Taoist Funeral Services

There is some form of Buddhist influence in Taoist practice, and funeral services are aware of Taoist practices regarding funerals. There is essentially a funeral director who plays a key role in the Taoist funeral service. In addition to providing management services, we experienced in the practice of Taoist funeral services in Singapore, which is why we are available to offer advice and assistance to family members to ensure the funeral goes smoothly. In order to manage all the funeral arrangements required for a Taoist funeral, you can take advantage of our Taoist funeral services. We have advisers who are familiar with the rituals and Chinese funeral traditions and you can be assured of the right advice whenever it is needed. To find out more, talk to us.

Taoist Funerals

At Taoist funerals, it is also customary to rinse the body with a damp towel and talcum powder. Then the deceased is wearing the finest linen. The color of the fabric may vary, but we have not explicitly used the red color. Traditionally, Taoists claim that they focus more on wellbeing and survival than on the afterlife. The aim was to attain immortality, with the practice and cultivation of various tasks categorized as Neidan and Waidan, particularly in early Taoism. There is little documented about Taoist funerals, even on the internet, combined with the fact that Chinese usually avoid talking about death. Therefore, with each passing generation, there is a pattern of Taoist funerals becoming more streamlined, with old, lost or sometimes forgotten rituals.

Taoism Funeral Rites & Rituals

Taoism coexisted with Buddhism and Confucianism for much of Chinese history. Therefore, some Singaporean family Taoist traditions have a Buddhist influence. Examples include monks and Taoist monks who perform rituals. Food and fruit offerings to the bereaved are common at Taoist funeral services. At Taoist funeral services, candles, lamps, tea, rice, and water are all frequent items. Each item has a symbolic value, and the rites done at a Taoist Funeral are frequently designed to ensure that the deceased’s soul has a seamless transition to the hereafter. Special clothing known as is also commonly worn by persons who died at a specific age and are regarded to have been blessed with a long life and numerous kids. This specific garment has seven layers and is of exceptional quality, and it is typically worn by the departed to keep them warm even in the hereafter. In some circumstances, a pearl is placed in the mouth of the deceased. The pearl is considered to protect the corpse of the deceased and to be an enabling element in Hell because of its lustrous characteristics. A sack of rice is also placed on top of the coffin in some dialects. In Singapore, the procession of a Taoist Funeral requires the use of paper items. Money, houses, mountains, servants, electrical items, and forms of transportation are all examples of paper products. In fact, it is assumed that anything we require in this life on Earth will also be required in the next.

Hokkien Funeral Rites

Hokkien mourners execute a purification rite involving “purchasing water” from the Earth Deity using joss paper and monies as the deceased is encoffined. A funeral oration is delivered on the day of the funeral, and family members make offerings as they are called to the altar according to their relationship to the deceased.

Teochew Funeral Rites

The most important ceremony of a Teochew burial is Crossing the Bridge, in which a priest carries the departed’s Soul Lantern and leads the family across the bridge into the afterlife.

Hakka Funeral Rites

The altars in Hakka funeral services are different from typical Taoist funeral services. In addition, the priest read texts in Hakka, with subtle differences in meaning as compared to dialect group.