How Are Funeral Rites Performed In Buddhist Tradition?
The demise of a person, in Buddhist tradition, marks his or her transition from this life to the next. For those who are left behind, the demise of a loved one functions a reminder about the impermanence of everything in this world. The message that the funeral rites aim to share is that the deceased has transitioned to his or her rebirth based on the karmic forces exerting influence.
No matter what spiritual background we all have, grief is still a common feeling when family members die. What the faith system in which the person belongs to can do is assist the grieving person to accept his or her loved one’s passing away.
Buddhism is one of the most popular religions practised across the world. The main principles of the religion are based on the teachings of Lord Buddha. Buddhism calls for mercy and love for mankind and awareness of the Ultimate Truth.
These basic tenets of Buddhism can be seen in the rites practised in a Buddhist Funeral. When death occurs in a Buddhist family, there are some main rites which are followed with the objective of ensuring that the soul of the departed can soar to an elevated level. The positive energies of the deceased are evoked to pray and wish the best for the dead person’s life cycle beyond this birth.
The funeral rituals begin with giving the dead person a traditional wash. Buddhist monks read out from religious scriptures, and these chants are believed to give the soul the right guidance to attain spiritual freedom. The teachings of the Buddha, which speak of the value of practising virtue and compassion in daily life, are recited aloud. Meanwhile, the deceased is prepared for the final journey. The relatives normally place some coins in the casket of the deceased. This is done to pay for the deceased’s journey across the mythical River of Three Hells.
Then the friends and family come and pay their last respects to the dead person as the casket is placed at the altar. The relatives and friends offer condolences to the deceased’s family, while the visitors pray for his soul. The proceeding is accompanied with recitation of relevant sutras by the monks. After the completion of recitals, people attending the ceremony bow at the altar. After the proceedings, the family members of the deceased give out gifts to the attendees for sharing their grief.
The family can decide upon whether to cremate the body or bury it according to their familial customs, once all these important rituals are over. These rituals are meant to enable the family to alleviate their sorrow by offering prayers that will elevate the dead to a higher stage of enlightenment and knowledge.
Death is a sensitive time. Give your deceased loved ones the funerals they deserve with peaceful funeral services. Check here for free reprint licence: How Are Funeral Rites Performed In Buddhist Tradition?.
