The evolution of human beings has come a long way. From the age of the caveman to today’s modern Homo sapiens, we have evolved into very intelligent creatures that created a society and established ourselves on Earth as one of the most powerful species. As we evolved and procreated, we condition a society into following newly created paths that gave life a new meaning. One of those paths that is well established in today’s modern day society is religion. According to Dr. James Shoopman at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, religion is a set of beliefs or practices the addresses the ultimate questions of life through reverent cooperation with a supernatural being, force, or world. The world we live in today consist of a large variety of religions. These religions have different ways they praise the supernatural being they worship, in the form of rituals or traditions that have come about over time. The purpose of this term paper is to provide a comparison of a death ritual within Hinduism and Catholicism.
Hinduism is a world-renowned religion and is widely practiced in the Indian subcontinent where it is the church type. The Hindu faith follows polytheistic traditions, meaning the worship or belief in multiple deities. Also, just like many other religions Hindus have a different view about death and the afterlife. The Aryans influenced the Hindu idea about death and afterlife during cultural development in the second millennium B.C.E. (Death & Dying, 2017). From this point forward Hindus followed many of the Aryans rituals that were established during that time period. One ritual that is of great significant to the Hindu faith is the death ritual. Known as Yajna, it was a central part of the Aryans’ religious traditions. This was then adapted to the religion of Hinduism through the form of hymns and scriptures in one of the earliest sacred pieces of literature known as the Rig Veda (Death &Dying, 2017). Ensuring that rituals were followed and performed correctly, the Brahmans or Brahmins controlled the rituals. Hidden amongst the Hindu people the Brahmins belonged to the highest caste of the Hindu caste system.
The death ritual plays a crucial role in where the person will be in their afterlife. This implies that the body is a fundamental part of the universe, and through cremation the physical remains of the body will return to nature as smoke and ashes. After the cremation process a special set of post cremation rituals were to be done to allow the complete transition to the ancestral world. In 800 B.C.E, another system known as the Upanishads challenged the Veda ritual traditions. Their goal was to escape from samsara, which is the constant cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. The teaching of the Upanishads focused more on moksha, the liberation of painful rebirth, which became the ultimate goal in life for a Hindu person. Over the years the development of knowledge and rituals were ingrained in Hinduism and the changes were seen in the Vedas. (Death &Dying, 2017)
The point of someone’s death is not usually known, but if someone is seriously ill and death is imminent members of the family prepare for the ritual. The family ensures the necessary steps are taken to make sure the soul or spirit is lead to the right path. The doctrines imposes that the only way for the soul to depart peacefully is to follow the proper steps of the ritual, which will later prove true as the ritual is explained. The ritual consists of four major steps. Traditionally, people of the Hindu faith should pass away in their homes. The first step of the ritual is accepting that death is approaching. For example, if the person is still conscious they are placed in their room or in the entryway of their home, with their head facing east. In this moment the person focuses on their mantra, which is a sacred chant used to help the soul depart. In cases were the person may be unconscious the mantra is whispered in the right ear by a member of the family. The second step in the ritual involves the moment the person has passed away. During this stage of the ritual different things are done to the body. The body is placed in a cot with the head facing south and the feet pointed to the north. This particular position symbolizes the body being sent back to mother Earth. In addition, a family member says chants from the Veda. Furthermore, the priest places a sacred ash on the forehead and milk or sacred water is poured into the mouth of the deceased. Another part of the second step is the thumbs and big toes are tied together before going into preparation for cremation. (Rites of Transition, 2001)
Next is preparing the body for cremation, which is the third step on the ritual. Before the body can be cremated, a fire known, as the homa must be prepared for the ritual, it represents the deity Agni who helps carry the soul or spirit the realm of Yama, the god of death. The fire is then used to create the kumbhas, which are pottery that symbolizes the womb. The kumbhas are later used in the creation process to hold water that will cleanse the deceased body. The homa fire is prepared in a shelter created by the family and is blessed by a priest. After the blessing is complete the body is washed and then draped in a white garment. In the fourth and final step the body is cremated. The male members of the family carry the body to the cremation site. On the journey to the cremation site two kumbhas are taken, one, which contains the embers from the homa fire, created at the home. At the cremation site the men that carried the body to the pyre walk the body around it, counterclockwise before placing it on the pyre. After that the eldest child of the deceased or the chief mourner walks around the body three times, splashing the body with sacred water each time. Finally, they set the body on fire using embers from the homa fire. As the body is burning the family members stand saying mantras from the Vedas to help the soul depart then walk away without looking back. (Rites of Transition, 2001)
Understanding the Hindu faith through the yajna ritual was really interesting. The use of cremation helped the physical body go back into the universe. The ritual of Yajna does not refer to or retell any legendary stories from the past. Instead the knowledge of the ritual has been passed down through generations via the Vedas. In the doctrines of Hinduism there is no set track of what happens in the afterlife or the final destiny of the individual believers. The Hindus did believe in reincarnation and thought that ever physical being served a purpose in the universe. This was proven to be true after learning how much pride Hindus had in the death of a member. The lengths they go about to ensure the ritual goes correctly is astonishing. The reasoning behind this is that the family members seem like they feel a sense of responsibility to make sure their love ones soul gets to the ancestral ground. Not going about this correctly might affect their own karma and have drastic effects of the afterlife. (Srivastava, 2003)
The Eastern religion of Hinduism stressed the importance of death and the afterlife. Now, we will visit the Western religion of Catholicism to understand their point of view about death and the afterlife. Catholicism is just one of the three major sects of Christianity. Being a western religion Catholicism follows monotheistic beliefs, meaning believing in one supernatural being. The supernatural being they worship is known as Jesus Christ or the Son of God. Catholics follow the literature of the Holy Bible for many of their practices. According to the Bible, Jesus Christ was crucified and buried for the Christians sins. In the scriptures of the Bible, Jesus rose from the dead and went to heaven. This is the premise of why Catholics believe in the importance of proper burial rituals.
