Mother Dying
A longtime student’s mother was dying, and she asked for advice on what she could do for her mother.
Dearest Charlotte,
You have heard Dharma from many, especially myself. This world doesn’t last, nor does this universe, even it will become empty. The teachings say there are 100,000,000 universes—nothing lasts. We are all in the same situation. I want you to think of this from time to time. We are impermanent in nature, of the nature of impermanence. At the same time, we have so much potential to help and make others happy. It is very important for you to now help your Mum and pray for her immediate recovery or birth in a pure land, to have a perfect human rebirth, and especially to meet Tantra in the future.
Now, here are the things you can do for your Mum:
1. Recite the Thirty-five Buddhas (visualize them on her crown). Pray in her ear and visualize them purifying all her negative karma.
2. Then, another time, do Medicine Buddha practice. Visualize the seven Medicine Buddhas on her head, purifying negative karma, and making strong prayers for her. Sometimes chant the long Medicine Buddha mantra.
3. When you do the Medicine Buddha practice, at the end, visualize Medicine Buddha absorbing into light, entering her, and absorbing into her heart. Then, the extremely subtle mind of Medicine Buddha becomes one with her body, speech, and mind at her heart. Then, visualize Tara on her crown and make strong prayers to Tara to take her to the pure land. Then visualize Tara sending a beam of red light down to her heart (where she is one with Medicine Buddha in his extremely subtle form, like the size of a mustard seed). The beam of red light hooks her and draws her up to Tara, and then Tara takes her to the pure land, a very very blissful place, extremely wonderful, where Tara is giving teachings, etc.
Sometimes, practice Medicine Buddha, and sometimes, the Thirty-five Buddhas.
At other times, when you can, recite the Diamond Cutter Sutra. Most important is purifying the negative karma.
As I mentioned before to my attendant, we are doing pujas here and also arranging them with Kopan Nunnery. I will sponsor these.
With much love and prayer...