A Guide To Buddhist Buddhist Customs For Death 

Buddhist people say that death is a part of the cycle of life, which includes birth, living, and reincarnation. The Buddhist funeral traditions aim to help recently departed ones transition to the afterlife. Some people live away from their hometown for many reasons which distinguish them from their customs and culture. If someone is unsure about their traditional way of funeral, they typically choose a Buddhist funeral package to follow their rituals. In this article we will go through the Buddhists customs for death.

 

 

Buddhist Customs After Death 

Buddhists perform a visitation, and burial or cremation when someone passes away.  Buddhists honor their deceased for three, five, or seven days due to the perception that even numbers are complete, but odd numbers are perceived as becoming. The selection of an odd number of days acts as a reminder that the individual's Atman is in a state of change at this time. Some of the basic customs are as below:

 

1. People Visit The Deceased Family

People can spend time with the deceased body and family during the visitation, which occurs before the funeral.  The parents of the deceased's sit in front of the guests to receive their respect.

People bring flowers for the family to show their respect and care. There's a chance the family has also organized a cause for donations. Remember that don't bring food gifts at funerals and that extravagant shows of riches violate Buddhist precepts.

 

2. Funeral Ceremony

The funeral service will be held in a funeral home or a Buddhist temple. Buddhist funeral package are purchased by those who want a traditional funeral. The usual viewing area includes a finely designed shrine and an open casket. Visitors to funerals bow before the coffin as they approach in remembrance of the Buddha's teachings on impermanence. Then everyone settles into a chair in the funeral temple.

 

A Buddhist monk oversees the funeral, gives a speech and lead meditations to consider the deceased's life. When a monk enters, everyone  stand up to give their respect, and no one  sit higher than a monk in the overall ceremony.

 

3. Burial or Cremation Ceremony 

Cremation is often favoured in Buddhism, while burial is also permissible. Normally, the burial or cremation takes place right after the funeral. In order to give the initial stage of reincarnation time to occur, several Buddhist traditions, notably Mahayana, hold the burial a few days after the deceased individual passes away. Some Buddhist sects wait until the body is fully prepared for cremation before performing the funeral. They could have to wait anything from one week to one month. The body should always be left as undisturbed as possible before burial or cremation.

 

Conclusion 

Buddhists perform a variety of rites, and because there are several Buddhist groups, the rituals they follow may vary. Local culture frequently influences Buddhist burial practices, however, some funeral rites are practiced by the majority of Buddhist sects. Many agencies offer Buddhist funeral package for people who don’t know how to arrange a funeral.