A calm mind before death

All Buddhist traditions support the importance of maintaining a calm mind at the time of death. The moment of death is a critical moment that is thought to have a strong impact on the next rebirth. In order to have a calm mind at the moment of death, the dying person needs to cultivate calmness during life and be supported to enter into that calm state and maintain it, as much as possible, leading up to the moment of death.

Different individuals may need different kinds of support for this work. Pure Land practitioners (primarily in the Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese traditions) may benefit from chanting the name of Amitabha Buddha or having others chant in their presence. Small chanting boxes are available that play the chant continuously. Practitioners in the Theravada tradition (primarily in South Asian countries such as Sri Lanka, Burma/Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand) also benefit from chanting, usually offered by monks. Western practitioners most often rely on meditation to attain a calm mental state. When dying, these individuals can be guided through the stages of meditation by a fellow practitioner or by a monastic.

We cannot over-emphasize that any effort to support the dying person in the way in which he wishes is wonderful. We may feel we cannot do what is needed correctly. We may feel we do not have the appropriate training or understanding. This is not a problem. Our compassionate presence to the dying person and our wish to support him are the most important things we can offer.