February 25, 2010
The Importance Of Buddhist Funeral Rituals
The fundamental teachings of Lord Buddha form the core of the Buddhist religion which is practised extensively in many parts of the world today. Buddhism teaches mercy and universal love for mankind and awareness of the Ultimate Truth.
These basic principles of Buddhism can be seen in the rites followed in a Buddhist Funeral. There are certain mandatory rites that have to be followed during the funeral of a deceased person. These rites are aimed at ensuring that the departed soul is elevated to a higher stage. Prayers are chanted invoking the good energies associated with the deceased for his or her deliverance from this cycle of life.
The first stage in funeral rituals is that of giving the body a traditional wash. Then comes the stage of reading out from religious scriptures by the monks, thereby guiding the soul to the path of spiritual freedom. The monks recite those sermons of Lord Buddha that talk about the importance of practising compassion and kindness. Meanwhile, the body is made ready for the final rituals. The deceased is usually provided with some money put in his casket by the family. This is for enabling the dead person to pay and go across the River of Three Hells.
Then the friends and family come and pay their last respects to the dead person as the casket is placed at the altar. The relatives and friends give condolences to the dead person\’s family, while the attendees pray for his soul. The proceeding is accompanied with recitation of relevant sutras by the monks. Once the recital is over, people bow at the altar to pay their final regards. The family members then thank the visitors for sharing their sorrow by distributing gifts to them.
After these rituals are done, the deceased may then be either buried or cremated in accordance with the beliefs of the family members. These rituals are meant to enable 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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