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Differences and similarities christian and buddhism
Christianity and Buddhism comparison
Differences and similarities christian and buddhism
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Cultures from around the world share many similarities and differences. One thing that many people do not think about, when thinking about other cultures and religions, is the death and grieving process. When doing research on two different cultures, such as Christianity and Buddhism, one might find at least one part of the funeral process strange, but every part of the process is done for a reason. An example of some of the difference and similarities that the two cultures share are Buddhist wear white and black to a funeral and now that death and believe in “nether world”; were as, Christians wear all black and believe in heaven or hell; Buddhist do not pray for anyone younger than themselves that passes, because that would be considered disrespectful; were as, Christians will pray for anyone; and finally, Buddhist are given a more time …show more content…
They space the funeral out so that everyone has the proper amount of grieving time. Unlike a Buddhist funeral, Christian funerals only last 1-2 day, which is hardly enough time to grieve. Depending on how close one is to the deceased and their family, one may or may not be expected to attend every part of the Christian or Buddhist funeral process. If one is close to a family, that practices Buddhism, the right thing to do is to bring a wreath or give the family money in an envelope (Barrow, 2011). With Christian funerals, one might send the family a wreath to put on the grave or send money in an envelope to help with any kind of expenses, but the most common thing to do in the south is to send a home cooked dish. For Buddhist funerals, the person being buried will wear a hand loomed shirt, the shirt brings good luck to the dead. Any colors can be chosen except black. The long sleeve shirt must cover all the fingers of the dead (Shuang, 1993). If the sleeves are too short, there will be bad luck in the after
According to a study, many difficult cultures have the tendency to establish their methods of coping, whether it is through religion, culture, or/and personal ideologies (Chen, 2012). Mourning and burial ceremonies play a pivotal role for Lossography due to individuals having the ability and liberty to express melancholy and sometimes jubilation during the times they once had with their loved one. These types of beliefs and practices used as coping mechanisms can be very meaningful and profound for the comfort of the individual who’s going through a mournful experience (Chen, 2012). These types of coping mechanisms is important for Lossography, due to the fact that individuals are able to convey emotions through traditional practices, archaic arts and crafts, and spiritual rituals to fully find meaning with the death of their loved one. In addition, having established beliefs can definitely change the perception of what death signifies based upon religious and cultural expectations of the afterlife. However, not all cultures and religions put much emphasis into the afterlife. For instance, the monotheistic religion Judaism does not contain any interpretation of what happens after someone dies. Judaists believe that nothing happens after death, death is considered a taboo and not something that is commonly talked about for these religious individuals. Lossography, in religion may take on many forms for how death is perceived and for what actions can people take to ensure that their death will bring them to a place of peace, joy, and everlasting life. Lossography regarding religion, gives individuals hope that death is not the end, it gives them hope that knowing that person may not be here with us in the flesh, but that person is somewhere smiling down. Lossography in religion,
For some, coping with death is the end of a journey, but to others, it is the beginning of change. The novel, The Hero's Walk, explores the meaning of this statement through the death of Maya. Because of her death, the people who are close to her, such as her father, Sripathi, begin to suffer. However, he eventually experiences a positive change after coping with her death. In Anita Rau Badami's novel, The Hero's Walk, Maya's death is a major turning point which affects the life of Sripathi; ultimately, this loss contributes to his major character development.
The way one culture responds to the anger phase of grief for example; may not be the same way another culture responds. Research has shown that culture plays a role in the grieving process associated with death. When multiple cultures were tested to determine individual impact on the grieving process, Caitlin (1993) states, “In conclusion, the present study supports the decision that bereavement is significantly shaped by cultural context” (p. 183). The five stages of grief may be experienced by various cultures; Kuehn (2013) speaks of how some cultures use the five stages of grief as a structural guideline to help with the bereavement process by stating, “This was identified as a positive cultural coping mechanism in some instances because it gives the bereaved child or adult some stability and control during a time where they may feel very vulnerable and lost” (p. 37). As there are cultures that experience and impact each stage of grief individually, there are also cultures that may not experience a particular stage when grieving. A Tibetan monk for example, may not experience anger or allow for community depression to ensue after death. According to Workman-Newkirk (n.d.), “The reason for that is that as a monk one is single, a bachelor, and not allowed to marry. This is different from other cultures where family and friends are expected to participate in the grieving process. As seen, culture impacts whether or
It is evident that the grieving process for Buddhists is far more structured than that for Christians. This is because the family and friends of the deceased are the main concern and the soul of the individual is not. The funeral service helps to reassure everyone that the soul is going to heaven, and that we will all meet again. There is much comfort found in this that allows Christians to carry on, focusing on this life to reserve their spots in heaven. The Buddhists, however, are certain that the soul will be reincarnated, so it is extremely important to ensure its safe journey. The focus is placed on prayer for the soul, as what one did in life makes little difference in the end. It is because of these factors that the Christians live for today, the Buddhists live for tomorrow.
After the death of a person the eyes are closed, so the person can finally rest in peace. Some Jews place the body of the deceased on the floor immediately after death. This is done to cool the body to slow the deterioration of the body and also fulfill the biblical prognostication "for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return"(Genesis 3:19). A candle is then lit and placed near the corpse head to show respect to the soul that departed. In the past twenty-six candles were light around the body; twenty-six is the Jewish numerical number meaning "God." Today this is done only to show respect to the dead. Jewish people treat a close family members death similar to Americans. Relatives and friends of the deceased feel great distress, sorrow, and pain.
