Posts Tagged ‘Buddhist funeral’

Death is a certainty and yet we plan so little for it. Remembering the dead is a very old practice that has been constantly changing to fit into the modern times. Conventionally, a funeral service was carried out in church and the departed was bid farewell with readings from scriptures as well as a eulogy. However, the practice has changed over time as an increasing number of people now want to go for a customized service for their near and dear ones.

Conducting a funeral service right after the death of a near and dear one can be a very arduous job for any family. One of the misconceptions about service is that it is compulsory under law for the family of the departed to arrange a service, but this is incorrect.

Secondly, most people feel that it has to be conducted in a church, which again is not true. It is noteworthy that though traditionally such services were held in a church, with the trend of personalizing, a lot of funeral services are being conducted within the premises of the departed.

Thirdly, such a personalized service does not require presence of a casket or even a pastor or clergy to carry out the proceedings.

However, in keeping with the idea of a personal funeral service, substantial thought should be given to the preferences of the deceased person. The music to be played at the service must be soft as well as from the personal choices of the departed. You have the option of playing recorded music or engaging a live music band.

Some families prefer display of the personal items of the dead person in a collage, for the gathering to reflect on his or her life. Address is very important in all funeral services including the personal ones. It could be a poem, a song or a personal speech that aptly describes the dead person.

Last but not the least, it is important to give a memento to people who gather for the funeral service, so that they can remember the dead person forever.

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Many traditions and rituals characterize funeral ceremonies from all over the globe. It is at the funerals that loved ones finally accept the fate and pray for their departed loved one’s soul.

Church rules govern funeral rites in Christian communities. But, considering that there are more than 200 various Christian communities, funeral rites could differ, depending on the particular affiliation of the family.

The first significant ritual in a Christian funeral is known as the wake, which is held before the real funeral ceremony and where the dead is watched the whole night and psalms are recited to pray for the departed soul.

As per the present day funeral rites customs, this is when the family and acquaintances pay a last visit to the deceased and offer homage for the last time. The body is properly preserved and housed either inside a Church or at the residence, and the time is specified. In earlier days, the stage following the wake used to be that of absolution, where a cross was put on the dead person’s chest and offertory, which carried the gifts offered by visitors, and the deceased was ritually absolved of the sins of this birth.

Next step is the actual funeral rites itself in which the deceased is put into a hearse and brought to the Church, where the priests and others chant prayers and hymns from the Bible. After this, the priest asks a relative or a friend to offer a eulogy before the body is buried. Some communities have tolling of the bells as a part of the tradition that marks the end of service. After the funeral proceedings, the casket is taken to the burial site where before burying there is a burial service conducted.

Finally, the funeral’s completion is marked by a mourners’ lunch organized for the family and those present at the funeral rites. The prime aim of this custom of lunch is to share the sorrow of the aggrieved family and help them cope with the descended fate.

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The fundamental teachings of the Buddha form the core of the Buddhist religion which is the main religion in many nations of the world today. Buddhism teaches mercy and universal love for all creatures and realization of the Ultimate Truth.

Buddhist funeral rituals are also based upon these basic principles of the religion. When someone dies in a Buddhist family, there are some basic rituals which are followed with the objective of ensuring that the soul of the departed can soar to an elevated stage. The good energies of the deceased are invoked to pray and wish the best for the dead person’s life cycle beyond this birth.

The first task in funeral rituals is that of giving a traditional wash to the body. The second stage entails presence of monks, who chant from religious texts and thereby help the deceased in finding liberation. The monks read out those sermons of Lord Buddha that talk about the importance of practising compassion and kindness. The body is meanwhile prepared for the final rituals. The relatives generally keep some coins in the casket along with the deceased. This is done to pay for the dead person’s journey across the River of Three Hells.

The casket is then placed before the altar at home for friends and relatives to pay their respects. Attendees are expected to pray for the dead person and the family and friends give their condolences. Priests who perform the rituals continue to chant the appropriate sutras. The attendees present have to bow before the altar when this recital is over. The family members then thank the visitors for sharing their grief by distributing gifts to them.

Once these rituals are over, the family members can decide to bury or cremate the deceased based on their family beliefs. In all, the rites try to bring a sense of acceptance and peace to the bereaved family while praying in order to elevate the dead to a higher stage of knowledge and realization.

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to the actual handling of the body of the deceased.

There are four important duties of a funeral director, they are: (a) transporting the corpse to the mortuary; (b) anointing and preparing the body for service; (c) arranging for the ceremonies for people to pay their last respects to the deceased and; (d) the last act of burial or cremation according to the customs of the family.

These duties encompass different types of tasks, which include arrangement of a vehicle for transporting the body, deciding the place and timings for the funeral ceremony and also publishing obituaries in the local media and in the newspapers. In addition, funeral directors also take care of things like arrangements of flowers and bouquets for each service, embalming and dressing the body, arrangement for transportation of the family and relatives from one venue to another etc.

A funeral director has many responsibilities other than the above mentioned ones, including performing the paperwork formalities as required. He assists the relatives in obtaining a death certificate. He also has to handle other jobs like helping the family with getting the insurance money and to take benefit of seniors’ burial benefits. He also aids in transferring annuity and pension money, if any, of the deceased person to the dependants of the deceased and helps the family in assessing the costs of the entire funeral proceedings.

In addition, a funeral director has to liaise with a wide range of people so that he can do his jobs in a proper way. He has to interact with doctors, priests, casket makers and flower sellers, all with equal ease.

Lastly, it is important for funeral directors to give some extra time and provide comfort and relief to the suffering family of the deceased, in order to help them tide over their grief. Though it is an important aspect of the job, a few funeral directors usually consider it a peripheral responsibility.

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Undertakers or funeral directors are probably the most significant people, apart from the family and clergymen to be related to the funeral service. These are people who aid you in conducting the funeral, right from the beginning to the end. Most undertakers perceive their tasks as an emergency service, where they have to be available all the time throughout the year and day.

A number of decisions need to be taken in the occasion of a person’s death, which the bereaved family may not be able to take because of the sudden catastrophe that befalls them. Herein lies the significance and utility of the undertaker. He helps you decide the time, venue and manner of the funeral rituals and services for the dead. Besides, the undertaker helps you to face the loss that has befallen you, by staying at your side and managing every aspect of the funeral service, which enables you to display the deep regard and love you hold in your heart for the departed.

The first and foremost step in organising any funeral service is to decide the time, venue and date of the funeral service, so that the same can be communicated to friends and relatives. Once this has been decided, the undertaker makes preparations for shifting the body to the funeral site or where it is to be laid to rest. In case the body is to be buried, the undertaker helps in choosing the right casket for the deceased.

Moreover, the undertaker also helps in organising the funeral service, including selecting florists, flowers, church, making arrangements for for transit facilities, food, clergy, music, copies of script of hymns, headstone and ashes. All arrangements are made by the undertaker taking into account the wishes of the family members so that the departed gets due respect in the funeral service.

Lastly, some undertakers also help in appropriate embalming and shipment of the body if required, and in planning and arranging for the funeral service in another country if the person has died abroad.

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