Our five-part series “Death and Eternal Life“ provides fascinating insights into funeral customs of the worldwide EMS fellowship. Many of these rituals straddle the line between Christianity and traditional religious beliefs. Churches often play a mediating role. In the first part, we invite you to discover the cemeteries of the Moravian Church in Germany and Greenland: they reflect the unique characteristics of Moravian theology.
All the articles in the series appear for the first time in the current issue of the magazine “EMS Insights”. Written by an editorial team from Africa, Asia and Europe, it offers an international perspective on the work of EMS member churches and mission societies.
Hinduism - Eternal Cycle Of Life
Hinduism, along with Buddhism, is one of the two major world religions that originated on the Indian subcontinent. Hindu funeral rites are closely linked to certain beliefs about death, life after death and the spiritual journey of the soul. A closer look at these practices can help us to better understand our own ideas about life and death.
More than 80% of Indians are Hindus. Their religion does not consider death to be final but merely a transition to another earthly life, with the type of rebirth determined directly by karma. Karma is a spiritual concept that every action – both physical and mental – inevitably has consequences. In other words, good deeds create good karma, while bad deeds create bad karma. The goal of all devout Hindus is to break the eternal cycle of life, death and rebirth, which is considered to be a painful one, through good karma and the attainment of ‘moksha’ (salvation). This can be achieved by following certain spiritual practices.
PREPARING FOR THE LAST JOURNEY
Hindus are not usually buried in cemeteries. The most common form of funeral is cremation. According to tradition, this takes place in public at specially designated places. The body is placed on a wooden pyre which is lit by the eldest son or another male member of the family following a precisely defined procedure. To make the soul's journey easier, the ashes are scattered in a sacred river such as the Ganges, if possible. Rituals such as the sacrifice of gifts to the ancestors are performed after the cremation to ensure the deceased rests in peace and to honour their memory.
Immediately after death, the deceased is washed, often with ghee (clarified butter), honey and milk. This expresses respect and reverence for the deceased soul and serves as a form of ritual cleansing. The body is rubbed with fragrant substances – turmeric for women and sandalwood for men. This honours the deceased and prepares them for their final journey. Afterwards, they are dressed in a ceremonial robe or white cloth and laid out in a posture of prayer. Offerings such as flowers, rice balls and lamps are placed around the body. Water is sprinkled and prayers are recited.
A special form of femicide was practised on the Indian subcontinent until the British colonial authorities intervened: the ritual of ‘sati’ (Sanskrit: ‘faithful woman"). This custom was based on the belief that a deceased man could not live in the afterlife without his wife. Therefore, the widow was expected to lie down next to her deceased husband on the funeral pyre or she was even forced to do so. The ban on widow burning was generally met with great relief. However, it has not been possible to completely eradicate it to this day. Individual cases continue to come to light and it is assumed that there are a large number of unreported cases.
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Photo: (Pixabay/dMz)
HOLY CITY ON THE GANGES
The city of Banaras (Benares), also known as Varanasi, plays a central role in the Hindu funeral culture. The city on the Ganges is considered one of the holiest sites in Hinduism and is also called ‘mahashamshan’ or ‘the great cremation place’. Devout Hindus consider it a great privilege to spend their last days in Banaras, to die there and to be cremated on the sacred ghats. According to Hindu mythology, scattering the ashes in the Ganges means immediate release from the eternal cycle of reincarnation.
In India, a ‘ghat’ refers to steps leading down to a body of water. They serve a variety of purposes and are often lined with Hindu temples and other buildings. The two most important ghats in Varanasi which are used for cremation ceremonies are the Manikarnika Ghats and the Harishchandra Ghats. The funeral ceremonies that take place there are attended not only by the immediate family and relatives of the deceased, but also by priests and helpers. They often belong to traditional occupational groups and perform various tasks during the cremation: the Mahabrahmanas act as priests of the dead, the Nau shave the hair of mourners, while the Doms are simple burial assistants. Each group contributes to the complex web of customs and rites that surround death at the sacred Ghats of Banaras.
Sofia Christabel
Pastor of the Church of South India (CSI)
