佛陀有十大名号，其中之一为“善逝”，就是能预知时至，生死自在。善终正是与此相似的美好愿望，希望临命终时身无病痛，心无挂碍，能安详自在地离开人间，而不是突遇横祸或久病在床。
One of Buddha’s ten epithets is Well Gone (Sugata), meaning he could foresee his time of passing and transcend life and death. Good death is a similar aspiration that life can end without physical suffering and mental burdens, allowing one to leave the world peacefully and comfortably, instead of dying in a tragic accident or being bedridden from chronic diseases.
Many people dread death and avoid mentioning it. We know that everyone will eventually die, but in our mind, we unconsciously exclude ourselves from this reality. However, our avoidance will not stop death, nor can our fear change anything. They only make us unprepared when death comes.
佛教史上，很多修行人不仅能预知时至，而且坐脱立亡，潇洒自在，想怎么死就怎么死，为今生画上一个圆满的句号。虽然一般人做不到这样，但能不受折磨地安详离去，于人于己都是很大的福报。所以，古人也把善终作为五福之一。
Spiritual life and hospice care for the elderly are two important topics in China today. We fought tooth and nail in society when we were young, believing that life is all about career, money, and pleasure. However, after retirement, how do we live when our bodies gradually deteriorate and can no longer experience pleasure from material indulgence?
不少人晚年无所事事，既没有信仰，也没有精神生活，几乎就在混吃等死。但因为对死亡的无知，又对这个即将到来的结局充满恐惧。这在中国社会尤其突出。所以，一方面要有精神追求，一方面要正确认识死亡，接受生老病死的规律，老来才能过得充实而安然。
Buddhist hospice care provides spiritual guidance, making individuals aware that this life is but a fragment in the vast river of existence. When the body has served its time, departing from it with the right thoughts is essential to finding an upward path during the transition of life.
作者：济群法师
Excerpted from:
Happiness Comes from the Mind
By Master Jiqun
