Teachings for the Sick and the Elderly with Q & A

translated by Ina Bieler  & transcribed by Florence Lee

Today we will give some instructions on how to deal with sicknesses. Buddha gave many skillful means to bring about the happiness of sentient beings and to separate them from suffering. If you really want to uproot suffering altogether, if you do not eliminate the cause of suffering you will not be able to avoid the results of suffering. The cause of suffering must be recognized as the afflictive emotions. When these become eliminated then future sufferings can be avoided.​

All the sufferings that you experience now is the result of negative actions committed in previous lives. The first recognition that allows us to eliminate suffering is by remembering karma including past and future lives. The Buddha taught the method to eliminate suffering on the level of the cause. The afflictive emotions are the cause of our suffering and based on the sufferings we experience now, we can recognize the affiliated cause. For example, we experience illness and it is the result of having caused some harm to the bodies of others. And you experience poverty from having stolen the wealth of others. All of these actions have been committed from negative emotions of attachment, aversion and ignorance. So, these are afflictions that needs to be recognized. All sufferings, illnesses and pain are caused by these afflictive emotions. So, find these afflictive emotions within your own mind. In this way learn how to practice with suffering and use suffering as the path. Recognize the cause of this suffering. Who created it? “I created it myself with self-grasping and negative emotions and​ these afflictions are still present within my mind.​

The sickness purifies the negative karma and it is like paying back a karmic debt. It is like undergoing a necessary surgery. While you do the surgery, it is painful but at the same time you know that the surgery is beneficial. That is why people do it and pay for it because they know that it is good for them. So, see any suffering just like a surgery which is a necessary thing to purify negative karma.

‘If want to know what you did in the past look at your present body.’ All the happiness and suffering that you experience in this life is a sign of what you have done many lifetimes in the past. This karma comes back for example if you are recording a film, and you watch it later on. Whatever you have filmed or stored before will appear over and over again just like a tv show that you have taken. And if you have committed virtuous actions, you experience happiness. What is the difference between virtue and non-virtue? Everything that you do with love and compassion becomes virtuous, whether it is a worldly activity or a dharma activity. Whatever you do with a mind of attachment, aversion or ignorance will lead to the experience of suffering. Anything that you do with a mind of hostility or aversion comes back in the form of suffering and so forth.​

This is the first thing that you need to gain a confidence in and when you understand that clearly, at least half of your suffering is gone. Normally you think that you have suffered so much but think about everyone else who has a body is too bound to experience suffering. First, we can change our way of thinking and think about karma. This is the first step to deal with our difficulties and sufferings.​
You must understand this first point. But it is hard to always have this in mind because you always think about suffering and eventually it will only get worse. And you will not be able to bear it with patience. Another method is to look at the image (a statue or a thangka) of Buddha Amitabha. Just like in the generation stage, send our mind out and if you have devotion to the deity, visualize the deity in the space before you. Close your eyes and have this image of the deity appear within your mind. And you hear the sound of the mantra from a CD played on a loop. You hear with your ears and what you see with your eyes will send your mind out so your mind will not be preoccupied with the sickness. In that way, the experience of suffering will be lesser and the sickness might even go away. There are many stories of people who are cured but some cannot be cured. So, what is the difference?​

It is because in the previous lives, one has taken the refuge vow or different kinds of vows. However, one had encountered difficulties and broken those vows. But you have confessed them and you again broke them. And you have confessed them yet again. As a result of that you still experience suffering but you will be protected from the suffering. For example, if you have a very bad illness but then some rescue comes along and you are cured.​ This is a sign that you have performed confession in the previous lives.

