Of course, memorial portraits didn't exist in the days before photography. Memorial portraits only appeared after the war. It's a custom that became widespread after World War II. Therefore, there are no provisions in Buddhist teachings regarding the handling of memorial portraits. Even if you ask a temple priest, you'll only be given their own personal opinion, and that opinion does not necessarily represent Buddhist teachings. Naturally, opinions will vary depending on who you ask. So, after doing our own research, we've roughly summarized the temple's thinking from the various opinions, which we'll share below.
Since memorial photographs are a tool for remembering the deceased and connecting with them, the general consensus seems to be that the photograph itself should not be placed inside the Buddhist altar, but rather should be placed somewhere other than there. It also seems that large memorial photographs should not be placed directly above the altar. The late Kazuko Hosoki is said to have gone to hell. It seems that there's something wrong with placing a memorial portrait higher than the principal image enshrined in the altar. She seems to have meant that the altar should be well taken care of.
Since memorial photographs are intended solely to connect hearts, it seems inappropriate to pray to the photograph. The object of prayer is ultimately the principal image, not the photograph. Therefore, you can scale down the memorial photograph to a smaller size and display it anywhere you like, or it doesn't even seem necessary to display it at all. It seems that many people are startled when they accidentally come across a photograph they kept in a closet. Memorial photographs are solely for funerals, so if you're remembering the deceased, it may be easier to connect hearts by displaying a natural photo of them when they were alive.
★At SANKOTSUYAMA, we also cremate memorial photographs. If you wish, we will cremate your memorial photograph free of charge when scattering ashes. |
