Click-a-Sermon 21:  Funeral Culture

As a predominately Buddhist nation, Japan has developed unique social and cultural customs. Often, the people living here forget how unique their culture is, but foreign visitors quickly notice the seemingly peculiar customs rampant in Japanese society.

One such unique feature of Japanese society is what can only be termed "the funeral culture of Japan". This can be observed in the elaborate funeral services held for the dead as well as the massive attendance at funeral rituals. TV. programs spend endless hours carrying the funeral stories of celebrities as well as massive accidents. At times their interest seems ghoulish.

Yet, when we consider the life of an individual in Japan, funeral services and memorial services for the dead do dominate their lives in a special way. This is one reason why Buddhism has been often criticized as being a religion for the dead and not the living. Such is unfair.

Buddhist churches do hold regular services for individuals to listen to the teaching and learn a religious way of life. There is not yet a custom of weekly service as held in the Christian tradition -- it is more often a semi-monthly service. Buddhists also have what might be called "regular church goers", yet the majority of Japanese have lost interest in such and only come to the temple at times of funeral services or memorial services for the dead.

This does not mean that the majority of Japanese are not religious. Annual statistics state that 80% of the Japanese population pay homage annually to family tombs and temples, as well as attending seasonal rites. Foreign visitors notice physical presences of religion everywhere in Japan. The question is why most of the people only attend funeral and memorial services and why is even TV preoccupied with funerals? For the majority of those who participate in such a social custom may not be conscious why they do so, the tug calling them to the death or memorial of a family member or friend, is important not only in terms of loving remembrance, but also is a reminder of one's own fate to come.

Unfortunately, majority of the people does not seek spiritual values unless he/ or she/ experiences something seriously overwhelming in life. It is rare that young people show serious interest in religion. In that respect, old age, illness and death are the most insurmountable realities each of us ultimately face. Plus, only through such experiences will we have time to re-evaluate our human values in life to decide what matters most. In this respect, the Buddhist tradition of funerals and memorial services have a powerful incentive to enlighten us regarding the meaning and true nature of human life.

For after all, the funeral service is a reminder for all of us of our own death itself. And such a reminder should make us value, appreciate and learn how to live this life itself.