Funeral Empowerment?

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NeonPhoenixNeko
Posts: 70
Joined: Wed Jan 30, 2019 11:55 pm

Funeral Empowerment?

Post by NeonPhoenixNeko »

:buddha1:

Hi! I only became Buddhist last year, but I always admired the Buddhist funeral services of Japan ever since I was young, and it's partly what interested me strangely. Now, I have told my close family that if possible I would like to have a Buddhist funeral, and upon inspection the Vairocana's Lasso Light Mantra ceremony Shingon performs seems to be the most resonant with me.

Here is the scriptural details from the sutra (Taisho 1002 I believe?)

Vairochana tathagata, teaches the mother dharani seal samaya supernormal cognition dharma section. and this constitutes the first chapter. If there are in the past all ten evils, the five heinous crimes and the four grave crimes and many offenses, as ash in this way they are gotten rid of. If there are sentient beings, that in accord to their situation can hear this great water consecration light mantra, two, three, or seven times in this way with their auditory faculty, they will then be able to remove all hindrances of harmful behavior. If all sentient beings have committed the ten evils, the five heinous crimes, and the four grave crimes and many offenses, just like the tiny particles that fill this world, at the disintegration of the body and end of ones life they will go through many evil migrations. With this mantra empower some sand one-hundred and eight times. Scatter this in the cemetery above the corpse. If scattered on the grave, scatter it over all of the grave of the dead person. If in the hell realms, if in the hungry ghost realm, if in the Asura realm, if in the animal realm, with the All Unerring Tathagatas, Unerring Vairocana Tathgata's True Original Vow Great Water Consecration Light Mantra's supernormal cognition power, empower the sand with power. They should at that time then obtain radiance as well as a body free from all retribution for evil acts, abandoning the body of suffering, and abide in the western land of ultimate bliss, with lotus flowers that arise miraculously up to enlightenment from which you cannot again fall. Again there are sentient beings that continuously year after year are paralyzed yellow with sickness, vexation, suffering being punished by the full gamut. These people are sick from prior lives karmic retribution. In front of the sick person, for one, two or three days, every day, with a loud voice recite this mantra one thousand and eight times. Then the obstacles of karmic illness will be removed. If there are demons or troublesome spirits that cause one to loose their voice and then are unable to speak, hold this mantra, empowering the hand one hundred and eight times, then rub their head and face. With the hand place it over their heart and head, empowering them one thousand and eighty times.

Now, I am very serious about this. Would I need an empowered Vajrayana practictioner / Tibetan Lama / Shingon monk to perform this ritual? My family is quite poor so I am unsure if they would be able to travel to a country with a Shingon temple, (I am in Canada), although there are plenty of gurus in Toronto belonging to tibetan lineage. Could it have effectiveness if it were to be done by non-buddhists? Can this 'empowering' of the sand and whatnot be done by anyone with a sincere heart?

Any advice greatly appreciated, this is a very important matter to myself!
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Aemilius
Posts: 4604
Joined: Sat Mar 27, 2010 11:44 am

Re: Funeral Empowerment?

Post by Aemilius »

all beings are heirs to their deeds
their happiness and unhappiness depend on their deeds (of body, speech and mind)
their happiness and unhappiness do not depend on my wishes

(from Meditation on Equanimity or Upeksha)
svaha
"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Sarvē mānavāḥ svatantrāḥ samutpannāḥ vartantē api ca, gauravadr̥śā adhikāradr̥śā ca samānāḥ ēva vartantē. Ētē sarvē cētanā-tarka-śaktibhyāṁ susampannāḥ santi. Api ca, sarvē’pi bandhutva-bhāvanayā parasparaṁ vyavaharantu."
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1. (in english and sanskrit)
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