By Ashin Janakabhivamsa
When a person is nearing death, he needs good javana cittas (wholesome impulses) about half an hour in advance. If these kusala though processes prevail till the last breath, the being will be reborn in happy abodes. If he has akusala javana cittas (unwholesome impulses) before death, he will be reborn in woeful abodes. Just as the finishing lap is important for a racing horse, the final consciousness is of great importance to any living being. Whether a person receives good or bad thoughts depends on the object of mind called arammana.
The Three Types of Arammana
Just before death, a being will see one of the three objects of mind, namely – (a) kamma, (b) kamma nimitta and (c) gati nimitta. Here kamma means reflection on good or bad deeds done by him in the past. Kamma nimitta indicates the utensils or instruments used in the doing of the good deed or evil. Gati nimitta is the vision of the abodes or plane of existence he will be reborn in.
a. How Kamma Arammana Appears
Past deeds and actions which are powerful to determine the next rebirth of a being may appear in vision just before death. These past deeds may be from past existences; of those done months, days or just hours or minutes ago.
If pasts deeds are kusala kamma such as observance of precepts or performance of dana, one will see them as a reflection in a dream-like vision, or in an illusionary vision. The same goes for akusala kamma for instance, having committed killing, one remembers the deed or sees it in vision as if he is doing the killing just then.
b. How Kamma Nimitta Arammana Appears
Those who had killed others will see the weapons they had used – swords, daggers, nets, arrows, sticks, etc. as death vision. A butcher is said to see prophetic images of a great heap of cattle bones.
Those who had done immoral deeds such as stealing, adultery, etc., will see prophetic visions that correspond to their evil deeds.
Those who had done meritorious deeds such as building pagodas and monasteries will see vision of the pagodas and monasteries just before death or they may see offertories they had donated in association with their meritorious deeds of construction of pagodas and monasteries, i.e., robes, alms-bowl, flowers and incenses.
For those who had observed sila or meditated on kammatthana will see visions of beads, clean clothes, meditation centres, sylvan resorts, etc. Those who had done other pious services will also see appropriate visions.
c. How Gati Nimitta Arammana Appears
At the proximate time of death, prophetic signs appear to indicate one’s next life. If you are going to be reborn a Deva, you will see Devas, celestial mansions, beautiful gardens, etc. if hell is your destiny, then you see black dogs, hellfire, or hell demons. Those who will becomes petas (hungry ghosts) will see forests and mountains and streams where they will dwell.
FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
The facial _expression of a dying person indicates his next rebirth. If his face is clear, cheerful he is sure to be reborn in higher abodes. A gloomy, sorrowful or stern face indicates rebirth in lower realms. [Some will smile in ecstasy of past sensual pleasures. Such smiles cannot be taken as good signs.]
INDICATION BY MUTTERING
Sometimes a dying person mutters or murmurs indistinct words unconsciously. Once upon a time an old hunter, the father of the Arahat Sona, was ordained a monk after thirty years of hunting life. When he was about to die he saw black dogs charging at him in his death-visions. He repeatedly cries, “O son! Drive away the dogs.”
The Arahat Sona knew his father was seeing bad nimitta and would be reborn in hell. So he took his dying father to the pagoda platform and laid him on a bed of flowers. He then said, “On your behalf, I have offered flowers to the Buddha. Father, pay homage to the Enlightened One!” So his father clapsed his hands in worship and paid respects. At that time celestial damsels came into his death-visions and he muttered, “I see your aunts (step mothers) coming. Please give them seats,” before he died. The Arahat Sona knew his father would be reborn a Deva.
ANOTHER KIND OF GATI NIMITTA
Some person on their deathbeds happens to see the actual scenes of their next rebirth. In the time of the Gotama Buddha, Yevati, the wife of the rich man Nandiya, was haughty shrew. She had no faith in the Buddha and used to abuse bhikkhus; her husband was an ardent devotee. When he died he became a Deva. When Yevati was about to die, two demons from hell dragged her up to the celestial abode and showed the luxury being enjoyed by Nandiya. Then they dragged her down to hell to punish her for her evil attitude.
During the Buddha’s time a pious devotee called Dhammika took refuge in the Three Jewels. He led a group of devotee and observed Sila. When his time came near, he listened to the sermons of bhikkhus on his deathbed and saw six celestial chariots waiting overhead to take him to Deva loka. He also heard the Devas arguing as to who would take him on their chariot. He soon died and was conveyed in the Tusita chariot to the heavenly abode where he became a Deva.