...t, monks will come and recite scriptures while mourners offer gifts. The body if taken to the cremation site on the fourth day while about eight monks carry a long white cord connected to the casket. At the place of cremation, family members take pictures by the casket and walk around the casket three times, symbolizing traveling through the cycle of death and rebirth. Ten “important people” then place a set of yellow robes on the white cord, after, the senior monk collects them. Buddhist tradition calls this symbolically contemplating the dead, which “brings merit to those who provide opportunity for the monks to do so (Cite text pg 366).” After the cremation the remaining ashes and bones are “made into the shape of a human being with the head facing east.” The remains are then put in a reliquary built in the monastery. Grief is not stressed in Buddhist ceremonies.
Globally, people celebrate or mourn the passing of loved ones in different ways. Because these traditions are engrained in cultural practices, some may not understand the reasons for death rites of passage. However, monetary challenges in reproducing these traditions can cause a change in tradition. This report addresses the different funeral traditions and offers a solution in the event of financial challenges.
Death is part of the circle of life and it's the end of your time on earth; the end of your time with your family and loved ones. Nobody wants to die, leaving their family and missing the good times your loved ones will have once you pass on. In the Mercury Reader, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross “On the Fear of Death” and Joan Didion “Afterlife” from The Year of Magical Thinking” both share common theses on death and grieving. Didion and Kübler-Ross both explain grieving and dealing with death. Steve Jobs commencement speech for Stanford’s graduation ceremony and through personal experience jumps further into death and how I feel about it. Your time is on earth is limited one day you will die and there are many ways of grieving at the death of a loved one. I believe that the fear of death and the death of a loved one will hold you back from living your own life and the fear of your own death is selfish.
Of all life experiences, death in the family is considered one of the most heartbreaking experiences families encounter. During this experience, families go through a wide range of emotions and are forced to make different decisions for the deceased person. In society, there are different policies surrounding death in the family, such as life insurance, the Will and testament of the deceased person and even bereavement leave. All these current policies are beneficial to the deceased person and their family, but is this enough? Life insurance policies are contacts between individuals and their insurance company, that provides financial security for individual’s family after their death. However, there are different types of life insurance policies that are chosen depending on the needs and goals of individuals. Three common life insurance policies most individuals chose from are term life insurance, universal life insurance and whole life insurance (Lankford, 2015).
The research paper, Disenfranchised grief/hidden sorrow: Implications for the school counselor, written by Ann Marie Lenhardt, aimed to take a deeper look at the struggles that students have in their lives and how school counselors can assist them with these issues. Specifically, this paper took a deeper investigate the concept of disenfranchised grief in youth and finds that youth are experiencing grief more and more and this is often not acknowledged by society, therefore making it disenfranchised grief. The paper looked at how disenfranchised grief can be identified in children in ways other than the traditional methods used by school counselors with an overall goal of figuring out how school counselors can better assist our children during times of hardship. In
In the Jewish faith, death is seen as a natural process, one with many unique traditions that give friends and family the opportunity to spend time with the deceased. When death occurs, and Jewish rituals begin, the body is never left alone, as mourners will focus on showing respect for the dead and consolation for the living. Many communities are known for having a burial society, called the “Chevra Kaddisha,” or “Holy Society,” that’s purpose is to clean, and then wrap the body in a plain linen shroud. Then, a room is chosen and candles will be lit to represent the “shomerim” (meaning “guards”) that will watch over the body, as it is laid on the floor and covered. Because of this, the body cannot be cremated or embalmed, and even autopsies are severely discouraged, as these acts would disrupt the traditional Jewish mourning rituals. Within 24 hours of death, and before sunset if possible, the body is then placed in a casket and buried. Coffins are not required, however, if one is used, it must have holes drilled in the bottom, so the body may still come in contact with the ground. As for the living, Jewish mourners start phases of grief traditions, beginning with the tearing of one’s own clothing (Rich, 1996). Per tradition, mourners “cut their clothing with a razor- on the left for a parent; on the right for a sp...
The subject of death and dying can cause many controversies for health care providers. Not only can it cause legal issues for them, but it also brings about many ethical issues as well. Nearly every health care professional has experienced a situation dealing with death or dying. This tends to be a tough topic for many people, so health care professionals should take caution when handling these matters. Healthcare professionals not only deal with patient issues but also those of the family. Some of the controversies of death and dying many include; stages of death and dying, quality of life issues, use of medications and advanced directives.
While the end of life experience is universal, the behaviors associated with expressing grief are very much culturally bound. Death and grief being normal life events, all cultures have developed ways to cope with death in a respectful manner, and interfering with these practices can disrupt people’s ability to cope during the grieving
Death is one of the hardest things to over come; while others have developed paganism for death it’s ultimately the scariest thing to face in life. Losing a best friend, a family member, or the love of your life. Therefore the death of someone special is definitely the hardest thing to face. Many people believe when someone dies, they’re sleeping, and they wake up when Jesus comes again and brings you to heaven with him, this is called Christianity, however, Buddhism believe when the body dies it disappears, but the mind goes on, which means you have no after life to experience. I personally believe after you die, you will go to a very special place, with past family members who have passed away. I also believe if you don’t think there is a God you will go to
Death is something that causes fear in many peoples lives. People will typically try to avoid the conversation of death at all cost. The word itself tends to freak people out. The thought of death is far beyond any living person’s grasp. When people that are living think about the concept of death, their minds go to many different places. Death is a thing that causes pain in peoples lives, but can also be a blessing.