Buddhism is about 2500 years old. Presently, it ranks fourth in terms of number of devotees. It is estimated that there are about 350 million Buddhists in the world. China is noted to have the largest Buddhist population. Unlike several religions that focus on humanity's relationship with God, Buddhism focuses on man's quest for an in-depth understanding of life.
This religion, however, is no different from other religions in that it also has its own sets of traditions and practices when it comes to matters like deaths. Below are some of the various interesting funeral practices and beliefs observed by the various schools of Buddhism.
A lot of Buddhist schools adhere to cremation as the correct body disposal method. Cremation generally signifies the release of the soul of the deceased from bondage. 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, when it comes 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 make sure that the body is treated with respect and handled with the greatest care.
[[These days, however, 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. Essentially, what the deceased individual's family does is meet with the funeral director Singapore memorial company has and discuss what they like to happen. From there, the funeral director takes the lead role in organising the funeral.]]
On funeral day, Theravada Buddhists practice Pansakula, the blessing of the deceased's body by his/her relatives. This is said to transfer merit to the departed. Monks, meanwhile, drape an eighteen-foot white cloth or Mataka Vastra on the casket.
Despite the differences in practices, the various schools of Buddhism in general teach their followers to hold funerals that are not extravagant. This is in keeping with Buddhism's teachings of upholding simplicity from birth until death.
This religion, however, is no different from other religions in that it also has its own sets of traditions and practices when it comes to matters like deaths. Below are some of the various interesting funeral practices and beliefs observed by the various schools of Buddhism.
A lot of Buddhist schools adhere to cremation as the correct body disposal method. Cremation generally signifies the release of the soul of the deceased from bondage. 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, when it comes 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 make sure that the body is treated with respect and handled with the greatest care.
[[These days, however, 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. Essentially, what the deceased individual's family does is meet with the funeral director Singapore memorial company has and discuss what they like to happen. From there, the funeral director takes the lead role in organising the funeral.]]
On funeral day, Theravada Buddhists practice Pansakula, the blessing of the deceased's body by his/her relatives. This is said to transfer merit to the departed. Monks, meanwhile, drape an eighteen-foot white cloth or Mataka Vastra on the casket.
Despite the differences in practices, the various schools of Buddhism in general teach their followers to hold funerals that are not extravagant. This is in keeping with Buddhism's teachings of upholding simplicity from birth until death.
No comments:
Post a Comment