Cremation or funeral - what to choose for your loved one?

Quite often, relatives of the deceased do not know what to choose: cremation or traditional burial? On the one hand, burial is a traditional and more correct choice for a Christian believer, on the other hand, the church does not interfere with the more environmentally friendly rite - cremation, does not refuse a funeral service, and allows for a traditional funeral taking into account religion. To the question: cremation or burial - which is better for the soul, the Eden ritual agency in Dnepr will answer.

The human soul is an immortal energy that personifies purity and righteousness. The human body is its container, the existence of which on earth is limited. At a certain period of time, the death of the container occurs, and this process is also called the deliverance of the soul from the body. And depending on religion, the method of resting the receptacle of the soul is chosen.

Cremation or burial: which is better for the soul?

Our soul, as you know, is a kind of immortal substance: the personification of purity and energy. While the body is, simply, its container, and its existence on Earth is limited. Sooner or later, an inevitable moment comes in everyone’s life when, let’s say, the process of ridding the soul of the body takes place. And, depending on the people’s belonging to a particular religion, the method of its (body’s) repose is chosen.

For some, this is a burial place, while others (like, for example, the ancient Egyptians) erect, or rather, erected tombs of incredible proportions and mummified the bodies of great people of their era, ultimately placing them in these grandiose structures. However, not all Egyptian pyramids are tombs... But we’re not talking about that now.

Returning to the topic of a person’s death from life, it should be noted that one of the most common ways in the world today to free the soul from the body is cremation of the latter. Cremation is especially popular in Europe and America.

Care of the burial site

A niche in a columbarium wall, covered with a memorial plaque, like burial in a horizontal columbarium, will require minimal time and effort to maintain proper order.

At the same time, a grave with a monument in a cemetery needs regular and varied care, combining the removal of sand, fallen leaves and pine needles, as well as wind-blown debris, weeding, washing polished granite and painting the fence. The relatives of the deceased perform this work themselves, spending a certain amount of time and effort, or entrust it to specialized services, paying with money.

As a result, funeral with cremation actually turns out to be a more economical option. However, this saving most significantly affects not during the preparation and conduct of the funeral, but after it, at the stage of installing the monument and caring for it.

Human Cremation

Literally, the word “cremation”, cremare, translated from Latin, means the process of burning corpses. (This sounds, of course, somewhat ominous - but you should take it calmly.)

It must be said that burning a body is not the final stage of the entire process of saying goodbye to a person. After cremation, the ashes of the deceased are usually handed over to his relatives so that they can decide what to do with them next: bury them or scatter them.

Some, however, do not in any way want to part with the embodied memory of their loved one - and they place an urn with ashes in the room on the bedside table at the head of the head... so that they are always nearby...

Truly, your ways are mysterious, O Lord...

Monuments and plaques

Funeral expenses are not limited to the funeral itself. Subsequently, the burial is marked by some kind of memorial structure. In a traditional burial, a granite monument is usually erected a year later. The price for such products starts from three to four thousand rubles.

A low monument above a burial in a horizontal columbarium will cost significantly less, and a memorial plaque covering a niche with an urn in the columbarium wall costs 180 rubles.

Thus, memorial costs for a traditional burial are much higher than for a funeral with cremation. In addition, a bench is installed in the burial area, and a fence is usually placed around it. All this also requires expenses.

What happens to a person’s soul and body after cremation?

This is understandable, I think, without further explanation: the body of the deceased ultimately turns into ashes and dust. And in principle, there is nothing wrong with this: after all, most religions believe that the body is the prison of the Soul... Buddhists and Hindus are completely sure that the burning process only benefits the soul, accelerating the process of its release...

It is important to remember that, as is believed in many religions, the body can be consigned to fire or earth only on the third day after death. This is exactly how long it takes for the soul to leave its vessel. That is, cremation should be carried out no earlier than three days after the person died. This period is also necessary for the astral body (the first body of a spiritual nature) and the casual body (personal body) to separate from each other.

It is important to understand that only the earthly, deceased shell of the soul, which does not experience pain and does not feel it, is burned. Well, if it so happened that the deceased (or deceased) had to be cremated earlier, the subtle matter “lingering” next to the body may experience a little stress...

But there are also cases of everyday death: the burning of a person, say, in a fire: and in this case it does not at all mean that his soul will be damaged. It’s just that this process of involuntary cremation, again, will serve as some kind of stress for her.

And yet, what is better: cremation or burial? In principle, today there is practically no difference in whether a person is cremated or simply buried. A person does not feel pain after death. Although other evidence can be found on this topic...

Destruction of a dead body by vultures

The Persian community (Zoroastrians) disposes of their dead by placing the bodies in a place known as the “Tower of Silence.” The tower stands open to the sky and has no roof. The corpse decomposes in the sun and vultures eat it.

Because the subtle body is still attached to his physical body at the time of death, when the body is torn apart by vultures and decomposed, it experiences agony.

To prevent the physical body from being used as a vehicle for attacking the subtle body, it must be destroyed completely and as quickly as possible. Fire is the only element that can do this immediately. For the five vital energies and sub-vital energies to finally leave the body, it usually takes several days. During this period, they can be used by ghosts as a means to reach the subtle body of a departed ancestor. The sun's rays and vultures are not capable of destroying the physical body in a matter of days.

