Korean Attitudes Towards Death and Afterlife: Confucian Influences and Modern Practices

Koreans' strong attachment to life influences their views on death, shaping funeral customs and the afterlife perception.

### Korean Attitudes Toward Death: A Confucian-Influenced Perspective
* 🎎 Koreans generally have a **strong attachment to life** and a somewhat **weak belief in the afterlife**, with about **50% having a positive view of the afterlife**.
* 🧓 When faced with terminal illness or death, Koreans often opt for life-sustaining treatment due to their **attachment to life and fear of death**.
* 🏯 Korea's attitudes toward life and death are heavily influenced by Confucianism, with the "**Five Relationships**" and the importance of **lineage** playing a significant role.
* 💀 Confucianism has a weak stance on the afterlife and the soul, with a focus on the **present life** and **indirect eternal life through rituals and descendants**.
* In Korean funerals, the focus is on **comforting the bereaved and mourning the deceased**, but modern funerals have become **simplified and sometimes lack meaningful elements**.
* 📜 It is important to discuss and plan for one's own funeral in advance, including preferences for **embalming, cremation, and the columbarium**.
* 👥 Koreans tend to form factions and groups based on Confucian principles of lineage and blood relations, leading to a strong sense of **"us" versus "others."**
* 🏵 Despite the influence of Christianity and Buddhism, Korea's underlying unconscious is often described as Confucian, with other beliefs being **superficially layered on top**.

Hello everyone. So, we have finished discussing the huge topic of human death and reincarnation up to the last time. It's a universal topic. However, I felt a bit regretful, so I decided to have a special lecture like a bonus. Also, because this is my major field, I really wanted to talk about it. This time, I would like to look into the attitude of Koreans towards death, which means how Koreans generally view death and many related events. Generally, it seems that Koreans have a strong attachment to life. So, rather than thinking about the afterlife, their belief in life here and now is somewhat weak. According to a survey, about 50% of Koreans have a positive view of the afterlife. It's similar to the percentage of people with religious beliefs.

People who believe in religion generally have a positive view of the afterlife. However, just because they have a positive view doesn't mean their perspective on the afterlife is certain. They may think vaguely that something will happen after death, but it's not definite what will happen, like how I will be after I die, how I will live there, and such. About 70% of Americans may have beliefs about the afterlife, probably because of the strong influence of Christianity. There are various ways to see that Koreans value their current lives, and one way is, for example, when I heard this story. When it comes to the moment of biological death, when a person enters the late stage of a terminal illness, it becomes a state where the chances of recovery are extremely low. At this point, we have to decide whether to receive life-sustaining treatment or not, right?

However, when you are in this state, you must receive certain treatments in order to regain your health. In this state, you cannot find your health, so no matter what treatment you receive, it doesn't help. At this point, Koreans mostly opt for life-sustaining treatment. Even though it's pointless, there is an attachment to life. Now, I've learned that more than 50% do not receive life-sustaining treatment. So, things have changed a lot, but when people actually face such situations, their minds change. I've seen many cases like that. Even those who have stated they do not want life-sustaining treatment end up wanting treatment and extending their lives when they face the situation. For example, if cancer occurs, as in my recent case.

This is a case. If treated, it takes 6 months, and if not, 3 months. So, how would you choose? If it's boring, receiving cancer treatment for 6 months, how difficult is it? Also, if it's boring, the body deteriorates, like a person whose heart and stents have changed, receiving treatment, and even the spine is getting worse, needing surgery, it's very painful. Many tests need to be done. So, after 6 months, they end up going back. In fact, when you are over 70 years old, it's better not to do it at that time because it's not painful for yourself. Of course, issues like painkillers need to be discussed with doctors. But mostly, it seems to go towards treatment. Then, that person has entered the terminal stage, it's an unscientific state. However, even so, they say they receive life-sustaining treatment. Why? Because they are afraid of death and still attached to life.

He is doing that. He is also a Catholic, but he seems to have faith, right? No, that's not the case. I will explain since it's not like that. The view of life and death held by members of a religion is mostly determined by religion. The West is mostly Christian, the Arabs are Muslim, and India is Hindu. What about Korea? Our attitudes towards life and death are influenced by religion. So, what kind of religion influences Koreans? I always say that it doesn't matter what religion Koreans have. In fact, they say they got rid of all religious distinctions. Buddhism, Christianity, none of them matter. In the end, Confucianism is always there. Even if Buddhists and Christians unite, it's useless. I will tell you the reason for that now.

