Life and Death Art and the Body in Contemporary China
In the Chinese American family you will find a mixture of traditional beliefs that date back centuries, and more than modernistic attitudes that reverberate western ideas. Beliefs and practices in China relating to death and dying accept been impacted by the land'due south three dominant religions: Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Although the Communist Revolution of 1949 and the subsequent Cultural Revolution in the mid 1960s to 70s made it virtually incommunicable to practice religion in Communist china, values and customs from all three of those religious have seeped into Chinese culture. Immigrants to the U.S. brought those values and customs to America where they take mixed with Christian approaches to death and dying.
Confucianism and Taoism have had the greatest bear upon on Chinese thinking and practices considering of their native roots. They both express a philosophical understanding of life and death equally well every bit a religious belief organisation.
In the Confucian agreement a person shouldn't be afraid of death, if they live a moral life according to the dictates of Tien Ming, referred to as "heaven." Just this use of the word "heaven" doesn't denote some afterlife place the soul goes to. It should rather be understood as the underlying mechanism that controls life. Confucius didn't explicitly discuss an afterlife, eternal life, gods, or spirits.
Taoists see death as a natural part of life that we all must accept. If a person lives a moral life and follows the path of Tao, which involves various meditative exercises, they volition reach immortality after death. For Taoists, life is an illusion and death is an enkindling.
In spite of seeing death as a natural role of life, Chinese think talking near death will upset the inner harmony that is so important to maintain. So, Chinese try to avoid even thinking nearly death.
Filial piety and antecedent worship are important principles of both Confucianism and Taoism, and may fifty-fifty predate those religions in Chinese idea. Co-ordinate to those principles, children must respect their parents and ancestors and accept intendance of them. Equally a outcome, hither in the U.S., children of a dying Chinese parent may push for aggressive handling throughout an affliction to honor their duty to that parent.
The Chinese have smashing respect for doctors. They believe they should be trusted and listened to in all matters that chronicle to care of the sick. So doctors are not questioned and will often make decisions that in other families would exist made by the dying person or the closest relative. Elders may even mind to a doctor over the communication of their children. The whole family will make caregiving decisions that go across the medical. And so, unlike the western principle of autonomy of the individual, a dying person will oftentimes defer to the family. Therefore, naming a healthcare proxy may be seen as unimportant or fifty-fifty reverse to the best approach for decision-making.
Among first generation Chinese in the U.S. traditional Chinese medicine is nevertheless the almost mutual class of healthcare. That includes the use of herbs and acupuncture. The focus of Chinese medicine is to restore residual of the life energy that flows throughout the body. Even for Chinese Americans born in the U.Southward. traditional Chinese medicine is well respected and may be followed alongside western medicine.
Most Chinese Americans, specially the older generation, believe that dying at home will bring bad fortune to the family unit. They may too have difficulty selling their abode to another Chinese person. Once again the family will often brand this decision together, sometimes even without the dying person offering an opinion.
If the person does die at home and then the family unit will need to articulate the stagnant or negative life energy that may be left behind. This may involve opening all the windows, removing photos of the deceased, sweeping and then washing the flooring and walls thoroughly, even painting the room. The bed and mattress volition be replaced and all of the article of clothing from the deceased volition be given away. In a traditional family the clothing will be burned.
In the dwelling of a person who died all the statues of gods volition be covered in red newspaper. Ruby-red is the color of good fortune and vitality. A white textile will exist hung outside the front end door of the house to announce that the family is in mourning. White is as well the color of the unknown, purity, courage and forcefulness.
Chinese customs dictate that earlier a torso is placed in a casket information technology will be carefully washed, dusted with talcum powder, and so dressed in the dead person'due south finest clothes. The clothing won't be cerise because that will lead to the person becoming a ghost. A Chinese adult female volition often be cached with jewelry, particularly jade. A Chinese man may be cached with coins. The dead person's face may be covered with a yellow textile, which is the Buddhist colour and represents liberty from worldly concerns. The body may be covered with a blue cloth, which represents harmony and immortality.
Symbolic paper coin is often burned at a funeral to make sure the deceased will be financially taken care of in the side by side life. Paper money is also thrown at funerals to continue hungry ghosts abroad who may be attracted by the expressionless and tin can bring illness and mischief to the living.
If a wake occurs in the home of the deceased, all the mirrors volition exist covered, considering seeing a reflection of the casket may cause a death shortly in the family of the person who saw the reflection. Wreaths, photos, and gifts will exist placed at the caput of the casket; food volition be placed in front of the casket every bit an offer. The person'due south comb is broken, half placed in the catafalque to be buried with the person and the other one-half kept by the family. Rice may be spread around the house to pb the hungry ghosts exterior away from the family.
Chinese traditionally wear white to a funeral, although today the more westernized Chinese in the U.S. will wear black. Oftentimes a piece of black material will exist placed on the dress of mourners that will exist buried with the catafalque. Subsequently the catafalque is placed in the ground family volition throw handfuls of dirt on top; the eldest son will keep some dirt from the grave to be used in worship ceremonies at home. Prayers will be said and family members are offered cherry packets with money that they must spend.
Traditionally, three days subsequently the burying, the spirit of the person who died will visit the family. To prepare for this visit the family makes the person'due south favorite nutrient and sets it out with some of the person's books for him or her to come and say good day after midnight. Annually the family must pay their respects to the deceased by making offerings and burning incense. Sometimes roast pig may be prepared and some of it brought to the cemetery as an offering to the ancestor.
Mourners are non supposed to participate in any form of amusement for 100 days. The catamenia of mourning depends on the relationship: three years for a child or parent, one year for a spouse.
Chinese customs volition vary from one family to another depending on the religious orientation of the family members, their adherence to tradition, and the caste of assimilation to American ways of dealing with death and dying. When doing the planning work, doulas demand to inquire how the dying person and family want to honor their traditions and beliefs. Being aware of some of the Chinese customs will help the doula understand the family unit's wishes and aid them ask advisable questions.
Source: https://inelda.org/the-chinese-approach-to-death-and-dying/
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