The Significance Of Funeral Rites In Buddhist Tradition
When a family member passes away, an individual is not immune to grief no matter what her or his religious belief is. The faith system in which a person belongs to can offer a ritual of letting go in order to assist those who are left behind to come to terms with a loved one’s demise.
The fundamental teachings of Lord Buddha form the crux of the Buddhist religion which is the main religion in several nations of the world today. Buddhism teaches compassion and love for mankind and realization of the Ultimate Truth.
These main tenets of Buddhism are reflected in the rituals practised during a Buddhist funeral. When death occurs in a Buddhist family, there are some basic rituals which are followed with the purpose of ensuring that the deceased’s soul can soar to an elevated level. Prayers are chanted invoking the good energies associated with the dead person for his or her deliverance from this life cycle.
The funeral rites begin with giving the deceased a traditional ablution. The second stage entails invitation of monks, who read out religious texts and thereby aid the deceased in finding eternity. The monks read out those teachings of Lord Buddha that talk about the importance of practising compassion and kindness. Meanwhile, the body is prepared for the last journey. The relatives usually place some money in the casket of the deceased. This is for helping the deceased to pay and wade across the River of Three Hells.
Then the casket is displayed to the family and friends to enable them to pay their final respects by putting it at the altar. The relatives and friends offer condolences to the dead person’s family, while the visitors pray for his soul. The proceeding is accompanied with recitation of relevant sutras by the monks. Once the recital is complete, people bow before the altar to pay their final regards. After the proceedings, the family members of the deceased distribute gifts to the attendees for sharing their grief.
Once these rituals are done, the deceased may then be either cremated or buried in accordance with the beliefs of the family. In all, the rituals aim 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 enlightenment.
Death is a sensitive time. After all, funeral present the family with a need to transition into moving on with life. Get the best caskets for your loved one’s burial.
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