A laywoman s burial December 1998, Gampaha District, Sri Lanka

Transcription

1 A laywoman s burial December 1998, Gampaha District, Sri Lanka 1. White flags along the roadside signal the way to the funeral house. The immediate family line up in front of the house to greet guests formally. The dead woman s daughter and son-in-law are in their 70s. The daughter gives a brief account of the death of her mother, who was about 94. The front room is bared of all furniture. In the centre is a wooden coffin, folded open. An awning has been put up over it. The deceased is dressed all in white, her hands folded over her chest. Arching over the coffin are two enormous, artificial elephant tusks. At the head end a tall oil lamp is burning. 2. The exact time for the coffin to leave the house has been determined astrologically. The coffin is closed and six men carry it slowly towards the door, over the threshold and place it down on the stand outside. 3. The front of the house has been prepared for the arrival of four monks. A white cloth is tied underneath the corrugated iron roof. A small table is set up and covered with a tablecloth. Four bottles of fizzy orange and a parcel wrapped in a brown paper bag are placed on it. A tray with betel leaves and other utensils is arranged. The layman who conducts the funeral proceedings greets the monks and visitors.

2 4. Now the ceremony proper starts. The salutation to the Buddha is chanted, followed by the three refuges and the five precepts. The abbot of the local temple says a few words. Instructed by him, the daughter offers the brown parcel containing a white piece of cloth. While she is doing this everyone chants together three times: We offer the cloth of the dead to the community of monks! We offer this gift of betel and refreshments to the community of monks! Immediately afterwards the monks chant: Impermanent are conditioned things; it is their nature to arise and fall; having arisen they cease; their complete stilling is happiness. 5. The abbot dedicates the merit to the dead mother. The family members take hold of the jug and start pouring very slowly. The abbot chants; everyone repeats after him: May this be for my relatives! May the relatives be happy! The family continues to pour the water. All four monks chant together: Just as the rivers full of water fill the ocean full, even so does what is given here benefit the dead. Just as water rained on high ground moves [down] to the low land, even so does what is given here benefit the dead. The bowl begins to overflow. Religious wishes mark the end of the ceremony. By the force of this merit may the next rebirths be good ones! May Nirvana be attained! The monks leave at about 4.30 p.m. 6. Next, the funeral conductor introduces various speakers. They are friends and colleagues of family members. At the end the dates of the two follow-up ceremonies are announced: the evening sermon on the sixth day and the alms giving on the seventh day after the death occurred. For a brief moment the coffin is opened. The granddaughters start weeping. People jostle closer to take a look. The daughter touches her dead mother s face lightly. The coffin is closed and the bearers swiftly carry it away. A white parasol is held over it. Women and children stay back at the house.

3 7. At the entrance to the cemetery an arch has been erected. A path is marked by a fence made of young coconut leafs. It leads to the open grave where the gravediggers are waiting. The coffin is carried clockwise around the open grave three times. The procession follows, still holding the white parasol and throwing puffed rice. The coffin is placed alongside the open grave, head to the West. Once more it is opened. The men pay their last respects in silence. 8. The coffin is lowered into the grave. The grave is closed and decorated with flowers, king coconuts and oil lamps. The mourners return to the house for the traditional funeral meal. 9. It is the sixth day after the death. A big crowd of people has gathered at the house. In the garden several fireplaces are set up with big clay pots for cooking. There are a great many different dishes in various stages of completion: white rice and yellow fried rice; vegetable dishes and chicken curry; papadams and fish fried in oil; plastic bowls with pickles and salad; platters with pineapple, mango; clay pots of curd and bottles of treacle are on the table. The son-inlaw comes into the kitchen and brings a cone made of banana leaves sewn together. The daughter fills it with rice and curries, salads and papadam.

4 10. Filled to the brim the cone is taken outside. In the garden a square of 1 m to 1.5 m has been fenced off with poles and ropes. Young coconut leaves hang from the rope like a curtain. Inside the square a bamboo pole has been stuck in the ground. The son-in-law places the cone in the bamboo stand. Her sleeping mat is spread out in the square. The pillow, a glass of water and an oil lamp are placed on the mat. Finally the son-in-law steps into the square. He lights the oil lamp and makes the gesture of formal greeting. He then calls the spirit of the dead mother to invite her to come and listen to the sermon. 11. At about 7.45 p.m. the monk who had performed the funeral arrives in a threewheeler. People stop chatting and gather in front of the house. The front room quickly fills up. The ceremony begins with the salutation to the Buddha, etc. The monk then chants: This is the time to listen to the Dhamma, honourable ones! and begins to preach. The sermon did not exceed one hour. Afterwards a parcel containing an umbrella is offered to the monk. The giving of merit ceremony follows. The monk exchanges a few words with the family and leaves taking the parcel with him. Preparations for the meal start. Plates and finger bowls are brought out and people start eating. 12. (7 days after the death, 4 days after the funeral) There are fewer people, but more children than on the previous night. The kitchen is as busy as the previous night and women are busy at the fireplaces with cooking. At about 11 o clock the grandson brings an ornamented brass bowl to the kitchen. The bowl is filled with rice and curries. Sweets and fruits on a round shaped plate cut out of a banana leaf follow. Finally bananas and betel are balanced on top. A king coconut is opened and the top loosely put back on.

5 13. The son-in-law covers his head with a towel. He carries the bowl to the waiting threewheeler and hands it to the grandson. The ride to the temple takes only five minutes. The grandson places the food items on a big table in front of the Buddha statue in the shrine room. A young monk comes over from the main building and the ceremony begins with the salutation to the Buddha, etc. The monk chants eight Pali verses. With each verse a food item is offered to the Buddha. The pujava takes about ten minutes after which the grandson returns to the house of the dead woman. 14. At noon nine monks arrive in a van. The sonin-law covers his head with a towel and walks to the vehicle. The relic receptacle is passed to him from inside the van. It is covered with orange silky fabric. The monks line up and walk in a procession after the son-in-law. A layman holds a black umbrella over the receptacle. People pay their respects with joined palms saying, Sadhu! sadhu! sadhu! 15. The son-in-law places the receptacle on the altar.

6 16. Two laymen pour water over the monks feet and pat them dry with a towel. The monks enter the house walking on a strip of white cloth. The most senior monk sits next to the temporary altar. The ceremony begins with salutation to the Buddha, etc. The most senior monk gives a short introduction in Sinhala. He then chants the appropriate Pali verses, offering food items to the Buddha and subsequently to the monks. The senior monk formulates the religious wishes. Most people get up and leave. 17. A plate of food is placed in front of the relic receptacle and covered with a small curtain. As the family begins to serve the monks, one of the sons goes around with a banana leaf in his hand. Every monk puts a small portion of food onto the leaf. The food is then taken outside into the garden and left under a tree for the hungry ghosts or crows. Next the family offers the eight requisites to the most senior monk. People come back to the front room and join in the distribution of parcels. Chanting concludes the ceremony. The sonin-law carries the relic casket back to the van and the monks leave. Plates are handed out and people start to eat.