The Significance Of Rituals In A Buddhists Funeral

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Posted by Shiela Wong | Posted in Business | Posted on 08-01-2010

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One of the most widely practised religions in the world, Buddhism derives its main principles from the teachings of Lord Buddha. Buddhism teaches compassion and universal love for mankind and realization of the Ultimate Truth.

These main tenets of Buddhism can be seen in the rites practised in a Buddhist Funeral. There are certain compulsory rituals that have to be adhered to during the funeral of a dead person. These rites are aimed at ensuring that the deceased is elevated to a higher stage. Prayers are done invoking the goodness of the departed soul and wishes are made for a peaceful life after death for the deceased.

A traditional bath to the deceased marks the beginning of the Buddhist funeral rites. Monks are invited to chant different religious scriptures, and these chants are believed to give the soul the correct guidance to achieve spiritual freedom. The teachings of the Buddha, which speak of the value of practising virtue and compassion in daily life, are read aloud. The body is meanwhile made ready for the final rites. The relatives generally keep some money in the casket along with the deceased. This is for helping the deceased to pay and go across the River of Three Hells.

Then the casket is displayed to the near and dear ones to enable them to pay their respects by putting it at the altar. The relatives and friends give condolences to the dead person\’s family, while the visitors pray for his soul. The priests carrying out the rites keep chanting the sutras as the proceedings move on. The attendees present have to bow before the altar when this chanting is over. After the ceremony, the family members of the deceased give out gifts to the attendees for sharing their grief.

Once these rituals are over, the family members can decide to bury or cremate the deceased according to their family beliefs. In all, the rituals try to bring a sense of acceptance and peace to the grieving family while praying to promote the departed to a higher stage of knowledge and realization.

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Importance Of Rites In A Christian Funeral Service

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Posted by Eddie Hull | Posted in Family | Posted on 17-12-2009

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Christian beliefs suggest that a funeral should be a celebration rather than a mourning period, for the departed’s journey towards eternal life begins as their life on earth ends. It’s the main reason why Christian funeral services are highly spirited because of the belief that the departed has found an eternal home in God’s house.

Christians believe that a person’s passing is an exit from the mortal world of pain and a way into the world of eternal bliss. To some degree, the family left behind find relief knowing that their dead relative is with God Himself now, enjoying the happiness heaven offers.

Christian funerals are usually officiated by the pastor. The funeral service usually is conducted at the church which the deceased visited regularly. Generally no casket is used in the service, but sometimes there are exceptions to this, particularly when the service is conducted in a funeral home. Traditional Christian funeral ceremony does not have the practice of exhibiting the body of the dead person.

The funeral ceremony is conducted in the memory of the departed, and it starts with singing of religious hymns and recitals from the Bible and Holy Scriptures. A short message is given by the priest, after which there is a mass prayer.

Then the family and close friends share their grief with the gathering, and the attendees express their feelings and respect for the deceased and share their ruminations on how the dead person affected their lives and left an everlasting void. These days, people also do a slideshow containing snapshots from the life of the dead person or play a video recording taken from his or her lifetime.

The last step in the ceremony is that of a short fellowship reception that is conducted in the church itself and some refreshments are served. Usually, people do not go for a graveside service, but some families that make an exception to this.

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