Other people perform different medical treatments or pujas and so on. Some people then think that it is because they took good care of their health and did various treatments. And that is why they are doing well but that is not true. First of all, everyone who is born will have to die; there is no one who will remain.​ But, what dies is the body and not the mind. That is important to know so if you know that, then think that if you undergo a treatment, you might get better due to the grace of having received the refuge vow and so on. But maybe you will not be cured and you will die. But it is better to think about our preparation for death. Think about Amitabha and the qualities of Dewachen. Here for example through a CD recording, think about the qualities such as Buddha’s omniscient wisdom, love and so on.​

Think about all the things explained in the Dewachen prayer. Think that it would be fine if you were to die now because the body is just a temporary thing and it is not who you really are. Where you really want to go is Dewachen. If you understand the qualities, you will be ready to go to the purelands. So, whether or not you die depends on your karma. Often you might wonder if it is a waste of money to undergo treatment. It is not a waste of money because it becomes like an offering to the hospital. It benefits the hospital; also, you purify your negative karma and your karmic debts. For example, in this precious human life in this precious human body, even a small illness purifies the negative karma that you would have to experience a long time in the three lower realms.​

Buddha said that a single headache might purify the negativities that leads to birth in the hell realms. The great yogi practitioners consider pain and illnesses as a conducive factor and a good thing. As a buddhist, even if you are so sick that you can’t eat food, then you could take a vow that you are not going to eat food. Or if you can’t talk, then you take a vow of silence as a skillful means of the Mahayana sojong vows. For example, the Nyungne vows are these vows of austerity and the term “Nyung” implies that it is a practice for sick people. The bhikshuni Gelongma Palmo was sick with leprosy and couldn’t eat. So, she took a vow not to eat.​

These types of sickness like leprosy is something that you could not get healed from in those days. But she was healed from the disease and that is the benefit of having taken a vow. You can take a vow or you look at the image of a Buddha, or you spin a prayer wheel.​

You use a liberation by seeing, by wearing and by touching. For example, if somebody has died and you touch the body with the liberation by touch mantra. If that is burnt together with the body, then many obscurations through many lifetimes become purified. But anyway, we all have to prepare for death because there is no one on earth who will not have to die. Don’t think that you want to live or you want to be better because when you can’t get better you will be afraid. Because when a self arises, self-grasping arises and fear arises. When there is no sense of a self then there is also no fear.​ So instead of thinking about yourself, think of Chenrezig or Tara. Because when you think of the deity then there is no concern of a self.

The masters of the past have all said that if you really understand the holy dharma, you can transform all sufferings into happiness. So, how can you transform it? If you are doing well, your afflictions arise but when you suffer, obscurations become purified. Obscurations are negative karma so what is that? The root of all the suffering and pain in this world are the three poisons. Where do they come from? They are related to the wind, bile and phlegm within one’s body. Desire is related to wind, ignorance to phlegm and anger to bile. For example, cancer is related to phlegm and often cannot be cured. With ignorance, when there is no wisdom and mindfulness, with these afflictive emotions you will accumulate much negative karma. And as a result of that a lot of karma will ripen into such diseases.​

With mindfulness and awareness you recognize​ that this is an affliction and this is something to be given up.​This is something to be adopted and then you cultivate love and compassion. This is a skillful means of Buddhist practice and then you will be happy. Even though you experience suffering you will accept suffering and difficulties. Of course, often it is difficult so therefore instead you think of a deity like Chenrezig or Tara and so on. Look at the image of the deity then bring this image to mind. Then your mind will leave and will be sent outside. That is the most important instruction.

Also read the wishing prayer of Dewachen, the medicine Buddha mantra and so forth. Recite the mantra or hear the mantra as a beautiful chant. It is good if it is very beautiful and your mind will be enchanted by the sound. And your mind becomes enchanted by the beautiful form of the deity.​ This opens your mind; when you become preoccupied with the deity and think in this way, your trust in karma will increase. This is an important point to remember.​

For example, those who are not sick might think that they are not sick and don’t think of anything. But then through all the suffering you experience, then you recognize that these were created by afflictions. So this helps you to recognize your afflictions as normally we never see our afflictions. When scientists look at the body, there are many micro-organisms.​ There are some that are beneficial and some that are harmful. If there are more harmful organisms, then there are more heat related diseases due to anger. If there are beneficial organisms, then there is more peace, happiness and well-being.​

