It is to be Cherished

Zou Qi Ying

The funerals Ive attended have all been very much the same. However， funeral practices are deeply ingrained in culture and hugely varied traditions tend to reflect a wide array of world views and beliefs to some extent.

Many Vajrayana Buddhists in China believe in the transmigration of spirits after death—that the soul moves on， while the body becomes an empty vessel. People must return it to the earth. Its a practice thats been done for thousands of years.

I remember the moment when the funeral of my great grandma was held. It was not a small thing to hold a funeral for a big family. When I got to the old home， there had gathered many people dignifying in manner with a serious face. The solemnity and demure， reverance and sacredness rushed into my mind in waves， refreshing my heart and soal. The adults put on a piece of white cloth and the children in red. A monk said prayers in the house， where memories were shared and tears were shed. Some special persons were invited to play sad music while the attendees sat together in the yard and had lunch or dinner. As the Master told， a funeral could be arranged as a happy event. In the countryside， the funeral should last for three days. Arriving at the graveyard， everyone placed flowers on the casket just before it was lowered into ground. A few years ago， when her husband passed away， he was cremated. At that time I was young and was afraid to see the burial. So what impressed me most was my great grandmas funeral. I could deeply feel the sorrow of losing her.

The loss of our flesh and blood made us independent from then on. But we could behave as they expected by leading our life positively. There is no limit to goodness of life. It grows more abundant with each new encounter. The more you experience and appreciate the goodness of life， the more there is to be lived.

Death is not the end. Heaven or hell is not the final destination.And the memory will not fade. We should always remember the ones who are important to us even though they have gone. Also it is vital to cherish someone around us who is still alive， for not regret after we lost them.

It is called ‘life，just as the loss of our beloved， and more other happinesses or unhappinesses included， these events are strung together in a series we call life that should be cherished. Yet we are alive； let us live. As a comfortation to the one who has been in heaven， let us grasp the meaning of life until we depart this earth.

我所參加的葬禮都是一樣的。然而，喪葬習俗在文化中根深蒂固，各種各樣的傳統(tǒng)往往在一定程度上反映出廣泛的世界觀。

在某種程度上，中國許多金剛佛教徒相信死后靈魂的輪回，即靈魂繼續(xù)前行，而身體則變成一個空的器皿。人們必須把它還給地球。這是千百年來的一個慣例。

我記得我曾祖母的葬禮隆重舉行的那一刻。為一個大家庭舉行的葬禮可不是件小事。當我到達老家時，那里聚集了許多面容嚴肅、舉止端莊的人。莊嚴、肅穆、敬畏和神圣，一陣陣地涌上心頭，使我心曠神怡。大人穿上一塊白布，孩子們穿上紅色衣服。一個和尚在屋里祈禱，在那里分享著記憶，流著眼淚。一些特別的人被邀請在院子里演奏悲傷的音樂，而與會者一起在院子里吃午飯或晚餐。正如大師所說，葬禮可以安排為一件喜事。在鄉(xiāng)下，葬禮應(yīng)該持續(xù)三天，到達墓地時，每一個人在棺材放在地上之前都把鮮花放在棺材上。幾年前，當她丈夫去世時，他被火化了。那時我還年輕，不敢去看葬禮。所以給我印象最深的是我曾祖母的葬禮。

我能深深地感受到失去她的悲傷，從此失去了我們的骨肉之軀。但是我們可以按照自己的預(yù)期行事，積極引導我們的生活，生命的美好是無限的。隨著每新的相遇，它變得更加豐富。你越是體驗和欣賞生命的美好，生活越是精彩。

死亡不是天堂，地獄不是終點。記憶不會褪色。我們應(yīng)該永遠記住那些對我們很重要的人，不要因為失去了他們而后悔。

這些事件串在一起，我們稱之為生命，珍愛我們的生活。作為一個在天堂的安慰，讓我們把握生命的意義，直到我們離開這個地球。

【作者簡介】Zou Qi Ying， Jiangsu Yancheng middle school Class 11 in senior three.