What exactly does a "grave" mean in Buddhism? The concepts of "treating graves" and "treating remains with care" can be seen in ancient Egyptian and European ruins, dating back to before the introduction of Buddhism. This "remains worship" concept seems to exist worldwide. Some Buddhist sects continue to argue over whether their temples have stupas (reliquary towers) housing the Buddha's remains, as they claim they are the true deity. After the war, GHQ secretly dumped the remains of Class A war criminals, including Tojo Hideki, off the coast of Tokyo Bay to prevent further public veneration. Recently, I've heard of a dispute within the Aum Shinrikyo cult over who should inherit the remains of Asahara.
While the worship of remains is widespread worldwide, the very practice of establishing graves was not part of the original Buddhist teachings, which originated in India, and was based on Japanese customs and practices of worshiping ancestors. The nature of graves has changed considerably over the years. In ancient times, there was a time when only the powerful and influential were permitted to build large tombs. During the Edo period, the temple registration system allowed ordinary people to build tombs as well, but this was due to political policies that required ordinary people to become parishioners of a temple. This was because temples played a role similar to that of modern-day government offices. Even today, there are places beneath Paris called catacombs, where the bones of ordinary people are piled up. It is known that in the Christian faith, too, no one had a grave except for baptized saints.
Among the words left behind by Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, is "Do not rely on people, but on the teachings." This means "Do not rely on people, but rely on the teachings," and is known to have been spoken to his disciples on his deathbed. This shows his desire to cherish his teachings more than his remains.
Additionally, Saint Shinran, the founder of the Jodo Shinshu sect, left behind the saying, "When Shinran closes his eyes, he should be thrown into the Kamo River and given to the fish." This means, "When I die, I should be thrown into the Kamo River that flows through Kyoto and used as fish food." This can be interpreted as meaning, "There's no need for a grave." He is also known for saying, "Faith in Buddhism is more important than what happens to the body at funerals and memorial services." Faith in Buddhism, he says, is about achieving absolute happiness while one is still alive.
In modern times, building a new grave is extremely expensive. This puts surviving family members in a difficult situation. Is this really what the deceased would have wanted? Surely they would have wanted their surviving family to live happily without burdening them as much as possible.
So, are funerals and memorial services necessary? These occasions certainly provide an opportunity for those of us who struggle to get by in our busy lives to seriously reflect on our lives. If funerals and memorial services are opportunities to learn and gain something from Buddhist teachings, then they are meaningful. However, if they end up as mere ceremonies, then we cannot help but recognize that they deviate from the true meaning of Buddhism. I believe that each of us should think about graves, funerals, and memorial services, and act according to our own way of thinking. There is no set answer.
In Buddhist teachings, graves and funerals are not just formalities, nor are they traditional rituals just formalities. Surely they only have meaning when there is heart behind them? Rather than performing something out of obligation according to a formal form, perhaps it is closer to the true Buddhist way of thinking about the deceased, expressing gratitude, and offering heartfelt condolences.
Reference: "Learning about Happiness from Buddhism by Ryuta Kikutani"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvKEmHzz63w&t=1s |
