The Significance Of Rituals In A Buddhists Funeral
Buddhism is one of the most popular religions practised across the globe. The basic tenets of the religion have been derived from the teachings of Lord Buddha. Buddhism calls for mercy and universal love for all creatures and realization of the Ultimate Truth.
Buddhist funeral rituals also rely on these fundamental tenets of the religion. There are certain mandatory rites that have to be followed during the funeral of a deceased person. These rites are meant to ensure that the departed soul is raised to a higher stage. Prayers are chanted invoking the good energies associated with the deceased for his or her ultimate deliverance from this life cycle.
The funeral rites start with giving the deceased a traditional ablution. The next stage entails invitation of monks, who read out religious texts and thereby help the deceased in finding eternity. Then the Lord Buddha’s teachings that emphasize on the importance of kindness and compassion are recited aloud by the monks. In the meantime, the body is made ready for the last journey. The deceased is normally provided with some money put in his casket by the family. 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. While friends and relatives offer condolences, visitors are expected to pray for the deceased. The proceeding is accompanied with recitation of relevant sutras by the monks. Once the recital is complete, people bow at the altar to pay their final regards. The family members then thank the attendees for shouldering their sorrow by giving them token gifts.
Once these rituals are done, the body may then be either cremated or buried in accordance with the beliefs of the family members. In all, the rites try to bring a sense of acceptance and peace to the bereaved family while praying in order to elevate the dead to a higher stage of knowledge and realization.
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