Conceptualization about death

Hindu and Buddhist

Hindu
With nearly a billion followers worldwide, Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world. It teaches
that God is within each being and object, and the purpose of life is to become aware of this divine
essence. The Hindu faith originated in India.

Body and soul

Many Eastern religions do not bury their dead; instead, they cremate them. Most Hindus consider this to
be the final sacrifice of a person.The Sanskrit word for death, “dehanta,” means “the end of body” but
not the end of life. One of the central tenets of Hindu philosophy is the distinction between a body and a
soul. Hindus believe that the body is a temporary vessel for an immortal soul in the mortal realm. When
we die, our physical body perishes but our soul lives on. The soul continues its journey of birth, death
and rebirth, in perpetuity until a final liberation. This is at the heart of the philosophy of detachment and
learning to let go of desires. Scholars of Indian philosophy have argued about the importance of
cultivating detachment in the Hindu way of life. An ultimate test of detachment is the acceptance of
death. Additionally, they believe their soul’s next incarnation will depend on the actions throughout their
previous life, this is also known as Karma.

Why do Hindus cremate?

After death, Hindus believe that the physical body serves no purpose, and therefore does not need to be
preserved. They choose to cremate their loved ones as they believe it’s the quickest way to release the
soul and help with reincarnation. Historically, Hindu cremations would take place on the Ganges River,
India, and the family would carry the casket to the crematorium site.

What are Hindu funeral rites?

Traditionally, Hindu funeral rites take the form of chants or mantras which are overseen by an officiant,
usually a Hindu priest or the eldest son of the bereaved. They will gather the family and friends and lead
them in the various Hindu death rituals. These include:
Washing the body with ghee, honey, milk, and yoghurt
Placing essential oils on the head of the deceased (turmeric for females, sandalwood for males)
Placing the palms in a position of prayer and tying the big toes together
Dressing the deceased’s body in smart clothes (contemporary) or wrapping it in a white sheet
(traditional)
Placing a garland of flowers and ‘pinda’ (rice balls) around their loved ones
Putting a lamp near the head or sprinkling water on the body

Buddhist Funeral Traditions

Buddhists believe death is a natural part of the life cycle. They believe that death simply leads tocrebirth.
This belief in reincarnation – that a person’s spirit remains close by and seeks out a new body and new
life – is a comforting and important principle. For Buddhists death is not the end of life, so it is not
something to be feared. Where and how a person is reborn depends on their good and bad actions in
past lives.

Karma
According to Buddhism, everything that happens is the result of Karma – the law of cause and effect.
Every action throughout a person’s lifetime, both good and bad, has an effect on their future. The way a
person lives his or her life also affects the way they die. So it is very important for a Buddhist to prepare
for death by living in a good and kind manner. They are encouraged to be true to themselves and to care
for and about those around them. This is how they can achieve calmness and control at their time of
death.

Making Every Moment Count

Within the Buddhist community, death has important religious meaning. It marks the moment when
new life begins through rebirth. For those left behind, it is a powerful reminder of Buddha's teachings.
Every Buddhist must be prepared for death, because it can happen at any time. Because of this, it is
important to make every moment count. Human birth is precious, and life has great value. When death
is near, Buddhists are taught to think about their holy writings. Giving one’s final thoughts to Buddha and
his teachings brings good luck to a new existence.
Since Buddha's death, many Buddhists have chosen cremation to free the soul from the body. Because
they believe that several stages of life called bardos continue for hours or days after the body dies,
cremation does not take place right away After cremation, the spirit is cut off from our world.

All life is in a cycle of death and rebirth called samsara. This cycle is something to escape from. When
someone dies their energy passes into another form.
Depending on the actions performed in previous lives, rebirth could be as a human or animal or even
ghosts, demi-gods, or gods. Being born as a human is seen by Buddhists as a rare opportunity to work
towards escaping this cycle of samsara. The escape from samsara is called Nirvana or enlightenment.
Once Nirvana is achieved, and the enlightened individual physically dies, Buddhists believe that they will
no longer be reborn.
The Buddha taught that when Nirvana is achieved, Buddhists are able to see the world as it really is.
Nirvana means realising and accepting the Four Noble Truths and being awake to reality.