levo

Buddhism: Living the Buddhist Life

Buddhist death and mourning rituals

  • 3 things to know
  • Any of the three papers

Overview

The moment of death, the Theravada funeral with its water-pouring and chanted verse, merit-making, Japanese funerals and home remembrance, the Tibetan Book of the Dead and its 49 days, sky burial, and impermanence.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Key term

Why is the moment of death important for Buddhists?

Key term

What happens at a Theravada funeral?

Key term

What is the water-pouring ceremony at a Theravada funeral?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Why is the moment of death important for Buddhists?

    Model answer

    Buddhists believe the state of mind at death influences rebirth. A calm, wholesome mind at death is thought to lead to a good rebirth.

  2. 2

    What happens at a Theravada funeral?

    Model answer

    Monks chant verses about impermanence, and the family offers robes and food to the monks. The body is usually cremated.

  3. 3

    What is the water-pouring ceremony at a Theravada funeral?

    Model answer

    Relatives pour water from a jug into a cup until it overflows. The overflowing water stands for merit flowing to the dead person, as rivers fill the ocean.

  4. 4

    Which verse is often chanted at Theravada funerals?

    Model answer

    Monks chant "Anicca vata sankhara", meaning "All conditioned things are impermanent". The verse reminds mourners that death is natural.

  5. 5

    Why do Theravada families hold merit-making ceremonies after a death?

    Model answer

    Families give food and gifts to monks at set times, such as seven days and one year after the death. The merit is dedicated to the dead person to help their rebirth.

  6. 6

    What happens at a Japanese Buddhist funeral?

    Model answer

    A priest chants sutras and gives the dead person a new Buddhist name, called a kaimyo. The body is cremated, and relatives lift the bones from the ashes with chopsticks.

Other ways to work this

The same content, four other ways.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

1Closed book
2Open book
3Closed book

The 3-step method, run for you

Answer cold, learn it, then prove it stuck. Levo tracks the jump between your first attempt and your last.

Catholic Christianity: Catholic Beliefs
Catholic Christianity: Living the Catholic Life
Catholic Christianity: Marriage and the Family
Catholic Christianity: Matters of Life and Death

Cram a whole paper in one sitting

Sort every topic into what you know and what you do not, then drill only the weak ones.

The Act also made compulsory.
monogamypolygamydivorce

Blank Blitz makes facts automatic

Rapid timed gap-fills on the terms and numbers you need to recall without thinking.

AOmnipotent means all-powerful.
BBenevolent means all-loving and wholly good.
CEternal means existing without beginning or end.

Build It gets the exam shape right

Assemble a full-mark answer from its marking points, in the order an examiner wants them.

Miri means worldly or political authority.
TrueFalse

Test It catches misconceptions

Spot the fault in a statement. The traps are the mistakes students actually make.

721941163128510

Brain Breaks between sessions

Short focus games to reset attention, so the next set lands better than the last.

Every question in Buddhism: Living the Buddhist Life, on a schedule.

Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.

Or £46 a year, about £3.83 a month. Cancel anytime.