Buddhists remember souls of tsunami dead

[AsahinaKimi]

A woman prays in front of a temporary burial place for victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, in the town of Watari, Miyagi Prefecture.




SOMA —

Buddhist priests in black and gold robes chanted and rang bells Thursday to mark the 49th day since Japan’s massive tsunami - when the dead are believed to end their restless wandering through the devastated coastline.

About 1,200 mourners filled a hall to overflowing, with many standing outside a gate, for a ceremony organized by 170 priests in the northeastern town of Soma, where much of the coast remains buried in mountains of debris from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Many carried framed photographs of lost loved ones, and wept. Some clutched wooden tablets containing Buddhist names assigned to the dead to help them find their way into their next phase of existence.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/buddhists-remember-souls-of-tsunami-dead

[drokhole]

1. My favorite philosopher, with a penchant for Zen Buddhism...

...was Alan Watts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iih7QsbuVLM

My heart goes out...