Funeral (Buddhism)
Encyclopedia
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. A guidance article about the subject has been published by BuddhaNet and the different traditions from various buddhist school
s have also been discussed. Academic reviews on this subject have been extensively undertaken and published ,.
; 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. Death rites are generally also the only life cycle ritual that Theravāda Buddhist monks get involved in and therefore of great importance.
In Sri Lanka, funeral customs include:
and the name of Amitabha
is an important part of the average Chinese funeral. Along with cultural practices, such as the burning of joss paper
(which is discouraged by most practicing Buddhists), practitioners are often cremated.
is more common. Many Mahayana Buddhist monks noted in their last testaments a desire for their students to bury them sitting in a lotus posture, put into a vessel full of coal, wood, paper and/or lime and surrounded by bricks, and be exhumed after approximately three years. The preserved bodies would be painted with paints and sticked with gold. Many were so respected that they were preserved by their students. They were called "Corporeal Bodhisattva
s", similar to that of the Roman Catholic incorruptibles. Many were destroyed during the cultural revolution in China, some were preserved, such as Huineng
, the Sixth Patriarch of Ch'an Buddhism and Kim Kiaokak
, a Korean Buddhist monk revered as a manifestation of Ksitigarbha, and some have been discovered recently. One such was the Venerable Tzu Hang in Taiwan, another was the Venerable Yuet Kai in Hong Kong.
Other notable examples of Buddhist mummification (Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov
in Siberia, Loung Pordaeng
in Thailand
, and a 15th-century Tibetan monk from Northern India examined by Victor Mair in the documentary "The Mystery of the Tibetan Mummy". While the documentary suggests that the monk may have consumed poisonous matters on purpose, there is no proof of such practice for any of the mentioned persons, so the poisonous substances occasionally found in their remains may have been applied to their corpses by their followers.
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.
After prolonged meditation, the meditator continues into the bardo or even towards enlightenment. Great masters are often cremated, and their ashes stored as relics in stupa
s.
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. Known in Tibetan as jhator and literally translated as "Alms to the Birds", this practice is known as Sky burial
. One can see this also as an offering to these animals, a last act of generosity and detachment to one's own body.
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, 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. A guidance article about the subject has been published by BuddhaNet and the different traditions from various buddhist school
Schools of Buddhism
Buddhism is an ancient, polyvalent ideological system that originated in the Iron Age Indian subcontinent, referred to variously throughout history by one or more of a myriad of concepts – including, but not limited to any of the following: a Dharmic religion, a philosophy or quasi-philosophical...
s have also been discussed. Academic reviews on this subject have been extensively undertaken and published ,.
Theravada traditions
For the non-Arahant, death is a time of transitioning to a yet another rebirthRebirth (Buddhism)
Rebirth in Buddhism is the doctrine that the evolving consciousness or stream of consciousness upon death , becomes one of the contributing causes for the arising of a new aggregation...
; thus, the living participate in acts that transfer merit
Merit (Buddhism)
Merit is a concept in Buddhism. It is that which accumulates as a result of good deeds, acts or thoughts and that carries over to later in life or to a person's next life. Such merit contributes to a person's growth towards liberation. Merit can be gained in a number of ways...
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. Death rites are generally also the only life cycle ritual that Theravāda Buddhist monks get involved in and therefore of great importance.
In Sri Lanka, funeral customs include:
- "OfferingOffering (Buddhism)In Buddhism, symbolic offerings are made to the Triple Gem, giving rise to contemplative gratitude and inspiration. Typical material offerings involve simple objects such as a lit candle or oil lamp, burning incense, flowers, food, fruit, water or drinks....
of cloth on behalf of the dead" (mataka-vastra-pujaPuja (Buddhism)In Buddhism, puja are expressions of "honour, worship and devotional attention." Acts of puja include bowing, making offerings and chanting...
):
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 which was, according to the Mahaparinibbana SuttaMahaparinibbana SuttaFor the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra see Nirvana Sutra.----The Mahaparinibbana Sutta is a Theravada Buddhist sutta in the Digha Nikaya of the Tipitaka...
, spoken by god Sakka after the passing away of the Buddha, is recited:
| Impermanent alas are formations, subject to rise and fall. Having arisen, they cease; their subsiding is bliss. |
- In addition, as relatives pour water from a vessel to an overflowing cup to symbolize the giving of merit to the deceased, the following verses are recited:
| As water raining on a hill flows down to the valley, even so does what is given here benefit the dead. |
|
| As rivers full of water fill the ocean full, even so does what is given here benefit the dead. |
- "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. The sermon is usually held on the sixth day after the death occurred and often family, friends and neighbours are treated to a meal afterwards.
