Funeral (Buddhism)

Funeral (Buddhism)

In Buddhism, death marks the transition from this life to the next for the deceased.

Among Buddhists death is regarded as an occasion of major religious significance, both for the deceased and for the survivors. For the deceased it marks the moment when the transition begins to a new mode of existence within the round of rebirths. When death occurs all the karmic forces that the dead person accumulated during the course of his or her lifetime become activated and set about determining the next rebirth. For the living, death is a powerful reminder of the Buddha's teaching on impermanence; it also provides an opportunity to assist the deceased person as he or she fares on to the new existence. [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/kariyawasam/wheel402.html#ch5 Kariyawasam (1995), ch. 5, "Almsgiving and Funerals."] ]

Theravada traditions

For the non-Arahant, death is a time of transitioning to a yet another rebirth; thus, the living participate in acts that transfer merit to the departed, either providing for a more auspicious rebirth or for the relief of suffering in the departed's new existence. For the living, ceremonies marking another's death is a reminder of life's impermanence, a fundamental aspect of the Buddha's teaching. [See also, for example, in the Pali Canon, awareness of another's death is often referred to as one of the "messengers" from the lord of the Underworld meant to spur one onto a more wholesome life.]

In Sri Lanka, funeral customs include:
* "Offering of cloth on behalf of the dead" ("mataka-vastra-puja"):
Prior to a cremation, at the deceased's home or cemetery, the funeral's presiding monastics are offered a white cloth to be subsequently stitched into monastic robes. During this ceremony, the following verse is recited:

:In addition, as relatives pour water from a vessel to an overflowing cup, the following verses are recited:


* "Preaching for the benefit of the dead" ("mataka-bana"):
Within a week after the funeral (usually on the third day after), a monastic returns to the deceased's home to provide an appropriate hour-long sermon for surviving relatives and neighbors.

* "Offering in the name of the dead" ("mataka-dana"):
Made three weeks after the funeral and then annually afterwards, the deceased's survivors hold an almsgiving on their behalf.

Mahayana traditions

:See also: Japanese funeral.In China, numerous instructive and merit-transferring ceremonies are held during the forty-nine days between death and rebirth. The recitation of the Amitabha Sutra and the name of Amitabha is also an important part of the ceremony.Harvey (1990), p. 212.]

Tibetan traditions

A person who is dying and who is recently dead will have for example the "Tibetan Book of the Dead" read to them (in the Nyingma tradition) to help guide them through the transition period (Tib.: "bardo") between lives, easing attachments to this life and deepening bodhisattva wisdom. The corpse is either cremated or dismembered and fed to vultures (Tib.: "jhator").

Other Tibetan traditions have other special texts read and rituals performed, which may also be personalized to the specific (vajrayana) practice a person focussed on during his/her life. As the bardo is generally said to last a maximum of 49 days, these rituals will usually last 49 days also.Death and dying is an important subject in Tibetan Buddhism as it is a most critical period for deciding which karma will ripen to lead one to the next rebirth, so a proper control of the mind at the death process is considered essential.

Great meditation masters can even stay a long period (sometimes weeks or even more) in a state between what we would call clinical death and the separation of the mind and the body (the moment of death in the Tibetan tradition), during which they meditate on the special appearance of the 'clear light mind'.Fact|date=October 2008 Using this special, very subtle state of mind, it is said in the Vajrayana teachings that great spiritual progress can be made, if one has the capacity to be clearly aware of it. In this state of meditation, the body will not show any ordinary signs of death, decay or even smell.Fact|date=October 2008 After this prolonged meditation, the meditator continues into the bardo or even towards enlightenment. Great masters are often cremated, and their ashes stored as relics in stupas.

In Tibet, firewood was scarce, and the ground often not suitable for burial, so the unusual practice of feeding the body to vultures or other animals developed. One can see this also as an offering to these animals, a last act of generosity and detachment to one's own body.

ee also

* Japanese funeral

Notes

Bibliography

* Harvey, Peter (1990). "An introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, history and practices". Cambridge: Cambridge University. ISBN 0-521-31333-3.

* Kariyawasam, A.G.S. (1995). "Buddhist Ceremonies and Rituals of Sri Lanka" (The Wheel Publication No. 402/404). Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society. Retrieved 2007-10-22 from "Access to Insight" (1996 transcription) at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/kariyawasam/wheel402.html.

* Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1994). "Tirokudda Kanda: Hungry Shades Outside the Walls" (Khp. 7). Retrieved 2008-09-04 from "Access to Insight" at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/khp/khp.1-9.than.html#khp-7.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Funeral — This article is about the ceremony. For other uses, see Funeral (disambiguation). The funeral of Pope John Paul II A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise… …   Wikipedia

  • Buddhism in Cambodia — Buddhism has existed in Cambodia since at least the 5th century CE, with some sources placing its origin as early as the 3rd century BCE.Fact|date=December 2007 Theravada Buddhism has been the Cambodian state religion since the 13th century CE… …   Wikipedia

  • Buddhism — • The religious, monastic system, founded c. 500 B.C. on the basis of pantheistic Brahminism Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Buddhism     Buddhism      …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Buddhism in Austria — Buddhism is a legally recognized religion in Austria and it is followed by more than 10,000 Austrians.Although still small in absolute numbers (10,402 at the 2001 census), Buddhism in Austria enjoys widespread acceptance. A majority of Buddhists… …   Wikipedia

  • Funeral of Pope John Paul II — The body of Pope John Paul II lying in state. Participants The College of Cardinals (led by then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger), various dignitaries worldwide …   Wikipedia

  • Buddhism — Buddhist, n., adj. Buddhistic, Buddhistical, adj. Buddhistically, adv. /booh diz euhm, bood iz /, n. a religion, originated in India by Buddha (Gautama) and later spreading to China, Burma, Japan, Tibet, and parts of southeast Asia, holding that… …   Universalium

  • Buddhism in China — Chinese Buddhism (zh ts|t=漢傳佛教|s=汉传佛教; Pinyin: fójiào) refers collectively to the various schools of Buddhism that have flourished in China proper since ancient times. These schools integrated the ideas of Confucianism, Taoism and other… …   Wikipedia

  • Buddhism in Japan — Japanese Buddhism …   Wikipedia

  • Outline of Buddhism — See also: Index of Buddhism related articles Flag of Buddhism …   Wikipedia

  • Householder (Buddhism) — DisplayTranslations title=Translations of Householder bordercolor=#af4630 | borderwidth=2px headercolor=#FFD068 | headertextcolor=DarkBlue rowcolor=#FFFEE8 | rowtextcolor=purple fontsize=100% English | householder Pali | IAST|gihin, gahattha,… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”