Are Funeral Rites Honored In Buddhist Tradition?
Whatever spiritual background we all have, sorrow is still a universal feeling when loved ones depart this world. The faith system of an individual should be able to help the individual in this time of sadness and also in accepting the passing away of their loved one.
One of the most widely practised religions on earth, Buddhism derives its main principles from the preaching of the Buddha. Buddhism teaches mercy and universal love for mankind and realization of the Ultimate Truth.
These main principles of Buddhism can be seen in the rituals followed in a Buddhist Funeral. After a person dies in a Buddhist family, some rituals have to be practised in order to ensure that the deceased’s soul is elevated to a higher stage of life after death. The good energies of the deceased are evoked to pray and wish the best for the deceased’s life cycle beyond this birth.
A traditional ablution of the body marks the beginning of the Buddhist funeral rites. The second stage involves presence of monks, who chant from religious scriptures and thereby aid the soul in finding liberation. Then Buddha’s teachings that highlight the significance of kindness and concern are recited aloud by the monks. Meanwhile, the body is made ready for the final rituals. The deceased is normally provided with some money put in his casket by the family members. This is to pay for the dead person’s journey across the River of Three Hells.
Then the friends and family pay their last respects to the dead person as the casket is placed at the altar. The relatives and friends give condolences to the dead person’s family, while the attendees pray for his soul. The proceeding is accompanied with chanting of relevant sutras by the priests. Once the chanting is complete, people bow before the altar to pay their final regards. The family members then thank the attendees for shouldering their grief by distributing gifts to them.
After these rituals are carried out, the deceased may then be either buried or cremated according to the beliefs of the family. The rites and rituals are a way of bringing peace to the family members of the deceased as they know their prayers are aimed at elevating the status of the deceased in his life after death.
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