha: Helping those who are Suffering
Is it possible to help someone who is dead?
The Buddhist view is that not only can we help those who have died, but we must do something to benefit them! The between lives state, which generally lasts about 7 weeks* after physical death, can be a time of disorientation. Prayers and readings recited with good intention help to orient the being to their true nature and help to relieve confusion and suffering.
Here are some instructions and beautiful prayers for this time and also for the time preceding death: 8 Buddhist Prayers to Benefit the Dead.
You can also help your friend or loved one to stay aligned on their spiritual path by doing Tonglen, (relieving suffering), Phowa, (blessings w/saints from any religion) and spiritual readings from their favored religion or practice. The Clear Light Prayer is an all purpose non denominational prayer especially good for this time as is Om Mani Padme Hum
In our book Caregiver Revolution we offer many other helpful tools for stress management, developing mindfulness and for working with the transition from caregiving to end of life care. For a short time only we are offering a special promotion to caregivers: signed copies of Caregiver Revolution sent to you for only $10 with free shipping! We guarantee that you’ll love our book and we will pay for return shipping if you don’t! If you prefer not to use eBay simply message us at the Caregiver Revolution page on facebook or contact us through this website and we’ll give you the same offer.
To further explore the Tibetan Buddhist practices, the Bardo Guidebook provides a straightforward explanation of some basic principles. Luminous Emptiness by Francesca Fremantle is a comprehensive and scholarly discussion of the teachings. Mind Beyond Death by Dzogchen Ponlop, is very accessible. The American Book of the Dead by EJ Gold, the Tibetan Book of the Dead interpreted by Chogyam Trungpa and the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche all give the practical instructions on how to do prayers, practices and readings for others. The Dalai Lama has written many books on the subject, all of which are all excellent!!
*7 weeks is a gross average, this time duration can vary greatly, being either shorter or much longer
