What Is The Relevance Of The Rites In A Buddhist Funeral
Buddhism is one of the most popular religions practised across the globe. The main principles of the religion have been derived from the teachings of Lord Buddha. Buddhism entails search for the Ultimate Truth as well as a spirit of compassion and genuine love for every living being.
These fundamentals of Buddhism are evident in the rituals practised during a Buddhist funeral. There are certain compulsory rituals that need to be adhered to during the funeral of a dead person. These rites are aimed at ensuring that the deceased is raised to a higher stage. The good energies of the dead are invoked to pray and wish the best for the deceased’s life cycle beyond this birth.
A traditional bath to the deceased marks the beginning of the Buddhist funeral rituals. After that comes the stage of reading out from religious scriptures by the monks, thereby guiding the soul to the path of spiritual freedom. The teachings of the Buddha, which speak of the value of goodness and compassion in life, are recited aloud. Meanwhile, the body is prepared for the final rituals. The relatives normally keep some coins in the casket of the deceased. This is supposed to help the dead person cross the River of Three Hells to reach his ultimate destination.
Then the friends and relatives pay their last respects to the dead person as the casket is placed at the altar. The relatives and friends offer condolences to the deceased’s family, while the visitors pray for his soul. Priests who carry out the rites continue to recite the appropriate sutras. After the completion of recitals, people attending the ceremony bow at the altar. As the visitors begin leaving, the family members give a gift to each other to display gratitude for partaking in their sorrow.
Once these rites are over, the family can decide to cremate or bury the deceased based on their family beliefs. In all, the rituals try to bring a sense of peace and acceptance to the grieving family while praying to promote the departed to a higher state of knowledge and realization.
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