The Catholic death ritual also known as the funeral rite consists of three sections, the vigil, funeral liturgy, and burial. During the vigil members of the church join the family in prayer to find strength in the presence of Christ. The vigil takes place during the viewing of the body at the funeral home. At this stage they remember the life of the deceased and prepare them to be sent to heaven also known as the house of God. Next in the funeral rite, is the Liturgy. This is the central point of the celebration for the deceased. It is mass to worship and praise God for Jesus Christ victory over sin and death. Furthermore, it’s a celebration of life and not one of grief. The last step in the funeral rite is burial. As the body is taken to its final resting place known as the grave, members of the church express hope through sacred strictures to speak to God and help the deceased to await the glory of resurrection. (An Overview of Catholic Funeral Rites, 2017)
As part of the funeral liturgy or mass different symbols are used to give thanks to God and to strengthen the Catholics belief in resurrection. The symbols that are of great importance during the funeral mass are the cross, incense, Paschal candle, and the placing of the pall. The cross is used to remind us that through Jesus’s crucifixion on the cross, we will be brought to his resurrection. The incense is a sign of farewell and a tribute to honor the deceased body. Paschal candle is used to remind us that Jesus is the light of the world and he will always serve as a light for the living and the dead. The placing of the pall is the final symbol and is placed on the casket. This is an important reminder of the white garment we received in Baptism and signifies the final step to resurrection. The ritual declares the final stage in the passage of Christianity. It serves as the final stepping-stone before Judgment day and resurrection of the death and to the life of eternal everlasting. (Symbols in the Funeral Mass, 2017)
The doctrine about life after death is ingrained in the Catholic faith. The belief of Jesus Christ dying on the cross for the Christians was a grave sacrifice. Jesus did this to forgive his followers of their sins and hopefully guide them in the right direction to heaven. This makes the doctrine seem true and makes sense in the Catholic faith. The ritual explains more of the doctrine of the afterlife through the legendary story of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was prisoned and nailed to the cross for being “the Son of God”. The people didn’t believe him and yelled insults at him as he hung from the cross. One insult that was stated in the Bible was “He saved others, but can’t save himself”. When he died on the cross his body was placed in a tomb and on the third day he rose from the dead. This came to be known as resurrection day and is celebrated by the Catholic faith on Easter Sunday. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is what gave Christians the belief that in order to rise from the dead or to go to heaven you must be buried after death. (Bible Gateway)
The ritual establishes the final destiny of individual believers of the Catholic faith. The reason for the funeral rite is to address that Christians will all go to heaven after death and that one day when God returns to Earth they will all rise from the dead and join him in his kingdom. The use of prayers, readings, and psalms establishes hope in the faith. During the funeral mass the psalms and prayers are spoken to covey an ever-lasting life and hope that we will gather again in the kingdom of God. (Bible Gateway)
After researching about death rituals in Catholicism, I learned that it is really important within the Catholic faith. If the body of a Christian is not buried it technically means that at the time of resurrection the person will not be able to join other Christians in the kingdom of God. This seemed to be uncommon in the Eastern religion of Hinduism. In Hinduism the thought of afterlife was unclear and the body was not buried, it was cremated. The Hindus believed more in reincarnation and believed that after death the body served another purpose in the universe. Both the Western religion of Catholicism and the eastern religion of Hinduism had a very common similarity. The similarity they shared was the proper care for the body after death. They ensured that the proper procedures were followed to fulfill their love ones faith and to join some form of an afterlife. Before writing this paper much of Catholicism was in my blood because I grew up in the Catholic Church. On the other hand, I knew very little about the Hindu faith. The only things I knew about Hinduism was learnt from friends that are of the Hindu faith. One thing that I found intriguing during my research was how much care the Hindus put into ensuring the soul or spirit is released peacefully. From placing the body in the correct position, to cleansing the body, and saying the mantra, the Hindu people made sure that everything was done according to the Vedas. If this was not done properly it affected their karma and the soul or spirit of the deceased will not be at peace.