I was asked to be the Buddhist representative on an interfaith panel titled "What Happens When We Die: Beliefs, Rites and Rituals of Death and Grieving." The panel is suppose to address three questions. 1. What does your faith teach about what happens to a believer when they die? 2. What rituals, customs or practices are associated with commemorating and grieving for the dead? 3. What are appropriate ways for people of other faiths to offer condolences and support to members of your faith who die?

Number (1) I can handle.Do you have any suggestions on (2) and (3)?

Jack, I suggest a quick query of Google using these terms:


"Buddhist beliefs and practices surrounding death"

Chris, thanks for the response. I did a search on google using that phrase and didn't find anything on death rituals. I will try again later using different phrases and a different search engine.

To clarify my original questions, I do know about Tibetan Buddhist death rituals. I was looking for non-Tibetan Buddhist death rites and rituals.

Three things come to mind.

First, Philip Kapleau's The Zen of Living and Dying: A Practical and Spiritual Guide.  If I remember right he therein writes about zen rites for the dead and dying.

Second, a documentary on the Tibetan Book of the Dead (Bardo Thodol) which you can find on youtube.

Third, Philip Ariès' The Hour of Our Death. A book about death and the rites around it in the western/christian world.

Hope this helps.