What Is The Relevance Of The Rituals In A Buddhist Funeral
Buddhism is one of the most popular religions practised extensively across the world. The main tenets of the religion are based on the teachings of Lord Buddha. Buddhism involves quest for the Ultimate Truth as well as a sense of compassion and true love for every living being.
Buddhist funeral rituals also rely on these basic tenets of the religion. There are certain mandatory rites that have to be followed during the funeral of a dead person. These rites are aimed at ensuring that the deceased is elevated to a higher stage. The positive energies of the deceased are evoked to pray and wish the best for the deceased’s life cycle beyond this birth.
The first task in funeral rites is that of giving a traditional wash to the body. The next stage entails presence of monks, who chant from religious scriptures and thereby aid the deceased in finding liberation. Then Buddha’s teachings that emphasize on the importance of kindness and compassion are read out loud by the monks. Meanwhile, the body is prepared for the final rites. The relatives normally place some coins in the casket along with the deceased. This is believed to help the dead person cross the River of Three Hells to reach his ultimate destination.
Then the friends and family pay their last respects to the deceased as the casket is placed at the altar. The relatives and friends give condolences to the deceased’s family, while the visitors pray for his soul. The proceeding is accompanied with chanting of relevant sutras by the priests. After the chanting is over, people attending the ceremony bow at the altar. After the proceedings, the family members of the deceased give out gifts to the visitors for sharing their grief.
Once these rites are over, the family can decide to cremate or bury the deceased according to their family customs. These rites are meant to allow the family to alleviate their grief by offering prayers that will elevate the deceased to a higher stage of enlightenment and knowledge.
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