Buddhism is one of the religions with the most number of followers which is estimated to be around 350 million. China is currently the country with the largest Buddhist population. Founded by Siddhartha Gautama around 2500 years ago, Buddhism differentiates itself from other religions in that it focuses on man's pursuit of enlightenment rather than his/her relationship with God.
However, this religion is not different from the others in that it also has its own sets of beliefs or practices when it comes to death and funeral. Listed below are a number of interesting facts about funeral rites observed by different schools of Buddhism.
A lot of Buddhist schools adhere to cremation as the proper body disposal method. Cremation generally signifies the release of the soul of the departed from bondage. Using this method also prevents attachment to the dead which is seen to be a big hindrance for the deceased individual's soul to seek new life.
Meanwhile, with regards to the cleaning and dressing of the body, Buddhist tradition urges family members of the departed to attend to these tasks. The reason behind this is to ensure that the body is treated with respect and handled with utmost care.
These days, though, with the presence of funeral companies that are aware of Buddhist funeral customs and practices, some families, especially those in Singapore, entrust these concerns to their chosen Funeral services Singapore provider. Basically, what the deceased individual's family does is meet with the funeral director Singapore memorial service provider has and discuss what they want to happen. From there, the funeral director takes the lead role in organising the funeral.
In the Theravada tradition, on the day of the funeral, a white cloth, also known as a Mataka Vastra, is draped on the casket by monks. Relatives also partake in blessing their deceased by pouring water from a small jug into a dish. This tradition, which is called Pansakula, is believed to be an act of transferring merit to the departed. After the cremation, alms-giving happens in the funeral home where pumpkin, believed to be helpful for the mourning heart, and salted fish, said to replenish salts lost because of crying, are served.
Despite the differences in practices, the different schools of Buddhism generally teach their followers to hold funerals that are not extravagant. This is consistent with Buddhism's teachings of upholding simplicity from birth until death.
However, this religion is not different from the others in that it also has its own sets of beliefs or practices when it comes to death and funeral. Listed below are a number of interesting facts about funeral rites observed by different schools of Buddhism.
A lot of Buddhist schools adhere to cremation as the proper body disposal method. Cremation generally signifies the release of the soul of the departed from bondage. Using this method also prevents attachment to the dead which is seen to be a big hindrance for the deceased individual's soul to seek new life.
Meanwhile, with regards to the cleaning and dressing of the body, Buddhist tradition urges family members of the departed to attend to these tasks. The reason behind this is to ensure that the body is treated with respect and handled with utmost care.
These days, though, with the presence of funeral companies that are aware of Buddhist funeral customs and practices, some families, especially those in Singapore, entrust these concerns to their chosen Funeral services Singapore provider. Basically, what the deceased individual's family does is meet with the funeral director Singapore memorial service provider has and discuss what they want to happen. From there, the funeral director takes the lead role in organising the funeral.
In the Theravada tradition, on the day of the funeral, a white cloth, also known as a Mataka Vastra, is draped on the casket by monks. Relatives also partake in blessing their deceased by pouring water from a small jug into a dish. This tradition, which is called Pansakula, is believed to be an act of transferring merit to the departed. After the cremation, alms-giving happens in the funeral home where pumpkin, believed to be helpful for the mourning heart, and salted fish, said to replenish salts lost because of crying, are served.
Despite the differences in practices, the different schools of Buddhism generally teach their followers to hold funerals that are not extravagant. This is consistent with Buddhism's teachings of upholding simplicity from birth until death.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire