Death in the Zen Tradition

[Jundo]

Jinyo requested, in the thread on Master Thich Nhat Hanh's passing, some discussion on how death is viewed in the Zen traditions.

The short answer is: Several ways, sometimes seemingly contradictory ways. However, before I touch on each, let me propose that they may each be just various ways to present much the same perspectives, but to people who may need to understand in more or less tangible ways. For example, when our cat died a few years ago, and my daughter asked where he had gone, I said "to cat heaven," a peaceful place where he might play with the other cats and be free." I also said that he is still close by, and with us, even though we cannot see right now. To someone else, I might say that the cat has gone no where, and never truly came from some where nor is apart right now, for all is the Wholeness and Peace of 'Emptiness,' where all is free. Our cat is still present everywhere, and in all things, which are this Wholeness.

Am I not really expressing the same thing, but one way for a child's mind and one for someone who might benefit from hearing of 'Emptiness?'

1 - Traditional Rebirth:

Traditional Soto Zen funerals, like most corners of Mahayana Buddhism, are based on very literal views of rebirth determined by past Karmic actions. I am not sure of all the small details of the Vietnamese style funeral for TNH, but I assume that it is much the same. Interestingly, in most Japanese Zen Buddhist funerals, even lay people are 'Ordained' as Zen priests during the funeral, with the idea that they will go into the next world with the good Karma of being a priest:

Zen Buddhist Ceremonies for the Dead (most of which originated in tenth-century China, before Dogen)

Funeral ceremonies performed by the living can help the intermediate realm being (stream of consciousness) to realize complete awakening, birth in a pure land, or at least rebirth in the upper realms of gods or humans. In Soto Zen, the funeral for laypeople begins with ordaining the deceased as a Zen priest (shukke tokudo) — receiving the bodhisattva precepts (jukai), initiation into awakening (abhisheka/kancho), and the blood lineage document (kechimyaku) as a blessed talisman. Then there are words of guidance and encouragement (insho) for the deceased, recitation of the ten names of buddha (nenju), and dedication of merit to adorn the deceased’s place of destination (whatever it may be). Incense is offered as nourishment for the intermediate realm scenteater (gandharva).

Since nobody can know the destination of the deceased person’s stream of consciousness, the living just encourage and assist it toward awakening. It is taught that the intermediate realm beings, and other non-physical beings such as hungry spirits, can “hear” speech, perceive thoughts and intentions, and meet the living in various ways imperceptible on the gross level, with their subtle immaterial bodies and sense faculties.

Memorial ceremonies are performed every 7 days after death, calling on different buddhas and bodhisattvas to help the deceased realize awakening or birth in a pure land, for each of the 7 weeks of the intermediate realm up to 49 days—when the intermediate being has either realized complete awakening, been born in a pure land, been born into one of the six realms as a bodhisattva, or been born into one of the (hopefully upper) six realms as an ordinary being. Annual memorials in Japan are traditionally performed up to 33 years, the maximum time (in human years) it takes for a bodhisattva in a pure land to realize complete awakening (buddha).

https://kokyohenkel.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/7/4/127410773/what_happens_after_death_-_kokyo.pdf

[Japanese Soto-shu defines Bardo (chūin 中陰) as]:
The state of existence between death and rebirth. Literally, that which is "in between" (chū 中) and "hidden" or "vague" (in 陰). In the Buddhist tradition there is a widespread belief that the deceased will be in the bardo state for a maximum of seven weeks, or forty-nine days in all. At the end of each week, if the spirit of the deceased has not entered a new womb, it "dies" again and starts the process of locating a womb over again.

https://global.sotozen-net.or.jp/eng/library/glossary/individual.html?key=bardo

An interesting aspect is, of course, that a deceased person cannot really speak assent to the Precepts needed for becoming a priest, but the priest conducting the Ceremony somehow 'hears' the agreement to the Precepts in heart.

Some folks, often by faith in Amida Buddha or the like, believe that they are reborn in the Pure Land or a Heaven where it is very nice, and where they can practice Buddhism with great ease. Amida may come on one's deathbed to lead one there. The idea is surprisingly very similar to heaven in Christianity. One difference is that Buddhist heavens, including the Pure Land, and hells are temporary. Even though one may be there for a very, very long time, eventually one is reborn again to continue one's journey. The road only ends when one, eventually, becomes a Buddha oneself, perhaps after one more, a few or gazzilions of lifetimes.

