Buddhist Rituals of Death and Rebirth: Contemporary Sri Lanka Practice and its Origins Book

Contents: Introduction. I. Death and dying: 1. Contemporary Sri Lankan practice. 2. Commentary to the practice. 3. Some historical roots: time of death. II. Funeral: 1. Contemporary Sri Lankan practice. 2. Commentary to the practice. 3. Some historical roots: handling the remains. III. Post funerary rites: 1. Contemporary Sri Lankan practice. 2. Commentary to the practice. 3. Some historical roots: giving of merit. Conclusions.

"In Buddhist thought and practice, death has always been a central concept. This book provides a careful and thorough analysis of the rituals and social customs surrounding death in the Theravada tradition of Sri Lanka."