Belief of Thai funeral
Different cultures have very different attitudes to death - and different funeral ceremonies as well. In predominantly Buddhist Thailand, the deceased are almost always cremated. So they believe that by cremation they are sending the body up to Heaven - a nice idea visibly manifested.
After death, the body is returned home, where it remains on display for either three or seven days. There will be monks in attendance, chanting in Pali (the language of the Lord Buddha). The family provides food for the villagers (usually with the neighbors’ help). Close family members pour water from silver cups over the deceased. Important people may be embalmed, and put on display for longer periods, some indefinitely.
When the cremation time approaches, the body is placed on a cart, in a white thin wooden coffin with gold filigree. The coffin is surrounded by a thin wood-and-paper mock-up of a Thai temple, brightly coloured. Many flowers are placed on the cart, and a large picture of the deceased is prominently displayed. Using a long, thick rope, and led by a group of monks, friends and family pull the cart to the cremation ground. Everyone at the funeral wears black, or black and white. (For this reason, one should never wear black when visiting sick people in hospital).
The friends and relations don’t wait for the fire to finish. They will come back the next day to collect the ashes. A monk is present for this ceremony. Sweet smelling flower petals are mixed in with the ashes. Depending on the family, these might be placed in one urn or several. Once they are collected they are taken to the prayer hall where there is more chanting and robes and food are again presented to the monks on behalf of the deceased. What happens next to the ashes will vary. Most will keep the ashes at the temple as there will be further merit making ceremonies on the 50th and 100th days. Some people keep them at their home.
third option, which is seemingly becoming more popular these days, is called “loi angkarn” which means the floating or scattering of ashes over the water. However, they might keep some relics, like pieces of bone, in the shrine at home. It is not really a Buddhist tradition as it has been adapted from Hinduism where they often scatter ashes in the Ganges River. Some Thai people believe that floating the ashes of their loved ones in a river or in the open sea will help wash away their sins but also help them go more smoothly up to heaven. It doesn’t matter where you do this, but if you are in the Bangkok and Samut Prakan area then an auspicious place is the mouth of the Chao Phraya River at Paknam where I live.
There are a set number of rituals that have to be done in the correct order before the main ceremony. This includes paying respect to the guardian spirit of the boat and then later the god of the ocean and the goddess of water. Next comes the prayers where the mourners request the spirits and gods to look after the deceased person. It is then time for the white cloth containing the ashes to be carefully dropped over the side. They don’t actually scatter the ashes, they just let the cloth float away and then sink. As they watch it go, they say their final farewells while at the same time scattering flower petals on the water.
For the Thais, death is not quite such a solemn or serious event as in the West. After all, reincarnation is widely believed in, and Thais have the very realistic and pragmatic attitude that since we all have to die, why worry or obsess about it, and why get so upset about something that is so entirely natural? Which is certainly not to say they feel the loss any the less.
It is believed that the soul of the departed remains in heaven for forty days before reincarnation. During this period it is seen as possible, using a medium, to contact the departed; after that time the soul will have entered a new body - which may or may not be human. If the deceased led a good life, then they will get a better incarnation next time. If not, then they might come back as a dog, or some lower form of life.
Cripples and handicapped people must have led a sinful previous life – although they are not in themselves seen as being ‘bad’ now. It is meritorious to give money to these people. ‘Making merit’ to ensure a good next life is good practice.
