About Buddhist Death & Reincarnation

Buddhists believe in reincarnation, and view death as a transition from the current life to the next. When a person dies, their soul takes on a new form in their next life, depending on the karma they have sowed. The ultimate goal of a Buddhist is to eventually attain the state of Nirvana.

Death is not only a sad occasion for the family, but more importantly, it is a reminder of Buddha’s teaching on impermanence and an opportunity for our loved one to travel into the afterlife and transition to his/her new existence of his/her new life.

What Happens at a Buddhist Funeral in Singapore

A Buddhist funeral in Singapore is usually a 3-day or a 5-day dignified and solemn ceremony conducted at an HDB void deck, in a funeral parlour, or at the family’s landed home, depending on the client’s budget and preference.

The funeral service is usually conducted the following day by a Buddhist monk. Visitors will be able to view and bid goodbye to the departed with a slight bow.

A meditation session will be held during the funeral ceremony for the family and guests to remember and honour the deceased.

The Buddhist monks will perform the final Buddhist rites before the casket is sealed and then the family members can participate in lifting the casket while fellow guests will observe in silence and respect.

This is followed by the funeral procession where the family members will walk behind the hearse, and everyone will bless the deceased with good thoughts for him to transition to the afterlife and next life.

About Our Buddhist Funeral Services

Elite Funeral Services will provide full support to fulfill your family needs so your loved one is honoured in the best way possible. We are an empathetic funeral team who will help you honour your loved one meaningfully according to the Buddhist funeral traditions.

It is essential to engage an experienced funeral team who are familiar with all the Buddhist funeral customs and rituals because most families are not familiar with these matters. At Elite Funeral Services, we have over a decade of experience in organizing Buddhist funerals, so you can be assured that everything will be taken care of properly to ensure you can focus on grieving and honouring your loved one. 

For your convenience, we offer 3 comprehensive funeral packages (ranging from 3 to 5 days of essential or VIP funeral services) to cater to different budgets and preferences. We have years of knowledge and experience in helping families. 

We believe in full transparency and utmost professionalism. That is why we always share the full details and prices of our Buddhist Funeral Packages with our clients and clarify any doubts they may have before committing. There are absolutely no hidden costs involved, and whatever we advertise is what we will honour. 

Contact us for more info and 24/7 assistance today at +65 8823 7979.

More Info on Buddhist Funeral

Buddhist funerals focus on the age-old concept of Samsara, the never-ending cycle of death and rebirth, ending when one achieves sufficient good karma and eventual enlightenment to attain nirvana. Death is the beginning of a samsara cycle, and the quality of life after death is determined by the quantity and quality of karma accumulated within our lifetime.

Buddhist funeral services are not religion-mandated, unlike the Christian funeral service. Colleagues are not required to attend if they do not want to participate in religious rituals.

Buddhism is closely associated with cremation as a funeral practice. Cremation of the remains must occur no more than seven days following death. The word ‘Cremation’ is derived from Latin “cremare” (to reduce to ashes). The term was first used by Roman writers like Pliny, who described processes of cremating bodies and burning them down with unprocessed wood. Unlike European countries or Japan, cremation was often practised by Buddhists in East Asia for centuries before being adopted widely during the 20th century as a cost-effective alternative to the burial of dead bodies including among monks and nuns living communally.

Buddhists believe that after the body of a person has died, it is transformed into an empty shell — so it does not have consciousness any longer. According to Buddhism, there is no afterlife. Buddhists can undertake funerals, saying farewell to their ancestors. Buddhist monks are not supposed to participate in the funeral of other religions.

How do Buddhist funerals work? 

In most modern Buddhist cultures, death is considered a powerful and important event in one’s life and their death will be mourned for extended periods of time. Amongst Buddhists cremation is the norm for practising Buddhists because it symbolizes an end to the cycle of births and rebirths which ends all suffering quickly without much pain or strain on society. 

