Cremation
Cremation is the traditional final rite practised by Buddhists. While burial may sometimes be preferred when a child dies before their parent, this is primarily a cultural custom rather than a religious requirement. Cremation symbolises detachment, allowing the deceased’s soul to be freed from earthly bonds. Buddhists believe that attachment to the deceased can hinder the soul’s journey in seeking rebirth through Samsara (the cycle of birth and death) until eventually achieving Nirvana.
Funeral Home
When a death occurs, relatives and friends gather at the funeral home to support the bereaved family. Although funeral parlours are becoming increasingly popular, especially among affluent families, conducting funeral ceremonies at home remains common. For hygienic reasons, meals are typically not prepared within the household during this time. Instead, friends, relatives, and neighbours provide food to the funeral home, with the exception of light refreshments. The coffin is positioned with the head facing west, accompanied by an oil lamp placed beside it. Often, a photograph of the deceased is displayed next to the coffin.
Buddhist Funeral Rights
On the funeral day, Buddhist monks perform the funeral rites, with the chief monk delivering the funeral oration. The chief monk typically speaks positively about the deceased and offers consolation to loved ones by explaining death’s inevitability according to Buddhist teachings. During the ceremony, monks drape a white cloth (Mataka Vastra) measuring six yards around the coffin while chanting sutras. This is followed by a blessing for the deceased (Pansakula), during which close family members, seated on the floor beside the coffin, pour water from a small pot into a bowl as the chanting continues. The purpose of Pansakula is to transfer merit to the deceased. After the funeral procession leaves the residence, someone boils a small pot of fresh cow’s milk at the spot where the coffin was kept. This practice, which is more cultural than religious, is believed to absorb impurities left by the deceased.
Crematorium
At the crematorium, a close relative or friend typically delivers a eulogy. While traditional cremations once took place on funeral pyres built with logs, modern cremations are conducted at crematoriums, which are available in most cities and towns under local council management.
Following the cremation, funeral attendees are invited to a special alms-giving at the funeral home, similar to a wake in Christian traditions. The meal typically consists of rice, pumpkin, salt-fish, and vegetables. According to tradition, pumpkin helps heal grieving hearts, while salt-fish replenishes body salts lost through tears. This specific combination of pumpkin and salt-fish is considered inauspicious and is therefore only prepared for funerals.
The day after the funeral, loved ones collect the ashes in an urn and typically sprinkle them over a flowing river, though some families choose to inter the ashes in a cemetery.
Alms Giving (Offering of food)
On the sixth day after death, a Buddhist monk delivers a sermon at the deceased’s home. Usually, the family invites a monk who was well-acquainted with the departed. The following day (the seventh day after death), an alms-giving is offered to Buddhist monks to transfer merit to the deceased. The family often prepares the departed’s favorite dishes, although beef and pork are typically not offered to monks, especially in Sri Lanka. After the monks receive their offerings, friends and relatives share in the meal.
This alms-giving ritual is repeated on the third-month death anniversary and again on the first-year anniversary, after which the official mourning period ends. Nevertheless, some individuals continue to wear white clothing for years afterward, and women often refrain from wearing jewelry during this extended period of remembrance.