Buddhism is certainly one of the religions with the most number of members 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 sets itself apart from other religions in that it focuses on man's search for enlightenment rather than his/her relationship with God.
This religion, however, is no different from other religions in that it has its own sets of traditions and practices with regards to matters like deaths. Listed below are a number of interesting facts about funeral rites observed by the different schools of Buddhism.
In a lot of Buddhist schools, it's believed that the proper way to dispose of a body is through cremation. This practice symbolises the release of the soul of the departed individual from bondage. Moreover, it is believed to prevent attachment to the dead, an act that can prevent the soul of the deceased from seeking new life.
Meanwhile, when it comes to the cleaning and dressing of the body, Buddhist tradition requires that these tasks should be delegated to the departed's family members. This is to make sure that the body is handled with respect and with the greatest care.
[[These days, though, with the presence of funeral companies that are aware of Buddhist funeral customs and traditions, some families, especially those in Singapore, entrust these tasks to their chosen Funeral services Singapore provider. Basically, 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 leads the organisation of the funeral.]]
In the Theravada tradition, on funeral day, a white cloth, also known as a Mataka Vastra, is draped on the coffin by monks. Relatives also partake in blessing their deceased by pouring water from a tiny jug into a dish. This practice, which is called Pansakula, is said to be an act of transferring merit to the deceased. After the cremation, alms-giving happens in the funeral home where pumpkin, believed to be excellent for the mourning heart, and salted fish, said to replenish salts lost due to crying, are served.
The various schools of Buddhism might have differences in conducting funeral rites. What's unmistakable, however, is that these different schools remain true to Buddhism's teaching of simplicity. Leaders of these schools remind their devotees to value solemnity instead of extravagance when organising funerals.
This religion, however, is no different from other religions in that it has its own sets of traditions and practices with regards to matters like deaths. Listed below are a number of interesting facts about funeral rites observed by the different schools of Buddhism.
In a lot of Buddhist schools, it's believed that the proper way to dispose of a body is through cremation. This practice symbolises the release of the soul of the departed individual from bondage. Moreover, it is believed to prevent attachment to the dead, an act that can prevent the soul of the deceased from seeking new life.
Meanwhile, when it comes to the cleaning and dressing of the body, Buddhist tradition requires that these tasks should be delegated to the departed's family members. This is to make sure that the body is handled with respect and with the greatest care.
[[These days, though, with the presence of funeral companies that are aware of Buddhist funeral customs and traditions, some families, especially those in Singapore, entrust these tasks to their chosen Funeral services Singapore provider. Basically, 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 leads the organisation of the funeral.]]
In the Theravada tradition, on funeral day, a white cloth, also known as a Mataka Vastra, is draped on the coffin by monks. Relatives also partake in blessing their deceased by pouring water from a tiny jug into a dish. This practice, which is called Pansakula, is said to be an act of transferring merit to the deceased. After the cremation, alms-giving happens in the funeral home where pumpkin, believed to be excellent for the mourning heart, and salted fish, said to replenish salts lost due to crying, are served.
The various schools of Buddhism might have differences in conducting funeral rites. What's unmistakable, however, is that these different schools remain true to Buddhism's teaching of simplicity. Leaders of these schools remind their devotees to value solemnity instead of extravagance when organising funerals.
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