Buddhism originated in India in the sixth century B.C. as an offshoot of Hinduism andsoon spread to other countries. Buddha, the Enlightened One, was a Hindu prince whose philosophy grew into a separate religion. Buddha considered himself not a holy man but rather a teacher who simply wanted to inform and enlighten people about life and afterlife. Buddhism was accepted by people from all walks of life and all over the world. Many different interpretations of Buddhism have developed over the years in different countries. Life-cycle events, such as births, coming of age, and marriages, are not considered to be spiritually significant by Buddhists, although monks may bless a new baby, a marriage, or a new house. In some countries, for example Thailand, temporary ordination and a short period in the monastery may serve as a boy's entry into adulthood. Buddhists do consider burial ceremonies important occasions. Funerals reconfirm the Buddhist teachings that nothing is permanent and that rebirth follows death.
The funeral takes place in a temple or funeral hall, where priests, accompanied by the sounds of bells, gongs, and hollow wooden blocks, recite prayers over the body placed on a bier or in a coffin. Mourners then burn incense before the corpse. Twenty-four hours or more later, the body is taken to be cremated or buried. Most Buddhists build a family altar in their home and place an ancestral tablet and other sacred articles on it. The tablet is a small lacquered, gilded board containing a picture and the name of the deceased. Incense is burned on the altar, and family members pray before it. Families traditionally mourn their dead for 49 days and then observe the first, third, seventh,and thirteenth anniversaries by asking a priest to give a prayer service for the dead.
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