What are the rules of mourning for the elderly?

Since ancient times, mourning for the elderly is more or less the same. But there are local customs. Like us in Changde, Hunan, this place, to the old man mourning, loved ones around the old man's body, there are some of the closest relatives will be crying for a while, every now and then to burn a little bit of plutonium, point a few incense. After dinner, they will set up bowls and chopsticks filled with rice and white wine, meaning that the old man will eat and drink enough to go on his way. Beginning at 8 p.m., there will be drum masters rap and worship. In the early hours of the morning, the master drummer will "persuade the dead", with the sadness of singing about the old man's life, mourning relatives at this time from the sadness, most of the pain. "Advise the dead" finished, the less experienced drummers continue to speak, the relatives will clean up some of the back of the old man's personal clothing in the old man's body under the pad, said "there is a posterior". After all this work is done, clean up the mourning hall, until the cremation of the old man, waiting for the dawn to place the ashes.

Mourning, also known as filial piety, is the Chinese concept of the five services. In ancient times, the people of the country had to wear filial piety and mourning clothes for the deceased. And filial piety has different precepts for different relatives! For example, the following classification:

Son: full body filial piety, three years.

Grandchildren: full body mourning, one year.

Great-grandchildren: half-body mourning, 100 days,

Xuan grandson: half-body mourning, one month.

The grandchildren after the first grandson just wear mourning on their heads and remove it after the funeral.

Now in accordance with national law out of the five services, the same surname and the same clan can be intermarried. However, in many areas, the family is relatively large, there are still a lot of people to observe the rituals, not the "Japanese". As for mourning after the death of an old man, it is not possible to fulfill the ancient rituals, but it is more or less the same. As long as the old man is still alive, he is better than anything else.

In ancient Chinese culture is a filial behavior, mourning has a certain time regulations, the longer the longer the mourning party to the deceased's reverence, and can not bear each other to leave the mood.

Mourning: mourning

Mourning. [1] "Hou Han Shu - Li Gu biography":" solid disciple Ru Nan Guo Liang ...... at Que to the book, begging to receive the solid corpse, not allowed, because of the Lin cry, Chen resigned in front, so mourning not to go."

Why did Confucius decide that "if you don't keep mourning for three years, your heart will be restless"? Confucius talked about the reason: "The son was born three years, and then free from the parents of the heart." These twelve words are exactly the starting point for us to understand the Confucian theory of human nature. The human heart's deep affection for its parents turns out to be birthed by concrete experiences of growing up. Children are born until they are three years old before they can leave their parents' arms. It is surprising that Confucius' observation is so down-to-earth. It is evident that great philosophies must begin with down-to-earth experiences. But more importantly, his insight was able to address the peace and anxiety of the human heart.

During the mourning period, we should pay attention to the following rules

The mourning should be carried out mainly by the former survivors of the deceased, the male left, the female right, during the mourning period should be dressed in plain clothes, the filial piety of children and grandchildren during the mourning period should not be trimmed and hair, the mourning family home spring couplets should be taken down immediately, do not enter the temples and temples and the homes of other people with the filial piety, when you go out, the filial piety can be removed and placed next to the spiritual seat or in the clothes, the spirit of the family, the time to worship the time of morning and evening (7:00 am and late afternoon), and the time of worship and food. (7:00 am and evening time), two meals a day, can be compared to the living person meal time, dinner is best in the evening, the sun goes down before the offering, the family spirit should be red cloth to cover the gods, the spirit of the need to continue to incense do not end, into the wood when the time to look good can be reported, the father's funeral should be reported to the uncles and aunts, etc.; mother's death to notify the outside world, commonly known as the "newspaper white", maternal uncles, other than the relatives, you can ask for someone to report the funeral.

When a guest comes to offer incense, the mourner should point out the incense and then hand it to the guest. When offering worship, the mourner should tell the past, the name of the worshipper and the auspicious words, and then thank them for receiving the incense, and the elders should kneel down to greet them when they arrive.

Mourning family taboos

(1), mourning period taboo production activities. The first is to regard the funeral, mourning family are bad omen, if engaged in production activities, will be harmful to the crops, so that the crop failure or even crop failure. The second is the fear of the dead, in order to worship the dead, to stop production.

