( 12 ) Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies, Vol. 51, No. 2, March 2003

Funeral Rituals of Buddhist in A Study on Barua Community*.

Dilip Kumar BARUA

The main focus of this presentation is the various socio-religiousand popular rit- uals of the funeral ceremony of Barua community in rural areas.1)After introducing these various rituals, I will consider the ways in which these include various elements and other indigenous influences, and the ways in which they are specific to the Barua Buddhist community. Further, I will consider the understanding and con- sciousness of Barua community regarding these various popular rituals. 1). Social Notions and Duty Funeral ceremony is a customary and obliga- tory social ritual of Buddhist community in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh Buddhist and Hindu community burns the death body. In the case of Buddhists, its origin goes back to the Buddha's period2). However, if the disease is under seven in age, like the Hindu neighbor, it is buried. In contrast, Muslim and Christian communities, disease of all ages is buried. When any person (man or woman) dies in the village, villagers rush to the house yard of the death person and participate in this or that manner to celebratethe funeral ceremony. First, relatives and well-wishers of demise are informed. This trend is common to all the religious communities in Bangladesh. Bhikkhus are invited from different monasteries of far and wide for observe the fu- neral rituals3).Usually, the funeral ceremony of Barua co mmunity is performed in the afternoon4). 2). Customany Bath of the Death Body After death, the death body is taken out of the house and put on. First of all, the eldest son of the death person (or his or her nephewin case havingno son) carries water with a vessel from nearby tank or river in a systematic manner. First he has to plunge into water three times. Then he fills up the vessel with water using both of his hand behind his back and carries it on his shoulder to death body or to the spot where the death body is kept. Then he rubs water mixed with soap, scented water and green turmeric from head

1021 Funeral Rituals of Buddhist in Bangladesh (D. K. BARUA) ( 13 ) to foot three times. Hereafter, old persons of the village pour water upon the death body and make it completely bathed5). After completing the customary bath, the death body is put on a decorate cot. A white shroud is placed on the body, and candles and incenses are burnt continuously. Scents are scattered on the body. Parched corn or "Khai" are also scattered and who salute the death body, all of them, put some parched corn on the death body6). A new umbrella and stick by his or her grandson is given which are offered to Bhikkhus in the obsequies or "Sa- ptahik kiriya" ceremony. 3). Religious Rituals When all relatives and willing persons assembled, it is almost in afternoon, the Bhikkhus perform the religious rituals. First of all, all present take refuge in Tisarana (BuddhaDhamma and Sangha)and beg for five precepts. Five precepts are given by a particular Bhikkhu or an elderly Bhikkhu proposed by the chief of the gathered Bhikkhus. After it, Bhikkhusutter verses from the Tipitaka, especially relating to the impermanence of life in chorus. The gist of funeral reci- tation is to be embodied in the following oft-quoted verse : "Impermanent are the constituted - they come to existence and one day they perish ; they arise and they cease ; happiness lies in their complete cessation" ''. Bhikkhus and local gentlemen discuss the life history of the deceased and eulogize the previous activity of the death person. Buddha Kirtana or devotional song is sung by the youth of the village. The devotional song party follows the bier to the place of funeral. Most of those who take part in funeral rites wish the deceased person attainment of heaven and happiness in the hereafter. However, some others wish him nibbana through the disappearing of all sorrows and sufferings'. 4). Popular Notions and Burning the Death Body The funeral pyre is prepared with mango branches9)and sandal woods. The funeral pyre is called "cita" in . When the bier with the death body is taken to the pyre, parched corns are scattered on the way ahead of the funeral possession. Rice specially cooked for the death person. The elder son of the deceased carries rice with some other foods and a glass of water on the head. Carrying rice is the most glorious credit for the living elder son. He fulfills some duty towards his departed mother or father. It shows that the person is fed for the last time. Usually, the technique of feeding is quite opposite to our practice in normal life. When feeding is performed and

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death body is put on the heap of mango branches, the elder son takes bundles of dry bamboo and burns it. Taking it behind his back catching with both hands goes around the pyre seven times and at every round he use to bow down his head at the feet of the death body. After seven times, the volume of fire is put to the mouth of the death body. This is called "mukhagni10)". This trend is similar to that of Hindu neighbor. 5). Rituals after Funeral Ceremony On the following day of the burning, the pyre is cleaned and all ashes or bones or half-burnt bones are heaped together and they are re-burnt. After that the ashes are thrown away in a basket in the river or in a bush. Some portions of ashes may be preserved for putting into a stupa for future construction. It has historical reason. The relics of Buddha were preserved and put on various stupas all over . Within seven days after death, a function known as "Saptahik kiriya" (or Sat or Hatdinna, in the colloquiallanguage of , i. e. concerningthe 7thday) is arranged and before it some formalities are observed. Every evening, after the day of death, the Bhikkhu of the local monastery is invited to recite the verses from holy Pitaka in the deceased house until the weak ending ceremony is observed. The Bhikkhu is given food and drinks known as "choaing" in the morning or at noon. The spot of bath of the death body is separated from the rest by a fence, and fruits, cakes, sweets and flowers are offered there. Candles and incenses are burnt in every evening. This place is very sacred and its sanctity must be maintained. This is durable till the weak ending ceremony. From the day of death, all the members of the family take only vegetables as curry and celebrate austerity to some extent. As death is an inauspicious event everybody has to take some precautions at least for the first seven days. Because, they believe, the departed soul remains in peril during the period and it takes a new rebirth only after seven days. So, after seven days, when the obsequies for the departed are over, the village returns to a normal state. The obsequies or "Saptahik kiriya" ceremony is held on the seventh day after death normally. If, however, the scheduled date becomes in- auspicious, then the ceremony is held on before date. But in no circumstances the date will cross the limit of six or seven days after death. During the obsequies, at least five bhikkhus are invited in the house of the decease in the forenoon. A sa rnghadanais held which is a must in this occasion. Among the articles to be offered