If there is a balance then that is calm-abiding immeasurable love. If the mind is peaceful then that will also help to relieve sufferings and illnesses.​ If people’s afflictions are disturbed then also this disturbs the outer five elements. Because the five elements and the inner five afflictions have a very strong relation to each other. When the mind becomes infused with bodhicitta then these five afflictions become the five wisdoms. Because the five afflictions are the five male dhyani Buddhas and the five sense objects are the five female Buddhas. This is really the ultimate view of Buddhism.​

If I am mature, I will become a Buddha and my afflictions becomes wisdom. If not then they become the root of suffering. Marpa had said that the aggregate of the body if not realized, its nature is the cause of all suffering and illnesses.​ When you realize it however, it is realized as the deity and right now it is the deity. Even if you are not sick, think that all illnesses are created by afflictive emotions. The causes for that are within one’s own body in the form of these micro-organisms and so on. In all of these ways of thinking, make an effort to reflect upon karma, cause and effect.​

It is very beneficial to care for old people or sick people. Also, it’s a great benefit if someone has a lot of suffering and you help them. It is much more beneficial than to help people without suffering. Until we attain enlightenment, we do need merit. All the slightest happiness in this world is a result of having accumulated merit. To serve the sick and the elderly is a great merit. Don’t think that you are so tired of it but think that it is a great merit.​ There are many sick people here today, I will practice the Vajravidarana dharani mantra and the Ushnishavijaya mantra​ for purification and many other prayers.​

Question:  How to support the love one that passed away – A friend’s … died about … She wants to know how she can best support him/her-­ especially during the next few weeks.

Your mind is connected to your father’s mind through a bond of love. If you send him pure love, it will melt his self-­grasping. But, your love must also be selfless.  Therefore, you should practice a deity, such as Amitabha or Chenrezig, and recite their mantra.

When you think of your father, cultivate love for all beings who have been your fathers, and then meditate. As our minds are connected, it will reach him.

When you think of your father, cultivate love for all beings who have been your fathers, and then meditate. As our minds are connected, it will reach him. When his self-­grasping then diminishes, he will be liberated, or at least be born as a precious human being.

Question:  Our parents are very old and have a lot of sicknesses and they can’t go outside so it is very difficult for them. Sometimes we have to put them in a nursing home or the wife has to be the nurse for many years and it becomes very difficult. So, what can they do?

It would be better if somebody else takes care of them. Then you will have to pay them and there is a benefit because it becomes generosity. For those with difficulties, it also helps them make some money and also practice generosity, patience and discipline. That is why it would be good to entrust them to somebody else’s care. This is extremely important as a lot of people don’t have a job in this world and if you give them a job it is a great benefit.

And those who have not accumulated merit in previous lives now experience difficulties like unemployment. If you help them then you will also have the cause for wealth and possessions in future lives. Ultimately if you do that with bodhicitta then it becomes a cause for attaining enlightenment as well. Therefore, helping someone to have a job and also taking care of someone in this way is also of mutual great benefit.

Question:  Some people are very worried that they might get some serious illness or disease and they can’t feel a lot of compassion for others. So, what can they do?

Whatever sickness you get comes from causes you have accumulated in the past with a mind of anger and jealousy. Basically, activities you have done with the body leads to illness, but the illness purifies the negative karma. It is important to know.  So, if you can’t think about others think that in the end if you only think about yourself it becomes so heavy that you even want to commit suicide. So, think that there are so many beings in this world who experience much worse sufferings than you. We are all human beings and we are bound to experience this kind of suffering. Who created it? It is our own afflictive emotions and where are they? It is our anger, our jealousy and they did it. Once you have created a karmic debt, you have to purify it and there is no way around it.

