Death Proximate Karma

As Buddhist, we should remember and comprehend well the working of the Death Proximate Karma, without forgetting that the Habitual Karma is also important because it is a lifetime karma that we depend on for our next rebirth which is created by accumulating our good or bad deeds.

Here are some instructions for the dying:

1. Do not get angry - pay attention to your dying moment. If you are angry or mad at this moment, you will be reborn in the lower realm. The best is to concentrate on reciting Amitabha Buddha's name continuously.

2. Forgive and forget - do not think of your enemies or vengeance because you will be reincarnate and take revenge on each other endlessly. And if this happens, you will accumulate more negative karma onto yourself and cannot go for the right practice.

3. Do not become attached to loved ones or your wealth as these attachments will lead you to lower realm i.e. animal realm.

In the story book of the thirty three Zen masters, there is a story about one of the Zen masters who went out for alms, passing by a rich man's house. The rich man was out but inside came running out a dog that barked at him loudly.

The master looked at the dog and reproved: "How dare you bark at me, because of your attachment to your wealth, you came back as a dog, shame on you".

Having heard the master's reprimand, the dog became sad and refused to eat. Later when the rich man return home and realized that his beloved dog had refused to eat, he asked his servant the reason, and he was told than a Zen master had said something to the dog and after that it refuses to eat.

The rich man was so upset and went to look for the Zen master to question him of his words to the rich man's dog. He asked: "What did you say to my dog this morning that made it sad and refused to eat?"

The master replied: "Please do not get angry, the dog is your father". The rich man got even angrier upon hearing this and demanded his further explanation. "Why is that dog my father?", he asked angrily.

Then the master responded gently and said: "If you do not believe me, go home and see if the dog is lying under your father's bed. Right where your dog is lying, you will dig up the floor under it and you will find a box of gold. When you father passed away, he did not have the chance to tell you the secret, therefore came back as a dog to guard it. Just go home and dig it up and you will understand".

The rich man than immediately ran back to his home and dug up the floor under his father's bed and found the box of gold. Soon after his discovery, he ran back to beg the master to help his father. The master told the rich man to use the gold for charity work.

The rich man followed the master's instruction and soon, a few days later the dog died.

It is because of the wealth attachment that caused the man's father to return as a dog to guard his property. This is apprehensive, as mentioned above herein, the three don't at the dying moment is very important. As Buddhist, we should remember and do not let this happen.