Why did Confucianism rule Korea for over 500 years? It became the most Confucian country in the world. Among them, the Five Relationships are crucial. Even now, it has a significant influence. Predictions of wealth and longevity have changed a bit recently. What is the concept of longevity? When Koreans meet, what do they do? It involves a process of dividing and determining how to use honorifics. This is happening globally now when people meet, they confirm each other's age, discuss whether one is older sister or older brother, etc. There are very few people talking about this, not in China or Japan, even though they are under the influence of Confucianism. Despite being influenced by the same Confucianism, Korea is quite strong. Younger generations are not like that. It seems the same now, but it is becoming more detailed. Due to the rapid changes in society, what comes out of the predictions of wealth and longevity on their birthdays?

We prioritize our family, and our father is the most important in our family, so a strong blood relationship is formed. In Confucianism, this is where the relationship is formed, even abroad, in our house, in our hometown, in our school, in our community, so it develops around us. Even in English, the concept of we is emphasized by Koreans because of Confucianism. When we say our hometown, a regional color is created. At our school, only people from our school are selected as professors, you know. This all comes from here. We can explain this in more detail, but because of the gap between generations, Koreans tend to distinguish between us and others, the inner group and the outer group. You know, like when drinking, we are like this, but others are not. In Korean society, due to the six degrees of separation, many factions and factions are formed.

If you believe in Confucianism, you tend to have a lot of fun without it. But that's not the case. Those who have left the world and become monks are not just secular people. But even there, there is something called munjung. Munjung is not a representative of Confucianism. Munjung is when people of the same surname form a group. Monks also have seniority. So, when they say, That person is my nephew, I heard that a lot. When monks are together, they say, What's this? It's just a way of talking. In fact, it's a Confucian expression. So, among monks, they call each other relatives. They call each other by their real names. They may not know it themselves, but it's not just Buddhism. If you look at Buddhism now, they have conflicts over something like loyalty and have various issues. Do you know? People who go to the temple all have different good temples and form groups like this.

It's not just Buddhism, it's the same with Catholicism over there too. Catholicism also has various dioceses like Andong Diocese and Seoul Diocese. That greatly raises the walls between dioceses, hindering interaction. Protestantism adds to this. The largest denomination is the Presbyterian Church, which has around 100 factions at times. You might not understand this if you're not part of the church. There are factions like the Reformed Church, the Holiness Church, and the Joint Church. I don't even know how many there are currently. They just split into factions and so on. Actually, this all comes from Confucianism's emphasis on lineage and blood relations. It's quite an interesting story. Now, talking about death and relationships, if let's assume Korea was a Buddhist country and not a Confucian one, what changes would occur? Currently, firstly, the tombs would disappear. Why? In Buddhism, cremation is practiced, not burial. You see, the concept of tombs is a bit

During the Joseon Dynasty, there were no tombs for the people. Since there were no tombs for the people, the Silla people have never seen them. In the early days, besides the large royal tombs, Buddhism had not yet entered, so after that, ancestral rites were not performed. Now, we just go home if the road becomes a ritual place. We think about very old customs. It hasn't been long, only a few hundred years. Then, how were the ancestral rites conducted until the Goryeo Dynasty? They were held at Buddhist temples or shaman houses to honor the ancestors. Monks or shamans would then bear the sins on behalf of the ancestors. In Japan, if there is a temple, there is always a tomb next to it. Each time they cremate, believers come and the priests bear the sins on behalf of the deceased. If Joseon was a Buddhist country, it would probably have been the same. However, looking at Buddhism in the Joseon era, we can see what we.

Are you talking about Buddhism? In Korean Buddhism, the practices related to marriage or funeral ceremonies didn't develop much. You haven't heard of people getting married in a temple, have you? Also, you haven't heard of someone having a funeral ceremony after getting married. Why was it not necessary in Buddhism? During the Joseon Dynasty, all marriages were conducted in a Confucian manner at home, and funeral ceremonies were also held at home following Confucian rituals, so there was no need to go to the temple. However, the ancestral rites of Confucianism, the 49 rituals, remained. Confucianism only performed the ancestral rites, showing no interest in what happens to the soul after death. But Buddhism took charge of that. That's why the 49 rituals remained in Buddhism. Now, Korean people need to look at their weak and secular customs. They should look at Confucianism to understand their secular customs, as Confucianism does not acknowledge them. Confucianism does not recognize the human soul.

It's a very weak religion about death, so in the Joseon Dynasty, they just allowed those temples or shamans. When a person dies, in Confucianism, there is only a funeral or ancestral rites. The issue of human death is a very big problem, so it's difficult to overcome that. Shamans or monks have to come and help with that. Then, when you look at funerals or ancestral rites, Confucianism has a psychological weakness. Especially in ancestral rites, do they accept anyone's ancestral rites? They perform rituals for only men with sons. But then, the wife of the deceased must have a son. If there is no son, the wife cannot even eat. The wife is the mother of the son because she is the wife next to the father. So, what about someone who dies without a son, for example, a woman who dies as a maiden or children who die at that time? In fact, during the Joseon Dynasty.