If you are able to purify the karmic debt in this lifetime, then you will become free. The cause of happiness is love and compassion. So, recognize that and think that if you cultivate love and eliminate anger now, then in future lives you will experience happiness. If you get angry at anything at all, don’t develop resentment towards your illnesses and be determined to sustain love and compassion. Recognize that any sickness and difficulties is just like undergoing a surgery that is painful yet necessary. In this way, you will see the sickness as a friend and a good thing, then it will eventually go away. But if you think that you don’t want it, you are actually holding on to it and it becomes closer.

Question:  Some people have cancer so how should they think?

All sicknesses are the same as it all comes from previous causes. For a long time, we have habituated to self-grasping, anger and hatred. It results in terminal illnesses but no matter what illness you have, don’t think about this illness; instead, you bring to mind and visualize Chenrezig or Tara or the HUNG syllable. Or any other religion or whatever support that you have and don’t think about the sickness. It is possible that the sickness goes away but even if it doesn’t you are purifying the negative karma which is necessary.

This kind of illness arises because you have not really believed in karma for a very long time. That leads to very powerful illnesses. Some people create illnesses because the doctors tell them but anyway in the end you will have to die. So, when you die, what you need is Amitabha. The body is just like an old car and you will need to leave it behind. So, better pray to Amitabha to be born in Dewachen. The body is just like a guest-house and consciousness the guest will cast aside the guesthouse. And that is ok because the consciousness will go on. If you think in this light way, it actually extends the life-span, so therefore make a prayer to be born in Dewachen.

When we are in a lot of pain due to illness, if we think that we have this illness and if we hold on to it, it develops even more. For example, I have a lot of pain in my hand. If I apply more pressure on it, and hold my winds at the navel (and recite HUNG). Then through this power and energy, the illness will then be sent out. I press my hand really hard and apply more pain than I actually have. That helps me to develop patience and acceptance to my pain. It actually goes away but if you feel that you have this illness, then you are losing your winds and the illness appears stronger. Therefore, it is important to train and hold your winds. Together with the winds, the sickness and pain go away. For example, when you are in a lot of pain, you might sweat. So, it is a sign that the energy of the pain is leaving your body. It benefits right at that moment but you have to do it again and again.

Question:  When family members or close ones get really sick and will pass on soon, you see them and feel very unhappy. In order to help them, we practice virtue like life-expanding practices or printing texts and things like that. What else should we do to help them?

When you see the suffering of your family, a small compassion arises because you grasp at them as ‘mine’. If you don’t grasp at anyone as ‘mine’, then you won’t feel it. So, think that everyone has been your parents. And if you love your father, then think that everyone has been your father because we have taken birth for so many millions of lifetimes. If you want to benefit all beings this is great compassion and that will benefit them all. It is just like rain falling down from the sky. If you only think of one person it is just like pouring a little bit of water on one flower. But it quickly dries out because that is small compassion.

So you cultivate great compassion by understanding the true nature of things; that everyone has been our parents. And this is very powerful because it connects to the love of all the Buddhas. This is how you benefit anyone whether they are dead or alive. Everyone is the same. If you think of your mother, then think that everyone has been your mother. If it is your father then everyone has been your father. If it is your girlfriend then everyone has been your girlfriend. In this way, your mind becomes pervasive; pervading all sentient beings.

Question:  When I see sentient beings with a lot of problems and also someone who is really suffering a lot, it makes me feel unhappy. So, what should I do at that time?

When you see the suffering of others, you feel unhappy about it; this is compassion. This is a good thing and when that happens immediately think of Chenrezig, Tara or any other deity. Think that they are up in space before you and you can’t keep thinking about the suffering. If you really want to help them, Chenrezig helps them. It is the suffering that arises from afflictions and self-grasping. What alleviates that is love and compassion. All sufferings are created by self-grasping therefore love eliminates it all. Think of Chenrezig or Tara and stop thinking about it. Also think that they are purifying negative karma by experiencing these difficulties and they are created by afflictive emotions. You can also rejoice in the purification of negative karma.

