Funeral Rites

[Chessa]

Re: Funeral Rites

It's not legal here, but I'd always imagined just being left out in the woods or the desert to feed vultures and hyenas, or buried under a fruit tree. Continue being useful after my death and all.

[wisp]

Re: Funeral Rites

There's an urn you can get that is built to break down and a tree seed is planted in your ashes. I made my husband promise to turn me into a tree.

[Quetzal]

Re: Funeral Rites

I made my husband promise to turn me into a tree.

That's a lovely way of putting it.

[Maria de Luna]

Re: Funeral Rites

My husband wants to donate his body to science.... I asked if I could have his skull... He was cool with that...
When i die I had to make my mom promise not to keep me in an urn on the mantel... (I know I am unlikely to die first... not the point) so if I get cremated put me somewhere under a tree or scatter my ashes... other than that I don't want anyone to spend piles of cash... that would annoy me...

[Heka]

Re: Funeral Rites

Funerals are for the living definitely. I've been to one or two, but they're always so solemn. People are not going to be permitted to wear black at my funeral. HELL NO. Gawdy lea's for everyone who does... I want to be buried naked in a cardboard box. No wake, no embalming, naked as the day I was born, in a cardboard box (you can get cardboard coffins apparently, I want one of them) so that I can turn back into dust ASAP. Planting a tree over me would be a nice gesture.

Ya know what else would be cool? If the hot sands around my area mummified me and in years to come I was unearthed and all mummified and stuff

[PsykhikosAnarchosNautikos]

Re: Funeral Rites

I think there is an inherent something within us that is freed upon death from the physical shell, but its journey is decided by the funeral rite (since I'm not religious, I guess I'm screwed). Since I believe in reincarnation and etheric energy, I think the funeral rite is designed to encapsulate your spirit in your etheric double and help guide your spiritual essence to a new body.

I wouldn't feel right just having a dearly loved one die and me not do anything special for them, so I agree funerals are also for the living. Partly because I believe they are still sentient and wandering on this plane for a few days after death (if they aren't adepts) so I can tell them I love them and give them kindness and luck on their journey. It would also help me grieve in an appropriate way. Even if it is just a candle and a moment of silence (squeaks and sniffles are permitted).

I know in the Jodo Shin Shu tradition of Buddhism family of the deceased are supposed to go the the temple every so often and give incense and prayer offerings. I really don't understand this if the deceased is in Nirvana, unless it takes time to get there and the incense and prayers insure safe travels. I think it's done more for personal merit than anything else, but that's just my opinion.

[DavidMK]

Re: Funeral Rites

Funerals, what a joke. When I die, dig a hole, throw me in, fill up the whole and forget about the body. No need to spend thousands of dollars on rotting meat.