Cremation and storage of deceased human ashes: Things to note .VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.

Cremation of a loved one after death is a legitimate and extremely civilized need. Will also settle the land for burial. However, when cremation, we need to pay attention to what, and where should the ashes be placed?

Buddhist view of the ashes of the deceased

In the Buddhist house, whether it is cremation (cremation) or burial (burial), the dead person's body loses all feeling. No longer knowing what heat or cold is because the nerves, limbs have stopped working. The consciousness has left the body, so it cannot feel the pain either.

That is to say, whether cremation or cremation, the spirit of a deceased person is not affected by their transcendence. Ashes are left over after burning the entire body. In the old days, it was put on a crematorium, and later collected the ashes of firewood and body. And now there is an electric crematorium, the remaining ashes that are finally pure and free of impurities.

Because of that, dead bodies after cremation are clean, causing less environmental pollution than cremation. Because of that, this is the method of dealing with corpses that is encouraged and developed in the modern world. For the Buddha, this body is the fusion of many things that become.

In the Buddhist house, whether it is cremation (cremation) or burial (burial), the dead person's body loses all feeling. No longer knowing what heat or cold is because the nerves, limbs have stopped working.

Trịnh Công Sơn wrote in a song, "What dust transforms my life". Therefore, the form of this life is that we borrow temporarily, to repay karma and karma, but nothing is permanent. So the building of the grave is very big, dedicated to a space of the living for the dead because of meaningless things, extremely wasteful. That in turn reinforces the current view of cremation.

But after the cremation is received, how should the ashes be disposed of, spread on the ground or stored on the temple? In the world, there are many ways to handle them, particularly in some places, to sprinkle ashes into forests, rivers and seas. Having a place to bury the ground and plant a souvenir tree on top, having a place to bury and erect a stele means a lot of ways. It is important that the dead person's will or their relative's will or decision.

Cremation and storage of deceased human ashes in countries around the world

Many parts of the world have used cremation as an alternative to cremation for a long time, because of its simplicity, neatness, and saving money. In places with expensive land like Hong Kong, people choose cremation as a cost-effective solution. Reduced the burden of land on the survivors.

In Canada, although the land is not overloaded like Hong Kong. But people here still choose to cremate to complete the procedures for the deceased.

In the United States, cremation use accounts for 25%. It is forecasted that by 2025, this figure is estimated at 50%.

Part of the ashes scattered across the river to pick up or drop the whole jar remains no different and does not affect the transcendence of the dead.

In India, this method started 2,000 years ago.

Many countries in the region such as Thailand, Myanmar, Laos ... have used cremation for a long time.

In Japan, since 2006, a series of elegant tombs have been built to serve as a place to store the ashes of the deceased. In the Tokyo area, there are more than 2,000 dead people stored ashes in a wooden tomb, built quite sophisticatedly and superficially called Ruriden.

It is known that inside this miraculously built wooden tomb there are more than 2,000 Buddha statues designed and illuminated with led lights. Inside each statue is a set of ashes of a deceased person. Here, relatives of the deceased will be given a card to enter the tomb. Just swipe the card when inside, the statue containing the ashes of their loved one will automatically light up.

In the northern part of Taiwan, there is a 20-story high ashes-containing tower operated by a leading global funeral services company. It is known that inside this tower currently contains the ashes of 400,000 people. It can be seen that taking care of the ashes of the deceased is one of the great business services that are trusted by many people.

An ashes tower in Japan.

In addition, in this country there is another service that is "green" cremation, this is considered an environmentally friendly service. Specifically, when a loved one has died, the family will apply the "green" cremation to bury the ashes with flowers and trees or release them to the sea in planned areas. In addition, relatives of the deceased will neither light incense nor build beer. Statistics from the country's authorities show that in recent years, the number of people choosing “green” cremation services has increased from 0.47% (2008) to 4.5% (more than 7,700 people in 2017). ).

Where is the reasonable place for the lost human ashes?

According to Buddhism, after death, human consciousness follows the karma rebirth, and the four elements body (earth, water, wind, fire) returns the four elements. According to the custom of each country, the body of the four elements after death can be handled in many ways such as cremation (cremation), burial (burial), water burial (release of river sea), or forestry. burial (left in the forest), not even burial (hanging from a tree) or cremation (feeding vultures).

The ashes after cremation can be used as fertilizer.

There are some places, some people think that they scatter ashes down the river into the stream. In essence, the ashes scattered by rivers to pick up or drop the whole jar is still no different and does not affect the transcendence of the dead. However, when scattering ashes, although there is no need for complicated rituals, relatives should also perform in silence, slowly, each person spreading a handful of farewell devotion will be more meaningful and fulfilling " put the whole jar of ashes into the river ”.

While scattering ashes, descendants need to be quiet, respectful and pray for loved ones to be born in the good world. Start the mind to visualize this four-element body, which is dust, now return to dust; tomorrow my body will also return to dust. After spreading the bones, "go to the church to take pictures and worship rice like the old custom" or "send pictures to the temple and worship at the pagoda", whatever.

Ashes after cremation can also be brought to the temple as a solution for super bridge. If the deceased was a Buddhist, or in death, the thought of the Buddha. Then the cremation is finished and the ashes are sent to the temple to be sent. The tranquil atmosphere, early evening at the Buddha's door, makes people feel supernatural and their descendants feel light.

Ashes after cremation can also be brought to the temple as a solution for super bridge.

Importantly, a deceased family needs to do good deeds in their ability to dedicate merit to their loved ones. It is possible to make offerings, give alms, chant chanting, recite the Buddha's name, keep precepts ... and then bring that merit to the deceased. Wherever your loved one is reborn, the blessings you have made to dedicate them will all receive, will become better in the realm of rebirth.END=NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).GOLDEN AMITABHA MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.8/9/2020.