“Death Is a Living Process” : The Mate Moce Guide to Serving the Dying

“Death Is a Living Process”

The Mate Moce Guide to Serving the
Dying

A Practical Resource for Practitioners of the Way of Adidam
Based on the Wisdom-Teaching of The Divine World-Teacher, Ruchira
Avatar Adi Da Samraj

Prepared by the Staff of Mate Moce,
the Death and Dying Ministry of the Eleutherian Pan-Communion of
Adidam

©2000 The Da Love-Ananda Samrajya
Pty Ltd.,

as trustee for The Da Love-Ananda
Samrajya.

Only edition: 2000
ISBN 1-57097-085-8
Produced by the Ruchirasala of Adidam
in cooperation with the Dawn Horse Press,
a division of the Eleutherian Pan-Communion of Adidam

CONTENTS

ABOUT THE MATE MOCE MINISTRY

INTRODUCTION

PART ONE: PREPARING FOR THE DEATH
TRANSITION

Death Is a Necessary Process
     A Talk by Ruchira Avatar
Adi Da Samraj

Basic Recommendations from Avatar Adi Da
Regarding Death

Preparations All Practitioners of Adidam
Should

Make to Provide Legal Protection

Renunciation in Preparation for
Death

Forgive and Be Forgiven

Practical Care for the Terminally
Ill

Home Care versus Hospital
Care

Financing of Home Care
Deciding When and Whether to Use Health Care
Professionals

Physical Care
Pain Management
Persons in a Coma

PART TWO: SERVING THE DYING

How to Serve the Dying Person
     A Talk by Ruchira Avatar
Adi Da Samraj

Avatar Adi Da’s Formal Instructions for Dying
Practitioners of Adidam

Preparations in Anticipation of the Death of a
Formal Practitioner of Adidam

Preparations in Anticipation of the Death of
Someone Who Is Not a Formal Practitioner of Adidam

Serving My Brother-in-Law’s Passing
     A Leela by Eileen
Mulvihill about Serving Someone Who

     Is Not a Formal
Practitioner of Adidam

Practical Actions to Take When a Devotee Has
Died

Report the Death of a
Devotee

Arrange for the Vigil
Locate the Deceased’s Durable Power of Attorney
for Health Care

Make Arrangements for the Cremation
Keep the Body Undisturbed
Notifying Local Authorities
Prevent Invasive Procedures
Embalming Versus Refrigeration
Use of a Funeral Home
Death of a Child
The Three-Day Vigil
Cremation

Practical Actions to Take When a Devotee Has
Died Unexpectedly

If Death Occurs in a
Hospital

If Death Occurs Outside a Hospital
When to Call a Coroner

Practical Actions Relative to the Unanticipated
Death of

Someone Who Is Not a Devotee

Serving a Death Transition at a
Distance

PART THREE: THE DEATH TRANSITION

What Death May Look Like and How to Serve
These Changes

Mottling of the Skin or Loss of Color
and Sensation from the Hands and Feet of the Dying
Person

Upward Turning of the Eyes
Communications of “Out-of-the-Body”
Experience

The Gradual Subsiding of Outer
Awareness

Fevers and Sweats
Weakening of and/or Difficulty in
Breathing

Signs of Major Organ Failure As Physical Death
Approaches

Moving Out of the Physical Body

Care of a Devotee’s Body after Death

Handling Changes in the Body after
Death

Choosing a Vigil Site
Moving the Body
Preparation of the Body
Preparing the Room
Readings

The Three-Day Vigil

A Note about Ghosts

Grieving

Memorial Services

PART FOUR: LEELAS

The Illness and Transition of Cathy
Lewis

     Told by Her Intimates and
Friends

The Greatest Gift of My Life: The Leela of Hien
Lam’s Passing

     by Carmen
Morrow

“Feel Me Infinitely Above and Shoot Straight to
Me Like an Arrow”

A Leela of Lance Barham ‘s Blessed
Death in the Deathless Company of the Incarnate Divine Person,
AvatarAdi Da Samraj by Deborah Fremont-Smith

PART FIVE: CHILDREN AND DEATH

How to Serve a Child Who Is Dying

How to Serve Children Who Are
Grieving

A Leela of a Child’s Death
     Told by Shawn
Lipscomb

PART SIX: READINGS

Recommended Readings from Avatar Adi Da’s
Wisdom-Teaching

Readings for Children

Attached Readings from Avatar Adi Da’s
Wisdom-Teaching

Da Love-Ananda Gita, verses 49 and
50

Prologue from The Knee Of Listening
“The Secret, or Law, of the Death
Process”

“The Vision of Eternal Life”
“Only Life Overcomes Death”
“Original Light”
Epilogue from Ishta

PART SEVEN: LEGAL DOCUMENTS

Directions for Completing Durable Power
of Attorney for Health Care

Durable Power of Attorney for Health
Care