Author:
Chee Kong Yap

Doi: 10.26480/ccsj.02.2025.37.38

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

This reflective piece is drawn from my personal experience and observation during the passing and funeral of my beloved mother. It captures the deeply emotional moment of witnessing her final breath, followed by three days of Buddhist funeral rites and chanting in the presence of monks and family. Through the repetition of sacred names—Amitābha Buddha, Guān Yīn, and Dàshìzhì Bodhisattva—I came to understand the Buddhist view of death as a compassionate release and transformation. These practices, deeply spiritual and symbolic, offered not only comfort to my mother’s soul but healing to my own grief. Unexpectedly, I also encountered the true meaning of friendship during this time, as sincere individuals came forward with presence and compassion, while others revealed emotional distance behind familiar greetings. Through this experience, I observed that grief opens both the heart and the eyes—teaching us about impermanence, virtue, and the rare beauty of genuine relationships. This reflection article could serve as a testimony to love, loss, faith, and the moral clarity born in mourning.