Something simple for the deceased
(By Tsem Rinpoche)
Dear friends,
When a loved one or pet passes, it is a distressing time. We want to do the best for them and their onward journey after they have left their corporeal form. Yet sometimes we don’t know what to do, how to do and maybe cannot afford it. But we still want the best. We can invite sangha and others to recite prayers or we can do our own or both. There are many special things we can do to benefit the deceased. Too numerous to mention here. So for now this will suffice.
Three decades back a beloved uncle had passed in Howell, New Jersey and at the same time His Holiness the Dalai Lama was visiting nearby New York City, two hour drive away. So our family had secured an audience with His Holiness. Being that family members did not know extensive rites and rituals His Holiness recommended we offer one butterlamp daily to Avalokitesvara on our shrine, gather together and recite Om Mani Peme Hung together 10 rosaries daily for 49 days and dedicate this to our uncle. If we do this earnestly and with trust in Avalokitesvara, it will benefit our uncle’s passage. Gratefully we did do as instructed and for 49 days. With this precious and simple advice, I elaborated slightly on the advice of His Holiness further for everyone who might need this. May this gentle and simple post be of most benefit to everyone and those you love who have passed.
Tsem Rinpoche
Supplication to the Merciful One
Simple compilation for people who wish to do the best they can for a deceased one but are limited in resources, knowledge or time but yet wish the utmost.
For a loved one that has passed, it will be good to do the following:
1. Have a picture or statue of Avalokitesvara erected and kept if at all possible. Placed small picture of loved one in front of this image of Avalokitesvara. No picture of the deceased is fine also.
2. Offer flowers, incense and light according to circumstances.
3. Offer light to a stupa or Buddha image 108 times or 108 lights. Can be done in one day or successive days slowly.
Then daily for 49 days remembering the deceased and wishing them and all beings well, recite:
Praise to Avalokitesvara
Highly venerated by all the Buddhas,
You accumulated all holy qualities, and
Were conferred the name Avalokiteshvara:
I prostrate to the always merciful one. 3x
Reciting the Long Mantra
NAMO RATNA TRAYAYA, NAMAH ARYA JANA SAGARA, VAIROCANA VY-UHA RAJAYA, TATHAGATAYA, ARHATE, SAMYAKSAM BUDDHAYA, NAMAH SARVA TATHAGATE-BHY-AH, ARHATE-BHY-AH, SAMYAK-SAM BUDDHE-BHY-AH, NAMAH ARYA AVALOKITE SHARAYA, BODHISATTVAYA, MAHASATTA-YA, MAHAKARUNIKAYA,
TADYATHA, OM DHARA DHARA, DHIRI DHIRI, DHURU DHURU, ITTI VATTE, CALE CALE, PRACALE PRACALE, KUSUME, KUSUME-VARE, ILI MILI, CITI JALAM, APANAYE SVAHA (3x)
Reciting the Six- Syllable Mantra
OM MANI PEME HUNG
(1 rosary or 3 rosaries or 10 rosaries per day)
Dedication
Due to these merits, may I quickly
Become the Great Compassionate One (Avalokitevara)
And place all migrating beings, without exception,
In that very state.
(It would be good to do the above daily for 49 days if possible or as much as you can from wherever you are.)
After 49 days, if we wish to continue daily as our personal prayers, that would be wonderful to continue this short and blessed prayer to the supreme Buddha of great compassion Avalokitesvara. We can do the same for a deceased/sick/dying pet also. It is a good to recite this mantra to our pets daily so they can hear it and plant imprints and also to those who are in the process of dying or near death.
