The Body
After Death, by Joan Halifax <www.upaya.org>
Methods of
caring for the body after death vary from culture to culture. What follows are some suggestions that come
from my experience as a Buddhist and a caregiver of dying people.
Keep the atmosphere around the deceased simple and
peaceful. If possible, do not disturb
or touch the body immediately after death.
If the body must be touched, do so very gently.
Pray for
peace and freedom for the one who has died.
If appropriate, read sacred texts or conduct any practices or death
rituals from the deceased’s tradition.
As rigor
mortis takes about two hours to set in, you will have enough time to bathe and
dress the body. This can be done by
family members or friends as a last act of intimacy and respect. Know that before and at the time of death,
the dying person may have defecated, urinated, vomited, or sweated. You may want to give the body a sponge bath
with a mixture of aromatic herbs (such as yogi tea) and a small amount of
alcohol to close the pores. Place
cotton in the rectum so that wastes do not leak from the body, and a condom or
rubber glove on the penis or cotton in the vagina. The teeth and mouth can be cleaned. Do not remove dentures or you may not be able to put them back in
after rigor mortis sets in. Reflexive
muscle spasms will occasionally occur in the limbs or facial muscles.
Mindfully
dress and arrange the body before it stiffens.
Dress the person in light clothing, and do not cover the body with
bedding. The body needs to stay as cool
as possible. A fan, air conditioning,
or an open window can be helpful in keeping the body fresh.
Often the
eyes are open after death. If you wish,
you can gently close the lids and tape them shut. The mouth might be open.
You can close it with a scarf tied around the head. The last place in the body that warmth will
leave is the heart area. If the heart
is still emanating warmth, be particularly mindful of what is happening in the
environment of the deceased. Buddhist
tradition tells us that such warmth usually occurs in those who have some
quality of realization at the time of death.
Although you might be concerned that it is unhealthy to
keep a body in the house after death, there is nothing inherently dangerous
about doing so. Treat a dead body in
the same way you would a living one, following the same health precautions,
particularly if the person died of a communicable disease.
In the
United States, a doctor [or coroner] needs to sign a death certificate. It is not necessary that the doctor come to
the deceased. [For an expected death] it
is usually easiest to minister to the body before contacting the doctor about
the death certificate. When you contact
a crematorium or a burial society, they usually come soon. If you wish to let the body rest
undisturbed, wait to contact these agencies.
Make sure to remove jewelry before the body goes to the funeral home; it
can be placed on the body again if desired.
In most
places in the United States, family members or religious groups may serve as
funeral directors. [Not true at this
time in Indiana.] A permit is required
if you move the body yourself, and a burial or cremation document must be
filed. [See county health department.]
An
unembalmed body should be buried or cremated within several days to prevent
bacteria from multiplying to unhealthy levels.
Contrary to what many morticians suggest, embalming is not required
unless the body is being shipped out of state, although many states require
that the body be refrigerated within twenty-four to forty-eight hours after
death. Be aware that embalming does not
sterilize the body. The chemicals used
in the embalming process are toxic to the living and are regulated by the
government as hazardous materials. If
you plan to digress from a conventional burial, investigate the laws in your
area beforehand. You cannot depend on
funeral parlors or hospital staff to help you figure out alternatives to
normative procedures.
Burial on
your own property is permitted in many places in the United States. [Locally, one needs to put a $25,000 amount
in trust. Contact local health
department.] If home burial is chosen,
keep in mind that future owners of the land may move the grave or may not
permit it to be visited.
What is
most important is to follow the wishes of the deceased.