불교 임종교육과 임종행의 검토- 印光의 「臨終三大要」를 중심으로 -

Abstract

Three Essential Points for Dying(Lin-zhong San Da-yao) is a guide to death and dying education which suggests how to comfort a dying person, bring forth right belief, help him or her recite Buddha’s name together, and treat the dying person. The good or bad deeds remain strong in the mind of the person in the dying process. If he calls the good deeds to mind when he is near his end, he will die a peaceful death. If he calls the bad deeds to mind, he will die a painful death. The dying person who loses the vigor is seriously affected by the deeds. Helping him recite Buddha’s name together is needed at this moment. The guidebook emphasizes that the dying person should concentrate his mind on recitation and rebirth in the Pure Land. Reciting Buddha’s name is believing in Amitabha’s long-cherished wishes and the power for the salvation of all creatures. Thus, rebirth in the Buddha Land is possible when Other-power of Amitabha and Self-power of prayer coincide. The death and dying education of Buddhism should include the attitudes about death of a dying person and the family members including the relatives and the specific rituals in the dying process. The guidebook helps the dying person overcome the fear of mortality by expanding the possibilities of salvation based on the faith in the Pure Land until the last moment and suggests how for the family members to join the religious or sacred death rituals. During the rituals, the dying person and the family realize that death is a process of life and the last moment of this life which determines next life. In this point of view, we can obtain important lessons and find the way from the guidebook for making the death and dying education of Buddhism and Buddhist rituals more practical.