Compiled by Tsem Rinpoche
Click on this link to download the high-resolution picture of Lord Avalokitesvara and other Buddhas/Bodhisattvas:
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/downloads/buddha-images.html
给往生者的简短祈愿文
亲爱的朋友们：
面对挚爱或宠物的死亡，是令人悲痛的时刻。在他们离开肉身的时候，我们往往想尽一切努力为他们做些什么，好为他们往后的旅程铺路。然而，许多时候我们却不知道什么是该做的，也不知道该如何去做，有时甚至没有能力去负担相关的费用。尽管如此，我们依然希望能给予他们最好的一切。这时候，我们可以邀请僧人或他人前来念诵经文，或选择自己念诵，又或两者兼施。我们可以帮助亡者的方法有许多，这里无法一一例举。然而就一般情况而言，以下的方式就已经足够。
三十年前，我们一位挚爱的伯父在新泽西的豪威尔往生了。那时至尊达赖喇嘛正巧拜访附近约两小时车程之遥的纽约市。我的家人成功争取到了拜见法王的机会。由于家人不了解详细的仪式，法王建议我们每天在佛坛上向观音菩萨供养一盏酥油灯，并连续49天聚集在一起念诵十圈六字大明咒“嗡嘛呢叭咪吽”，回向给我的伯父。若我们能认真跟从指示去做，并虔诚相信观音菩萨，这将对伯父的离世带来好处。我很感恩我们完全跟从达赖喇嘛的忠告，完成了49天的修持。在此，我根据法王给予的忠告，稍加阐述，希望能将此简单而珍贵的忠告献给每一个可能需要它的人。但愿这简短的文章能造福每一个人，以及你已往生的挚爱。
詹杜固仁波切
祈请慈悲观音菩萨
这是一个简短的仪式，献给那些资源、知识和时间有限，却希望能尽最大努力为亡者带来最多福祉的人们。
对于已经往生的挚爱，我们最好能进行以下事项：
1. 安奉观音菩萨像或图片，将往生挚爱的小照片放在观音菩萨像前方。没有照片也无妨。
2. 根据周遭情况，供养鲜花、香和烛光。
3. 在佛塔或佛像前供灯108次，或一次过供养108盏灯。你可选择在一天内完成供养，或选择每天分次进行。
然后，在49天内忆念死者并希望他们和一切众生都安好的同时，念诵以下经文：
《观音菩萨赞颂》
一切诸佛所赞叹
修集一切圣功德
名为观世音菩萨
常怀悲愍我敬礼（3遍）
诵长咒
NAMO RATNA TRAYAYA, NAMAH ARYA JANA SAGARA, VAIROCANA VY-UHA RAJAYA, TATHAGATAYA, ARHATE, SAMYAKSAM BUDDHAYA, NAMAH SARVA TATHAGATE-BHY-AH, ARHATE-BHY-AH, SAMYAK-SAM BUDDHE-BHY-AH, NAMAH ARYA AVALOKITE SHARAYA, BODHISATTVAYA, MAHASATTA-YA, MAHAKARUNIKAYA, TADYATHA, OM DHARA DHARA, DHIRI DHIRI, DHURU DHURU, ITTI VATTE, CALE CALE, PRACALE PRACALE, KUSUME, KUSUME-VARE, ILI MILI, CITI JALAM, APANAYE SVAHA（3遍）
（音译）
那摩 热那 扎呀亚，那摩 阿呀 佳那 萨嘎热，贝如杂那 瓦玉哈 热杂呀，答他嘎答呀，阿哈得，三呀三布他呀， 那摩 萨瓦 答他嘎得北，阿尔哈答北，三呀三布得北，那摩 阿呀 阿瓦罗夷得瓦拉呀，菩提萨埵呀，麻哈萨埵呀，麻哈嘎卢呢嘎呀，答呀他，嗡 答拉答拉，滴利滴利，杜鲁杜鲁，伊吉哇吉，杂列杂列，扎杂列 扎杂列，谷苏美，古苏美哇热，伊利弥利，吉当左拉，阿巴那耶，梭哈。（3遍）
诵六字大明咒
嗡嘛呢叭咪吽
（每天念诵1圈、3圈或10圈。1圈为108次）
回向
愿我能以此善业
速捷成就大悲尊
并将一切诸众生
安顿立定于彼地
（49天内，最好能够每天持诵上述经文，或在你身处的任何地方尽可能持诵所能达致的数量。）
49天后，如果我们想将这项修持作为个人的日常修持，我们也可以继续向大慈大悲观音菩萨进行这简短却富有加持力的祈愿。对于已经往生、正在生病或即将死亡的宠物，我们也可以这么做。若能够每天都对着我们的宠物，或那些正濒临死亡的众生念诵这个心咒，在它们心识中种下印记，那是很好的。
詹杜固仁波切汇编
点击以下链接下载高清观音菩萨图像，和其他佛菩萨图像：https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/downloads/buddha-images.html
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Thank you Rinpoche for teaching us how to help our loved ones when they pass away. This is especially important if our deceased loved one is not a Dharma practitioner.
Whether someone believe in Buddhism, karma or reincarnation, it does not change the fact that karma and reincarnation is a universal rule. Everyone has to take rebirth again and again until we have realised the nature of truth.
The best way to help our loved, of course is to introduce the Dharma to them and let them practice. But if it is not possible, making light offerings and reciting mantra then dedicating the merits to them will be very beneficial for them.