However, on a spiritual level, something much more destructive occurs. In this method, when the vultures approach the corpse, many subtle sorcerers and ghosts are attracted by the smell of the blood, bones and flesh of the corpse. They use blood and bones to do negative rituals to gain control of the subtle body. .When the corpse is given to the vultures then the whole body comes under the complete control of ghosts and sorcerers in a very short time. Most likely, they become slaves of these subtle sorcerers and suffer greatly in the afterlife. Thus, these subtle bodies also do not receive an impulse of power and easily pass under the control of ghosts to the Hell realm. Additionally, many ghosts satisfy their cravings and thirst for meat by eating human blood and flesh with the help of vultures.

Blood and flesh emit a subtle, disturbing stench, which subtle sorcerers materialize and, with the help of negative mantras, give this subtle body a certain subtle form. Later they give him the form of a genie and make him do many negative actions and thus greatly disturb others.

A subtle analysis of the consumption of bodies after death by vultures shows that it does not meet any of the criteria for the effectiveness of funeral rites and is more harmful than burial.

Eternal hell or a method of purification

Doesn't cremation of a body harm the soul?

This question quite naturally arises among the relatives of a person who has left our world. Moreover, the church’s attitude towards cremation is still ambiguous. Let's be honest: both the Orthodox Church and the Jewish Church did not and do not welcome the burning of corpses. And in Greece, for example, cremation is still prohibited by law.

However, over time we see how what was considered impossible and forbidden just yesterday exists quite normally today.

The Orthodox canons of the church, despite their relatively recent attitude “from earth you are and to earth you will come,” today, for the most part, no longer condemn cremation. The funeral service for the body of the deceased occurs these days even in crematoria. And the idea that with the advent of the Last Judgment only those who were buried will be resurrected is now an erroneous thought. After all, according to the new version, when the body is cremated, the soul remains intact, and for resurrection on Judgment Day the bodily shell is not required at all.

Funeral service

The last factor and the most budget option for the service is a funeral service in the ritual hall of the morgue ( 4,000 - 6,000 rubles ). A full funeral service in a church will cost more ( 5,000 - 10,000 rubles ). The cost of a funeral service varies from parish to parish. Let’s say that in the Epiphany Cathedral the funeral service will cost a higher price due to the high status of the temple and the priest in the church hierarchy. In the Trinity Church in Troitsk, the funeral service can be performed at more affordable prices.

The priest's visit to the cemetery is associated with additional expenses (plus a minimum of 3,000 rubles ). But in this case, you can say goodbye to the deceased directly near the grave. The fact is that in Moscow and the region, according to Orthodox custom, it is customary to seal the coffin immediately after the funeral service. And if the ceremony was performed in a temple or ritual hall, it means that the body is taken to the graveyard in a closed coffin.

Bible references regarding cremation

Neither the Old nor the New Testaments explicitly mention that burning a person's body after death is a sin. And at the same time, there are notes that it is a sin to burn a person on an altar. In turn, there is an opinion that the ashes of the cremated person must, nevertheless, be interred.

The burial place must be marked. In Orthodoxy, this role is played by a monument or a cross. A Christian who was cremated after his death has the right to memorial services and funeral services in exactly the same way as everyone else (except for those mortals who committed suicide). And after cremation, his soul ascends to heaven in the same way as it would after burial.

Reasons for choosing a traditional burial

The word "cemetery" is of Greek origin and is translated as "sleeping place." Most cultures believe in an afterlife after death, and try to bury the body rather than burn it.

If it is possible to choose a traditional funeral for an Orthodox person, this should be done. As you know, the body must go through a natural process of decomposition, which is important for the soul. Many Christians say that cremation is not our method because the cremated body of the deceased will not be able to rise at the time of Christ's coming as stated in the Bible.

Also, do not forget about the Slavic traditions, which relatives try to honor in order to help the soul of the deceased find peace. Traditional burial is a special ritual, more correct in Christianity. In addition, after burial, the deceased has “his own” place in the cemetery, where you can come, bring flowers, and honor the memory of the deceased.

How people were cremated in the past

Cremation as a way of disposing of the mortal body of the deceased was popular long before our era. Thus, the ancient inhabitants of the Scandinavian Peninsula did not bury their brothers. In order to say goodbye to a person’s body and release his soul, the funeral pyre technique was used. The body of the deceased was wrapped in cloth and placed on the fire.

There were also measures that were important to observe when burning corpses. This method of farewell was especially relevant in the Middle Ages, when the plague raged in many regions of Europe. In this regard, scientists of those times believed that burying bodies in such a situation was simply dangerous, since the epidemic in this case could spread further.

So still: bury in the ground or cremate?

Thus, as we can see from the above, cremation in our time has become a process that is equivalent to a traditional funeral. But, despite this, not every family, having lost a loved one, decides to take this step, fearing superstitions that are still spread by various cults, sects and their fanatics.