(2), the general mourning family is prohibited from participating in all recreational activities during the mourning period. Can not go to other people's homes, for fear of bringing bad luck to others. In the old days, the bereaved family members also do not enter the public taboo, in the official to go to the official, three years of observance, in order to fulfill the filial piety.

Clothing taboos

Taboo to wear red, colorful clothes, white for mourning color.

Chinese mourning clothes from heavy to light in order: chopping costs, Qi Qi, big work, small work, fine linen. The heavier the mourning clothes, the coarser the material and the simpler the production, which shows that mourning clothes are a form of "self-punishment" for the filial family, expressing filial piety in the form of self-punishment, or a manifestation of self-reproach for the deceased's failure to fulfill filial piety during his or her lifetime.

In the old days, during the mourning period, it was forbidden to ask about official matters, even after three years, it was still forbidden for men to wear official uniforms and hats, and women were forbidden to wear colorful red clothes.

During the mourning period, filial piety family taboo hair, combing, shaving, shaving, it is said that the old man to the child wipe the feces scraping the nurturing of the grace.

Rituals of the great biography of the cloud: "clothing technology has six: one is said to be pro pro; two is said to be honored; three is said to name; four is said to be in and out of; five is said to be the eldest and youngest six is said to be from the service. This is the Confucian development of mourning system of six principles.

A pro pro: that is, the proximity of blood relations as the development. One of the principles of funeral clothing, centered on their own, according to the development of affinity relationships, and the more close to their own clothing the heavier.

The Confucianism attaches the greatest importance to respect and honor, in addition to pro-relationship. Solid funeral service four systems first for the grace (pro pro), the second for the reason (Zunzun), such as ministers for the king to serve three years of Chopping Decay. That is, and for the grandparents, this should only serve fine linen but the funeral service chapter is required to serve a small work funeral service pass, it is said to be added to Zunjia also.

Three: The name is the name. Although not blood relatives, but the name of the share that must be known for mourning, such as in-laws or sisters-in-law.

Four: This refers to the fact that after a woman or a man marries or becomes a human being, the clan affiliation is different, and the weight of the mourning service is also different.

Five: This refers to the age of the deceased at the time of death. If you are an elder, you will be in mourning according to the general level of service, but if you are underage, you will be differentiated according to the age of death, and you will have to lower the level of mourning for him, and if you are up to the minimum age, you will not have to serve.

Sixth: This is the principle of serving only because of the service of the person from whom one is related.

Dietary taboos

Rituals: "On the day of hanging, do not drink alcohol and eat meat." But this taboo has long been corrupted in the folklore, and is a bad funeral custom.

During the mourning period, it is forbidden to make sweet rice cakes on New Year's Day, but only turnip cakes. It is also forbidden to eat rice dumplings and make red turtles.

It is forbidden to eat with the guests who come to offer condolences.

Taboos

Women can not go to the grave, the common thought that women go to the grave, means no man at home, no offspring. Especially pregnant women are not allowed, for fear that the spirits of the dead will pounce on the fetus, making it difficult for the pregnant woman to give birth.

If a person has been convicted of a crime and is physically disabled, he or she is also forbidden to visit the graves of his or her parents because of the "shame of the ancestors. In addition, it was feared that the spirits of the dead would see their children and grandchildren being tortured and would be saddened.

It is taboo to ask someone else to do the work for you.

Folks often visit graves and burn paper for a period of seven days to pray for the dead to return to the sun, with seven sevens as the end.

The above, is the folk tradition of mourning customs, the main attention, however, in the new society, although the development of society and change, mourning rituals have also been reduced.

A taboo on the death of no relatives

In the old days, people attached great importance to the succession of generations, that the old man died, there must be children and grandchildren must be present, so that the old man to go when someone to send, not alone; the old man in the netherworld do not always need to worry about, the soul can be at peace.

If the old man is in the presence of all the relatives died, is the biggest blessing. According to legend, the Bai people believe that the old man died in the arms of his children and grandchildren, is the children and grandchildren in return for the gift of nurturing, commonly known as "catching gas".