Thank you Rinpoche, Pastors and the blog team, for this most helpful post in this time of personal loss. Having a loved one suddenly pass away most recently, I am grateful for having these prayers and practices to aid and to guide the loved one, and to also quell the sorrows of the practitioner who may feel they were otherwise helpless to benefit the loved one in their time of passing from this life. With the Supplication to the Merciful one, it is possible. Also, knowing His Holiness has conferred this blessed and most precious practice is in addition a jewel to behold and to bestow unto others in their time of need.
The Four-Arm Avalokitesvhara image at the beginning of this article was foreign to me about a year plus ago but I have grown to love this form very much. This divine image is now the first image that comes to mind when I open my eyes. Besides the stunningly impeccable iconography, Avalokiteshvara is the embodiment of compassion and loving kindness. His image, mantra and prayer text is a reminder for us to develop qualities of Bodhicitta to benefit others and ourselves. Therefore, making sincere supplication to this supreme Bodhisattva on behalf of our deceased loved ones is truly an act of compassion. Thank you, Rinpoche for this teaching.
Thank you Rinpoche for this profound teachings ….. very useful. I am sure many of us do not know what to do at times when our beloved ones or our pets passed away. With Rinpoche teachings and guidance we could have a proper way to do the last ritual for the deceased . I am glad to come across this article which definitely help all of us in near future. That’s the best we can do for the deceased, at least now I know what to do .
This is a beautiful and short prayer such that those who are not conversant with long and complicated rituals can do daily for their beloved deceased. I am glad that I found it on this website and can share with many of the older generation who are truly unfamiliar with many Buddhist rituals. This will greatly ease their burden and sense of helplessness and loss at the crucial times, enabling them to have a clearer mind. This, too will ensure that they do not distress themselves further and have such emotions communicated to all around them. We all need to say our good byes properly for us to have acceptance and be able to move forward.
Thank you, Rinpoche for being there for us by having teachings like this to help ease our minds at the time of our loss and also enable us to help others in such situations too.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing such a short, simple yet powerful practice with us, to guide the family members who at times will definitely need this when our beloved ones have passed/ are passing.
I reckon that for this prayer to work and help the deceased will be us having full trust and sincere motivation, invoke the blessings of the all compassionate one Avalokitesvara to guide the deceased. Prayers will definitely be heard and assisted when the motivation is correct. This will definitely be a helpful prayer especially when one doesn’t have much resources to spend for the funerals and rituals. A sincere prayer hoping the deceased to take rebirth in a good place with the blessings of Avalokitesvara will definitely help.
Thank you Rinpoche for passing on to us such beautiful and powerful prayer.
With folded hands
Candice Loke
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this simple prayer for the deceased and also those who are sick. Sometimes we may not even not what to do during those times without proper guidance.
Appreciate Rinpoche for always guiding us the right and easy prayer to follow. Prayer and puja is so important for the deceased in order for them to have a good and swift rebirth.
Thank you Rinpoche for the precious sharing.
When someone passed away we do not know what is the first thing we need to do or what prayers to recite for the deceased.
With the above teachings and now that I’m involved in puja house I am able to do what is needed to do. This is very important information as this is the last thing that I can do for the deceased and not feeling helpless.
To know that by reciting mantras can benefit the deceased to have a good rebirth is a consolation to the family as well.
Thank you Rinpoche for compiling the prayer text too.
Jill Yam
Thank you Rinpoche for this invaluable post which is a timely reminder for me of the things that can be done for the deceased and another avenue to exercise compassion. Instead of feeling helpless and sad when faced with death of a loved one, with this knowledge and method, there is a better avenue to channel our attention to which would also be of more benefit for the deceased.
My beloved dog had passed on her bed this afternoon, of course inside me feeling sad but for this moment need to be calm to complete things that more urgent and important for deceased one. Appreciate rinpoche this blog post to guide and advise when needed most. Thank you very much! My dog now has the blessing from Avalokitesvara in coming 49 days for her better rebirth and her onwards journey.
谢谢仁波切。这片文章给于穷人的身后事很大的帮助因为要请僧人做法事也要花不少钱。亲属诵经不但能够给亡者超度而诵经者也能累积功德。真是太棒了。
Thank you Rinpoche for compiling this prayer for us to recite on the passing of a loved one or a pet. I will print this and get many copies to give to people.
Thank you for being always so compassionate and for seeing that this prayer answers the needs of people in times of such crisis.
Dear Rinpoche, my beloved elder brother had passed away recently.
I recited Om Mani Peme Hung and protector mantras 10 malas each and light candles on my Tsongkapa altar for him for 49 days. I also did Menlha, Protector and Lama Chopa pujas for him in Kechara puja house and bereavement pujas at his residence before the funeral. I thanked pastor Yek Yee for putting the mani pill and protector rice into his mouth and use the Lamrim text to touch his forhead, i pray and hope that he can have a swift and good rebirth, i also thanked the puja team who did the pujas for him.
