Death is coming

The closer death creeps up upon me the less I am able to understand the reasons for life or living.

Yes I have experienced a close family member dying and unlike television it takes decades to handle such a thing. To think I am going to put my family through such a thing when I finally leave is more horrific to me than the thought of death itself.

My life was and is still a learning experience but when all said and done what am I to do with all this accumulated learning over my lifetime if I just die. There is no logic or reason to this.

Long ago I became aware that the God story that is sold to the majority is just a nice story to give mankind with a message of a basic layout of how nice life could be if everyone followed these ideas. Not many in life do and if one thinks about it the good and evil structures actually depend on each other. The good that can be experienced in life is only understood as good when there is it's opposite to compare it to. This is not rocket science only common sense in reality. I am not saying we need to experience bad but understanding in it is needed to appreciate the great things many of us can have in our lives. From birth to death there are many ways mankind helps his fellow man. How many ways can you help?


Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Sacred Buddhist Funeral Rites And Their Significances

By Anthony Diaz


Buddhism is practiced the world over, the essense of which is derived from the primary teachings of Lord Buddha. Love & mercy for mankind and acknowledgment of the Ultimate truth are necessary in Buddhism.

These basics of Buddhism can be seen in the rites practiced in a Buddhist funeral. When a Buddhist person passes, to make sure that his soul gets to a higher level in the next life, mandatory rituals should be observed. Prayers are used to invoke the good energies of the deceased, ensuring his deliverance from this life and wishing him the best for the next life.

The first task in funeral rituals involves giving the body a traditional bath. Monks are invited to chant different religious text, which are believed to give the soul the right guidance to achieve spiritual freedom. Then the Lord Buddha's teachings that emphasize on the importance of kindness and compassion are read out loud by the monks. Meanwhile, the body is prepared for the final journey. The deceased is then provided with some coins placed in his casket by the family. This is done to pay for the deceased's journey across the River of Three Hells.

After which, the casket is displayed to the near and dear ones to let them to pay their final 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 ceremony is accompanied with chanting of relevant sutras by the monks. Everyone present have to bow at the altar when this chanting is completed. The family members then thank the visitors for sharing their sorrow by distributing gifts to them.

After these rituals are carried out, the body may then be either cremated or buried according to the beliefs of the family. These rites are meant to allow the family to overcome their sorrow by offering prayers that will raise the dead to a higher pedestal of religious being.




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Tips On Finding The Right Casket

By Anne Gregor


The death of a family member is one of the worst situations a family has to encounter, therefore, it is essential to be ready for it in order to ensure that your sadness is not worsened.Most people do not have much idea about some funeral-related things like purchasing a casket. Here are a few suggestions to help you with this decision.

Firstly, you should examine the material of the casket you are planning to buy. You can choose from a variety of wood or metal caskets that come in a number of designs and colours. In wooden caskets, you have a choice of the kind of wood used, whereas for metal caskets, you can go for a metal of your choice. While making a final decision on the kind of casket, you must consider not just the appearance but also the expenditure that you will have to make.

When it comes to design, you can go for either a full couch or a half couch, which decides the kind of lid of the casket. In a half couch lid, only the upper half of the body is displayed, while the full couch provides a full view of the entire body.

These caskets are available in a variety of sizes as well. Hence, you have to be sure about the exact dimensions, so that you can get the casket altered or customized to suit the size of the deceased.

The next important aspect is to find an appropriate place to purchase the casket. You can obtain one from a casket shop or from the funeral home in your area. Usually the prices are quite high in the funeral homes. It is generally advisable to find and contact online or offline specialised shops for purchasing the right casket. However, you should keep in mind that your expenditure will also include the cost of the casket's freighting from the store to your home.




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