[grenier]

Bonjour Lal,
I remember one sutta where Anathapindika is given advice by Ven. Sariputta about how to prepare for death ; he starts telling him to let go your senses…and at the end, your consciousness of consciousness itself:you let go of ”that”, too. As an old man preparing to die (again) well, I really don’t understand why to let go all ”that” and I am aware that there’s a lot of controversy in tradition as to why this was. Could you give me, please, some light about ”that” , Merci, Grenier

[Lal]

Yes. There is a sutta that describes such instructions by Ven. Sariputta to someone at deathbed. I am not sure whether that is to Anathapindika.
– I think Anathapindika was reborn in a Deva realm.
– In the relevant sutta, Ven. Sariputta directed the mind of a dying person to higher and higher Brahma realms progressively. That person was reborn in a Brahma realm.

But that would be possible ONLY IF the dying person has accrued enough merits.
– Some other kamma vipaka could have been blocking him from “accessing” a higher Brahama realm.

Unless one has accrued the necessary merits, even a Buddha cannot help anyone.
– Otherwise, the Buddha would have “saved” everyone from rebirth in apayas.

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Jittananto

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