Buddhism is around 2500 years old. Currently, it is fourth in terms of number of adherents. It is estimated that there are approximately 350 million Buddhists around the world. China is noted to have the biggest 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.
However, this religion is not different from the others in that it also has its own sets of beliefs or practices with regards to death and funeral. Listed below are some of the interesting facts about funeral rites observed by various schools of Buddhism.
Most Buddhist schools adhere to cremation as the proper body disposal method. Cremation in general signifies the release of the soul of the deceased from bondage. Using this method also prevents attachment to the dead which is seen to be a big hindrance for the departed 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 deceased to attend to these tasks. The main reason behind this is to make sure that the body is treated with respect and handled 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 concerns to their chosen Funeral services Singapore provider. Basically, what the deceased individual's family does is sit down 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 small 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 good for the mourning heart, and salted fish, said to replenish lost salts in the body due to crying, are served.
Despite the differences in practices, the various schools of Buddhism generally teach their followers to hold funerals that are devoid of extravagance. This is in keeping 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 with regards to death and funeral. Listed below are some of the interesting facts about funeral rites observed by various schools of Buddhism.
Most Buddhist schools adhere to cremation as the proper body disposal method. Cremation in general signifies the release of the soul of the deceased from bondage. Using this method also prevents attachment to the dead which is seen to be a big hindrance for the departed 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 deceased to attend to these tasks. The main reason behind this is to make sure that the body is treated with respect and handled 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 concerns to their chosen Funeral services Singapore provider. Basically, what the deceased individual's family does is sit down 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 small 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 good for the mourning heart, and salted fish, said to replenish lost salts in the body due to crying, are served.
Despite the differences in practices, the various schools of Buddhism generally teach their followers to hold funerals that are devoid of extravagance. This is in keeping with Buddhism's teachings of upholding simplicity from birth until death.
0 komentar:
Post a Comment