1019 Funeral Rituals of Buddhist in Bangladesh (D. K. BARUA) ( 15 ) to the bhikkhus, there must be the following : a piece of white cloth, an umbrella, needle with threadball, soap, candles, paper with pen or pencil, tobacco, milk, etc. and some cash money. Other necessary things also may offer. Some guests are invited according to the means of donor. But those who visited the cremation ground with death body, they must be invited and fed. On that day various food of all most all kind, especially after the taste of deceased are placed on a platform made with bamboo above the ground. It is locally called "Mocha" or "Machang". This "M ocha" is placed generally after sanghadana function. It is customary that the sons and near and dears relatives shaved their head, beard and moustache in the day of ceremony. Son or a grandson of the deceased is also given pabbajja optionally on that day just earn some merit and offer the same for the good of deceased. On the 15thday monk is invited and offer food and drinks. The monk utters verses from the holy Pitaka. Some householders again arrange sanghadana, which is not possible or compulsory for all householders. After this once in a month similar food and drinks for the monks is customary and the monk utters verses like previous one. This goes on throughout one year. In the 6thmonth and by the end of the year monks are invited and sanghadana is performed, and a "Mocha" is placed in honor of the deceased person. But this is not done in all cases. Pre-measured death of a person is not followed by so many formalities. In the successive years only on the day, especially on the day in which the deceased died, a ceremony known as "B- atsarik kiriya" (=yearlyoccasion) is observed. Bhikihus and some guests are invited, and a sanghadana is held which a must in this occasion. In all cases, after dana, the Bhikkhu recites "Punnanumodana-gatha" or "dakkhina-gatha". 6). Conclusion The funeral ceremonies of various Buddhist ethnic groups in Bangladesh vary somewhat from one another, particularly in terms of the socio- popular rituals practiced. Both religious and popular rituals occupy an important position in the funeral ceremony of Buddhist community, but the different ethnic groups lay different emphasis on these two types of rituals. In the case of Barua community, both religious and popular rituals are played a vital role. On the religious rituals, the influence of tradition is stronger, while on the side of socio- popular rituals, local, ethnic and other communities influences are more significant. Especially, the socio-popular funeral rituals of Barua community are highly influ-

1018 ( 16 ) Funeral Rituals of Buddhist in Bangladesh (D. K. BARUA) enced by those of Hindus. This is a striking contrast to the funeral rituals of other ethic groups of Buddhist community.

*This research is supported in part by a Postdoctoral fellowship from JSPS and here only given the summary of presented article read out in the conference of the Japanese Association of In- dian and Buddhist strdies held in Korea on 6 and 7 July 2002. 1) Human Development report (UNDP), 1999: Though Islam is the dominant force, Bangladesh is a multicultural and multi-religious country and out of a population of 134.6 million, 88.3% are Muslim, 10.5% are Hindu, 0.6% are Buddhist, 0.3% are various animist faiths. 2) The Digha Nikaya, vol. ii, PTS, p. 161 ; Sumanlgal Vilasini, vol. ii, PTS, p.584. 3) All the ethnic Buddhist groups invite Bhukkhus to perform religious rituals of funeral cer- emony. 4) For they wish to give a last chance to the relatives who live in distance places to see the disease. 5) To wash death body is a customary and obligatory to all religious communities. However, the ritual is different from each other. 6) In the case of a male person, the wife of the death person sits near his feet with her hair opened and stretched. Bangles made of shell are taken away from her wrist and vermilion is wiped out from her forehead. A white cloth or sadi without any colored border is given to her to put on. 7) "Anicca vata sankhara uppada-vaya-dhammino, uppajjitva nirujjhanti tesam vupasamo sukho" ti. 8) This opinion is collected from villagers. 9) To give a mango branch in the pyre is considered as a pious act. 10) In the case of a pregnant woman being death, the fetus is taken by cutting open the valley of the lady. The fetus does being separated is graved along side and the death body is burnt as usual. If the fetus is not separated, it become a serious offence in the society. The lady is turned intro witch or ghost, if the fetus in not freed from the womb, as the Buddhist believe.

(Key Words Funeral, Barua, Bangladesh, Social Nation (Lecturer, University of Dhaka Bangladesh, Ph. D)

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