Friday, January 22, 2010

Buddhist Funeral Rituals And Their Significances

By June Parks

The basic teachings of the Buddha form the core of the Buddhist religion which is practiced in many countries all over the globe today. This religion requires love and mercy for man, as well as realization of the Ultimate Truth.

These Buddhist traditions are apparent in the rites seen in a Buddhist funeral. When a Buddhist person passes, to make sure that their soul gets to a higher level in their next life, mandatory rituals should be followed. Prayers are used to invoke the good energies of the deceased, ensuring his or her deliverance from this life and wishing them the best for their next life.

A traditional bath to the deceased marks the start of the Buddhist funeral rituals. Buddhist monks read out from religious text, which are believed to give the deceased the right guidance to achieve spiritual freedom. The Buddha's teachings, which talk about the value of practising virtue and compassion in life, are recited aloud. The body is meanwhile made ready for the final rituals. Friends and family members often place some coins in the casket of the deceased person. This is for enabling the deceased to pay and go across the River of Three Hells.

The casket is then placed before the altar at home for the loved ones to pay their final respects. The relatives and friends give condolences to the deceased's family, while the visitors pray for his soul. Monks who perform the rites continue to chant the appropriate sutras. After the chanting is over, people present at the ceremony bow at the altar. After the ceremony, the family members of the departed give out gifts to the visitors for sharing their grief.

Once these rituals are completed, the family members can decide to either bury or cremate the body based on their family customs. The rites and rituals are a way of bringing peace and acceptance to the family of the departed as they know their prayer offerings are directed towards elevating the status of the departed in his life after death.

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