As an executive assistant of our company’s CEO, there were times when I was asked to do several tasks that were not really work related. One of which was organizing the funeral arrangements of my boss’ mother, since he was out of the country when she passed away.
Because my boss and his family are Buddhists, I had to make sure that I will strictly follow their customs and traditions in honouring their dead. However, I only have little knowledge about their funeral practices. That is why I decided to seek help from a funeral service company that offers Buddhist funeral package services.
There might be other companies that offer Buddhist funeral services in Singapore, but I was very happy with the service of the one that I contacted for my boss’ beloved mother.
Part of their services include the embalming, make-up and dressing of the deceased and a polished wood casket. I only had to select from the clothes sent by my boss’ helper and handed it to the funeral service company’s staff.
The package also comes with a traditional collection and send off that the Buddhists implement during the final night of viewing. It included three Buddhist monks who chanted during the final night, as well as vegetarian offerings during the send-off.
According to the information that I gathered from the BuddhaNet when I was doing my research, monks can be asked to come to a Buddhist funeral to perform rights and deliver sermons. The website also mentioned that the chanting ritual should be done for practical reasons like anticipating the impermanence of life.
The guests were not required to join the chanting, but those who know the words to the chant can do so if they want.
Other miscellaneous items that are included in the funeral package that I acquired for my boss’ mother include a 10” x 12” photo enlargement with six passport sized photos, two-way air conditioned bus that will bring the guests in the cemetery, a floral photo wreath and a floral arrangement. They also allocated 10 round tables that comes with 100 chairs and 15 square tables that can be used during the three-day service.
Guests will also be comfortable since there were six fans available to cool up the venue, as well as a mobile toilet that they set up nearby. During the funeral day, the company also sent pall-bearers and a hearse for the deceased. The cremation fee is also included in the package.
I must admit that I have only been to a few occasions like Buddhist funeral in Singapore, but the one that I helped arrange for my boss’ mother could possibly be the most solemn one that I have ever attended in my entire life. It incorporated all the important Buddhist traditions without sacrificing the comfort of the attendees who came from other religions.
My boss was very grateful for the help that was extended to him during the difficult time in their lives. He even commended me for a job well done. But I could not possibly pull it off if not for the help of the funeral service provider.
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