When we think of death we generally think of it as being a time for mourning and sorrow for that are loved ones are no longer with us. Buddhism has an entirely different approach towards death and the burial rituals that most of us are accustomed to. For a Buddhist a funeral is not a time to mourn but prepare the individual for his/her rebirth. Mourning is useless for illness, old age, and death for they are all inevitable; there is no way of avoiding them in a Buddhist perspective.
             I feel that the most important time in a person's life is when they are first created and brought into the world. A Buddhist looks at death ceremonies as being the primary concern rather than birth of a newborn. Buddhism there is no soul, therefore nothing will survive the death of the body. Rebirth is caused by the deceased cravings for existence. Buddhist believe that a persons rebirth is determined by their state of mind right before they take their final breathe. If he/she is at a state of agitation, his chances of a happy and pleasurable rebirth a very slim. On the other hand, if one is at peace before they die, they are much more likely to have a very happy and peaceful rebirth. In order to achieve a happy and calm state of mind one must remember the true purpose of believing in Buddhism. The concept of Suffering, Nirvana, and Karma are all factors into which there lives will be pointed to beyond death.
             To achieve the perfect mind setting, friends and relatives recite Buddhist devotions at the deathbed, and frequently monks are also invited to chant paritta. Some believe that these rituals have the power to overcome satanic powers, which wish to deliver the soul to the nether world. Rituals of elevation usually consists of chanting, with the accompaniment of ritual musical instruments, of sutras, mantras and holy names of Buddha's, prostrations, offering of candles, flowers, incense and all sorts of food and drink. Pray...