Belief of Thai funeralDifferent cultures have very different attitudes to death - and different funeral ceremonies as well. In predominantly Buddhist Thailand, the deceased are almost always cremated. So they believe that by cremation they are sending the body up to Heaven - a nice idea visibly manifested.After death, the body is returned home, where it remains on display for either three or seven days. There will be monks in attendance, chanting in Pali (the language of the Lord Buddha). The family provides food for the villagers (usually with the neighbors’ help). Close family members pour water from silver cups over the deceased. Important people may be embalmed, and put on display for longer periods, some indefinitely.When the cremation time approaches, the body is placed on a cart, in a white thin wooden coffin with gold filigree. The coffin is surrounded by a thin wood-and-paper mock-up of a Thai temple, brightly coloured. Many flowers are placed on the cart, and a large picture of the deceased is prominently displayed. Using a long, thick rope, and led by a group of monks, friends and family pull the cart to the cremation ground. Everyone at the funeral wears black, or black and white. (For this reason, one should never wear black when visiting sick people in hospital).เพื่อนและความสัมพันธ์ไม่ต้องรอสำหรับไฟให้เสร็จสิ้น พวกเขาจะกลับมาในวันถัดไปเก็บขี้เถ้า พระอยู่ในพิธีนี้ หวานหอมดอกไม้กลีบผสม ด้วยขี้เถ้า ขึ้นอยู่กับครอบครัว เหล่านี้อาจจะอยู่ในผอบหนึ่งหรือหลาย เมื่อพวกเขารวบรวม จะถูกนำไปห้องโถงละหมาดที่มีสวดมนต์เพิ่มเติม และเสื้อคลุมและอาหารมีอีกนำมาพระสงฆ์ในนามของผู้ตาย สิ่งที่เกิดขึ้นถัดจากขี้เถ้าจะแตกต่างกันไป ส่วนใหญ่จะเก็บขี้เถ้าที่วัด ตามที่จะมีการเพิ่มเติมบุญทำพิธีในวัน 50 และ 100 บางคนเก็บไว้ที่บ้านของพวกเขา ตัวเลือกที่สาม ซึ่งดูเหมือนเป็นนิยมมากขึ้นวันนี้ จะเรียกว่า "ลอยอังคาร" ซึ่งหมายถึง การลอยตัวหรือ scattering ของขี้เถ้าซึ่งเป็น อย่างไรก็ตาม พวกเขาอาจทำให้ธาตุบางอย่าง เช่นชิ้นส่วนของกระดูก ในศาลเจ้าที่บ้าน มันไม่ได้จริง ๆ วัฒนธรรมชาวพุทธเป็นการดัดแปลงจากศาสนาฮินดูซึ่งพวกเขามักจะกระจัดกระจายขี้เถ้าในแม่น้ำคงคา คนไทยบางคนเชื่อว่า น้ำขี้เถ้าของรักของพวกเขา ในแม่น้ำ หรือ ในทะเลเปิดจะช่วยลบล้างความบาป แต่วิธีที่พวกเขาไปได้อย่างราบรื่นยิ่งขึ้นสวรรค์ มันไม่ได้เรื่องที่คุณทำเช่นนี้ แต่ถ้าคุณอยู่ในกรุงเทพฯ และสมุทรปราการนั้นเป็นสถานที่มงคลเป็นปากแม่น้ำเจ้าพระยาที่ปากน้ำที่ผมอยู่There are a set number of rituals that have to be done in the correct order before the main ceremony. This includes paying respect to the guardian spirit of the boat and then later the god of the ocean and the goddess of water. Next comes the prayers where the mourners request the spirits and gods to look after the deceased person. It is then time for the white cloth containing the ashes to be carefully dropped over the side. They don’t actually scatter the ashes, they just let the cloth float away and then sink. As they watch it go, they say their final farewells while at the same time scattering flower petals on the water.For the Thais, death is not quite such a solemn or serious event as in the West. After all, reincarnation is widely believed in, and Thais have the very realistic and pragmatic attitude that since we all have to die, why worry or obsess about it, and why get so upset about something that is so entirely natural? Which is certainly not to say they feel the loss any the less.It is believed that the soul of the departed remains in heaven for forty days before reincarnation. During this period it is seen as possible, using a medium, to contact the departed; after that time the soul will have entered a new body - which may or may not be human. If the deceased led a good life, then they will get a better incarnation next time. If not, then they might come back as a dog, or some lower form of life.Cripples and handicapped people must have led a sinful previous life – although they are not in themselves seen as being ‘bad’ now. It is meritorious to give money to these people. ‘Making merit’ to ensure a good next life is good practice.
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