In religion, there are some ways to help those who are dead. In Brahmanism, they perform sacrifice for the good of the departed one, Preta. There were some materialists who criticize that practice saying that as there is no future life, it is useless to perform meritorious activities and try to transfer merits. But in other religions, there are some practices. In the Theravada Buddhism, the transference of merit is undertaken.
Once, the King Bimbisāra performed the alms-giving for the Buddha and His disciples. On that very night, some relations of the King appeared in the dream and showed him their plight and requested to perform good activities and transfer merit. The King could not understand the problem and he went to the Buddha and consulted Him how to help his dead relations. The Buddha preached the Tirokuṭṭa-sutra and advised the King how to help his relations.
In Mahāyāna, especially Vaijrayāna, they also have special sutra preached by the Buddha and translated from Sanskrit by venerable Dharmarakṣa. Venerable Moggalyāna was able to develop the spiritual attainment and become an Arahant. As soon as he became an Arahant, he wanted to find out where his mother was staying after her death. He was disappointment when he found out what happened. He found she had been born in the realm of a hungry ghost.read more
Hence, he became very worry and rushed to his mother with the bowl of food and tried to feed her. However much he tried, he could not do it because as soon as the food touched the body of his mother, it turned into charcoal. Therefore he went to the Buddha and asked to help his mother. The Buddha said as she had done some grave offences that was the condition she has to suffer. However much he had filial piety, he could not help her. The Buddha asked him to perform religious activities and transfer merit to her. The instruction given by the Buddha to help venerable Moggalyāna’s mother is found in the Ullambana-sutra.
At once time, the Buddha was staying in Sāvasthi in the Jeta Park in the garden of Anāthapindika. Venerable Sariputta was able to attain Arahant-hood and other spiritual qualities as soon as he was successful. Once, he went to arm round when he came back his monastery. On the way, he saw a hungry ghost as he wanted to offer a hungry ghost.
But he saw a hungry ghost had been born in the realm of hungry ghost where no food or drink was available. So venerable Sariputta reached to help her with the bowl of food to feed her, but he could not do it. So he consulted with the Buddha who advised him to offer Sangha and transfer merit to her. It is said this was done accordingly. After that, venerable Sariputta asked the Buddha in the case of other what to do. So the Buddha said others also can perform good activities in the name of their relations and friends and transfer merit. The practice is now continuing in Buddhist countries with some differences.
Reported By Ven.Punnavamsa
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