A Buddhist ceremony was held on 9 February in Taipei, Taiwan, for the victims of the recent TransAsia Airways plane crash. The service was led by the abbot of Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, and included three hours of sutra chanting. Many of the deceased’s relatives were present, and the merit that they accumulated during the ceremony was dedicated both to ease the suffering of those left behind and for the peaceful transference of those who lost their lives.
Religious rites to honor the dead in the TransAsia Airways plane crash. From en.apdnews.com
TransAsia Airways Flight GE235 crashed on 4 February shortly after take-off from Songshan Airport in Taipei, with 53 passengers and five crew on board. Twenty-six tourists from the mainland of the PRC were among the 40 killed in the crash.
From scmp.com
On 9 February, the family members of three of the deceased escorted their remains back to Xiamen, in southeastern Fujian Province, to perform their own funeral and memorial services.“They were keen to take the remains [of their loved ones] back home for their own memorial and funeral services, so we helped to arrange for them to board a plane bound for Xiamen at about 8.40am,” an official from the Taiwan Tourism Bureau told the South China Morning Post. TransAsia Airways officials also offered transportation assistance to the bereaved families of other victims from the PRC, as well as NT$14.9 million in compensation to each.
From scmp.com
On 10 February, the Taiwan government flew the nation’s flag at half-mast across the country as a mark of respect for those who died in the crash. The government also hosted a memorial service at Taipei’s Second Funereal Parlor, with President Ma Ying-jeou, Buddhist monastics, bereaved family members, friends, and members of the public in attendance.
Buddhists believe that life and death are a part of an endless cycle called samsara, or the cycle of death and rebirth. In samsara, one’s actions in this life and the karma accrued in past lives lead to further rebirths. The ultimate goal of Buddhist practice is to free oneself from desire, hatred, and delusion. By so doing, one is liberated from the cycle of death and rebirth and attains a state of existential freedom, or enlightenment.
From en.apdnews.com
While there is no mention of regulated rites for the deceased in the sutras, various rituals are performed according to different cultural traditions. However, the manner in which the remains are treated is normally of no direct consequence to the well-being of the departed, which rather depends on his or her karma. If the body is to be cremated, monks may be present at the crematorium, leading chanting rituals and giving teachings. If no monks are present, the chanting may be led by family members. Through these activities, they accumulate merit for the benefit of the departed.