Buddhism and Funeral Services

The Buddhist religion was founded by an Indian philosopher named Buddha in the 6th century B.C. Buddhism centered around the doctrines and teachings of Buddha with meditation playing an important part in the worship. Although originating in India, most of the Buddhists today are found living in the countries of Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, and Japan. Japan has a following of over 83 million people. Funeral ceremonies are fairly simple. Buddhism does allow embalming and/…

…cemetery. The colors of the flowers indicate the role of the deceased in the family. For example, if the deceased was a wife and mother, the flowers would be white. Regarding cremation: cremation is accepted, and commonly practiced in Buddhism. After death, the family members and friends pour water over the body of the deceased. After being bathed, the body is surrounded by wreaths, incense, and candles, and maybe a photo of the deceased nearby.