Thursday, 31 December 2009

What Is The Relevance Of The Rites In A Buddhist Funeral

By Danny Wong

One of the most widespread religions on earth, Buddhism derives its main principles from the preaching of the Buddha. People who practise Buddhism are expected to display boundless love for all and try to realize the Ultimate Truth.

Buddhist funeral rites are also based upon these basic principles of the religion. After the death of a person in a Buddhist family, certain rites have to be followed in order to ensure that the departed soul is elevated to a higher stage in afterlife. Prayers are chanted calling upon the good energies associated with the dead person for his or her ultimate deliverance from this life cycle.

The first stage in funeral rituals is that of giving the body a traditional wash. The second stage entails invitation of monks, who chant from religious scriptures and thereby help the soul in finding eternity. The monks recite those sermons of Lord Buddha that talk about the significance of practising mercy and kindness. In the meantime, the body is prepared for the last journey. The relatives normally place some coins in the casket along with the deceased. This is for enabling the dead person 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 respects. While friends and relatives give condolences, visitors are expected to pray for the dead person. The ceremony is accompanied with chanting of relevant sutras by the monks. Once the chanting is complete, people bow at the altar to pay their last respects. As the visitors begin leaving, the family members present a gift to each other to display gratitude for sharing their sorrow.

After these rituals are carried out, the body may then be either buried or cremated in accordance with the beliefs of the family members. In all, the rites aim to bring a sense of acceptance and peace to the bereaved family while praying in order to elevate the dead to a higher state of knowledge and enlightenment.

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