After children have left home, there is generally a period of gradual retirement from active life and an increased dedication to spiritual practice.This corresponds to the third stage of life ( vanaprastha ), which these days is rarely adopted formally and certainly followed less rigorously.A few men still take sannyasa and, leaving home, prepare for inevitable death.In one sense, the whole of life, with its various stages and samskaras, is a preparation for death and beyond.
Most Hindus cremate their dead.The exceptions are small children and saints, whose bodies are considered pure, and are therefore buried. The rationale is that burning enables the departed soul to abandon attachment for its previous body and move swiftly forward to the next chapter of life. Funeral ceremonies should therefore be performed as soon as possible by dusk or by dawn, whichever occurs first. Therefore, in India a funeral takes place within hours of death. They will not attend religious functions nor eat certain foods (e.g. It is a period for giving vent to ones grief, so that one can live unhindered by unreleased emotions. Significantly, though, these rites are more for the benefit of the deceased than for the bereaved. They are essential to ensure the smooth passage of the soul to a better level of existence. Most essential is the shraddha ceremony performed on the first anniversary of death. Prasad, often balls of cooked rice, are offered to God and in turn to the departed soul. The corpse is then carried on a stretcher to the cremation grounds accompanied by kirtan, chanting mantras such as Ram Nam Satya Hai (the name of Rama is truth).The eldest son lights the funeral pyre. For renunciates, it is considered important that the skull is cracked, and this is sometimes part of the ritual, apparently urging the departed soul to move on. Towards the end of the ceremony a priest or relative recites appropriate verses from scripture. In the UK, relatives may travel to India for this purpose, though some are now using the Thames. ![]() The Heart of Hinduism, in the spirit of the tradition, aims to be non-sectarian, even-handed, and respectful in its description of all the Hindu traditions. ISKCON EDUCATIONAL SERVICES Bhaktivedanta Manor Dharam Marg Hilfield lane, Aldenham Near Watford, Herts WD25 8EZ ieskrishnatemple.com Tel: 01923-859578 Fax: 01923-851005 Temple Visit Speaker Services Find out about booking a group visit to the ISKCON Hindu Temple.
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