Buddhist Funerals Today

Buddhists and Taoist Funeral rites are often more complex and this can be seen by the sheer number of items involved in a typical Buddhist and Taoist wake setting. Today we will talk about how Buddhist Funerals have evolved overtime. In the past, people are more superstitious and a lot of things done is majorly to (1) ward off inauspiciousness and (2) show filial piety. With scientific advancements and the birth of a generation that places more emphasis on being practical, people are less willing to spend on a Buddhist Funeral especially when the only reasons doing so are hear-say reasonings passed down through the generations, without scientific basis. This means that people might be more rational when it comes to decision making for holding a Buddhist Funeral.

Minimal Number Of Wake Days

In the past, Buddhist funerals are often held for 5 to 7 days. It could be that families in the past used to be bigger and the longer wake period could be to allow relatives time to visit the funeral wake to pay respect to the decedent. Today, more and more people are going for a 3 days funeral wake. Some even choose to do away with the funeral wake altogether and go for a direct cremation instead.

Grandness Of The Set Up

It is easy to tell when there is a Buddhist funeral wake in the vicinity. If you see many blankets hanging out at the front of the void deck, you can always find the Buddhist Funeral wake nearby. Instead of blankets, you can identify a Buddhist Funeral by electronic floral wreaths surrounding the area or by big balloon sculptures that forms the shape of the entrance to the funeral wake.

Mourning Attire

Bereaved family members don themselves in traditional "muar" clothes for Buddhist Funerals in the past. This attire includes not just shirts and pants but head gear and foot wear as well. Today, this is hardly seen and no longer produced locally. These attire are also not for sale. You can only rent such attire if you really want to use them. Times are changing. People are simplifying their mourning attire to white shirts and coloured pants.

Vigil

With smaller families, descendants outsource the function of keeping vigil to nightguards for a fee. This is unlike in the past where family members took turns to look after the funeral wake at night. If you need a nightguard, please call us at +65 94892424 and we will help wiith the arrangements.

Chanting

Buddhist Funerals in Singapore generally used to have 3 monks but this has been reduced to just 1. In the past, people are more particular about the type of sutra that is chanted for the decedent but this is not the case anymore. This could be because family members are not exposed to the different types of sutras available and assume that it is the same for all.

Funeral Day Ceremony

Engaging performance like live bands, “stick mans” and “gong guans” are commonplace in Buddhist Funerals previously. The noise from these performances are thought to provide a grand send off for the decedent and to ward off any evil spirits. These performances involve many people and can be costly but people were willing to pay for them. What was once thought of positively is not the case anymore as some families feel that such outward performances are not just unnecessary but noisy.

Final Resting Ground

People are choosing cremations over burials for their loved ones for a myriad of reasons. Cremations are more cost-effective and is said to have both physical and spiritual meanings for the decedent's soul. This was not always the case. In the past, burial is the preferred option as it is deemed as less painful for the decedent.

All in all, it seems that there is an increasing trend of simplifying Buddhist Funerals in Singapore. I guess some people feel very stuck in-between where they want to keep the traditions of a Buddhist Funeral yet keep things simple. At Harmony Funeral Care, we help find the balance for you so that you can conduct a comprehensive Buddhist Funeral simply.