For those who had swallowed by the earth on account of serious evil deeds, they directly felt the heat of Avici Hell fire here and now. Thus we see now that gati nimitta arammana appears in various modes. In our times too dying people hear music and get sweet aroma, also witnessed by those nearby. These gati nimitta together with kamma arammana and kamma nimitta appear as visions due to the power of good deeds done before.
HELPING GOOD ARAMMANA TO APPEAR
When people suffering ill health are slowly dying a natural death, teachers, friends and relatives can help good arammana to appear in the vision of the dying person. When they are sure that the dying person cannot recover, they should maintain maximum cleanliness in the room and surrounding area and offer scented flowers intending for the Buddha. At night the whole room should be well illuminated. They should tell the dying person to visualize the flowers and candles offered on his behalf and ask him to delight in the good deed. They should also recite parittas (suttas) at a time when his mind can still dwell on holy subjects. The patient should not feel disheartened and the people looking after him should show no grief. Recitations and reverential offerings should not be done only at the last moment before death, but should be performed in advance many days ahead. Only then the dying man will be suffused in thoughts of kusala action dedicated to the Buddha and Dhamma, smelling the sweet scent of flowers. Hearing the sounds of Dhamma, words of the Buddha for quite a few days.
Thus as the dying moment draws near while seeing the lights and flowers, smelling sweet scents, hearing the Dhamma words, the death consciousness will arise before these arammanas disappears. In consequence of these last minutes wholesome thoughts of kusala deeds, he is bound to be reborn in good abodes. Therefore teachers, friends and relatives have the responsibility to help good arammanas appear to a dying person while he is still capable of directing his mind on these objects. Keep in mind how the Venerable Sona helped his father’s bad nimittas disappear and good ones appear.
HOW REBIRTH CONSCIOUSNESS APPEARS
Immediately after death-consciousness of one life, rebirth consciousness arises in new life. These two have no interval between them. They are spontaneously connected. A new life, a rebirth occurs instantaneously. Someone who have just departed the human abode is instantly reborn in some plane of existence, whether it be hell or celestial. Right after death, rebirth-consciousness appears and conduces to the formation of a new being, a new existence.
TWO WRONG VIEWS
We must be very careful lest we should view death and rebirth in the light of two wrong beliefs – sassata ditthi and uccheda ditthi. The belief that there is a soul which dwells inside the body, and that soul moves to a new body to become another being is sassata ditthi (wrong belief in soul). The belief that both mind and matter of a living being are annihilated at death, and that a new being, created by God, has nothing to do with any other being in the past, is uccheda ditthi (wrong belief in annihilation).
THE RIGHT VIEW
The next or coming existences of living beings are determined by avijja (ignorance), tanha (attachment) and kamma (deeds). Ajijja conceals the nature of the mind, matter and khanda (bodily aggregate) if the next existences. Tanha, lust for life, prompts them to cling to bhava (existences). This Tanha makes them crave for a good life, even though they see signs of miserable plane of existence awaiting them. Thus due to the concealment of the sufferings of life and the craving for a new life, kamma exercises its power to conduce to the conception of a new being complete with rupa and nama.
Therefore the prime factors that initiate the conception of a new being that is, new rupa and nama are (a) avijja (b) tanha and (c) kamma. The belief in uccheda ditthi (annihilism) and the belied in sassata ditthi (the soul or ego) are both wrong beliefs. Either nama or rupa can in no way transmigrate to another life. In fact nama and rupa come into being and spontaneously cease to exist in a very short time. There is no such thing as a soul or an ego.
We must be very careful not to be misled by the two views. We must understand that in a new existence, conception, the formation of rupa and nama is the resultant of avijja, tanha and kamma of the previous existence. This is the only righteous belief.
When we shout loudly in the vicinity of a mountain, we hear an echo. This echo is not the original sound produced by the man; nor it is independent of the original sound. When a candle from the flame of a first candle, the new flame is not that of the first; nor it is independent of the first candle. Likewise, a new existence is not the transmigration of the old one; nor it is independent of the old. Bear in mind that if the past kamma is wholesome, the present life will be good, both in mind and matter. If the past kamma is evil so will b the present life. The good and experiences in the present life are account by two factors – the deeds done in the past, the one’s knowledge and diligence in this life.
CONCLUSION
Here ends an explanation of the mind processes just before death. But death does not mean the absolute end of a being. It is in fact the beginning of a new life, a new being. It is far more important to achieve a good rebirth than to die. To have a good death-consciousness is not as easy as one might think.
First, one must die with as little pain as possible, as mild an ailment as possible; second, there needs be good relatives and friends nearby to help dying person on his deathbed. Therefore it is better and more beneficial if that person himself prepares for future life rather than wait for the last moment. One should live morally and prepare for his dying days so as to have a good rebirth along samsara until the attainment of Nibbana