What's next after Death?

Recently a relative of mine pass away. It has been some time since I participated in a funeral ceremony. If it is work situation, usually I will be there when the coffin in going into the ground, or when family members bring the ash remain urn to the columbarium. Seldom do I sit through the final ceremony.

And there I was in a Taoist funeral ceremony, usually they will have Taoist Priest in full uniform chanting away and leading relatives to circumambulate the coffin, before the final send off. In front they have a roast piggy, roast chicken and some other meat stuff. The question in my mind was “Does this departed person really moved on, in Bardo?”

That is not just a curious question, but the key question in all funeral. Does the deceased manage to move on? If they cannot move on, then no matter how elaborate the setup or fancy the costume of the Taoist priest or 'paid' monk is, it does not help the person who is in Bardo.

In case you are not sure what Bardo is, it is the intermediate state of between death and rebirth (not necessary human). Those that stuck in Bardo, usually become wandering ghost due to their attachment with previous life and also not realizing that they have already died.

If you think living in human realm is difficult, then living in Bardo is even worst. It is like moving from where you are now to the worst part of Ethiopia.

There are those that does not need to go through Bardo.

1. Those that are highly cultivated, they can direct their mind in meditative stabilization in their final moments to go where they are suppose to go.
2. Those who have develop really nasty karma in this life, straight they will go the realms of hell without needing to float here and there.
3. Those that have collected a lot of good merits, even in their final moments they are still thinking of what they can contribute to society. So their mind does not create the confusion for them to go through Bardo. Directly they will go to upper realms of Samsara.

For the rest of us folks, Bardo is the way to go.

In Taoist and Buddhist traditions, there are ways to lead these minds in their Bardo state. Most common way, is for the relatives of departed ones to do a lot of good merits and dedicate it to them. So that in their Bardo they receive merits of those actions and can move on.

What are some of the ways doing good action?

1. Animal liberation or fish liberation. Saving lives and dedicate those merits to them in Bardo.
   If you just buy a few fishes to release, it would not help much, because when they are alive they ate more than that!
2. Offering food to monks – constant offering in a period of time eg once or twice a week for few month or so.
3. Donations to various religious institutions – those that constantly servicing the community. If you donate to those that enrich their religious leaders then it is as good as none.

You can also participate their name when there is a Buddhist Bardo Guidance Session. Bardo Guidance Session, is when monks or a cultivated person guides the deceased through the Bardo. This is usually done in stages – letting the person know they have died, and guiding them through the different mental states occuring in the mind while in Bardo. Usually the help of Buddha or Bodhisattvas are requested in the ceremony to guide these minds.

The crucial factor then comes in. If I paid a lot of money for Bardo Guidance for the departed loved ones, will it guarantee that they move on? If money is the sole reason they are doing the Bardo Guidance for you, be it layperson or monk, then most likely the deceased is still stuck in Bardo.

Common sense, if Buddhas and Bodhisattvas worked for money – then they would still be beings stuck in samsara and not called Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. To make it worst due to attachments to colour paper we called money. Therefore through emotions of greed, how can a person invoke Buddhas or Bodhisattvas to abide in the Bardo Guidance session to help in the ceremony.

Bardo Guidance should be done base on compassion and Bodhicitta. Compassion in understanding that samsara is about suffering. Compassion towards those minds in Bardo. Compassion on the relatives striving to help their deceased love ones to go beyond Bardo.

Bodhicitta is a sudden and lasting compassion for all beings, accompanied by a falling away of the attachment to the illusion of an inherently-existing self. When the idea of existing self does not exist, only we can relate that to the deceased, and for them to release their attachment towards samsara and move on.

That also explains why does reciting a lot of mantras will also guide departed loved ones through Bardo. Because of compassion the relatives have towards the deceased person, they will be able to move Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and with mantras to gather merits eventually the deceased would be able to move on.

Sadly however in our modern day, many people don't think much about the deceased after they died. Many think that they are dead and that is it. Unfortunately that is just the beginning, wandering spirits at home or attach to a person will bring their own energy down. Energy down means less vitality and also means lowering of luck. Spirits of relatives don't intentionally set out to make it worst for you, but in essence they don't know where to go, so they hang around because of the karmic link you have with them.

And then they complain why they have funny dreams of relatives that have passed away. Some is plainly due to laziness , not willing to seek out where they can participate their deceased relatives in Bardo Guidance or do good deeds on their behalf. Excuses are endless, really doing it out of compassion are only the few. Sigh.....

***Where to go for Bardo Guidance? or know which mantra to chant www.facebook.com/kdspg

The Job Offer at Kam Dong San Temple

It's been a while since any update on this blog. Partly because there is not much 'supernatural' events happening since February and also because I am busy with temple commitments and duties besides work.