Second, taboo to let the dead bare body and go

Many places in the north are concerned, before the dead gas to wear good coffin clothes, can not let the dead bare body and go. So in the old days, the old people in a certain age, children and grandchildren often have to be in the leap year for its preparation of the life jacket, so that the old people look at ease.

The number of pieces of life jacket, texture is very concerned. The number of pieces to be singular, such as five, seven, nine pieces, etc., avoid double, for fear that the evil again; material is avoided with satin, because "satin" and "broken" harmonic, and more silk, because "silk" and "silk" and "broken" harmonic, because "satin" and "broken" harmonic. "and" Bird cherry "sound the same, meaning blessed future generations with many children and grandchildren; life jacket can not be made of fur, for fear of turning into a beast in the next life.

Third, into the coffin when the taboo

1, into the coffin when the taboo tears sprinkled corpse. In the coffin, the relatives should temporarily hold back the grief, control the tears, so as not to tear the body.

2, before and after the coffin taboo cats, dogs close to the body, that will cause the dead suddenly upright or into a zombie.

3, the coffin taboo with willow wood. Coffin to pine and cypress material is good, forbidden willow. Because the pine symbolizes longevity, the willow tree does not bear seeds, fear of extinction.

Fourth, the taboos of mourning

Mourning home, to hang on the door of the white cloth, white paper, so that people are aware of the death of someone at home, and to the cousins in-laws to report the funeral, to the loved ones in the field or overseas to send a message to the children heard of the funeral. The first thing you need to do is to make sure that you have a good understanding of what is going on in your life.

Parents died, set the date of the funeral, the son of filial piety to go to the relatives to report the funeral. When reporting the funeral, it is important that the son does not enter the house, but kneels outside and salutes the relatives to report the news of the death of his parents and the time of the funeral.

Fifth, the date of the funeral, the choice of cemetery

The ancients believe that the soul after death is not all of a sudden far away, death will involve a lot of things, so the ancients pay particular attention to the choice of the date of the funeral, so as not to cause a series of misfortunes.

And the choice of the cemetery since ancient times are very careful. It is thought that the cemetery good or bad directly related to the future generations of the rich and poor fortunate. In the old days, on the choice of graveyard taboos, the folk have ten not buried ballads: one not buried rough stubborn blocks of stone, two not buried in the rapid water beach, three not buried ditch source of desperation, four not buried lonely hill, five not buried in front of the temple after the God, six not buried around the rest of the prisoner, seven not buried in the mountains and mountains, eight not buried in the Fengshui sad, nine not buried in the sitting down low, ten not buried in the dragon and tiger pointed head. Therefore, to ask professionals to choose the date of the funeral, good feng shui cemetery.

Six, after the burial of the taboo

After the burial of the deceased, the person to be buried around the tomb for three weeks, on the way home, it is taboo to turn around and watch, so as to avoid the ghosts of the deceased to follow the living home.

Seven, mourning taboo during the visit to friends and relatives

Children during mourning do not go to relatives, do not visit friends, do not gather, do not pay tribute to the New Year, especially not to the patient's home, so as not to bring misfortune to others. As the saying goes, "Wearing hot mourning, do not board the neighbor's house."

Eight, during the mourning period, children avoid wearing brightly colored clothes

After the death of their parents, children have to keep their parents filial piety, generally three years in ancient times to keep filial piety. Modern time to shorten, but should not be less than a year. During the mourning period, children should not wear brightly colored clothes, heavy makeup, drinking and pleasure.

Chanting more of the "Earth Store Bodhisattva's True Will Sutra" returns the merit of chanting the sutra to the deceased loved ones and all sentient beings of the Dharma realm, and going to temples to do merit in the name of the deceased loved ones, helping to print the sutra, and subsidizing the construction of the temple, the deceased loved ones will be benefited on the other side. Namo Earth Store Bodhisattva! (Strive for 49 days to go to the temple to make merit for your loved ones, the best time to save suffering! Study in detail the Earth Store Bodhisattva's Benjamin's Wish Sutra)