Pre-death Planning

[sriracha john]

As a side-bar to another topic, I'm wondering if temples conduct any type of

pre-death planning.

There are certain aspects of my "arrangements" that I would like to specify or have them known beforehand.

This is also to be known by the family of course, but just wondering if the temple can play a part in the planning.

Or would all this be considered too sordid here to discuss with family and temple?

[lopburi3]

Not sure but wife has a large Buddha image at home Wat with our names on it which can contain ash after cremation.

[Abandon]

If you get to know a temple and the monks in it you can make extensive arrangements for your funeral, though you will really need a layperson to take care of things too after your death.

I made a number of social visits to Bahn Bang Kae home for the elderly and found that quite a lot of the elderly folk there had made their own arrangements in considerable detail, and had even paid in advance. That despite the fact that the home provides funeral services for all their residents.

Not all temples handle funerals on a regular basis, so you would need to find one that has its own oven, as such will have streamlined proceedures. The rest of the temples only arrange funerals on a case-by-case basis and will not have an organised proceedure.

Such planning is a good way to reflect on death (marananusati) which the Buddha recommended as a good practise. It helps prioritise your life and consider what is really important.

[sriracha john]

Thank you for your responses.

For Lop... Do you have any particular preferences for your service, other than the final resting place for your ashes?

For Pandit... I do have a particular temple in mind and they do have a crematorium (I prefer that term to "oven"... ). I've attended 2 other funerals at this temple and was impressed by their services.

I've been wanting to meet with the abbot about this issue, but wanted to ask around first if that sort of thing was even done.

Any time I want to discuss any matter relating to this issue with the missus (last will, funeral services, disposition, etc.), I get the

"ohh... don't talk about that" syndrome.

[Abandon]

Very likely you will not need to speak to the abbot, but to the person in charge of the funerals, which might well not even be a monk. I have also found that speaking about death is considered tempting fate in Thailand, though in the temples this is not so as it is a common reflection as I mentioned above.

[sriracha john]

Very likely you will not need to speak to the abbot, but to the person in charge of the funerals, which might well not even be a monk. I have also found that speaking about death is considered tempting fate in Thailand, though in the temples this is not so as it is a common reflection as I mentioned above.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's true about the layman at the temple that coordinated both funerals I attended. Just thought it was more appropriate to get the abbot's input.... and anyway, he's just a very interesting man to talk to.

Thank you for your input.

[lopburi3]

For Lop... Do you have any particular preferences for your service, other than the final resting place for your ashes?

No.

[sriracha john]

Fair enough.

I want to make the choices on as many things as I can. Attendees, menu, music, etc. etc.

....and I'll be watching to ensure they are all complied with....