When children die, they say they bought them cheaply and just abandoned them. How would the parents who abandoned their children feel? Confucianism completely excluded them and had no interest. Then, in cases like daughters-in-law, they even held ancestral rites only for their husbands' ancestors, whom they had never seen before. I really want to get along well with my birth parents, but it's cruel. Confucianism is cruel. But even during the Joseon Dynasty, shamanistic rituals were fine. Daughters-in-law are the ones who perform ancestral rites for their birth parents. This is what Confucianism does not acknowledge. There is a vague attitude towards the afterlife. In the Analects, there was a disciple named Zengzi who asked Confucius, How should we serve ghosts? Confucius was a very rational person. He had no interest in the supernatural, so he declared that he would not talk about such strange ghost stories.

So, when asked about serving ghosts, Confucius said, Hey, even if you are not good-looking, why worry about serving ghosts properly? Then he dismissed it, saying, Don't worry about ghosts. Next, about what happens after death, if you ask when you die, How can you face death when you don't even understand life? This is another example. When the teacher talks like that, it ends with a ceremony. I joked that I wondered if Confucius really knew about the afterlife. I couldn't judge. Confucius didn't know. Chinese thinkers had no idea beyond life, beyond life. Chinese people's ideas about souls and such things come from Buddhism. It's a big topic, so sometimes they talk about it when they have time, and if they don't know, what should they do? When a disciple asks a question they don't know, how should they handle it?

Hey, I don't really understand. Let's research together. If I say that, it's embarrassing, isn't it? Attack the best dialect. Ta-da! Without even knowing life, how can you face death? Well, because of such words, Confucianism denies life after death, stamping it with that teaching, and continues to deny it. How about growth? In the Holy Spirit, it's the same thing. It's about righteousness and justice, becoming energy. This becomes 100, and it's about enlightenment. This talks about the body. When these are combined, it becomes human. So, when you die, what happens? You return to your original energy and disappear. Just perform your cognitive function well, live, and when you die, your spirit scatters and disappears. That's how it's taught. Due to the influence of Confucianism in Neo-Confucianism, Koreans become centered on the present life, value the afterlife, and it goes like this. Let me show you how present-life-centered I am through rituals.

All religions present eternal life. Buddhism and Christianity directly present eternal life. Because after death, my soul is alive, that's why I exist. But the law of indirect eternal life has already been denied in English, so I can't do it. I can only have indirect eternal life. What is it? I die, but my life continues through my son. So, it's indirect eternal life. It's useless. During the Joseon Dynasty, it's different from others. If you easily quit the monastic life, you just stop. It's all about sons, sons, sons, and when, what kind of sons, eldest sons, eldest sons, eldest sons. So, in Confucianism, eternal life is through the ritual, where the memories of the son are remembered several times a year. This is the Confucian way of eternal life. I die, but my spirit lives on, and if my son performs the ritual several times a year for me, we will meet again at that time. That's what I think of as the way of eternal life. But what's interesting about the ritual is that in 2022...

During Chuseok, he gave a presentation at Sungkyunkwan, saying that there were many strange elements in the ancestral rites that were unnecessary, like Hongdongbaekseo and Udong 6seo, which have no basis. Also, he mentioned that there is no basis for not including red beans, garlic, or peaches used for exorcism in the ancestral rites. Moreover, he said that it is not necessary to include dandelion greens; it's okay not to include them. He also mentioned that gods are not needed; it's fine to put up pictures. In the past, there were no pictures, so gods were worshipped. It would be better to put up pictures of grandfathers and fathers and pay respects to them. Is it better to have a telephone on the altar instead of those letters? He presented in this manner, saying why not. I was going to argue this point as well, but there was no need to bring up such topics among the Confucian scholars. It would be better to discuss these matters seriously now, rather than later.

Women work hard to make this, but it's worth it. There is that aspect, but in fact, it is symbolic of that as well. But it was a very sophisticated chair in its own way. Now, first of all, if you don't know the principle, when you hold a ceremony, you put sand in the dishes and pour alcohol there, and then light the scent. What is this for? It's to pour alcohol and call back the spirits that have returned to the earth after 100 days. Next, you light the scent to call the spirits that were in the air and reunite them with the spirits. Following the principle, you do that, and then you support the food and alcohol. And then, what's important is the ancestral ritual attire. In Korea, when you hold a ceremony, if you look inside the wardrobe, after finishing everything, you change into the ritual attire, not just finish the ceremony. When you see off the ancestors before they leave, you change into the ritual attire before the ceremony ends.

