Terminal Illness & Dying: The Stages According to Tibetan Beliefs

For families caring for a terminally ill loved one, finding a balance during this highly emotional period is often challenging. With the physical and financial dynamics come the associated emotional toll the dying process has on not only the individual who is afflicted but also those who care about them.

For those of Buddhist belief, there is a Tibetan belief process for dying which is often used as a source of emotional strength during the dying process for all involved. Believing the dissolution of our bodies is directly connected to the elements of the five elements, family members and loved ones find strength in the belief process of Buddhism. In fact, under this process, an individual who simply ceases to breathe is not considered dead, but instead, in a process of dissolution, only half way through the eight step realm.

In the first step of the Tibetan Buddhist process of dissolution, the individual, diagnosed with terminal illness, is said to begin a giving away process, also known as "earth giving way to water". In this first process, the dying patient will often experience a natural deterioration in bones, muscles, nails, hair and will begin to lose some of their mental and physical faculties. It is during this period, oftentimes, that family members and loved ones become more emotionally involved in the dying process which only further exacerbates the complications of the dying patient. For this reason, during this first phase of dissolution, it is recommended that the terminally ill patient be exposed to as little emotional input as possible.

In the second step of dissolution, the Tibet belief process the body moves from a watering down phase into the creation of smoke, also known as "water to fire" process. This is the period when the terminally ill individual may experience an overwhelming sense of dehydration as the body begins to shut down and bodily fluids, such as lymph, saliva and blood, begin to become more sparse. During this period, family and loved ones can assist in the care of a terminally ill patient by providing ice chips and support as the swallowing mechanism becomes more difficult.