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Advice book

Cancer and Preparation for Death

Metastatic Cancer

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A student wrote that their mother had been diagnosed with metastatic cancer in the lungs, liver and bones. She was in palliative care and was close to passing away.

Rinpoche asked us to liberate one thousand animals dedicated to your mother, so I have arranged this.

Rinpoche said if you also want to do animal liberations for your mother, you can follow his book, Liberating Animals, which explains how to do this. That would also be very good.

Your mother should take the precious pill Ratna Samphel. She needs to take five pills. Rinpoche has some blessed pills at Kopan that he also wants to send to her.

You can recite Chanting the Names of Manjushri (Jamphel Tsenjö). Read this text three times.

The extensive Cittamani Tara puja should be done five times at Nalanda Monastery. You can request them to do this, explaining your mother’s condition and situation, etc., and that Rinpoche is advising this.

Nalanda can add this dedication: “May ___ (add her name) never be born in the lower realms, may she immediately recover from disease, have health and a most beneficial life for sentient beings and may she generate bodhicitta in order to achieve full enlightenment.”

You should recite The Array of Sukhavati Pure Land: A Concise Mahayana Sutra three times, ensuring that your mother can hear the recitation. Place the text on her head at the end of life (the time of passing) and now, as death can come at any time. [Find links to these practices in the FPMT Catalogue.]

Live for Sentient Beings and If You Are Dying, Die for Sentient Beings

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Rinpoche gave this advice to a student who had cancer. Written by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and lightly edited for publication.

The Golden Light Sutra should be read five times at Kopan Monastery.

You don’t need a biopsy now, but if there is no choice and you need to do that, then think that every check-up in hospital and every single treatment should be done for the benefit of every sentient being, only for the sake of sentient beings.

Please live for sentient beings, not for yourself, and if you are dying, die for sentient beings.

If you are living, live for sentient beings. If you are dying, take every sentient being’s death on yourself, on the I, because by cherishing the I, this is what causes you to suffer from beginningless rebirths and now again, for endless rebirths.

[Cherishing the I] has harmed every sentient being, causing them to suffer from beginningless rebirths and now, without end, endlessly. It is the worst enemy and should be destroyed, without delaying even for a second.

Experience death for every sentient being, for them to achieve the cessation of suffering and dharmakaya.

Stage Four Breast Cancer

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A student with Stage Four breast cancer was about to have an operation, followed by chemotherapy. She was very weak and expected to be bedridden after treatment. The student wanted to change her will and leave most of her assets to Sera Je Food Fund, and she wrote to Rinpoche requesting his advice, prayers and blessings.

My dear one,
Here is my advice for you:

  • Recite one mala a day (more if you can) of the Most Secret Hayagriva mantra. Visualize light from Most Secret Hayagriva purifying the four things: negative karma, spirit harm, obstacles, and cancer. Concentrate strongly that all of these are purified, especially the cancer. Also, for part of the time focus on purifying all sentient beings, especially those who have cancer.
  • I have blessed water with many thousands of mantras and you should sip this several times a day. We can send the water to you by courier now. Where is best to send it? What is your postal address?
  • Recite the White Tara prayer Protecting from Old Age, Sickness, and Death three times.
  • If you can, recite the Diamond Cutter Sutra one hundred times. If this is difficult, then recite the Heart Sutra one hundred times.
  • Read and study the five powers at the time of death. [Find links to the booklet Practicing the Five Powers Near the Time of Death in the FPMT Catalogue.]

Live life for others. Live life with bodhicitta as much as possible. Take it easy and don’t worry.

With much love and prayer...

Advanced Breast Cancer

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After five chemotherapy treatments, a student stopped chemo and tried natural therapies, but her condition deteriorated and the cancer spread to other parts of her body. She was now on chemo pills, but her doctor advised that if she did not respond well to this treatment, the average life expectancy was six months to two years. The student wrote to Rinpoche asking for advice.

Dear Laura,
You can do the longlife retreat of Amitayus, reciting the long mantra ten thousand times. If you have the initiation of White Heruka, do some retreat on that, if you can. It need only be short.

Use the blessed water that we are sending you. When you receive the blessed water, sip it several times a day, taking a few tablespoons of water each time. Visualize strongly that the blessed water is purifying all the disease completely! Vajrayogini’s pure nectar is cleansing everything, especially the lump.

I send my love and prayers.

Terminal Cancer

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Rinpoche gave the following advice to a student who was dying of cancer.

Please do the following practices:

While you recite the mantras, make strong prayers that all sentient beings may be free from all sufferings, negative karma, delusion, sickness, and spirit harm and to bring all sentient beings to enlightenment.

Norbu mantra:

OM BIPULA GARBE MANI PARBHE TATHAGATANI RADE SHANI MANI MANI SUPARBHE BHIMALE SAGARA GAMBIRE HUM HUM ZOLA SOLA BUDDHA AVALOKITE GU HAYA ADHI KHATHRITE GARBE SVAHA