Article
Article name Representations of the Soul in Buryat Funeral Rituals
Authors Suvorova A.S. graduate student, aryunasuvorova@mail.ru
Bibliographic description
Section Oriental Studies
UDK 391/393 (571.54)
DOI
Article type
Annotation The analysis of literary materials and field data suggests that funeral ceremonialism of Buryat Buddhists was generated on the basis of the traditional outlook and Buddhist practice. In the representations of Buryat Buddhists about the soul, vital force, the fate of the soul after death there are several layers that are far from being homogeneous; they include different religious elements of Shamanism and Buddhism. Concerning the belief of Buryat Buddhists in the rebirth of the soul of the dead in one of the six realms of Sansara, the whole cycle of funeral ceremonies is performed to accumulate good deeds for improving the karma of the deceased on which the future place of the regeneration of his soul depends. At the same time, Buryats believe that there exist negative effects of the deceased on the surviving relatives. Therefore, in funeral rituals Buryats observe protective ceremonies and believe in various signs and marks.
Key words soul, afterlife, funeral ceremonies, Buryat Buddhists, reincarnation, good deeds, distinctive marks (signs).
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Full articleRepresentations of the Soul in Buryat Funeral Rituals