Planning a Buddhist funeral can be different for each denomination, though there are some common features. An experienced funeral director with years of experience can help the bereaved family to plan and coordinate the funeral ceremony, funeral hearse, and funeral procession, as well as provide the funeral tentage and all the necessary ceremonial items according to the Buddhist funeral package chosen by the family. 

The funeral service provider usually provides a good range of transparent pricing to cater to low-income families or the more affluent ones. Regardless of the funeral package, the funeral director and team will conduct the funeral for the bereaved family with full professionalism to help them pull through the difficult time and get a peaceful closure.

In Singapore, one can choose to conduct an outdoor funeral at the HDB void deck or at a funeral parlour with an air-conditioned environment. The first component includes numerous rituals: burning incense, chanting mantras praising Buddha and paying homage to his image; casting ashes in water to symbolize leaving this earth without self-existence; making offerings at gatha plate. Burial is the second component.

A Buddhist funeral wake usually features an altar at the centre of the room and the remains and objects affiliated with the deceased sit at its side. The Buddha’s image, images of ancestors of the Buddhist faith, handwritten scriptures and other Buddhist idols are placed around the altar due to their connection with Buddhism itself. Before funeral rites start, priests will pray for peace in order that no after-effects may happen such as heaven or hell (reincarnation) can occur.

The funeral ritual starts with bathing and clothing to prepare the departed for the funeral. The body of the deceased will then be placed in a casket surrounded by funeral wreaths and lit candles. The standard rituals for Buddhist funerals are such as chanting the sutras incense burning, burning offerings, presenting flowers and food, and lighting candles. 

During the funeral day, close friends and family members will pray and recite prayers by the guidance of a Buddhist practitioner in order to bestow blessings on the family. Buddhist funerals centre around chanting and burnt offerings, such as incense or tea (whether poured into bowls or burned with ritual objects), butter lamps for paying respect during long meditations.

Fellow mourners will place their offerings at the altar’s centrepiece with the black-and-white portrait of the deceased and guests will convey their condolences to the family and light a single joss stick to pay their respects at the altar.

What are some Buddhist funeral traditions & rituals? 

Most believers in Singapore follow the teachings of Mahayana Buddhism, one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism. Buddhists who practise the Mahayana faith believe that reincarnation takes up to 49 days after death. The Buddhist funeral wake is usually held for 3 to 5 days. This funeral offers a peaceful closure and final meaningful act of love. 

The funeral ritual starts with bathing and clothing to prepare the departed for the funeral before placing the body in the casket surrounded by funeral wreaths and lit candles.

The standard rituals for Buddhist funerals are such as chanting the sutras incense burning, burning offerings, presenting flowers and food, and lighting candles. 

Fellow mourners will place their offerings at the altar’s centrepiece with the black-and-white portrait of the deceased and guests will convey their condolences to the family and light a single joss stick to pay their respects at the altar.

In many Buddhist traditions, the body is not cremated and will be kept in a casket or grave for at least 24 hours after death. In the first three days after death, friends and family members will shower the deceased with flowers from all directions. This symbolizes washing away resentment for past wrongdoings.

The second day is spent taking symbolic baths of holy water to cleanse the mind and body prior to bathing with earth taken from their final resting place which also cleanses them spiritually as well as physically by removing any remnants that may cling around their corpse daily until burial or cremation. This is to help ensure that the person will not return again as a ghost or other spiritual being during their next life.

Also, on the fourth day after death, there are elaborate memorial services that do not take place until three days later so people can prepare for this ceremony and meet family members again who have come from all over to pay final respects.

During the funeral, Buddhist monks will chant Buddhist scriptures to lessen the deceased’s bad karma and aid in the smooth transitioning into the next life or Nirvana. The family will burn their offerings the night before the cremation ceremony. Before cremation, the monk will also conduct a short chanting session. After the cremation ceremony, the deceased’s ashes will be placed in an urn to be stored in a columbarium.

