A Funeral Ceremony in Jakarta City, Indonesia

Last year, I was asked to conduct a funeral ceremony for a relative of my friend in Jakarta City, Indonesia. Among the Chinese, filial piety is a core moral value, and worshiping ancestors from generation to generation has been practiced since childhood. Chinese descendants generally believe that honoring ancestors and continuing their good deeds will ensure prosperity for future generations, while neglecting this responsibility may bring about adverse consequences. The concept of salvation for ancestors is rooted in the belief that deceased family members continue to exist in some form and can influence the fortunes of the living. This belief underscores the importance of maintaining familial ties and honoring ancestors through rituals and offerings.

The deceased was an elderly lady who hailed from Putian County in Fujian Province, China. Inside the mourning hall, it was customary to place two incense urns for prayer purposes: one set for immediate family members and another set for friends and relatives to offer joss sticks. A Spiritual Enlightenment Ceremony was conducted during the night to honor and remember her.

The ritual of salvation for the dead commonly includes making offerings to the deceased to ensure their well-being in the afterlife, which is believed to resemble earthly life. In addition to offering delicious meals, essential items such as hell money and paper effigies are crucial. These items are burned as offerings, symbolizing their provision to the deceased in the spiritual realm. It is emphasized that the burning of these objects should be done reverently and with care, reflecting the importance placed on honoring and providing for the deceased even after their physical lives have ended.

Before conducting a funeral send-off, it was a local practice to break open a watermelon in front of the hearse, symbolizing the deceased's transition to new life. Despite Indonesia's serious traffic congestion issues, it took less than an hour to reach the crematorium, which was about 10 km away from the funeral parlor. This was achieved without the assistance of traffic police; instead, locals voluntarily paid their respects to the deceased. Drivers instinctively stopped their vehicles to allow the hearse to proceed, and pedestrians were also helpful in directing traffic, ensuring a smooth journey to the crematorium.

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