Death+in+Hindu+Culture!


 * Death in Hindu Culture**



In Hinduism, death is considered as a part of life and just defined as a transition of the soul from one body to the next. Four terms surrounding death in Hinduism are: dharma, karma, maya and atman. .The rituals and services surrounding pre-death and post-death in Hinduism are an integral part of the culture and are followed strictly by people living in the country as well as abroad. However, with the world progressing and people being busy with their work schedule, some of this rituals take a toll on an individual and make their life stressful after the death of a loved one.

I, as an individual, am always curious to know about rituals surrounding various events in my culture. Being a part of death rituals of one of my close relatives who passed away just recently, I am keen to explore death practices which surrounded their death. Also, one more thing that interests me is that the rituals performed by family members in the United States are a bit different from those performed in the home country. Moreover, it was interesting to know that the elder son has to travel back to the home country for completing some important rituals which cannot be performed here in the United States.

Let Scholars Speak First

 According to Gupta 2, pre-death rituals are crucial to Hindu families. It includes the presence of close relatives and all the members of the family. A person at the end of their life is believed to have a good death if they meet all their family members in the last stages of their life and have the privilege to bless them to lead a happy life forever.

 According to Thrane 4, post-death rituals last for 13 days. Immediately after the death, the person is served with the sacred water of Ganges on the deathbed and dressed in new clothes. According to Shanmugasundaram S, et al. 5, "Hindus consider the Ganges as a holy river and its water sacred. The family may place a few drops of this water and a tulsi (basil leaf) into the mouth of the person who is dying. This action will purify the person.   Good death vs Bad death

The concept of good death and bad death is also noteworthy. A person is believed to have a good death if the last part of his life is spent with family members and close relatives. However, if the person suffers from extreme pain during treatment in the last stages of their life, then it is considered as a bad death. Immediately post death

According to everplans.com 7, there are a few rituals which need to be done immediately surrounding death. It states that the body needs to be placed on a grass mat on the floor and the body should be cremated within the immediate dawn or dusk, whichever comes first. Body washing of the deceased is also a major death practice. The deceased’s head should be facing southward. The body is washed in a mixture of milk, yogurt, ghee (clarified butter) and honey. Those washing the body should also chant mantras. Once done with washing, the palms are placed in the position of prayer and the body is covered with a white sheet. During cremation, the ceremony can strictly be attended only by males of the family. A garland of flowers is placed around the neck and the body is scented with sandalwood. Hence the appearance and dressing of the deceased are also important according to Hindu traditions.

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The Debate

As I inform you about all these rituals and explore various sources that explain them, I would like to think about the efforts and time that goes behind performing these rituals. Starting with pre-death rituals, all the close family members and relatives are fully occupied in these practices. Beginning from the morning, they have to make constantly arrangements for people and relatives visiting the individual. Moreover, some people want to spend the last days with the individual and be close to them. Hence, necessary accommodation arrangements have to be made.

Furthermore, as the priest holds an important role, care should be taken that all demands requested by him are met. If the family does not have a sound financial condition, all these accommodations are difficult to arrange in such a short period. Furthermore, as the individual finally witnesses their last day, the family members are in a state of shock and grief. In spite of being in such conditions, they are expected to perform all the rituals necessary for the peace of the soul and also perform post-death rituals such as feeding people and making donations. Now, if the family does not have a sound financial background, how will they make donations? Are they excepted to do so just because it is a custom followed since years? Why do they need to feed people who might not have experienced the same state of shock on the death of this individual? Does it make sense to force a family to organize an event for feeding people even though they are barely able to fulfill their basic needs? Moreover, for families living in the United States, a long leave from work under such circumstances can put them in a condition where they might get terminated from their job. Hence as we can see the consequences of following all these rituals strictly can be a bit worrying for their families and put them in a state of tension.

To wrap up, I would like to state that rituals surrounding death in Hinduism are interesting and are always believed to have ethical values which strengthen the culture.

References:
 * 1) eyesofk . "Hindu Funeral Ceremony" Online video clip.YouTube. Web. 22 July, 2016.
 * 2) www.funeraldirectorssydney.com.au. hindu-funerals.jpg. Web. 22 July, 2016.
 * 3) Gupta, Rashmi. “Death Beliefs and Practices from an Asian Indian American Hindu Perspective.” Death Studies March 2011: 244-266. Web.
 * 4) www.skylawnmemorialparksanmateo.com. Understanding Hindu-American Funerals.jpg. Web. 22 July, 2016.
 * 5) Thrane, Susan. “Hindu End of Life: Death, Dying, Suffering and Karma.” Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing 12.6 (2010): 337-342. Web.
 * 6) Shanmugasundaram, S., O'Connor, M & Sellick, K. (2010). "Culturally competent care at the end of life- A Hindu perspective." End of Life Care, 4 (1), 26-31. Web.
 * 7) www.skylawnmemorialparksanmateo.com. Understanding Hindu-American Funerals.jpg. Web. 22 July, 2016.
 * 8) Hindu Funeral Traditions.” everplans.com. n.p., n.d. Web. 11 July 2016.

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