The-Tibetan-Book-of-Living-and-Dying

HELPING AFTER DEATH 307sponsor works of art related to spiritual practice. Anothermethod of helping the dead, especially favored in Tibet andthe Himalayas, is to save the lives of animals due to beslaughtered, and release them again into freedom.It is important to dedicate all the merit and well-being thatspring from any such acts of kindness and generosity to thedead person, and in fact to all those who have died, so thateveryone who has died may obtain a better rebirth and favorablecircumstances in their next life.THE CLAIRVOYANCE OF THE DEAD PERSONRemember, the clairvoyant consciousness of the person inthe bardo of becoming is seven times clearer than in life. Thiscan bring them either great suffering or great benefit.So it is essential that after someone you love has died, youare as aware as possible in all your behavior, so as not to disturbor hurt them. For when the dead person returns to thoseleft behind, or those invited to practice on their behalf, they areable, in their new state of being, not only to see what is goingon but to read minds directly. If relatives are only schemingand quarreling about how to divide up their possessions, onlytalking and thinking of attachment and aversion, with no reallove for the dead person, this can cause them intense anger andhurt or disillusion, and they will then be drawn by these turbulentemotions into an unfortunate rebirth.For example, imagine if a dead person saw spiritual practitionerssupposedly practicing for him but with no sincerethought in their minds for his benefit, and with their mindspreoccupied with trivial distractions; the dead person couldlose any faith he might ever have had. Imagine too if a deadperson had to watch her loved ones distraught and helplesswith grief; it could plunge her into deep grief also. And if adead person were to discover, for example, that relatives onlymade a show of loving her because of her money, she couldbecome so painfully disillusioned that she returned as a ghostto haunt the inheritor of her wealth. You can see now thatwhat you do and how you think and how you behave afterpeople have died can be of crucial importance, and have a fargreater impact on their future than you can possibly imagine. 2You will see now why it is absolutely essential for thepeace of mind of the dead person that those who are leftbehind should be harmonious. This is why, in Tibet, when allthe friends and relatives of the dead person assembled, they