Chitika

onsdag 20 januari 2010

Buddhist Funerals - Significance And Customs

By Andrei Tan

A Buddhist funeral consists of elaborate last rites carried out according to sacred customs and traditions. The funeral ceremony, according to Buddhism, symbolizes the setting free of the deceased's soul, which was trapped in the futility of existence, and its quest for a new life after death.

In a typical Buddhist funeral, the body of the departed is cremated and Buddhist monks in the presence of family members carry out the funeral rites. The underlying positive energies are freed from the soul by the chanting of appropriate sutras by monks who read from the holy scriptures. To prevent any decay in case of a late cremation, the deceased's body is prepared cautiously while the chanting is going on. After bathing the body, it is put in a casket with candles, bouquets, fragrant incense and a photograph of the deceased person.

If the funeral is delayed by some days for distant relatives to bid their final goodbyes, the monks visit the deceased person's residence daily and recite sutras from the Abhidharma, an important Buddhist holy scripture.

On the day of the funeral, Buddhist monks perform the final rituals and their head monk delivers a short speech in honour of the dead person highlighting his contributions in life and comforting the aggrieved relatives that death is inevitable. During the final religious chanting and ceremony, the coffin is wrapped in white clothing and a rite of conveying blessings and positive energies to the deceased's soul, referred to as 'Pansakula' is carried out.

Just before cremation, a member of the family or a near and dear one is requested to make a brief speech about the deceased person. Following the cremation, a special meal is organized for the people assembled at the funeral.

Some alterations in the specific rituals may be found in various cultures, but these are the key rituals followed during a Buddhist funeral in many countries like China, Thailand, and Tibet by the followers of the religion.

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