Death

Pray even at the moment of death.

GI:  Ogihara Sugi 21-1

Why should one pray at the moment of death?  What benefit will prayers have when our life is coming to an end?  It may seem that praying will not do any good because we will be losing our physical body.  The fact is that we will have a life even after our physical form has disappeared.  Our spiritual life will continue after death as a divine Mitama spirit.

When we die, our spirit is freed from our physical body and reunited with Kami.  We call this spirit the Mitama.  The Mitama is the essence or soul of a deceased person which contains his or her sincerest prayers, hopes and desires.  Even after our physical passing, the Mitama continues to live here in the same universe we live in today.  We will never go to a heaven or hell.

As a Mitama spirit continuing life here in this world, we still need to receive the blessings of Tenchi Kane No Kami.  We still need Kami's protection and guidance to find true spiritual happiness, and we still need Kami's wisdom and love to receive divine virtue and help others.  That is why Konko Daijin told us the importance of prayer even at the moment of death.  Our relationship with Kami is constant and eternal.