Buddhism is certainly one of the religions with the most number of followers which is estimated to be around 350 million. China is presently the country with the biggest Buddhist population. Founded by Siddhartha Gautama some 2500 years ago, Buddhism sets itself apart from other religions in that it puts its focus on man's search for enlightenment instead of his/her relationship with God.
However, this religion isn't different from the others in that it has its own sets of traditions or practices when it comes to death and funeral. Listed below are a number of interesting facts about funeral rites observed by various schools of Buddhism.
While there are Buddhists who choose to bury their dead, most Buddhist schools adhere to cremation as the proper body disposal method. This practice symbolises the liberation of the soul of the departed individual from bondage and prevents being attached to the dead, an act that may prevent the soul of the deceased from seeking new life.
Meanwhile, with regards to the cleaning and dressing of the body, Buddhist tradition requires that these tasks should be delegated to the deceased's family members. This is to make sure that the body is handled with respect and with utmost care.
[[These days, however, with the presence of funeral companies well-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 sit down with the funeral director Singapore memorial service provider 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 departed's body by his/her relatives. This is done to transfer merit to the departed. Monks, meanwhile, drape an eighteen-foot white cloth or Mataka Vastra on the casket.
The various schools of Buddhism may have differences in conducting funeral rites. What's clear, however, is that these different schools remain true to Buddhism's teaching of simplicity. Leaders of these educational institutions remind their followers to value solemnity rather than extravagance when organising funerals.
However, this religion isn't different from the others in that it has its own sets of traditions or practices when it comes to death and funeral. Listed below are a number of interesting facts about funeral rites observed by various schools of Buddhism.
While there are Buddhists who choose to bury their dead, most Buddhist schools adhere to cremation as the proper body disposal method. This practice symbolises the liberation of the soul of the departed individual from bondage and prevents being attached to the dead, an act that may prevent the soul of the deceased from seeking new life.
Meanwhile, with regards to the cleaning and dressing of the body, Buddhist tradition requires that these tasks should be delegated to the deceased's family members. This is to make sure that the body is handled with respect and with utmost care.
[[These days, however, with the presence of funeral companies well-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 sit down with the funeral director Singapore memorial service provider 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 departed's body by his/her relatives. This is done to transfer merit to the departed. Monks, meanwhile, drape an eighteen-foot white cloth or Mataka Vastra on the casket.
The various schools of Buddhism may have differences in conducting funeral rites. What's clear, however, is that these different schools remain true to Buddhism's teaching of simplicity. Leaders of these educational institutions remind their followers to value solemnity rather than extravagance when organising funerals.
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