There are various options for interring the remains after a grave is closed, including regular graves, communal graves, ossuaries, tree burials, scattering of ashes, and memorial services at home. Of these, the most popular is "tree burial." Tree burials are popular primarily because they eliminate the need for grave heirs and are less expensive than tombstones.
Tree burials also vary. There are communal tree burials, where the remains of unknown relatives are interred together; collective tree burials, where multiple plots share a single symbolic tree; and individual tree burials, where the remains are interred individually.
1. Communal tree burials, where the remains of unknown relatives are interred together.
The remains are removed from the urn and interred in a single plot with the remains of others. This means that the deceased will rest in a shared cemetery with people they have no connection to. This can be considered a perpetual memorial grave or communal tree burial. Most burials are directly buried in the ground. Depending on the facility, remains may be buried in a cloth bag specifically for burial. Others do not distinguish between plots, but instead use separate burial holes.
2. Collective Tree Burials: Multiple Plots Share a Single Symbolic Tree
This burial method, also known as a compartmentalized burial, involves multiple plots sharing a single symbolic tree. Because the plots are clearly separated, burials can be made for families, couples, or individuals. Some facilities also use a plate-shaped grave marker instead of a symbolic tree and plant flowers. In many cases, the remains are placed in an urn for a certain period of time, after which they are transferred to a communal grave.
3. Individual Tree Burials: Individual Burials
This burial method involves individual plots. A symbolic tree is planted in each plot, and the remains are interred beneath it. Because the plots are separated, burials can be made for families, couples, or individuals, just like in collective burials. The advantage of individual burials is that they can be visited like a regular grave. However, because individual plots and symbolic trees are available, the cost is higher than other types. The burial method is the same as for collective burials: the ashes are typically placed in an urn for a certain period of time before being combined into a communal grave.
In tree burials, the remains are often buried at the base of a tree for only a few years, then removed and interred with many other remains, essentially resulting in a collective interment. For natural burials, choosing a tree burial, where the remains are buried directly in the ground, is recommended. Bones buried in the ground eventually decompose and return to nature. In tree burials, where the remains return to nature, the bones generally cannot be dug up once buried. However, this is an ideal burial method for those wishing to "return to nature."
Tree burials are primarily for perpetual memorial services for individuals or couples, limited to one generation. Perpetual memorial services are a contract type in which the grave costs are paid in full upfront and the cemetery administrator is responsible for the subsequent management and memorial services of the grave. After the ashes are interred, there are no maintenance fees or grave cleaning costs, so even those without successors can rest assured.
Most tree burials are "perpetual memorial services." By paying a perpetual memorial service fee, the temple or cemetery will memorialize the remains on behalf of the family. However, even though they are perpetual memorial services, they are not inherited graves, so the number of people that can be interred is predetermined. Therefore, be sure to confirm the number of people that can be interred before signing the contract. For example, if you plan to inter only the couple from the beginning, the number of people is two, and if you plan to inter parents and two children, the number of people is four.
Unlike regular graves, natural burials such as tree burials and scattering of ashes generally do not require a Buddhist name, but if you would like one, it may be possible to add one as an option for perpetual memorial services.
Many cemeteries and mausoleums that offer tree burials strictly prohibit open flames to prevent fires. In these cemeteries and mausoleums, incense and candles cannot be offered. Some devout Buddhists and older people value these customs, so care should be taken to avoid any future problems. Some cemeteries and mausoleums also have restrictions on offerings.
When you hear about a grave marker with a tree, you might imagine a magnificent tree growing over each individual's remains, as if they were reborn. However, in many cemeteries and mausoleums, multiple remains are buried around a single tree. For those of us accustomed to traditional graves, the sight of several stone plaques lined up under a single tree may seem cramped.
To make the most of a single tree, a much larger area is required than a traditional grave plot. As a result, urban cemeteries and mausoleums are forced to create multiple graves under a single tree. Preparing a plot large enough to occupy a single tree would be extremely expensive. |
