Sacred Buddhist Funeral Rites And Their Significances
The Buddhist religion is practiced all over the world, the essense of which is taken from the primary teachings of the Buddha. Mercy and love for people and recognition of the Ultimate truth are required in Buddhism.
Buddhist funerals show these teachings of Buddhism. When a person in a Buddhist family passes, there are certain mandatory rites to be followed, in order to make sure that the his or her soul gets promoted to a higher level. 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 the next life.
A traditional ablution of the body marks the start of the Buddhist funeral rites. The second stage involves presence of monks, who read out religious texts and thereby assist the dead in finding liberation. The teachings of the Buddha, which talk of the value of goodness and compassion in daily life, are read aloud. Meanwhile, the body is prepared for the final rites. Friends and family members usually keep some money in the casket of the dead person. This is done to pay for the dead person’s journey across the mythical River of Three Hells.
Then the friends and relatives pay their last respects to the dead person as the casket is placed at the altar. While friends and relatives offer condolences, attendees are expected to pray for the deceased. The monks carrying out the rites keep chanting the sutras as the proceedings move on. Everyone present have to bow before the altar when this chanting is over. After the ceremony, the family members of the deceased give out gifts to the attendees for sharing their grief.
After these rituals are carried out, the body may then be either buried or cremated according to the beliefs of the family members. These rituals are meant to allow the family to overcome their grief by offering prayers that will raise the deceased to a higher pedestal of enlightenment and knowledge.
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