Question:  In order to help others, we practice the dharma, recite mantras, practice the sadhana and in the end we do dedications for them. For example, if I dedicate for a sick person, but feel that I also have problems and sicknesses. So, what can I do when I think like that?

That is good as it is the practice of Tonglen and a sign of compassion. A feeling of compassion arises within you otherwise it wouldn’t arise. If you think that you are sick and you must dedicate then that is a good thing. But whatever you experience now, often there is nothing we can do about it. Everything you experience now you have already created it in your previous lives. There is not much you can do anyways in this life. Through praying for others and doing things for others, this will not lead to you also having problems or taking on their illnesses.

If you want to know what you did in the past, look at your present body. That is the only important thing. If you want to know where you will go next, look at your present actions. Whatever you have done now is like a preparation for the future. If you just understand that, you will not have a lot of questions.

Question:  Some people are deaf and they cannot hear. What to do to purify that kind of karma? That is karma from previous lives so how do we purify the karma of being deaf?

If you don’t hear anything at all, you can’t hear the sound of Mani but you can think of Chenrezig or Amitabha. If there is no thought then a natural ringing sound will come in your mind, which is not heard by the ear but you hear it. Even without the ear you remember the Mani sound that you heard before. It comes back like a memory; like the voice of Chenrezig which is talking to you, within you. You can also think in this way.

Question:  When family members or close ones get really sick and will pass on soon, you see them and feel very unhappy. In order to help them, we practice virtue like life-expanding practices or printing texts and things like that. What else should we do to help them?

When you see the suffering of your family, a small compassion arises because you grasp at them as ‘mine’. If you don’t grasp at anyone as ‘mine’, then you won’t feel it. So, think that everyone has been your parents. And if you love your father, then think that everyone has been your father because we have taken birth for so many millions of lifetimes. If you want to benefit all beings this is great compassion and that will benefit them all. It is just like rain falling down from the sky. If you only think of one person it is just like pouring a little bit of water on one flower. But it quickly dries out because that is small compassion.

So you cultivate great compassion by understanding the true nature of things; that everyone has been our parents. And this is very powerful because it connects to the love of all the Buddhas. This is how you benefit anyone whether they are dead or alive. Everyone is the same. If you think of your mother, then think that everyone has been your mother. If it is your father then everyone has been your father. If it is your girlfriend then everyone has been your girlfriend. In this way, your mind becomes pervasive; pervading all sentient beings.

Question:  One of the causes to be born in Dewachen is to cultivate bodhicitta. But we hear that for some even though they don’t cultivate bodhicitta still they are being born in Dewachen. Someone said that they just have to say Amituofuo or say the name of Amitabha just like a prayer. And there are stories that they are being born there without bodhicitta.

Rinpoche said that this is also possible through the connection of Amitabha which is the best. But the translator said what about having no bodhicitta? Rinpoche says that if you have great devotion you can also be born there. If you just think of Amitabha, it never leaves your mind and you will be born in Dewachen. Naturally the four causes are complete within that. So, if you have great faith and trust in Amitabha and Dewachen, then Amitabha appears naturally in your mind. Only through that alone you can be born in Dewachen.

It is said that it is very easy to be born in Amitabha’s Pureland but some people have doubts about where it actually is and so on. For example, the copper coloured mountain is a Pureland of dakinis just like the Pureland of Dewachen. Of course, if you cultivate single-pointed devotion to Guru Rinpoche then you can also be born there. So, you take birth in the Pureland of the copper coloured mountain but there are many explanations about that. In any case, the easiest Pureland to be born in is Dewachen. But actually, Guru Rinpoche is also a heart emanation of Buddha Amitabha. From the right hand emerges Chenrezig, from the left hand Tara emerges and from the heart Guru Rinpoche emerges. There is no contradiction.

Question:  When one’s grandparents die, what can we do to help them?

