Abstract
In my paper I compare the contemporary practice of Buddhist rites of death with the practice recorded in the Samguk yusa, a valuable source for studying ancient Korean religion. The scarce accounts contained in the Samguk yusa may be better understood once read with knowledge of contemporary ritual practice.
Due to the specific soteriological notions related to death in Buddhism, such as reincarnation, the moment of death, the intermediate state, the paradise-like Pure Lands, and so on, such death rituals are believed to help the deceased person achieve rebirth in a better place or even attain Awakening and escape from the circle of suffering. These general notions can be found behind the Buddhist rites of death of any region and period, but how they are manifested through ritual practice may differ.
My analysis presented in the paper shows that ancient and contemporary religious practices share many common features, such as basic structure, tension between the use of classical language and the vernacular, ordination as a part of the rite, types of funerals, and so on, and focus on similar issues, such as attempting to educate the deceased spirit, helping the spirit reach a Pure Land, and so on.