Preparing for Death and Helping the Dying

have stopped breathing. Remember that the cessation
of the breath is not the sign of death according
to Buddhism. That is only the fourth of the eight
stages of the death process, and the actual point of
death, when the consciousness leaves the body, is
after the eighth stage.
How long does it take for the person to get to
that stage after they have stopped breathing? That is
not certain—it depends on various factors such as
the cause of death (for example, if the person was
badly injured in a car accident, the consciousness
might leave sooner than in the case of a natural
death), and the state of the person’s mind (an experienced
meditator would be able to stay in the eighth
stage, the clear light state, longer than someone with
little or no meditation experience.)
So how can we know when the person has actually
died? According to the Tibetan tradition, there
are several signs indicating that the consciousness has
left the body: the heat of the heart ceases, a smell
begins to emanate from the body, and a small
amount of fluid will be emitted either from the
nostrils or the sexual organ. So it is best to leave the
body undisturbed until these signs occur, which
could be several hours or even several days after the
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