One of the most widely practised religions in the world, Buddhism derives its main principles from the teachings of Lord Buddha. Buddhism calls for compassion and universal love for mankind and awareness of the Ultimate Truth.
These basic tenets of Buddhism can be seen in the rites followed in a Buddhist Funeral. After the death of a person in a Buddhist family, some rituals have to be followed in order to ensure that the departed soul is elevated to a higher stage in afterlife. The good energies of the deceased are invoked to pray and wish the best for the deceased’s next life beyond this birth.
A traditional ablution of the deceased marks the beginning of the Buddhist funeral rituals. After that comes the stage of chanting of religious scriptures by the priests, thereby guiding the soul towards the path of spiritual freedom. The teachings of Lord Buddha, which speak of the value of practising virtue and compassion in daily life, are read aloud. The body is meanwhile made ready for the final rituals. The deceased is generally provided with some coins put in his casket by the family. This is for enabling the deceased to pay and go across the River of Three Hells.
Then the casket is exhibited to the family and friends to allow them to pay their respects by putting it at the altar. The relatives and friends give condolences to the deceased’s family, while the visitors pray for his soul. The ceremony is accompanied with recitation of relevant sutras by the monks. Everyone present have to bow at the altar when this recital is completed. As the visitors start leaving, the family members give a gift to each other to display gratitude for sharing their sorrow.
The family members can decide upon whether to cremate the body or bury it as per their familial customs, once all these important rituals are completed. These rites are meant to allow the family to overcome their grief by offering prayers that will elevate the deceased to a higher stage of enlightenment and knowledge.
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