Customs And Rituals Followed In A Buddhist Funeral

By Kathy Tan

A Buddhist funeral consists of elaborate last rites performed according to sacrosanct customs and traditions. The funeral service, according to Buddhism, symbolizes the setting free of the deceased person's soul, which was trapped in the mundane world of existence, and its search for a new life thereafter.

The Buddhist funeral services which end with cremation in most cases, are done by Buddhist monks with the aid of the family. When a person has passed away, Buddhist monks recite verses from scriptures to liberate the good energies from the soul. While the chanting is on, the deceased is prepared for the funeral service and for friends and relatives to bid a final adieu, so that there is no decay even if the cremation is delayed. Once the body is bathed, it is placed along with candles, bouquets and incense in a coffin along with a photograph of the dead person.

The Abhidharma, a holy Buddhist scripture is read everyday by visiting Buddhist monks during the funeral days even when the cremation is deferred to wait for the visitors from far away places.

On funeral day, monks go through the last rites and the head monk voices his condolences to the family and utters words of encouragement to them along with homage to the deceased person remembering his life. The Pansakula, an important ritual that is expected to pass on blessings and positive energies to the soul of the departed is done during the last stage of chanting while a white shroud is being wrapped around the casket.

Before the cremation takes place, a close family member is asked to say something about the deceased person. A special meal for all the visitors is organized after the Buddhist funeral rituals and the cremation is carried out.

Some alterations in the specific rituals may be found in different cultures, but these are the key rituals followed during a Buddhist funeral in many countries like China, Thailand, and Tibet by the followers of the religion. - 20763

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