2 - Return of the Ancestors

Many Japanese, however, would not be so pleased to have their relative die and be reborn in a different family among strangers. So, actually, in Japan, the above view of rebirth is not emphasized so much. Rather, many traditional Japanese believe that their ancestor's spirit goes off to some other world, perhaps the Pure Land, but comes back to visit during certain annual holidays (especially, O-Bon in the summer). Furthermore, part of the spirit somehow also stays at the graveyard, and part of the spirit also remains inside the family house around the "Butsudan" Buddhist altar in the house. Surviving relatives will regularly go up to the Altar, light incense, and "chat" with Grandpa or Grandma, informing them of family news and such. The Japanese tend to think that their dead ancestor has automatically become "a Buddha" (Hotoke) just by dying, without thought of future rebirths. It is not a topic that most ordinary people think deeply about, but I rarely hear talk in Japan of rebirth in further lives.

3 - View of Jundo and many other 'Buddhist Modernists'

I am skeptical of much of the literal detail of the above. Better said, I don't say it is impossible, but I tend to believe that it is largely speculation of the religious imagination. I like to say that I don't know about "heavens and hells" in the next life, but I sure see people create hells for themselves in this one via their greed, anger, violence, jealousy and such. I like to say that, whether or not there is a life to come, please live gently and wisely in this one. If there is no next life, you will still have a gentle life here. If there is a next life, being gentle here will help your rebirth ... so win win. So, it is not so important to me, and just do one's best to live gently and non-violently now, in any case. I also believe in the following:

4 - Emptiness that is the Wholeness

We may feel like separate creatures who appear in this life, then someday die and disappear from this life. However, we are actually the wholeness we call 'Emptiness' (empty of separate existence). It is something like the wave of the sea which appears to rise and vanish, but the wave is actually just the sea. So long as the sea exists, and is truly what we are at root, then we never actually came or went anywhere, and we keep rolling on as the sea's rolling on ... even though our personal wave may come and go. And since I am the sea, and you are the sea, and all things are the sea ... we are constantly reborn as everyone and all things. Thus, every blade of grass, every baby, every ant, every creature even on a distant planet, is also our "rebirth." I like this view. We mean this most literally, e.g., that an ant is "you" living in an ant hill, and I am the ant living in my house and wearing my clothes. It is our brain which cuts the world up into pieces and makes it all seem separate and apart somehow.

5 - We are the clouds and the rain

A simpler view of 4 has become popular in recent years in Japan, kind of an easier to process expression of the idea. This song sums it up and has become very common to hear at Buddhist funerals. I like the English version, but the Japanese language version below is so beautiful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwkX3y8IFpQ

"Sen no Kaze ni Natte" (千の風になって) is a single by Japanese singer Masafumi Akikawa. The lyrics are a Japanese translation of the poem, 'Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep'. ... It was the best-selling single in Japan in 2007.

Don't stand at my grave and weep
I am not there, I do not sleep
I am the sunlight on the ripened grain
I am the gentle autumn rain

I am a thousand winds
I am a thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glint on snow
I am a thousand winds that blow

Don't stand at my grave and cry
I am not there, I did not die
I am the swift rush of birds in flight
Soft stars that shine at night

I am a thousand winds
I am a thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glint on snow
I am a thousand winds that blow

Don't stand at my grave and weep
I am not there, I do not sleep
I am the sunlight on the ripened grain
I am the gentle autumn rain

I am a thousand winds
I am a thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glint on snow
I am a thousand winds that blow

I am the diamond glint on snow
I am a thousand winds that blow

The original poem:

Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there; I did not die.

Here is the Japanese version ...

https://youtu.be/MPHAmYMYqOY

A final note: Cremation is most usual for Buddhist funerals. Some folks, these days, point out that it is not best for the environment, so Buddhists in modern times, especially in the west, are coming to recognize "greener" alternatives. SOME small number of Buddhist groups, in Taiwan especially, will still try to mummify the body of a great Ancestor, and then the mummy is said to possess all manner of spiritual power (not unlike how some Catholics would believe in the spiritual powers of various bodies of saints). There are Zen Buddhist mummies from long ago as well. However, it is being reported that Thay will be cremated on January 29th.

Let me know if there are any questions.

Sorry to run long. This may take lifetimes to read ...

Gassho, J

STLah

[Seishin]

Thank you for this Jundo, all wonderful but I very much like to concept of 4 and 5. Thank you also for posting Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep including the original words. I always find the words both comforting and very powerful. Would love to put this to music one day maybe a traditional 12BB. Thank you. _/\_

On the length, is there no long or short?

Sat

[aprapti]

thank you Jundo. I just watched a ceremony from Plum Village, France..




aprapti

sat

[Jinyo]

Thank you Jundo -it may take me a while to read what you wrote.
I'm sorry I wasn't very clear in that one sentence I wrote as to where I was coming from but you have taken a lot of trouble to answer
and I appreciate that.

