This article was about a memorial service for the victims of the tsunami that hit Japan on March 11th. Japan’s main religion is Shinto, but many Japanese people also practice Buddhism. In fact, Buddhism is the religion that the Japanese turn to for practice involving the deceased. The Dalai Lama, one of the highest revered Buddhist leaders, changed his schedule in order to be in Japan on the forty-ninth day after the tsunami to mourn with the people. In Japanese-Buddhist thought, the dead wander for forty-nine days close to home until their next level of existence. The presence of the Dalai Lama would have been significant for the Japanese, not only for his support but also for his prayers to the deceased as they ‘moved on’. In addition, the ceremony overall would have been very important to the Japanese. The uniting-effect of gathering many people and the effort made by the temples would have been really supportive to the mourners. It is Buddhist custom for the family of the deceased to give the guests a gift when they leave a funeral (as thanks). However, because the tsunami would have taken away most things that people own, the temples gave out gifts to the families. These gifts given by the temples were practical in nature, such as bottled water, soap, and tea. This is an image of people uniting together in thought and action.
Read more about it here:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2011/04/28/japan-tsunami-buddhist-economy.html
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