When a family member or friend is receiving hospice care or is reaching the end of their life, you may have to start preparing and planning for a funeral a little ahead of time. In such circumstances, we may walk you through the procedures and protocols that must be followed to ensure that you understand what needs to be done.
Preparing for a funeral can be a difficult task. You want to be as respectful as possible, right? As a result, it's understandable if some of us are concerned about what to wear to a funeral, how to properly convey sympathies and other issues.
Funerals are human endeavors. Funerals are a way for us to express our grief and to prepare for an unknown future without someone we care about. Funerals are perhaps most essential to youngsters because they help them comprehend that someone has died and what death entails.
The relevance of a funeral is not negated by what Taoism teaches about death. They take precedence over other life events like births and weddings in terms of significance and relevance. Because Taoists think that our spirit lives on as a ghost or an ancestor, we believe that our spirit continues to exist to maintain contact with the living. Those that remain are more likely to believe in the latter, believing that a benign spirit will protect their family and provide good fortune to future generations.
The hun, or heavenly god-soul (yang), and the p'o, or earthy demon-soul, are two major parts of the soul, according to traditional beliefs (yin). The hun for heaven and the p'o for the burial are two key contexts for the soul to prepare for during the funeral process. The transcendent hun has the potential to evolve into a higher spirit form (shen) and ancestor.
This hun, according to Taoist belief, has three celestial spirits, one of which is housed in the spirit tablet. In the grave, the p'o or earthly aspect, which is linked to the body's solid bones, resides. The demon-soul of the p'o has seven destructive terrestrial spirits that can turn into wicked ghosts. As a result, the number 7 is frequently connected with evil and death in nature.
About Taoist Funerals
Taoist Funeral can include a variety of religious and cultural themes while yet staying culturally identifiable. The size of the funeral ceremony depends on the family's financial situation. The traditional funeral process is divided into 7-day intervals, with 7 times 7 or 49 days being the ultimate tribute, only available to the wealthy. The funeral takes place over several days, with ceremonies, offerings, and the feeding and entertainment of guests. The destitute can bury their dead in as little as one or three days. The funerals of wealthy families may incorporate all of the ideal qualities, whereas those of poorer families may skip parts or show them in shortened forms.
The bereaved families choose the characteristics they want and might shorten or interpret them according to their preferences or needs. Many characteristics are blended or reconstructed with other cultural forms and beliefs, resulting in the loss of their genuine essence, particularly in Singapore, due to the influence of other prevalent religions.
The body is frequently laid out in the state in the home's main room, courtyard, or out front under a special canopy. A paper or wood spirit tablet, an incense burner, a picture of the deceased, candles, and food offerings are placed in front of it on an altar. A Taoist priest may establish a cosmic ritual place.
For safe and smooth transit, the deceased body is washed and dressed, adorned with ceremonial talismans and money, and personal things are placed with it.
A moist towel coated with talcum powder is used by family members to clean the body. Following that, they outfit the deceased in their finest attire, which is usually white, black, brown, or blue. Red, on the other hand, should never be used since it may lead the spirit of the departed to manifest as a ghost.
Before placing them in the casket, a yellow cloth is draped over their face and a blue cloth draped over their body. Mirrors must be covered so that no one sees the deceased's reflection, which could result in a second death.
To secure the deceased's prosperity and have bribes ready for the guards and judges of the underworld, precious stones (jade, gold, silver, or a pearl) or a coin are placed on his or her lips or hands. To avoid hunger, rice can be placed in the mouth.
Incense and flowers, as well as images of the departed, surround the space at a Taoist funeral. The Taoist funeral is more concerned with life than death, as ceremonies are performed to preserve the spirit of the deceased from harm.
A priest recites scriptures while others play drums, symbols, and woodwind instruments during the rite. The priest then surrounds a fire, which is made up of nine tiles that represent the underworld levels. He wards off evil spirits with his sword and destroys the tiles to liberate the dead from the abyss. Another priest kneels before Guan Yin, the Chinese goddess of mercy, on a lotus flower-shaped seat. The goddess is frequently seen sitting on a lotus flower in photographs.
Sealing the coffin, which is widely regarded as the most important funeral element, completes the corpse's preparation for burial. The wood coffin is airtight with calking and nails and filled with ritual money and personal objects to keep the dead from moving. The eldest son or a dignitary ceremonially hammers the nails (a sign for descendants) as a blessing for many sons-a type of prosperity. It is inauspicious to be present when the coffin is closed or to have one's shadow or tears trapped within it.
Following the burial or cremation, a funeral feast is held, with a seat reserved for the deceased's spirit. They serve eight courses because the number eight rhymes with the Chinese term for "luck." They start with "sugar water," a sweet soup, as a dessert, so it's a delicious and joyous occasion.
Fish and various meats are commonly used in the other recipes, but beef and horsemeat are never used. They don't want to anger the underworld's "spirit guards," who have ox-like heads and horse-like faces.
Singapore Funeral Services Offer
Through us, you can bid your loved one farewell with funeral arrangements that are both comforting to family and friends during such a difficult time and fit your budgetary needs. Funeral services Singapore focuses on providing respectful funerals at a reasonable cost. We can provide a reasonable way to respect the memory of your relative or friend, starting at around $7500 for a three-day funeral and going up to $8500 for a five-day funeral. Furthermore, Singapore funeral Services include;
- Body collection and transportation: The Funeral Service Singapore receives bodies from hospitals and transports them in a timely and comfortable manner to temples or cremation sites.
- Taoist Casket and Embalming includes
- Professional embalming (for local and burial Cremation)
- Body care includes cleaning the body, dressing them up in the best possible attire, and makeup
- Half Glass wooden casket available in 3 different colors
- At the wake, Singapore Funeral Services presents a casket surrounded by fragmented candles, fresh flowers, and photos of the departed as a Taoist funeral ritual. In addition, we provide;
- One photo enlargement (10' by 12') and 6 Passport-sized photos
- Floral frame (10' by 12') and 6 Passport-sized photos
- Donation Collection Box and Record Book
- Taoist Memorial Altar Arrangement
- Taoist Blanket, Pearl, and Pillow Set (1 Unit)
- Table-Top fresh floral setup (2 Pieces)
- Void Deck covered with curtain and carpet
- Fifteen (15) Square Tables
- Ten (10) Round Tables
- One Hundred (100) Plastic Chairs
- Fans and General Lighting
- Ivory Table Cloths & Seat Covers
- Funeral Lanterns appropriate for the respective dialects (1 pair)
- Paper House depending on the respective dialects (8ft)
- Gold and Silver mountains (1 set)
- Guardian Angels (Golden Boy/Jade Girl) (1pair)
- Taoist Priest Chanting Ceremony
- Encoffin
- Final Night
- Funeral Day
- Taoist Funeral Procession Funeral Service
- Glass Hearse
- Air Conditioned 50 seated Bus (two ways)
- Towel Souvenirs for guests
- Cleansing Flower water
- Mandai Cremation Fee
- Cremated Ash Collection Service
- Other additional items for Buddhist funerals
- Mobile toile x 1 at $ 80 per day
- Chiller x 1 at $ 50 per day
- Food catering, drinks, and other miscellaneous
- Consumables such as peanuts, melon seeds are billed on a consignment basis
- Additional or upgrade night Monk chanting sessions
- Post funeral Monk chanting sessions
- Placement of Ashes (7th 49th 100th days prayer sessions)
- Incense paper, Paper House offerings, Car, etc
- Photography and videography services
- Mourning dresses and garments
- The sound system includes speaker, mic, music stand, amplifier, etc
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