Buddhism is certainly one of the religions with the most number of followers which is estimated to be roughly 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 focuses on man's pursuit of enlightenment instead of his/her relationship with God.
This religion, however, isn't different from others in that it has its own sets of traditions and practices with regards to matters like deaths. Listed below are some of the interesting facts about funeral rites observed by the 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 signifies the liberation of the soul of the departed individual from bondage and prevents being attached to the dead, an act that can prevent the soul of the departed from seeking new life.
Buddhist tradition encourages members of the family to personally clean and dress the body of their departed loved one. The 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 tasks to their chosen Funeral services Singapore provider. Essentially, what the deceased individual's family does is meet with the funeral director Singapore memorial service provider has and discuss what they want to happen. From there, the funeral director leads the organisation of the funeral.
In the Theravada tradition, on the day of the funeral, a white cloth, also known as a Mataka Vastra, is draped on the casket by monks. To transfer merit to the departed, relatives, meanwhile, pour water from a tiny jug into a dish. This practice is known as Pansakula or the blessing of the deceased's body. Following the cremation, alms-giving happens. Here, pumpkin and salted fish are served. Pumpkin is believed to be excellent for the grieving heart while salted fish is said to replenish salts lost due to crying.
Despite the differences in practices, the different 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.
This religion, however, isn't different from others in that it has its own sets of traditions and practices with regards to matters like deaths. Listed below are some of the interesting facts about funeral rites observed by the 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 signifies the liberation of the soul of the departed individual from bondage and prevents being attached to the dead, an act that can prevent the soul of the departed from seeking new life.
Buddhist tradition encourages members of the family to personally clean and dress the body of their departed loved one. The 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 tasks to their chosen Funeral services Singapore provider. Essentially, what the deceased individual's family does is meet with the funeral director Singapore memorial service provider has and discuss what they want to happen. From there, the funeral director leads the organisation of the funeral.
In the Theravada tradition, on the day of the funeral, a white cloth, also known as a Mataka Vastra, is draped on the casket by monks. To transfer merit to the departed, relatives, meanwhile, pour water from a tiny jug into a dish. This practice is known as Pansakula or the blessing of the deceased's body. Following the cremation, alms-giving happens. Here, pumpkin and salted fish are served. Pumpkin is believed to be excellent for the grieving heart while salted fish is said to replenish salts lost due to crying.
Despite the differences in practices, the different 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.
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