To understand how to best console or aid a Buddhist who mourns, it is often best to understand what they believe about the cycle of life and death.Buddha taught that death was a natural part of life. However, to Buddhist believers, death is not final. Instead a person’s spirit remains near and will seek out a new attachment to find a new life and a new body. Where a person is born is determined by an accumulation of their past positive and negative actions.
Rebirth can take place in one of 6 different realms according to Buddhist tradition. The realms are heaven, hell, human beings, Asura, hungry ghost, and animal. None of these realms are considered permanent. Because Buddhism emphasizes life’s impermanence, death is not something to be feared. In contrast, it is merely something that leads to a person’s eventual rebirth.
Buddhism and Grieving
This concept of death may lead those outside the faith to believe that grief is minimized in Buddhist traditions. This is not the case. Grief is a universal emotion, and those left behind must learn to adjust to a new life without their loved ones.
There is a story told of a woman who brought her dead child to Buddha and begged him to bring her child back to life. Buddha asked the woman to bring a mustard seed from a house where no one had ever died. Only then would he grant her wish. She of course, could not find a household saved from the pain of death and she was then struck by the universality of dying.
Karma
According to Buddhism, everything that happens during our lives results from Karma. Every action creates an effect, and each person’s mind, speech, and action can shape his or her future—whether she will suffer or be happy, experience positive or negative moments.
This is referred to as the law of Karma, or the law of cause and effect. In addition, the way a person lives his life is reflected in the way he eventually dies. To Buddhists it is not important to prolong or extend life, but it is important to care for the lives of those people all around them.
Preparation
Finally Buddhist believers are encouraged to prepare for their eventual death. This is accomplished by living in a responsible and positive manner, by being good to self and good to others. In living this way, a Buddhist believes that calmness and control can be achieved at a person’s time of death.
Back to Buddhist Funeral Customs
Go to Overview of Funeral Customs
Go to Funeral Guide — Index of Topics.