To be honest it wasn't really a query as such. In Thich Nhat Hanh's tradition he only believes in rebirth as a form of continuation - in the thoughts
of those we leave behind and the inspiration we give to others. Also, and very closely aligned to science, in the way our atoms become part of the universe, a cloud, a tree, a drop of rain, etc.
His teachings on the mid point between essentialism and nihilism are very clear and chime with what I gather from here. For anyone interested the following link has some dharma talk clips of Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings on death (scroll down page) - it is a resource guide for anyone wishing to pay honor in their home meditation practice this week.

https://plumvillage.org/memorial-practice-resources/

I was hoping that those of us who have experienced loss might be able to have a discussion of how our zen practice helps - or maybe even hinders - our experience of grief.
I'm re-reading Thich Nhat Hanh's book 'no death, no fear' (have read it many times now) and seem to have a different response each time. Maybe some time we could read it in our book club - I would say its in strong alignment with our teachings here.

Thank you,

Jinyo

sat today

[Anchi]

Lovely !

Thank you Jundo !

Deep bows

[Heiso]

Thank you, Jundo, that is a timely reminder.

Gassho,

Heiso

StLah

[Jundo]

To be honest it wasn't really a query as such. In Thich Nhat Hanh's tradition he only believes in rebirth as a form of continuation - in the thoughts
of those we leave behind and the inspiration we give to others. Also, and very closely aligned to science, in the way our atoms become part of the universe, a cloud, a tree, a drop of rain, etc.

Yes, as I understand TNH's teachings on life and death, he was very much a "Buddhist modernist" whose views are very close to '4' above.

At first, we might think of reincarnation as a soul entering a body. The body is seen as impermanent and the soul as permanent, and when we get rid of one body, we re-enter another. You might be surprised to know that people in Buddhist Asia are not fond of reincarnation. They want the circle of birth and death to end because they know it represents suffering without end.

The Buddha taught that a so-called "person" is really just five elements (skandhas) that come together for a limited period of time: our body, feelings, perceptions, mental states and consciousness. These five elements are, in fact, changing all the time. Not a single element remains the same for two consecutive moments.

Not only is our body impermanent, but our so-called soul is also impermanent. It, too, is comprised only of elements like feelings, perceptions, mental states, and consciousness. When the idea of an immortal soul is replaced, our understanding of reincarnation gets closer to the truth.

But if we observe the things around us, we find that nothing comes from nothing. Before its so-called birth, the flower already existed in other forms -- clouds, sunshine, seeds, soil, and many other elements. Rather than birth and rebirth, it is more accurate to say "manifestation" (vijñapti) and "remanifestation." The so-called birthday of the flower is really a day of its remanifestation. It has already been here in other forms, and now it has made an effort to remanifest. Manifestation means its constituents have always been here in some form, and now, since conditions are sufficient, it is capable of manifesting itself as a flower. When things have manifested, we commonly say they are born, but in fact, they are not. When conditions are no longer sufficient and the flower ceases to manifest, we say the flower has died, but that is not correct either. Its constituents have merely transformed themselves into other elements, like compost and soil.

He can sound a bit too much, perhaps, like a materialist sometimes, speaking of material constituents, such that the flower is the soil and rain, and when it dies it returns to atoms and soil. However, perhaps if one listens closely, he was pointing to a leap even beyond that, beyond "matter" or "not matter," beyond all opposites such as "life vs. death" and "me vs. you" and all separation and contrasts. I recommend this short talk:

https://youtu.be/zS73WxpBd5k

And this other talk is also well worth a few minutes of investment. In fact, in the last few minutes of this one, he turns to the very same "waves and sea" analogy that I mentioned:

https://youtu.be/QGbVPsc2jIo

The wave, realizing that it is only the flowing sea rising and falling, has no fear. This knowledge has been an aid in grief. The person gone is the sea, I am the sea, all is the sea ... so nothing lost, nothing goes away, even as there is loss and the wave vanishes.

Gassho, J

STLah

Sorry to run long

[Kokuu]

Great information about the range of views in the Soto Zen tradition. Thank you, Jundo, and Jinyo for asking

I watched the second of Thay's ceremonies from Vietnam and it was incredibly moving. Regardless of our belief of what comes next, it feels like an important human need to mark the transition.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday-

[Suuko]

Yes, as I understand TNH's teachings on life and death, he was very much a "Buddhist modernist" whose views are very close to '4' above.



He can sound a bit too much, perhaps, like a materialist sometimes, speaking of material constituents, such that the flower is the soil and rain, and when it dies it returns to atoms and soil. However, perhaps if one listens closely, he was pointing to a leap even beyond that, beyond "matter" or "not matter," beyond all opposites such as "life vs. death" and "me vs. you" and all separation and contrasts. I recommend this short talk:

https://youtu.be/zS73WxpBd5k

And this other talk is also well worth a few minutes of investment. In fact, in the last few minutes of this one, he turns to the very same "waves and sea" analogy that I mentioned:

https://youtu.be/QGbVPsc2jIo

The wave, realizing that it is only the flowing sea rising and falling, has no fear. This knowledge has been an aid in grief. The person gone is the sea, I am the sea, all is the sea ... so nothing lost, nothing goes away, even as there is loss and the wave vanishes.

