Souls in Transition--No Before, No After

The most powerful transition of a person moving from life to death I ever witnessed was that of my spiritual mentor. At the time, I was a Won Buddhist seminary student in Korea, and my teacher’s last words and actions were her final lessons to me. My spiritual mentor had grown quite weak and so was resting on a traditional Korean bed, a thin mat on the floor. I was quietly by her side, as were many members of clergy.

Suddenly my mentor’s loud and clear voice rang out: “Please put something soft under my butt!” We responded immediately, and I was then surprised again as I watched my frail teacher join the palms of her hands together in a position of prayer and place them over her heart.

Soon after, she released her last breath.

In Buddhist tradition, maintaining a focused, clear state of mind at the time of death is a significant matter. My spiritual mentor’s spirit had always been crystal clear, and this quality was magnified at the time of her death. Even though she had a high tolerance for pain and had calmly endured a great deal of it, she had sought some physical relief in her final moments to better focus on her impending transition.

This experience deeply shaped me: Now I always pay careful attention to the physical comfort of the dying person who is in front of me. Often, as I approach their beds, I gently touch their feet to help release their tension. Then I ring a meditation bell to calm the air in the room, and I invite those gathered to spend some time in meditation and prayer. Whether or not the dying person is conscious, I speak to them and remind them of all the positive things they have done in their life and encourage family and friends to speak from their hearts. I may offer chanting and recite “Dharma Words for Guiding the Soul Before or After Death.” The goal is to help those in transition release any attachments, concerns, or confusion that could block their clear state of mind and prevent their spiritual liberation.

Our body has a birthday and a death day, but our spiritual realm has neither a beginning nor an end; no success, no failure; no coming, no going; no before, no after. In this Nirvana of non-duality, may we all rest in peace.

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