與大師同行

提問者:我的母親快走到她的生命盡頭了，能幫她平靜安詳離世的最好方法是什麼？

Question: I have a parent who is nearing her death. What is the best way to prepare her for a peaceful death?

薩古魯：在世界各地，人們都在談論如何平靜地去世。他們所談論的就是他們不想在死亡時經歷顛簸，他們想要優雅溫和地退出生命。想去除死亡過程中的顛簸，一件你可以作的簡單小事是點一盞油燈--最好是酥油，奶油也可以--二十四小時不間斷地點在臨終者旁邊，油燈的能量氛圍可以將抽離肉身過程中的顛簸控制在一定幅度內。另一件妳可以做的是唱誦或播放某種通用的頌歌--就像CD裡的 Brahmananda Swarupa 頌歌(註一)--以非常輕柔的音量，空間背景裡有像這種經過聖化的聲音也可以避免抽離肉身時的顛簸。

SADHGURU: Everywhere in the word，people have talked about how to die peacefully. All they are talking about is they do not want to die in a choppy manner; they want to recede gently. To take away the choppiness of death, one simple thing you can do is to have a lamp – preferably with ghee but you can also use butter – burning constantly, 24 hours of the day next to that person. This creates a certain aura so that the choppy nature of withdrawal can be regulated to some extent. Another thing you can do is to set up some kind of a universal chant – something like Brahmananda Swarupa on a CD – at a very mild volume. A consecrated sound like this in the background will also make sure that choppy withdrawal can be avoided.

點油燈和唱誦應該在一個人被確認死亡後持續進行到第十四天，因為他可能只是”醫學性死亡”卻還沒”存在性死亡”，他還沒完全死透。死亡的過程很緩慢，要從取自地球的這塊泥土--肉體層面—抽離，是一步一步來的。出於實際務實的角度，當一個人的心、肺、腦都停止作時就被宣告死亡，但事實並非如此。甚至遺體火化後，如果死者還沒啟程進入另一存在領域，也不能算是已經死亡。

Having a lamp and a simple chant going should continue up to 14 days after one has been cbertified dead, because he may be medically dead but not existentially dead; he is not completely dead. Death happens slowly. The withdrawal of the life process from this lump of earth – the body – happens step-by-step. For all practical purposes, the activity of the lungs, heart and brain has stopped so they are declared dead, but it is not yet so. Even if the person’s body is burnt, he is still not dead because his movement into the other realm has not started.

基於這樣的認識，在印度，人死後會舉行長達十四天的各種儀式。不幸的是這些儀式背後所蘊含的知識與力量已幾乎被遺忘，人們從事儀式工作只是為了謀生，只有很少數的人瞭解這些儀式所代表的意義。除非一個人是在全然覺知下離開肉體，這樣的人我們不必為他做任何事，但對其他人而言，你必須藉由這些作這些事來指引他們。

It is based on this that there are various kinds of rituals in India up to 14 days after somebody dies. Unfortunately, the knowledge and power behind these rituals have mostly been lost and people are just doing things for their livelihood. Very few people truly understand the significance of what it is. Unless one leaves absolutely consciously that he is instantly off, for such a person we do not do anything, but for all others, these things are done because you have to show them the way.

人死後第一件要做的事是燒掉所有與死者肉體有密切接觸的物品，例如內衣。其它的衣物、珠寶首飾和所有物等在三天內分掉—不是只給一個人，而是分給很多人。所有的私人物品要盡快地分出去讓死者感到困惑，讓他們不知道該附著於何處。假如你將一大包他們留下的私人物品給同一個人，他們會附著在那上面，因為衣物上仍殘留著他們身體的能量。作這些事不只是為了安頓死者也是為了安頓死者家人與親屬，讓他們瞭解一切都結束了。不論你與死者生前的關係有多深的交織，結束就是結束了—遊戲到此為止!

So the first thing that is done when somebody dies is, anything that has been intimately in touch with their body, such as underclothes, is burnt. Other clothes, jewelry, everything is distributed – not just to one person – but among many people within three days. Everything is distributed as quickly as possible so that they get confused. They will not know where to hang around anymore. If you were to give a bundle of their belongings to someone, they would go there because the energy of their own body still exists in the clothes. These things were done not only to settle the dead but also to settle the family and relatives, so that they understand that it is over. It doesn’t matter how involved and attached you were to somebody, when it is done, it is done – the game is up.

一般來說，不論是什麼文化背景，世界各地都有人說:”即使現在即將死去的是你的敵人，你都必須建立一適當的氛圍讓他在平靜中死亡，不可作醜陋的事。”也許是你在戰鬥中射殺他，但你仍得為他脫帽送行或是念”Ram Ram”，或你知道的其他方式。當一個人瀕臨死亡時，終場的哨聲已吹響，遊戲已經結束，再踢下去就沒意義了。

Generally, everywhere in the world irrespective of which culture, it is said, “even if it is your enemy who is dying right now, you must create an appropriate atmosphere and see how he can die peacefully. You don’t do ugly things.” Maybe you shot him in battle, but you take off your hat when he is leaving or you say, “Ram Ram,” or whatever you know. When somebody is dying, at that moment the whistle has already been blown and the game is over. There is no point kicking now.

這就是為什麼，當你看到連死人都得不到善待時，你的內在會顫慄。不是因為你必須尊重一具屍體，而是因為他的離去是緩慢的，不論他活著怎樣，至少死時都應被安頓好，每個人都應被如此用心對待。

That is the reason why, when you see that even the dead are not treated with respect, something within you shakes. Not because you have to treat a body with respect but because he is exiting slowly. It doesn’t matter how he lived, at least that must happen well. Every human being must have that much intention.

愛與恩典

薩古魯薩古魯

Love&Grace,

Sadhguru

原文出處　isha.sadhguru.org/blog/yoga-meditation/peaceful-death-dying-peacefully