Thai Buddhist funerals take slightly different forms depending on several factors which include, the wealth of the family, the location of the funeral and in some cases the wishes of the deceased. This article is based of a Thai Buddhist funeral I attended, although accurate in detail, it might vary in content to other such religious ceremonies in Thailand since the family concerned were Mong with the deceased originating from modern day Myanmar.
Before I attended the actual funeral the family had already completed several of the Buddhist funeral rites that take place over the seven days after the death occurred. This included the ritual hand washing of the deceased persons hands by family members and placing of the body in its ornate coffin along with various personal items belonging to the deceased. The body was also embalmed to stop it deteriorating before cremation. The family were assisted in this task by a man who in Western terms would be called an undertaker. Usually pre-cremation rites take place over 3-7days.
Due to the location of the home of the deceased the coffin was taken to the temple and placed in a wihan soon after the body was placed in the coffin. There each evening prayers and chanting by Buddhist monks were completed and attended by family members and close friends. This continued for a further six nights with myself joining the mourners on the sixth day.
On my arrival at the temple I found the area reserved for funerals consisted of a large covered courtyard with two large rooms(a Wihan and Sala) to the left and right with the crematorium at the rear and centre. Behind this courtyard was a large kitchen area where the family prepared all the food that the monks and guests ate.
In the wihan which had several Buddha icons arranged on a stage,the coffin was on a stand surrounded by flowers and gifts. A large picture of the deceased was on display next to the ornate casket in which he was laid. In the Sala Thai a group of Thai musicians played suitable funeral music.
Seven of the boys from the extended family went and got their heads shaved in the afternoon as they were to dress as Buddhist monks later and join the other monks from the temple during the religious ceremonies. Apparently this is common at Thai Buddhist funerals.
Finally the time came for the evening religious activities which lasted about an hour. Starting at 8pm four monks arrived in the Wihan. The local headman lit candles and the monks chanted for about 20 minutes. A break followed during which traditional Thai dancing took place, two members of the musicians, beautifully attired in their costumes entertained us with the dance of the long finger nails. More chanting followed before the monks left us. This was the cue to serve the food to all the guests.
I had heard that guests at Thai funeral rites often play cards and other games. It was the same at this funeral, not obvious, quite discreet actually, but behind a closed storeroom door I found a group of twenty folk happily gambling away, not 50 feet from where the religious rites were being performed.
Meal over guests and anyone in the area were invited to an outdoor movie, huge speakers and a screen having been set up on the car park at the front of the Wat. So the evening ended with lots of excited Thais watching the latest offering in Thai movies.
The next day, the day of the cremation, the family members wore all white clothes, while myself and many subsequent arriving guest wore black and white. Traditionally either style of dress will do. The boys who were to be monks for the day were already bedecked in their saffron robes.
About 11am a party consisting of all the monks from the Wat arrived in the room containing the coffin. They were joined on the plinth by the seven boys from the family who were to be monks for the day. The format of the proceedings was similar to the night before and also included traditional dance, although on this occasion this was after the monks had eaten.
At the end of the religious activities all members of the family sat on a circle on the floor in front of the monks. They were connected by a white string held by all the monks, one of the male members of the family then ritually poured (holy) water in a small container in the centre of the group while each family member touched another person sitting nearby so everyone was connected. A short prayer followed.
I have seen white string used many times at Buddhist ceremonies including house blessings and marriage and it clearly signifies a link or bond, perhaps with the Buddha or the monks and the prayers being made.
Later in the afternoon the Abbott of the Wat came to the room where the coffin rested. On this occasion he was accompanied by four monks (required for the cremation). The Abbott sat in an ornate chair and addressed the family. During this speech anyone wishing to make merit simply walked out, took a stick from in front of the Abbott and placed a note in a small split in the wood. The stick was then returned to a bowl in front of the him.
Slowly guests started to trickle in until some 200 folk were in the seating area between the two rooms. At this point the coffin was moved from the side room. Led by a four monks, the young boys, pall bearers and family members who were all connected by a white thread from a reel held by the first monk. The entourage circled the crematorium three time before the coffin was finally laid to rest outside the rather stark steel furnace doors. The flowers and other gifts were also moved and laid out neatly around the coffins new resting place.
There then followed another performance of the traditional Thai dancers for the seated guests after which merit making took place, as different guests and some local dignitaries presented the monks with gifts consisting in the main of new saffron robes.
As each guest had arrived at the Wat they had been offered a white flower and had a red thread tied around a finger, now everyone stood while a few words were said by the undertaker then each guest passed by the coffin and deposited their white flower in a gold bowl. As they left the crematorium they were greeted by family members and given a small gift. Most guests then left the area of the temple for the more private act of cremation.
The coffin was then opened and family members washed the face of the deceased in coconut milk, they also scattered the white flowers inside the casket along with a kite (the deceased was an excellent Thai kite maker) and other small personal memento’s. Baht coins were then placed on different parts of the corpse including the eyes and mouth. Everyone including all the young children viewed the body and paid their final respects. Finally just before the monks departed the coffin was placed in the furnace for cremation.
On the final day of my visit I arrived at the Wat to find several family members were already there sitting or standing in front of the crematorium. I then noticed a white cloth on the floor and realised that it was covered in human bone fragments.
On closer inspection I saw that the bones were roughly laid out in the shape of a human body about the size of a small child. It wasn’t long before the undertaker arrived and proceeded to move things around a bit and with the aid of family members add flower petals to what I now correctly assumed were the deceased remains.
There was a fairly sombre mood among the family and I sensed
that this final preparation for disposal was equally as important as what had gone before. It was not long however before this serious ritual was briefly broken when the undertaker asked for a number of Baht coins. None were immediately available and the sight of everyone, myself included, searching for the coins was almost comic and broke the atmosphere that had previously prevailed. Well we did manage to muster enough coins to satisfy the undertaker, who then preceded to place them on the bones in the position of a persons vital organs, eyes, mouth and spine.
This was the cue for four Buddhist monks to arrive. A short ceremony took place and the family each took a small piece of bone from the cloth and placed it in an urn. The undertaker then reverently folded the cloth containing the remaining bones. A procession then led by the monks and a family member carrying the white cloth proceeded inside the wihan were the coffin had earlier rested. The monks then retired.
An easel displaying a picture of the deceased and a gold chalice holding the white cloth were then erected. A little later this time accompanied by a single monk we entered the place in the temple were the ashes of the dead are stored. Very similar to what might be found as a garden of remembrance in a crematorium in the West, the urn was placed in a wall next to the ashes of his already deceased wife.
The final religious act at the Wat involved the four monks returning to the room where we had left the bulk of the ashes. A short ceremony followed, the monks chanted, ate some food and then departed.
The large photograph of the deceased was taken to his home before everyone travelled to the nearby river so the ashes could be cast on the water.The Captain of the boat took over as a sort of master of ceremonies. Instructing the family what to do, leading prayers and finally helping lower the cloth containing the ashes into the water. Flower petals were cast on the surface and we all watched as the receding tide carried them away into the Gulf of Thailand.
Finally perhaps I should add that Buddhist funerals are certainly not sad events like those sometimes experienced in the West, since people are happy that the person is going to be reborn in another life. I did see a few tears from close family members but overall the ceremony was very upbeat.
