<p>In Anapanasati, awareness of breathing.  Buddha mentioned that it is possible to focus on breathing until the last breath is drawn and when there is no more breath, there is no place for conciseness to exist (consciousness cannot exist without one of 4 skandhas).  And when no longer have consciousness to count as self, name/form ends.. and so on  </p>

<p>The problem is counting as self is that will go on and continue to count other consciousness out there and calls it as self, thus rebirth.  the definition of sattanam is not easy to understand.  Technically, there is nothing to transmigrate but the dilution of self.   Thats how i understand it.  </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-06T16:48:03.380Z
2018-08-06T16:59:36.440Z
2018-08-06T16:59:36.440Z
brody
<p>"Death" ("marana") means the death of the idea of a "person" or "self"; as defined in SN 12.2, which refers to the death of "beings" ("satta"). "Satta" is merely a "view" or "idea" (SN 23.2; SN 5.10). </p>

<p>For the untrained mind, this "death" is traumatic &amp; brings suffering. But for the trained mind, when the mind experiences "Emptiness" ("Sunnata"), this is also includes experiencing the death of the "self-idea" but in a peaceful way (which is why Emptiness is not called "death"). </p>

<p>"Conscious death" occurs via the experience of the Empty Mind; free from all "self-views". </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-06T21:10:35.263Z
2018-08-06T21:10:35.263Z
Dhamma Dhatu
<p>Lets keep the rebirth concepts aside for a moment.</p>

<p>Is there a way we can die consciously? (i.e.) Being aware of our death.
And can we still meditate after death without a human body?</p>

<p>If yes, then in what thing we concentrate on. Let's say we are on concentrating on breath while we are alive. But after death we don't have breath and also we don't have any bodily sensations too...</p>

<p>What happens to the awareness after death, Does it still exist? Is the awareness eternal? Is the after life awareness is called soul? Do we need a human body to meditate?? </p>

<p>I suddenly feel weird getting this idea? So is there any concepts based on this???</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-06T12:53:26.773Z
Do you want to ask for the doctrine of any specific school of Buddhism? SFAIK some schools hold that rebirth happens immediately (or e.g. on the next thought-moment), others that there's an intermediate state e.g. *bardo*.
ChrisW
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2018-08-06T13:09:55.257Z
Its like an intermediate state between death and rebirth.
RBK
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-08-06T16:49:23.153Z
I think the doctrine that there *is* any intermediate state is more Tibetan than Theravada -- for a little more on that see for example [How to die professionally?](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/26282/254)
ChrisW
<vipassana><meditation><meditation-practicalities><meditation-insight><meditation-effects>
Conscious death and afterlife meditation
# Conscious death and afterlife meditation

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-08-06)

Lets keep the rebirth concepts aside for a moment.

Is there a way we can die consciously? (i.e.) Being aware of our death.
And can we still meditate after death without a human body?

If yes, then in what thing we concentrate on. Let's say we are on concentrating on breath while we are alive. But after death we don't have breath and also we don't have any bodily sensations too...

What happens to the awareness after death, Does it still exist? Is the awareness eternal? Is the after life awareness is called soul? Do we need a human body to meditate??

I suddenly feel weird getting this idea? So is there any concepts based on this???

**Tags:** vipassana, meditation, meditation-practicalities, meditation-insight, meditation-effects

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Do you want to ask for the doctrine of any specific school of Buddhism? SFAIK some schools hold that rebirth happens immediately (or e.g. on the next thought-moment), others that there's an intermediate state e.g. *bardo*.  
> **username_0**: Its like an intermediate state between death and rebirth.  
> **username_1**: I think the doctrine that there *is* any intermediate state is more Tibetan than Theravada -- for a little more on that see for example [How to die professionally?](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/26282/254)  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-08-06. Score: 1

In Anapanasati, awareness of breathing. Buddha mentioned that it is possible to focus on breathing until the last breath is drawn and when there is no more breath, there is no place for conciseness to exist (consciousness cannot exist without one of 4 skandhas). And when no longer have consciousness to count as self, name/form ends.. and so on

The problem is counting as self is that will go on and continue to count other consciousness out there and calls it as self, thus rebirth. the definition of sattanam is not easy to understand. Technically, there is nothing to transmigrate but the dilution of self. Thats how i understand it.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2018-08-06. Score: 0

"Death" ("marana") means the death of the idea of a "person" or "self"; as defined in SN 12.2, which refers to the death of "beings" ("satta"). "Satta" is merely a "view" or "idea" (SN 23.2; SN 5.10).

For the untrained mind, this "death" is traumatic & brings suffering. But for the trained mind, when the mind experiences "Emptiness" ("Sunnata"), this is also includes experiencing the death of the "self-idea" but in a peaceful way (which is why Emptiness is not called "death").

"Conscious death" occurs via the experience of the Empty Mind; free from all "self-views".


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