Guide to organizing a Buddhist funeral in Singapore

A popular yet cheap funeral service is said to serve two reasons when a Buddhist passes away: to help the deceased transfer to the afterlife and to give the surviving family members a chance to grieve.

Buddhist funeral services place a strong emphasis on ensuring a calm and tranquil passage for the deceased into the next life because they believe in samsara, or the cycle of death and rebirth. Scripture chanting is frequently played during the service to help with this, and monks may preside over important rites during this time.

The structure of the typical Buddhist funeral service is frequently the same and can be broken down into three parts:

• The funeral wake
• The cremation
• The after-funeral rites

However, the various denominations may have unique rituals or practices that one may wish to discuss with their spiritual advisor to add to your Buddhist funeral package Singapore.

The Buddhist afterlife:

Some customs prefer to leave the deceased's body unattended for four to eight hours since it's thought they could still be emancipating themselves from their corporeal form. During this period, a doctor might certify the death at the patient's home or a hospital.

After that, the body is taken to a funeral home where it is prepared for the wake. The family will need to choose the site and make the required arrangements during this period. Buddhist funeral ceremonies are frequently performed between three and seven days because Buddhists believe that odd numbers have a special meaning as "becoming" or transitional numbers. Some people choose to have their wakes in their houses, a monastery, or a funeral home, while those who live in public housing frequently choose the void decks.

Most of these will be ready to go in locations like monasteries and funeral homes. The deceased will arrive in their casket to an altar made up of flowers, joss sticks, offerings, seats, and Buddhist artifacts like bells, gongs, and iconography.

One can choose to coordinate with several providers to bring in tentage, cuisine, flowers, and even mobile bathrooms if necessary for private houses or decks, or a funeral home can come in and handle all the logistics.

The nearest relatives will always be present and wearing white during the wake itself. Visitors and others may choose black or gloomy colors. Even while chanting and sessions might run anywhere between 45 and an hour, participants are sometimes not forced to stay seated the entire time.

Typically, they will bow to the deceased or present a lit joss stick at the altar. Some will also walk once around the casket while being accompanied by a family member. After that, they can take a seat and interact with the familiar member.

Here, tiny plates of snacks and candies are frequently placed on tables together with a skein of red thread. To distance themselves from the event, attendees will take a strand before leaving, wrap it around their finger, and throw it away before they get home.

Being cremated:

The coffin is taken to the cremation, which is a favored choice for Buddhists as well as in Singapore, once the official funeral ceremonies have been carried out over the predetermined number of days. Monks typically attend on the last day of the wake and lead the last prayer service.

The casket is then driven to the hearse following the service; either family members or professionals can accomplish this. Then, as a symbolic procession, members frequently walk a little distance behind the funeral before boarding individual or group transportation for the remainder of the trip to the crematorium.

Singapore offers three crematoriums: Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery, Tse Toh Aum Temple, and the Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium Complex, which is controlled by the government. Due to their religious links, the latter two may be preferred by Buddhists.

When the family arrives at the cremation, the coffin is given to the workers, and they are then escorted to the viewing room for the last farewell. The duration of the procedure itself is two and a half hours. The staff may keep the remaining ashes after the family places the first portion of the deceased person's ashes into the resting urn.

The final urn is delivered to the family for custody after being properly prepared.

Buddhist last rites of remembrance:

The family will then hold a prayer session once every seven days throughout the seven weeks to further smooth the transition. A last important rite is performed to commemorate the 49th day when it is thought that the deceased has transitioned to their future life.

When all joyful gatherings are avoided to show respect for the departed, the full period for the family may last up to 100 days. On the hundredth day, a final ritual, this time more joyous, honors the departed's new existence on their next voyage. They can opt to store the urn at their residences, in a columbarium, or spread the ashes at sea or a land location like the Garden of Peace during this period. The traditional Buddhist funeral ceremony comes to a close with this final phase.

Allow knowledgeable professionals to assist you with your affairs and get you ready for a comprehensive and respectful Buddhist funeral service.

What conduct is appropriate during a Buddhist funeral?

Buddhist funerals are solemn occasions, as are most funerals. Attendees should behave quietly and with respect. You might be unsure of how you should participate in the event. Here are some broad tips to make the funeral more bearable for you.

When you get to the wake or funeral, go to the casket or altar. When you get there, stop and take time for yourself to think. There may be a tiny bend in this reflection. You can also choose to make a prayer stance by folding your hands in front of you.

Find a seat and wait quietly for the service to start after paying your respects at the casket or altar.

During the ritual, imitate the Buddhist laypeople and monks. No one in the chamber should be seated higher than the monks who are conducting the ceremony, as you'll observe.

In general, you shouldn't bring attention to yourself at a Buddhist burial. Always choose to sit quietly, and of course, avoid recording the service on your phone or any other device.

Family members and mourners may take the casket to a hearse after the funeral. Pay attention to directions on where to bury the coffin. You could be asked to drive to the burial site in your car and follow the hearse.

The deceased person's relatives may travel with him or her to the cremation site. This portion of the service is typically reserved solely for close relatives.

Clothing:

Buddhist funerals are calm and solemn affairs. It's an excellent moment to think back on the deceased's happy life.

Since Buddhists believe that the deceased reincarnate as another being, there won't be any mention of going to a better place.

The suitable burial clothes vary greatly since Buddhism is practiced by such a diverse spectrum of countries and ethnic groups. One Buddhist funeral, for instance, can have the family members dressed in white while the other mourners are dressed in black. Japanese Buddhists' families are permitted to wear black, but other mourners are permitted to wear white. If you're unsure about the right color for the situation, go with subdued hues.

Your attire mustn't flaunt ostentation or riches, regardless of hue. You should also be able to sit on a cushion or kneel during the ceremony thanks to your straightforward, understated attire.