Whether they are close or far, think of Buddha Amitabha. Have great faith and trust in Buddha Amitabha, even if your grandparents have died or still alive. Instantly when you love someone, think of your parents. The moment it arises think of Buddha Amitabha. Every time you think of your parents, think of Amitabha instantly. That will benefit them. Then recite the mantra and even if it has been many years that your grandparents have died, still you can practice and supplicate to Amitabha now. It will benefit both of them and also yourselves.

Question:  When somebody dies and you want to help them by practicing Phowa can we benefit them even if they are not Buddhists (and don’t trust in Buddhism). If we practice Phowa for them, does it help them?

There is no harm. It doesn’t matter if one is Buddhist or not because everyone has the same mind which is Buddha nature. When one has died, then the mind is very clear. So, if you dedicate for all sentient beings limitless as space, everyone benefits.

Question:  When somebody dies, they invite the lama to practice Phowa for them but sometimes they can’t get there in time. So, is it okay to play a CD recording of the Phowa instead?

Rinpoche says it is exactly the same. If Amitabha appears in the mind of the one who is dying or if they just hear the name of Amitabha is enough. Mainly, what is most important is trust. But even if they don’t trust and just hear the name of Amitabha, they will benefit from that because their nature is the Buddha. There are different levels; some are born in the God realms and so on but in any case, they will at least be born anywhere in the higher realms.

Question:  It is said that after someone has died we shouldn’t move the body of the dead person. According to the Taiwanese tradition, we are not allowed to leave the dead body in the hospital for too long so what can we do?

It depends on your karma and fortune in terms of the timing, so you have to do whatever that suits the circumstance. If there is nothing you can do, you do the best and supplicate to the three jewels. If you can’t stay for a long time that is also due to karma and you have to follow the customs of your country. Basically, whoever you love, think of Amitabha and cultivate love. It is not so much to do with the physical form or the dead body.

Question:  After some people have died, and their bodies are cremated, sometimes there is a little hole right on the skull. Is that a sign that they are born in Dewachen?

Rinpoche said that some people have that while others don’t. But we can’t really look at physical signs too much. Of course, it is a good sign but even if you don’t have a sign you could be born there.

Question:  There is a sick person who is in a coma-like state but he is not dead yet. He still has consciousness so in such a state can we still donate his organs?

Rinpoche said that we do that voluntarily in America and people sign up for something like that. If they die, they want to be an organ donor which is an incredible great benefit. It is very beneficial for science and it is also one of the most beneficial form of generosity of offering your human body. It is the most supreme kind of offering you can make. For example, people also donate blood which is also a great benefit.

Question:  In Rinpoche’s movie, Rinpoche spoke about Khenpo Munsel’s instructions on tonglen. So how did he teach Tonglen?

You know how the suffering of others arise; it arises due to afflictions. Then you also have these afflictions which is in your own mind. When you suffer, think that all sufferings are the same. So, you say ‘may I experience it instead of everyone else’ which benefits you and also others. When you think that you suffer so much you become very heavy. But if you take on the suffering of others, you become lighter and you also purify negative karma. Likewise, when you experience happiness, think that may everyone experience such happiness. Mainly when you suffer, think that you take on the suffering of all. When you are happy, think that you want to give this happiness to everyone.

How you benefit others is that on the ultimate level, self and others do not exist. Because self and others is inseparable, you can help them. But if you think about the ‘I’ then suffering increases. If you realize non-duality, you purify negativities. There are three powers, the power of your own intention, the power of all the Buddhas compassion and the power of the dharmadhatu. Here self and others do not exist; and the afflictions of self and others are the same. For this reason, because we are one, you can send happiness to others and take on their suffering. And also benefit self and others.

If one person is very angry, you recognize it and liberate it through the two-fold bodhicitta then the anger of all sentient beings is a little lighter. There is only one affliction; it is like a huge mountain suppressing all the sentient beings. If you take a little bit off then it becomes lighter for everyone. So, see all afflictions as one and if you liberate one then all beings benefit. If you cultivate love, then all beings benefit and that is due to the power of the ultimate truth.