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Funeral rites of different religions
By Bernice Ha
Funeral practices differ among Christians, Taoists, Buddhists and Muslims.
Kung Lap Yan of the Department of Religion at The Chinese University of Hong Kong attributes these differences to the different cultural interpretations of death.
“Taoists believe that the underworld is full of evil,” said Prof. Kung.
“They have to use funeral rites like ‘hell’s gate opening’ to rescue their beloved from pain.
“They also believe that the deceased have to travel a long way in the underworld to reach the Pure Land. Rites can make their journey easier.”
However, for Christians and Muslims, death is not something to be afraid of. It is merely the completion of life on earth and the beginning of eternal life. Christians and Muslims believe that they will return to their God after death. Christians to God and Muslims to Allah.
Adjunct Professor Tso Wung Wai of the Department of Biochemistry at The Chinese University has been researching religion and other supernatural phenomena since the 1980s.
He said that cultural differences are another factor that accounts for the different funeral rituals.
“Chinese people emphasize kinship,” said Prof. Tso. “So, only the most intimate relatives attend funerals.
“However, brotherhood is highly stressed in the Islamic world.
uslims
attend funerals of people whom they do not even know.”
Prof. Kung finds that although different religions have different funeral
rites, they serve similar functions.
Besides reflecting people’s interpretations of death, funeral rites can also console the living.
“Burning paper offerings creates a continual bond between the deceased and the living,” said Prof. Kung.
The living may be consoled by performing these rites because they feel as if they are able to take care of their beloved, even when they are living in separate worlds.
Prof. Tso also said that funeral rites serve as “an extension of education”.
“Participants may enhance their understanding of death in a funeral,” he explained.