Want to see some Fireworks: Go to a Buddhist funeral!

Funerals and rituals surrounding death are very elaborate and interesting here in Thailand. I had the honor of attending a funeral the other day, and I am still trying to decide if I really saw what I did.

The scene: Across from the monastery is a large field with one temple like building and a pavilion. They have also set up a few more tents. The pavilion as the monks, the family of the deceased, and the VIP’s, the tent as the next group of people, then probably a few hundred more are scattered around the area sitting under the trees.

The funeral begins with a lot of formality that apparently is mostly to do with money and donations. Monks walk over to the temple, receive an envelope and walk back. Later groups of about 10 adults are called up, they walk up to the front, get an envelope, bow and give it to the people. Many Buddhist events and funerals have to do a lot with money. So, as I found out from the previous day. They give out funerals to all the people they know. Those people are expected to return the invite with cash and presents. How much cash they are expected to give is dependent on their position in the community and job. 

The large firework takes off while attendants stand by watching. 

A young funeral attendant watches as the firework shoots high into the sky

With smoke surrounding the crematorium from the fireworks, family members and friends gather to pay their last respects. 

The nicest looking casket I have ever seen in the worst looking hearse I have ever seen. 

Monks gather and attendees gather to pay final respects. 

Three young girls laughing while waiting for the final festivities

Pouring coconut water over the body before the cremation: coconut water symbolizes purity. 

The very wealthy people give large donations the next day, and I think most of what takes place is the formality of recognizing those rich people who donated a lot of money.

The money the family gets goes to a lot of things, one is to pay the monks. That is why the monks go up, supposedly funerals are quite profitable for them, the family is expected to pay them handsomely. The family is also expected to donate money to some cause, usually the local school.

After all the formalities of people going up and giving and getting money, the funeral takes on more of what we would be used to here in the Christian west. People come up to the podium and talk about the deceased and other religious themes. A granddaughter read her biography, a few sons spoke, a few monks, and I guess most important of all, the son who became a monk for the event.  That is correct, one son of the family goes through a day long ritual and becomes a monk for a day. He is the son who will accompany his mother/father to the afterlife. He spoke and cried, then a monk prayed.

At the exact moment he was finishing, I heard a huge bang, everyone had turned a huge firework had gone off. Behind the temple there was an area where many large fireworks had been set up. Right next to the coffin that was a beautiful elaborately decorated gold box being carried on a pick-up truck.

Right after the first firework went off, which was basically just a large explosion, the biggest firework I have ever seen in my life went off, it was a large circular helicopter type thing that was propelled spinning into the air. It went incredibly high then came back down with a parachute to the earth. Once this was over, everyone stood up and walked to the temple thing (really a crematorium) where they all took their flowers and incense, up the stairs and left it at the table at the top.

Simultaneously while this was happening, they were also burning the belongings of the deceased in an open fire behind the crematorium. The monks were gathered around talking and waiting, along with all the people who had yet to leave their flower offering. So the people (including myself) went up one staircase, then down the side staircase. While finishing, they also received a gift. Yes, they give out party favors at the funeral. Everyone gets one. Guess what the gift was? Aspirin! I mean if you are going to give out a party favor at a funeral, why not Aspirin! From what I understand the family is just expected to give out something, and I guess they got a killer dill on a ton of small bottles of Aspirin. So, you know, why not.

After everyone had gone through, now was the time for the last rites of the funeral. The monks are all gathered, and lined up in order. The coffin is opened and they ascend into the crematorium holding coconuts and bamboo stocks. Each one pours out the coconut water onto the body, then continue down, after the monks, the family members do the same. Many mourn and cry vigorously, in a few moments the remains of their loved one will be burned.

After all the family members had poured the coconut water, they closed the coffin and put it in the chamber. The monk then prepared to light a firework that hung a string that went straight towards a tree across the courtyard. The monk lit the firework, the firework shot across the courtyard on the string, and then let another firework on another string that shot right back to the crematorium and lit the fire to begin the cremation.

As the fire lit, simultaneously they lit up a few more huge fireworks with their crashing booms. Also, from the crematorium they threw out tons of candy and money. All the funeral goers who were gathered around, scampered and frenzied to get as much money as they could. After all this is a funeral, and what else would you do at the end other then throw out money and candy. The money was wrapped in beautiful paper flowers. After all the money had been thrown out and gathered by the mob, the group quickly dispersed. Smoke was now billowing from the top of the stack, and once people saw this, they hurried away. The only people left were a few monks and family members huddled in the pavilion, praying.