What Is The Relevance Of The Rites In A Buddhist Funeral

The basic teachings of Lord Buddha form the crux of the Buddhist religion which is the main religion in many nations of the world today. Buddhism teaches compassion and love for mankind and awareness of the Ultimate Truth.

These fundamentals of Buddhism are evident in the rites followed in a Buddhist funeral. After the death of a person in a Buddhist family, some rituals have to be practised in order to make sure that the departed soul is elevated to a higher stage of life after death. The good energies of the dead are invoked to pray and wish the best for the dead person’s life cycle beyond this birth.

The funeral rites start with giving the dead person a traditional wash. Monks are invited to read out from religious scriptures, which are believed to give the deceased the right guidance to attain spiritual freedom. The monks read out those teachings of Lord Buddha that talk about the significance of practising mercy and kindness. Meanwhile, the body is made ready for the last journey. The relatives generally keep some coins in the casket along with the deceased. This is supposed to help the dead person cross the River of Three Hells to reach his ultimate destination.

Then the casket is displayed to the family and friends to allow them to pay their final respects by putting it at the altar. Attendees are required to pray for the dead person and the family and relatives give their condolences. The monks performing the rites keep chanting the sutras along with the proceedings. Once the recital is over, people bow at the altar to pay their last respects. As the visitors start leaving, the family members give a gift to each other to show gratitude for partaking in their sorrow.

The family can decide upon whether to cremate the body or bury it according to their family beliefs, once all these essential rituals are completed. The different ceremonies are a way of bringing peace to the family members of the deceased as they know their prayers are directed towards elevating the status of the departed in his after life.

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