Phase 1- ResearchStudio 4

Spring 2017Kendra Clemenson

Buddhism and Hospice Care

Studio 4_Spring 2017_Kendra Clemenson

It was awareness of death that prompted Buddha to explore the truth behind worldly concerns. After a long search, Buddha finally came to the conclusion that death is inevitable.Today, Buddhists look at death as taking a break from this materialistic world. Buddhist people do not think death as a continuation of the soul but consider it as an awakening. They believe in reincarnation: once a person dies on this earth, he will be reborn to a new life here and the status of that life depends on the work he did before his previous death.

Buddhism

Background

According to traditional stories of the life of Buddha, he first decided to leave his home and seek enlightenmentafter encountering the "four sights"

1. a sick person2. an old person3. a corpse4. a world renouncer

The first three symbolize the sufferings of humanity and the last indicates that one can transcend them through meditation and religious practice to find peace.

Basic Buddhist Beliefs

• Everything changes, nothing is permanent, and suffering is inevitable.

• True happiness, enlightenment, and freedom from suffering can be found through Buddhist teachings.

• Death is a natural part of life.• Wisdom and compassion should be refined and practiced.• A spirit is not disappear upon death, but instead transfers

into another life in one of six separate planes (three fortunate and three unfortunate)-Reincarnation and Karma.

• A person’s actions during his lifetime results in karma that determines what form his spirit will be reborn—as a human, an animal, or various forms of spirits, including angels, demons, gods, and ghosts.

Buddhist Death and Funeral Traditions

When Death Is Imminent

When a Buddhist is approaching death, close friends and family members should sit with the dying person and help him or her feel calm and peaceful. Death is a natural and inevitable part of the lifecycle, and the dying person should be at peace with this reality. Friends and family should help the dying person reflect on their good deeds in this life, and the power those good deeds will have over their next incarnation. A small statue of the Buddha may be placed by the head of the dying person and “parittas,” or protective verses, may be chanted. The dying person should be made as comfortable as possible before death occurs.

https://hinamayatantra.wordpress.com/buddha/

After Death Has OccurredAccording to the “Last Rites of Amitabha” the body of the deceased should not be touched, disturbed, or moved in any way because they believe the soul doesn't leave the body immediately after breathing stops.

Preparing The BodyThe body must be completely cold, then it can be washed and prepared for burial or cremation. The deceased should not be dressed in fancy clothes, but rather in the everyday clothes that they would normally wear. Cremation is the most common ritual, but embalming and burying the body is also acceptable.

Funeral Services

Religious memorial services are traditionally held on the third, seventh, forty-ninth, and one-hundredth day after death, howeverthese days can be flexible if they don’t fit into the family’s schedule. The services may be held at a family home or at a monastery. The family may choose to limit the participation to only family members or invite the larger community. “Dana” is performed, which is an act of giving and generosity that purifies the mind.

The Paro Taktsang Palphug Buddhist Monastery (1692)

https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2011/11/a-trip-to-bhutan/100191/

Funeral Services• A funeral service may be performed before burial or

cremation. Also a memorial service can be performed after cremation. In all funeral variations should be simple, solemn, and dignified. The funeral is not an appropriate time to display wealth. Mourners should wear white.

• For the funeral or memorial service, the casket or cremated remains should be placed at the front of the room with an altar placed nearby. At the wake, the altar may feature an image of the deceased, an image of the Buddha, candles, flowers, fruit, and incense. Any flowers or wreaths given to the family of the deceased by mourners may also be displayed. When entering the space, mourners should approach the altar, bow with their hands pressed together in a pose of prayer, and reflect at the altar for a moment. Then they may sit.

http://tri140.50webs.com/rituals/buddhist_funeral.html

http://tri140.50webs.com/rituals/buddhist_funeral.html

http://tri140.50webs.com/rituals/buddhist_funeral.html

Contemplative Practices involving, allowing or causing deep thought

-meditation

-deep listening

-contemplative arts

-journaling

-centering

-yoga

http://www.contemplativemind.org

Meditation

to engage in mental exercise (as concentration on one's breathing or repetition of a mantra-repeated word or sound) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness

http://aboutmeditation.com/beginners-guide-to-meditation-tips-benefits-techniques/

