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/or cremation of the dead.
             Embalming is permitted and often chosen by the family as the means of preparing the deceased. There are no clothing restrictions for a buddhist. The family will select suitable clothing. Families generally select traditional wooden or metal caskets available form the funeral home. There are no guidelines which the family must follow in choosing the type or style of casket to be used. The Buddhist visitation period of the deceased is typically shorter than that of a traditional American style funeral. The casket remains open during the visitation hour.
             The funeral service is usually held at the funeral home, and it typically follows after the visitation. The monk will choose a member of the family, normally the eldest male, to assist him in conducting the rituals. The casket remains open during the funeral ceremony which begins with the monk placing and lighting three candles on the casket. Using the melted wax to hold the candles in place, the candles will continue to burn throughout the ceremony. The monk and family will participate in a series of chants during the funeral service. A gong-like bell is used periodically during this chanting. One of the unique features of the Buddhist funeral is the preparation of a meal consisting of rice, peas, and carrots. This is prepared in the funeral home chapel as part of the service, and taken to the cemetery. Family members play an important role in the service. The pall bearers a...