Gassho, J

STLah

Sorry to run long

I really liked the part where he said that the real miracle is about teaching and transforming people. The buddha didn't encourage performing miracles. A lot of people are drawn by the supposedly powers which will get unlocked by spiritual practice. They are just clinging to something else which will prevent them from having the freedom TNH is pointing to.

Sat today,
Lah,
Suuko.

[Jundo]

I really liked the part where he said that the real miracle is about teaching and transforming people. The buddha didn't encourage performing miracles. A lot of people are drawn by the supposedly powers which will get unlocked by spiritual practice. They are just clinging to something else which will prevent them from having the freedom TNH is pointing to.

Master Dogen and many other Zen masters said that the greatest "miracles" are to be here to drink tea, scratch one's nose, chop wood and fetch water. From Shobogenzo-Jinzu:

The mystical powers and miraculous doings,
to carry water and fetch firewood.

We should thoroughly probe these words. “To carry water” means to load water and transport it. Whether done by oneself, whether done by someone else, the water is transported. Just this is to be a Buddha of mystical powers … Although someone may not know that hauling water is a mystical power, hauling water is still a mystical power undiminished. “Fetching firewood” means to retrieve wood for fuel ... Even if we do not recognize the three thousand things we do in the morning are mystical powers, nor are aware that the eight hundred actions done during the evening are mystical powers, nonetheless they are the realization of mystical powers.

Yes, our thousands of little acts morning and night are the mystical power of a Buddha whether we know so or not.

Gassho, J

STLah

[Yamabushi]

What a wonderful post and comments. Thank you Jundo and sangha members.

Gassho,

-Jared
(Sat Today)

[Tomás ESP]

Very timely post Jundo, thank you for sharing

Gassho, Tomás
Sat&LaH

[Shade]

The notion of death has always terrified me. I've also read many of TNH's teachings, including No Death, No Fear, and I found the concept of waves and oceans to be logically appealing. However, I have no experience of what this is like, so it does little to tamper my anxiety regarding life and death. Maybe one day I'll fully understand. For now, all I can do is smile at my fear and simply live this life.

Sorry for going over the allotted three sentences!

Gassho,

Shade

ST

[Jinyo]

The notion of death has always terrified me. I've also read many of TNH's teachings, including No Death, No Fear, and I found the concept of waves and oceans to be logically appealing. However, I have no experience of what this is like, so it does little to tamper my anxiety regarding life and death. Maybe one day I'll fully understand. For now, all I can do is smile at my fear and simply live this life.

Sorry for going over the allotted three sentences!

Gassho,

Shade

ST

I'm currently reading 'No Death, No Fear' again. I was quite resistant the first time I read it but each time I read it now it sinks in a little deeper.
Have watched the seven days of ceremonies leading up to Thay's cremation and found them a powerful manifestation of the teachings - the main leader
of the ceremonies - Brother Thay Phap Huu - was not afraid to express his sense of loss - openly crying and clearly feeling deep grief. So, as much as we take
on board the teaching 'no birth- no death' this does not numb us to fear, and the emotional pain of loss.

Sorry to go over, but just wanted to add re the book - Thay came to an understanding of 'no birth - no death' after over a year of constant grief and deep pain over the loss of his mother.
It's almost as though he had an epiphany one day looking up at the clouds and thinking about nature - but maybe he had to go on that journey of grief first. I don't believe we can just 'teach'
something through words and constructs and as we go through life we encounter more loss and experiences of grief. I am 69 now and only just beginning to lose my fear of death and I put that
down to the grieving process I've gone through and 'am still going through following the death of my husband 10 months ago.

Gassho

Jinyo

Sat today

[Jundo]

It's almost as though he had an epiphany one day looking up at the clouds and thinking about nature - but maybe he had to go on that journey of grief first. I don't believe we can just 'teach'
something through words and constructs and as we go through life we encounter more loss and experiences of grief. I am 69 now and only just beginning to lose my fear of death and I put that
down to the grieving process I've gone through and 'am still going through following the death of my husband 10 months ago.

Lovely, wise. Our hearts can be broken, and tears can roll from our eyes, even as we also realize this aspect of reality which CANNOT be broken, cannot be lost, cannot be distant. Both are true.

There are many ways for folks to come to realize this.

(If we may, Jinyo, we will dedicate all our sitting and practice today to your husband.)

Gassho, J

STLah