What exactly does a "grave" mean in Buddhism? The concepts of "treating graves" and "treating remains with care" can be seen in ancient Egyptian and European ruins, dating back to before the introduction of Buddhism. This "remains worship" concept seems to exist worldwide. Some Buddhist sects continue to argue over whether their temples have stupas (reliquary towers) housing the Buddha's remains, as they claim they are the true deity. After the war, GHQ secretly dumped the remains of Class A war criminals, including Tojo Hideki, off the coast of Tokyo Bay to prevent further public veneration. Recently, I've heard of a dispute within the Aum Shinrikyo cult over who should inherit the remains of Asahara.

While the worship of remains is widespread worldwide, the very practice of establishing graves was not part of the original Buddhist teachings, which originated in India, and was based on Japanese customs and practices of worshiping ancestors. The nature of graves has changed considerably over the years. In ancient times, there was a time when only the powerful and influential were permitted to build large tombs. During the Edo period, the temple registration system allowed ordinary people to build tombs as well, but this was due to political policies that required ordinary people to become parishioners of a temple. This was because temples played a role similar to that of modern-day government offices. Even today, there are places beneath Paris called catacombs, where the bones of ordinary people are piled up. It is known that in the Christian faith, too, no one had a grave except for baptized saints.

Among the words left behind by Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, is "Do not rely on people, but on the teachings." This means "Do not rely on people, but rely on the teachings," and is known to have been spoken to his disciples on his deathbed. This shows his desire to cherish his teachings more than his remains.

Additionally, Saint Shinran, the founder of the Jodo Shinshu sect, left behind the saying, "When Shinran closes his eyes, he should be thrown into the Kamo River and given to the fish." This means, "When I die, I should be thrown into the Kamo River that flows through Kyoto and used as fish food." This can be interpreted as meaning, "There's no need for a grave." He is also known for saying, "Faith in Buddhism is more important than what happens to the body at funerals and memorial services." Faith in Buddhism, he says, is about achieving absolute happiness while one is still alive.

In modern times, building a new grave is extremely expensive. This puts surviving family members in a difficult situation. Is this really what the deceased would have wanted? Surely they would have wanted their surviving family to live happily without burdening them as much as possible.

So, are funerals and memorial services necessary? These occasions certainly provide an opportunity for those of us who struggle to get by in our busy lives to seriously reflect on our lives. If funerals and memorial services are opportunities to learn and gain something from Buddhist teachings, then they are meaningful. However, if they end up being merely a ceremony, then we must recognize that they deviate from the true meaning of Buddhism. Each of us should think about graves, funerals, and memorial services and act according to our own thoughts. There is no set answer.

In Buddhist teachings, graves and funerals are not merely formalities. Nor are they merely traditional rituals. Perhaps they only have meaning when they are carried out with heart. Rather than performing something out of obligation according to a formal form, perhaps it is closer to the true Buddhist way of thinking about the deceased, expressing gratitude, and offering heartfelt condolences.

Reference: "Learning Happiness from Buddhism by Ryuta Kikutani"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvKEmHzz63w&t=1s

"Forest scattering" is a natural burial where the remains are returned to nature. It is similar to "tree burial," which involves burial at the base of a tree, but is slightly different. While "tree burial" involves digging a hole in the ground and burying the remains in an urn, "forest scattering" involves grinding the remains into a fine powder beforehand and scattering them in the mountains. The remains are not buried underground, but rather scattered over the ground like the "Grandpa Who Made Flowers Bloom." In the wild, grass grows and bare ground is rarely found, so the white remains are not left in one place. The powdered remains gradually return to the soil as they are exposed to wind and rain. Furthermore, while in a typical "tree burial," the remains are exhumed and interred after a certain number of years, in the case of "forest scattering," the remains cannot be manually retrieved, so they rest there forever. Japan has a long tradition of "mountain worship," which views the entire mountain as a sacred object. ・・・

"Ocean scattering" is a funeral method that has become popular not only in Japan but around the world. Scattering ashes into rivers is not permitted in Japan, so this method seems to be gaining popularity. It is particularly popular as a way to say goodbye to a deceased loved one, and services such as chartering a motorboat or cruiser to scatter ashes offshore are popular. However, the drawbacks of this method include the fact that the ocean is easily affected by weather, which can suddenly result in a cancellation on the scheduled date, and the relatively high cost of chartering a boat. Our company, SANKOTSUYAMA, offers an "Ocean Scattering Plan," which uses our small boat, eliminating the additional cost of chartering a boat. All costs are included in the price. Furthermore, "ocean scattering" does not necessarily require the services of a specialized scattering company. Individuals are not prohibited from scattering powdered ashes into the sea. However, scattering ashes is prohibited near fishing ・・・