Mentioning on temple commitments, as I notice on a string of events that happened to friends and people that I know of and changes of their contributions stand, which gave me a strong sense to write this posting.

Other than my career in Feng Shui, most of my time is invested in temple actitivies. Temple that I am mentioning is Kam Dong San Temple 金洞山 (KDS) in Penang. (www.facebook.com/kdspg). I am fortunate in whereby my wife is also actively involved with the temple. Therefore our time priority for the past 4 years have been work, temple and family.

When KDS officially started servicing the community 4 years ago, I realized that I have 'signed' on a very challenging role. Even though I have worked with many major corporations in my 'past life' in training and consulting, nothing prepared me for this role other than the constant support spiritually by all the deities of KDS. 感謝金洞山眾位仙師祖師扶持弟子.

This is the unwritten job description that I have received from upper management-----

The 'boss' (deities) have gave you full trust in handling all the miscellanous affairs of running the common routine. They will not be around physically but they will be around spiritually 100% of the time looking over you.

You will have no salary, increments or even a career path whatsoever in managing the organisation.

There will be funding coming into the organisation in terms of donations. And all those funds will be use ultra wisely in the growing and expanding the work of the organisation. Failing which, not only heavy karmic retributions for this life but for many lives to come.

You will need to lead a group of person, whom will not be paid a single cent for their contribution to the temple. You will need to encourage them to show up on time, do more than what they have been paid in their normal career and still be happy to do more.

This group of people is not motivated by overtime, incentives, company trips, bonuses or freebies.

Also you are not allowed to recruit those with celebrity syndromes, diva queens, princess syndrome, pity me syndrome, bi-polar syndrome and also those that cannot work in a team.

You must treat customer with utmost care, not only they must understand what the organisation is doing, in each of your interaction, you must be in your best to leave a favorable impression. Because religion and its adoption is about personal value, it does not change in a single session of being in the temple, but through many interactions with people in the temple and also the impression they take away of the temple.

The management team that you are going to select must be through thorough observations in a span of time . They must be willing to do all the above and also agree to abide by the prime directives set up by the Deities which are

1. No illegal activities whatsoever in their personal life.
2. No extra marital affairs for those who are married and single person are not allowed to engage in affairs with married person.
3. Cannot do any business or promotion of business towards temple members or patrons.

You will also need to care of your management team personal issues, as most will involve karmic problems, work problems, family issues and such.

You will be on call 24hrs if there is any spiritual disturbance experience by your management team.

Finally the most important, is to make sure you lead this group of people in doing activities that will increase their worldly and spiritual merits. So that this lifetime is not wasted on mundane activities. Responsibility in leading by example, planning and doing activities which constantly reminding and also making them realized that they need to do more for their own sake. Because if any of them fall to hell, you are partly to blame.

They will not respect you because you have a title, because non is given to you and you are not encourage to receive any title. You are no Guru, Rinpoche or even a Lama in Tibetan terms. You are definitely not the Chosen One or ANY of those connotations. They will call you Shi Fu (Master) 師傅 or 師父， because of your occupation – as that is a formal address to someone who is good in their field.

－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－

That was the 'offer' I receive when I sign on KDS. After 4 years, we are doing more activities than when we first started. Our team of committees grow stronger, we have our ups and downs which mostly is people adjusting their own character of focusing on how to contribute with others.

Members came and 90% stayed since the first day they started coming to KDS. Those that have step into KDS Tao circle and experienced the blessings will stay and become regulars. Members are free to go to other temples, practice Buddhism or whatever practices that they have.

I myself have sat with and among members and patrons of KDS when good Tibetan Buddhism Gurus are in town for teachings. I have sat with fellow Buddhist practitioners in Bhutan to receive Teachings from realized Yogis. All that does not change my motivation to work in KDS and I don't believe it will changed members and committees will, to come to KDS. If they have stop coming as a result of going to other temples or teachings, then it is their path and I respect that.

Tao cannot be force or coerce, those that have affinity will definitely seek it. Spirituality is to be realized through consistent actions and not just understandings on the surface. In degenerate times, we can only focus and try to influence those with deeper affinity.

Well if you have read this posting and still feel you have what it takes to contribute in the Tao and KDS. We are still constantly looking for the right people with affinity to join our committee teams. Don't know whether you have what it takes? Then join us as member and experience the Tao circle of KDS Deities to decide. Life is too short to sit on the fences.

願金洞山香火永世流傳

**Those who like to know more about Feng Shui, please visit my blog at http://gkhamconsulting.blogspot.com