The total mourning time for Buddhists customarily lasts for 49 days, with Buddhist prayer for the departed conducted for a period of 7 weeks every 7 days. The purpose of these prayers is to help facilitate the departed as they journey into the afterlife.

Cause & effect in Buddhism

In Buddhism, there is no afterlife, which means that the deceased body will not be cremated. Often family members want to donate belongings of the departed so they can increase their good karma in this lifetime and avoid rebirth in any kind of misery or reincarnation cycle. The manner by which these items are handed down changes depending on whom they belonged to since possessions come with their own sufferings because objects possess desires for happiness or pain just like people do.

What is the significance of 49 days after death in Buddhism?

The 49 days represents the five different realms in which our consciousness can be divided into before taking rebirth. Buddhists believe about 24% of people who have died since 1879 have been reborn into our current lifetime.

Just because your time on earth has ended, that is not the end. Your consciousness is scattered deep within the universe and exists forever to be able to reconnect with family members who you thought you’d never see again after death or find yourself back at one of life’s most memorable locations like a school reunion (or wedding toast) for example; your memory will sparkle even more than when you were alive.

Buddhist funeral etiquettes: What do you wear to a Buddhist funeral & What should you do at the funeral?

In the Buddhist tradition, there are no fixed rules when it comes to funeral clothing. The family members of the deceased generally wear white, and the guests will normally dress in black or other simple dark colours (no bright colours). Women are expected to remove any jewellery they may have worn since carrying this in reincarnated form may cause hardship among family members.

Upon arrival at the funeral, the guests will proceed quietly to the altar to pay their respects with a slight bow at the open casket slightly with their hands in the prayer position before finding a seat and waiting for the funeral service to start.

When the monk conducts the chanting ceremonies, everyone will follow his lead and stand whenever he requests to do so. The Buddhist funeral service consists of sermons and group meditations. If you are uncomfortable joining in, you can choose to wait silently until the ceremony is over before talking.

Donation is not mandatory at a Buddhist funeral, but any gesture will be appreciated. 

Do Buddhists embalm their dead?

Buddhist embalming is the ritual of preparing the body for permanent entombment. The use of these techniques depends on which traditions are being practised. However, the body is always prepared for burial with utmost care and respect.

The practice of Buddhist funeral rites started in the 5th century AD during which time these methods were no doubt developed. There are different views on how many days must pass after death before burial is allowed and at what point preparation for such a rite begins. Four separate books called “Tripitaka” document passages relative to embalming, one covering religious texts relating to the next life while another covers medical text that focuses on the disposition of dead bodies.

The oldest definite mention regarding embalming in Buddhist scriptures comes from the “Tripitaka” Sutra, “It is not proper to establish a family shrine until after seven days have passed since death.” This passage talks about setting up an altar for worshipping spirits or deities at funeral ceremonies on the seventh day that follows your passing. On the seventh day following death, arrangements must be made for the funeral service which is meant to have contact with gods during life so they can intercede on your behalf. Embalming is thought to provide assistance in these tasks by blocking out air and food particles that could enshroud or harm spirits.  It serves to preserve these important elements from rotting and can even stop the decomposition while burial is underway.

Why choose us to organize the Buddhist funeral service for your loved one?

We are a sincere, empathetic, and committed funeral service team who strives to provide the best Buddhist funeral services in Singapore. Our team is very familiar with the customs, rituals and rites for Buddhist funeral so you can be assured of professional funeral planning, organization and provision for your loved one. We offer both affordable and luxury Buddhist funeral service packages with transparent pricing to suit different budget and preferences for families in Singapore.

Contact us for assistance on Buddhist funeral services in Singapore

At Elite Funeral, we aim to provide step-by-step guidance, full support, and affordable service packages for Buddhist funerals to help ease the family’s burden during this tough time. Feel free to contact us anytime for more info or call us at 8823 7979 (24-hour hotline).