Sacred Buddhist Funeral Rites And Their Importance
The primary teachings of the Lord Buddha form the core of the Buddhist religion which is practiced in many countries in the globe today. Buddhism demands love & mercy for humankind and realization of the Ultimate Truth.
These essentials of Buddhism can be seen in the rites practiced in a Buddhist funeral. When a Buddhist person dies, to make sure that his or her soul gets to a higher level in their next life, mandatory rituals should be observed. To make sure the deceased’s deliverance from this birth and wishing them the best for their next, prayers are said to invoke the good energies of the dead.
The funeral rites start with giving the dead person a traditional ablution. The second stage involves presence of monks, who chant from religious texts and thereby help the deceased in finding liberation. The teachings of the Buddha, which talk of the value of practising virtue and compassion in life, are recited aloud. The body is meanwhile made ready for the final rituals. The relatives normally keep some coins in the casket along with the deceased. This is for helping the dead person to pay and wade across the River of Three Hells.
Then the friends and family pay their last respects to the deceased as the casket is put at the altar. While friends and relatives give condolences, attendees are expected to pray for the dead person. Priests who carry out the rituals continue to recite the appropriate sutras. After the chanting is over, people present at the ceremony bow at the altar. After the proceedings, the family members of the deceased give out gifts to the visitors for sharing their grief.
Once these rituals are carried out, the deceased may then be either cremated or buried in line with the beliefs of the family members. These rites are meant to enable the family to overcome their sorrow by offering prayers that will elevate the dead to a higher pedestal of enlightenment and knowledge.
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