- "Offering in the name of the dead" (mataka-danaDana (Buddhism)Dāna is generosity or giving. In Hinduism and Buddhism, it is the practice of cultivating generosity. Ultimately, the practice culminates in one of the perfections : the perfection of giving - dāna-pāramitā...
):
Made three weeks after the funeral and then annually afterwards, the deceased's survivors hold an almsgiving on their behalf.
Mahayana traditions
In China, numerous instructive and merit-transferring ceremonies are held during the forty-nine days between death and rebirth. For most Chinese funerals, the practice of recitation of the Amitabha SutraAmitabha Sutra
The Amitābha Sūtra is a popular colloquial name for the Shorter Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra. The Amitābha Sūtra is a Mahāyāna Buddhist text, and it is one of the primary sūtras recited and upheld in the Pure Land Buddhist schools.-History:...
and the name of Amitabha
Amitabha
Amitābha is a celestial buddha described in the scriptures of the Mahāyāna school of Buddhism...
is an important part of the average Chinese funeral. Along with cultural practices, such as the burning of joss paper
Joss paper
Joss paper , also known as ghost money, are sheets of paper and/or paper-crafts made into burnt offerings which are common in traditional Chinese religious practices including the veneration of the deceased on holidays and special occasions...
(which is discouraged by most practicing Buddhists), practitioners are often cremated.
Mummification
While mummification does occur as a funeral custom in a variety of Buddhist traditions, it is not a common practice; cremationCremation
Cremation is the process of reducing bodies to basic chemical compounds such as gasses and bone fragments. This is accomplished through high-temperature burning, vaporization and oxidation....
is more common. Many Mahayana Buddhist monks noted in their last testaments a desire for their students to bury them sitting in a lotus posture, put into a vessel full of coal, wood, paper and/or lime and surrounded by bricks, and be exhumed after approximately three years. The preserved bodies would be painted with paints and sticked with gold. Many were so respected that they were preserved by their students. They were called "Corporeal Bodhisattva
Bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...
s", similar to that of the Roman Catholic incorruptibles. Many were destroyed during the cultural revolution in China, some were preserved, such as Huineng
Huineng
Dajian Huineng was a Chinese Chán monastic who is one of the most important figures in the entire tradition, according to standard Zen hagiographies...
, the Sixth Patriarch of Ch'an Buddhism and Kim Kiaokak
Ksitigarbha
Ksitigarbha is a bodhisattva primarily revered in East Asian Buddhism, usually depicted as a Buddhist monk in the Orient. The name may be translated as "Earth Treasury", "Earth Store", "Earth Matrix", or "Earth Womb"...
, a Korean Buddhist monk revered as a manifestation of Ksitigarbha, and some have been discovered recently. One such was the Venerable Tzu Hang in Taiwan, another was the Venerable Yuet Kai in Hong Kong.
Other notable examples of Buddhist mummification (Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov
Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov
Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov was a Buryat Buddhist lama of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, best known for the lifelike state of his body, which is not subject to macroscopic decay.- Biography :...
in Siberia, Loung Pordaeng
Loung Pordaeng
Luang Pho Daeng was a Thai Buddhist monk who died while meditating during the mid-1980s. His body, which has not decomposed, but remains in a mummified state, is on display at the Wat Khun Aram temple on Ko Samui island in Thailand's Surat Thani Province.-External links:**...
in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, and a 15th-century Tibetan monk from Northern India examined by Victor Mair in the documentary "The Mystery of the Tibetan Mummy". While the documentary suggests that the monk may have consumed poisonous matters on purpose, there is no proof of such practice for any of the mentioned persons, so the poisonous substances occasionally found in their remains may have been applied to their corpses by their followers.
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 NyingmaNyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
tradition) to help guide them through the transition period (Tib.: bardo
Bardo
The Tibetan word Bardo means literally "intermediate state" - also translated as "transitional state" or "in-between state" or "liminal state". In Sanskrit the concept has the name antarabhāva...
) between lives, easing attachments to this life and deepening bodhisattva
Bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...
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
Karma
Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....
will ripen to lead one to the next rebirth, so a proper control of the mind at the death process is considered essential.
After prolonged meditation, the meditator continues into the bardo or even towards enlightenment. Great masters are often cremated, and their ashes stored as relics in stupa
Stupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
s.
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. Known in Tibetan as jhator and literally translated as "Alms to the Birds", this practice is known as Sky burial
Sky burial
Sky burial, or ritual dissection, is a funerary practice in Tibet, wherein a human corpse was incised in certain locations and placed on a mountaintop, exposing it to the elements and animals – especially to predatory birds. The locations of preparation and sky burial are understood in the...
. One can see this also as an offering to these animals, a last act of generosity and detachment to one's own body.