If you evaluate this method of saying goodbye to a person objectively, it turns out that it is not so bad. For example, there are certain arguments in favor of cremation:

1. Cremation is the absence of the likelihood of being buried in a state of clinical death;
2. The environmental cleanliness of the process is obvious: cadaveric poison will not enter the soil and will not poison groundwater;
3. There is space saving for aesthetic reasons;
4. It is possible to preserve ashes in columbariums;
5. Relatively inexpensive compared to traditional funerals;
6. And, finally, the absence of obvious contradictions with existing church canons.

There’s just one thing that’s probably impossible to argue with: among the Slavs, cremation to this day is not the most common method of saying goodbye to the dead. After all, traditions of this kind are instilled in cultural societies over years and decades, so that the degree of shock in people’s minds from this, frankly speaking, visually not the most humane process, decreases gradually, from generation to generation.

In addition, due to the fact that this procedure is not the most common in our country, there is not always someone to turn to for help in its implementation. This is especially true in small settlements where there are not many cremation sites. But, nevertheless, they exist, and you can find them by contacting organizations that provide funeral services to the population.

Question and answer

How popular are multilayer cardboard coffins in our country?
Practice shows that the vast majority of customers still prefer traditional wood products.

Are prices for cremation with farewells rising in Minsk?

Yes, by 2021 they have increased, but not too significantly, by about 20 rubles.

Probably, in the case of cremation and reburial of the ashes will cost less?

One might say, many times cheaper. The only limitation is related to the removal of an urn buried in the ground. Such work should be carried out in the warm season of the year, when the soil is not frozen.

How people are cremated

Many probably imagine this whole process as similar to pictures of horror films in their best genres. But it is not so. In crematoriums during cremation everything happens quite simply and concisely. A coffin is used in which the deceased is placed on the third day after his death. Then the coffin with the person is sent to a special chamber, where under the influence of high temperatures it is burned to ashes.

These ashes are then collected in special funeral urns to be given to relatives. But what you need to pay attention to when cremation of a person is chosen is the observance of the funeral procedure in accordance with the religion of the deceased. That is, if we are talking about Christians, then the entire ritual should take place according to generally accepted rules, with a funeral service and a memorial service.

However, it is recommended not to watch for the faint of heart:

What to do after the cremation ritual?

The closest relatives of the deceased can receive the ashes in their hands at the crematorium. The ashes are transferred in a special funeral urn. But what to do with it next is up to them to decide for themselves.

In general, the Orthodox Church recommends burying the urn according to its canons. But, depending on the last request of the deceased and the discretion of the relatives, you don’t have to worry about whether to leave the ashes after cremation somewhere nearby or bury them. After all, if in a will a person asked, for example, to scatter his ashes in some special place, then it is worth doing so. After all, it doesn’t matter to God or the Higher Powers which atoms or other particles are used to return a person to his new life... If, of course, it comes.

Preparation for cremation

Although a person's ashes are buried in an urn, the body is transported from the morgue to the crematorium in a coffin, which is the most expensive item in the funeral ritual. The price range of domovin is quite wide. Relatives can choose either a modest wooden coffin, lined with fabric, or a luxurious box with decor and gilding. Average prices for coffins start from 1,500 rubles.

Auxiliary ritual supplies include:

• bed in a coffin;
• pillow;
• cover;
• clothes, shoes.

The coffin is transported to the crematorium on a special transport - a hearse. Additionally, relatives can arrange a wake and order a funeral service, which is held directly in the morgue or in the church at the cemetery. All this requires new costs. Another expense item is an urn for ashes. Relatives can choose from a wide range of vessels to suit any needs. You can buy either a simple urn made of metal, plastic or wood, or an original one with engraving and decorative elements. The cost of such storage starts from 3,000 rubles.

Cremation and embalming of the body

And one more thing - let's look at the main methods of saying goodbye to the body of the deceased:

• The most popular is burial. From ashes to ashes... In general, this method is most popular in the CIS and Islamic countries;
• Burning remains is a relatively new method. In Russia, the first crematorium was built only in the last century (in 1920). It is more popular in Europe and America.
• Embalming. The most ancient way. It has been known to people since time immemorial, when Egypt was ruled by the pharaohs.

As you can see, there is no need to talk about the first method in particular detail here, since it is familiar to Orthodox culture. As for the second method, arguments were given in its favor that allowed it to be appreciated. But in our time, hardly anyone has heard in detail about embalming; only the widely advertised mummies from the era of Ancient Egypt and, perhaps, the dried-up figure of Lenin, which still rests in the Moscow Mausoleum, remind us of them.

Embalming is a method that is used (and, to a large extent, has been used) to preserve a body with minimal damage to it. Thus, corpses that date back to the fifth millennium BC have been preserved to this day quite well, in comparison with fossilized particles of their “peers”. But this method is not very popular today, and the secret of the components of the balms used by the Egyptians has long been lost by our civilization.

And, in conclusion of this sad topic, a few more words about some of its details:

Your opinion

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  Mikha 3 months ago

  Burn correctly. Don't f... those brains. This is correct, aesthetically pleasing, environmentally friendly, and much more... What’s special is that if a sick person dies, then it’s also hygienic.

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