Thanks Rinpoche for the teaching…
We always care for our love one or pets, this is the most correct yet simple steps to help them take a swift rebirth…
Thank you Rinpoche, for the short and simple to follow “ritual” for the deceased. This is really easy for those who are not exposed to the extensive rites.
Dying and death is a great challenger,breaking into our lives – which we try so hard to keep smooth and under control.
It is important to lead the deceased to leave this body with a clear mind. Thank you Rinpoche for your tremendous compassion for this indispensable prayer to benefit the deceased for their journey to their next life.
Thank you Rinpoche for the sharing.
Now we know what we should do when our loved one or pets pass away.
Normally if i saw animal’s remains on the roadside when i drive, i will chant Tara mantra for them.
Thank you
Thank you rinpoche for sharing this useful prayer! It is important to help the deceased soul. By doing above, also helping us to practise kindness without being selective towards only alive human or being. I noticed from some society/communities that some people refuse to get involve because they think this is inauspicious. Now i know why Kechara’s pastors and staffs are always very kind doing bereavement prayer for others, it is because of guidance of Tsem Rinpoche.
Thank you Rinpoche for your compassion and kindness to compile a short prayer yet effective for all of us to dedicate the prayers and blessings to the deceased ones. The explanation and elaboration provided by Rinpoche is clear and simple for us to follow, especially for some of us who are still at the beginner level in spiritual practice. May the Dharma continues to reach to many people who are yet to meet with Dharma and be blessed by the 3 Jewels in their current and future lifetimes.
Thank you for this excellent post, Rinpoche. It gives the living something to do for the deceased instead of feeling helpless and sad. I will save this post as am sure that I may need it in future since death is inevitable.
Thanks for Rinpoche’s sharing. The practice is useful to all of us since death is unavoidable. This is the best we can do to help who we love and care.
This is a very helpful post as death is something we shy away from because we feel helpless in the face of death. With this knowledge and method, we can be helpful and are able to give some useful advise to friends and family at a time as critical as death.
Thank you Rinpoche for compiling and sharing this prayer with us. It helps me a lot especially when my cousin passed away recently. I rush to this post immediately, did the prayer and dedicated the merit to him. I believe this is the best way we can do to express our love for the deceased loved one and I am sure will benefit him on intermediate and next life.
With folded hands,
jeffry william
感谢仁波切慈悲教授我们如何进行有利于离世的親人或動物，得重生于善道之简易法门。這讓我们能幫助須要为失去至亲或宠物的朋友，减轻漸而走出悲伤且痛楚的愛别离苦。
Thank you Rinpoche. I wish I had this teaching when my grandparents passed on. It will greatly benefit them. However, now I know and I can share this out to benefit others.
Thank you Rinpoche
Thank you for this timely and precious advice Rinpoche. My mother-in-law had just passed away recently and I have been reciting 10 malas of the six-syllable mantra and lighting a candle daily to dedicate to her since (advice from our kind and hardworking Pastor Yek Yee). It’s a relief to know we can still do something to benefit the deceased because from their side they can do nothing anymore.
With folded hand,
Susan Liew
Thank you Rinpoche for this posting. I always ask myself what can we do for someone close to us if they passed away. Death can come anytime and can be very sudden. This is really very important to me that to know what to do to help at the last journey for someone close to us. Once again thank you Rinpoche.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for this post. It certainly will help many people and sentient beings during their most critical time. I will print out and carry it with me so that I can use it whenever the need arises.
Rinpoche, may I ask, is the long mantra above also known as the ‘Great Compassion Dharani’?
Thank you.
With folded hands,
Gim Lee
Thank you Rinpoche for this post.
We do hope this mantra will benefit any sick or dying and deceased loved ones and pets.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing what can we do if we want to do the best for deceased/sick/dying person or pet.
Thank you Rinpoche for this post.
I remember 6 years back, when my aunt passed away, I referred to the Essence of Bliss from Kechara and I did the same thing. Especially for someone who is new at that time. I am really happy that I can help my aunt in a spiritual way rather than not doing anything at all.
Whenever I pass by any dead animals, I would also chant and dedicate to them.
Such a wonderful to and priceless way to dedicate the merits to them and everyone can do it because its so easy!
I am most glad this advice has helped you. When someone is passing or passed we don’t know what to do. So this is something that can direct our spiritual energies to the person or pet in concern.