One of the unique cultural practices associated with Buddhism is the use of ancestral tablets, which play an important role in Buddhist funeral rites and ancestor worship.
An ancestral tablet is a wooden tablet inscribed with the name and other relevant information of a deceased ancestor. The tablet is believed to serve as a spiritual link between the living and the dead, allowing the living to honor and communicate with their ancestors in the afterlife.
In Buddhist tradition, it is believed that when a person dies, their spirit continues to exist and may be reborn in a new body. The ancestral tablet is therefore seen as a way to continue to show respect and gratitude to one’s ancestors, even after their physical death.
Buddhist ancestral tablets are typically placed in shrines or altars within the home or temple, where offerings such as incense, flowers, and food can be made to the ancestors. During Buddhist funeral rites, the tablets may be carried in a procession or placed on the altar as a way to honor the deceased.
Overall, the use of ancestral tablets is an important aspect of Buddhist culture and serves as a way to connect with and honor one’s ancestors, who are believed to play an ongoing role in the lives of their descendants.
Having awarded the conservative heritage site by the Singapore Government, Leong San Buddhist Temple has been the home to numerous ancestral tablets since the early 20th Century. Devotees, worshippers and their family can have a peace of mind locating their ancestral tablets in our temple.
佛教的独特文化实践之一是使用祖先牌位, 这在佛教葬礼和祖先崇拜中扮演着重要角色。
祖先牌位是一块刻有已故祖先姓名和其他相关信息的木牌。这块牌位被认为是生者与死者之间的精神纽带,让生者能够尊敬和与他们在后世的祖先沟通。在佛教传统中, 人死后灵魂会继续存在并可能转世投胎。因此, 祖先牌位被视为一种继续表达对祖先的尊重和感激的方式, 即使在他们肉体死亡之后。
佛教祖先牌位通常放置在家中或寺庙内的神龛或祭坛上, 供奉香火、鲜花和食物等供品。在佛教葬礼仪式中, 这些牌位可能会在队伍中被抬起或放置在祭坛上, 以此来纪念逝者。
总的来说, 使用祖先牌位是佛教文化的一个重要方面, 他为人们提供了一种与祖先联系并表达敬意的方式,因为人们相信祖先在后世仍然影响着他们的后代。作为一个受到新加坡政府保护的传统遗产场所, 龙山寺自20世纪初就收藏了众多祖先牌位。信徒、崇拜者及其家人可以在我们的寺庙里安心地找到他们的祖先牌位。
