Thursday, January 21, 2010

The Significance Of Rituals In A Buddhists Funeral

By Danny Wong

Buddhism is one of the most widespread religions practised across the world. The main principles of the religion have been derived from the teachings of Lord Buddha. People who practise Buddhism are expected to show unconditional love for all and try to attain the Ultimate Truth.

Buddhist funeral rites are also based upon these fundamental tenets of the religion. After a person dies in a Buddhist family, certain rites have to be followed in order to make sure that the deceased's soul rises to a higher stage of life after death. Prayers are made invoking the good energies associated with the dead person for his or her deliverance from this cycle of life.

A traditional ablution of the body marks the start of the Buddhist funeral rites. The next stage involves presence of monks, who chant from religious texts and thereby aid the deceased in finding eternity. The monks read out those teachings of Lord Buddha that talk about the significance of practising mercy and kindness. Meanwhile, the deceased is made ready for the final rites. Friends and family often keep some money in the casket of the dead person. This is to pay for the deceased's journey across the mythical River of Three Hells.

The casket is then placed before the altar at home for the loved ones to pay their respects. The relatives and friends offer condolences to the deceased's family, while the attendees pray for his soul. Priests who perform the rituals continue to chant the appropriate sutras. After the completion of recitals, people attending the ceremony bow at the altar. After the proceedings, the family members of the departed give out gifts to the attendees for sharing their sorrow.

Once these rituals are over, the family can decide to bury or cremate the body based on their family beliefs. In all, the rituals try to bring a sense of acceptance and peace to the bereaved family while praying to promote the departed to a higher stage of knowledge and realization.

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