A Buddhist funeral contains elaborate last rites performed according to sacred customs and traditions. Buddhists believe that the soul is given liberation from the worldly cycle of life and death from the deceased’s mortal body during the funeral ceremonies and is allowed to reach a new level and move to a greater existence.

The Buddhist funeral ceremonies which conclude with cremation in most cases, are done by monks with the help of the bereaved family. The dormant positive energies are freed from the soul by the chanting of appropriate sutras by Buddhist monks who read from the holy scriptures. While the chanting is on, the deceased is made ready for the funeral and for friends and relatives to bid a final adieu, so that there is no decay even if the cremation is delayed. After bathing the body, it is placed in a coffin with candles, wreaths, fragrant incense sticks and a picture of the deceased person.

When the last rites are delayed to allow distant relatives to arrive for the last glimpse of the deceased, monks visit the house everyday to read and chant from the Buddhist religious scripture Abhidharma.

The monks finish the final rites on the day of the funeral and the head priest gives a speech recounting the noble deeds and actions done by the deceased and consoling the grieving family members and friends. Other rituals like wrapping a white cloth around the coffin during the religious invocation and Pansakula, a custom of delivering virtues and blessings to the soul of the deceased are also performed.

Prior to cremation, a family member or the nearest kin is asked to make a short speech about the deceased person. A special meal for all the attendees is arranged after the Buddhist funeral ceremony and the cremation is carried out.

Although some variations in rituals can be found, these are the broad ritualistic procedures carried out during funeral service by followers in Thailand, Tibet, China and many other countries, where a huge number of Buddhists reside.

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