Deep Listening

Deep Listening involves listening, from a deep, receptive, and caring place in oneself, to deeper and often subtler levels of meaning and intention. This can include listening to music, stories, prayers, guided practices, etc.

http://www.contemplativemind.org/practices/tree/centering

Journaling

Writing in a journal is a good way to write with some freedom, with little to no judgment. Ajournal can help one manage the ability to live in the present, to become deeply aware and appreciative of life.

http://www.contemplativemind.org/practices/tree/journaling

CenteringCentering practice is especially helpful in the midst of strong emotional states such as excitement or anxiety. The “center” refers to a relaxed yet focused state of mind. It helps the individual feel stable and prepared before a potentially stressful event. Common centering practices include:

• Count numbers, such as counting down from 10• Repeat a word or phrase, such as a prayer or affirmation• Smile and relaxing your body• Go for a walk; get out into a different environment• Stretch• Close your eyes and breathe deeply• Concentrate on breathing, such as breathing out for a count of 8 and in for a count

of 4• Count your breaths• Doodle or write• Carry or place near yourself a visual reminder to stay centered, such as a quote or

image• Use sound to bring yourself back to your center. Periodically ring a bell, chime, or

other gentle reminder.

http://www.contemplativemind.org/practices/tree/centering

Yoga

Yoga is a Hindu spiritual disciplineincluding breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures It is practiced for health and relaxation.Contemplative Yoga is a gentle, therapeutically oriented style of yoga. As your physical tensions diminish, you naturally enter into a state of greater mental ease and tranquility

http://www.contemplativemind.org/practices/tree/yoga

Contemplative Practice Centers

http://www.contemplativemind.org/

http://zencare.org/

PrecedentsHospice Centers/Training/Projects

http://zencare.org/

New York Zen Center For Contemplative Care

Twenty-six hundred years ago Shakyamuni Buddha established a practice to address suffering, old age, sickness, and death. In 2007, Zen Buddhist monks Koshin Paley Ellison and Robert Chodo Campbell established the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, in the heart of New York City.

Website: http://zencare.org/Address: 119 W 23rd St. Ste 401, New York, NY 10011

Zen Hospice ProjectWebsite: https://www.zenhospice.org/Address: 273 Page St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Mission:Our mission is to help change the experience of dying and care giving. We create space for living that offers the opportunity for individuals, their loved ones and caregivers to find comfort, connection, and healing in this shared human experience. Through our pioneering model of care, we inspire each other to live fully.

Upaya Zen Center

Upaya is a Zen Buddhist practice and educational center dedicated to the development of the relationship between traditional Buddhism and compassionate engagement with our world.

Website: https://www.upaya.org/Address: 1404 Cerro Gordo Rd, Santa Fe, NM 87501

Mahayana TempleWebsite: http://en.mahayana.us/

Address: 133 Canal St, New York, NY 10002

The Eastern States Buddhist Temple of America, Inc., found in 1962, is the oldest Chinese Buddhist temple on the eastern coast of the United States. The Temple was initially founded to fulfill the needs of Chinese Buddhists in the greater New York area

Site- The New Yorker Hotel

Website: https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/wyndham/new-york-new-york/wyndham-new-yorker-hotel/overview?CID=LC:WY:20160927:RIO:Local

Address: 481 8th Ave, New York, NY 10001

Site Pictures

Site Pictures

Site Pictures

Floor Plan

Floor Plan Diagram

Sources

http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zfts4wx/revision/3

http://en.mahayana.us/

https://www.upaya.org/

http://www.contemplativemind.org/practices

http://www.zenhospice.org/

https://www.everplans.com/articles/buddhist-funeral-traditions

https://www.everplans.com/articles/buddhist-funeral-traditions

http://zencare.org/

https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/wyndham/new-york-new-york/wyndham-new-yorker-hotel/overview?CID=LC:WY:20160927:RIO:Local