In Korea, people think that having fun is recreation, but it's not. It's very important. How did they dedicate food to the fields? They must have eaten it. Symbolically, when we eat what our ancestors ate, it connects us with them, confirming our lineage and ensuring our eternal life. That's why it's very important. That's why in the past, Christians didn't like it when you came. Because they thought, Why didn't you hold the ancestral rites? They would think, Even if I die, it's okay if my son remembers me when I die. That's how they thought comfortably. So, Confucianism, if you look at it, conceptually, they ignore the soul and deny everything about the afterlife. There's a difference between ritualistic Confucianism and folk Confucianism. When you hold ancestral rites, they all acknowledge it. That's why the grandfathers...

It's a bit messy, but that's the kind of conversation we're having. So, I don't know if my father... I just vaguely remember passing by the shrine. In Confucianism, they do not acknowledge a person's death. So, when performing ancestral rites, what do they do? They think of the living, offering food that the living eat. But in Christianity, they think about the soul, so they don't offer food that the living eat. That's why they prepare the food that the ancestors liked. And then what do they do? They wait until it's time to eat. When you go to someone's house, they usually say, Have a seat, and you should go out. But there's nowhere to go out to when you're in an apartment. So, even if you turn around in any household, you're still there. Normally, you bow and spend time, that's also for the living.

I think about what I used to eat. Not only that, but I also think of tombs as houses for the deceased. So, what do you do? It's a cave house, so we always went there beautifully and performed ancestral rites. And now, when they go with their children, they say, Father, I'm here. They talk to the tomb as if there were someone living there. Is my father there? But it's all decayed, only bones are left. Oh, Young-chul, let's greet Grandfather. They offer alcohol to their father, saying things like this. It's like not acknowledging that the deceased has passed away. In Confucianism, they perform ancestral rites next. After I'm gone, I don't know if I'll come out, but after death, they perform ancestral rites three times. But why do you do that? They say, Before, our father used to live in this house, which has now turned into a cave house in the back of the mountain. They worry they might get confused and lose their mind.

Go and get used to it by holding a memorial service. I want to say that when the soul leaves, you might just think of it as donating 6 pieces of clothing. You might think of entering while saying that, but now, out of respect for the teacher, you will do it that way. However, in any case, even here, thoughts that are not Confucian come to mind. After the memorial service, a story was told by an American professor. He is a U.S. professor married to a Korean woman. He thought that the memorial service was a very solemn ritual, but after finishing the memorial service in just 10 or 15 minutes, they just ate. That's the story. They only talked about eating. During our traditional holidays, when we hold memorial services, if you are in your right mind, you would place the grandfather's photo album and talk to your children about who the grandfather and grandmother were, and so on. You should talk like that. If you only talk about eating, it's just about eating.

It was the same, with many interesting stories, and then watch the funeral. It must have been a traditional time. The best student, Busan Shin, is very well portrayed in the movie. So when a person dies, this is what comes out among the people. When a person dies, they take on the appearance of that person and go up to the roof and shout. Like, Kim Young-chul, or Gyeongsangnam-do, or wherever Kim Young-chul lives. And they shout Come back, come back. This is related to the afterlife. Here, it's very modern-centered. Then they prepare the lion pair. Why are there three grim reapers? But even that is not well guided by the grim reapers; they come to arrest and capture, making it scary. Also, they run away and act like this. The lion pair is like a kind of content with soy sauce, alcohol, money, straw shoes, and so on. But what's interesting there is that they put down soy sauce.

Why do the grim reapers say that their throats are dry, gulp down the soy sauce, and then take the deceased to the afterlife? They say that when they go out, they spend a lot of time in Korea. So, if they have a house, they walk around it once, and if they have a job, they go around their workplace, and if they are a school principal, they go around the school. This is the order only in Korea. Why do the deceased think of the living and show them around again? It's not a ghost, but as soon as they come out of the house, they stand on the street and thank the neighbors for their hard work, offering rice cakes, alcohol, and food. That's all there is. It's not like that. So now, the sound of receiving a reward comes. Now, how about that? Going out of the palace-like house, finding my way back, now, when will I come back? It's hard to come once, carrying a palace-like house. The house where they used to live.

The ancestral home is like a palace. It's all good here, everything is beautiful. Even if the road to the afterlife is far, they say the door is at the front. When you see the afterlife lion, if you try to catch it, it will whip you from behind, and keep doing that for a while, saying it's far. But in reality, in the village, they say the afterlife is right in front of the door. Isn't it nothing special? They have no faith. They don't really know where the afterlife is. They see the afterlife as part of this world because it's right in front of the door. The center is here in this world. If they drag you all the way to the afterlife, when you reach the door in front of you, then there are all these conflicts and struggles coming at you, pulling you in. After that, there's no more talk. They don't know what happens behind the afterlife, they have no interest. So, in the end, they make a grave. That's when they have this thing called banhon between the living and the dead.

Today, I will bring back the spirit of my ancestors to my home. According to Confucian rituals, bringing them home and having the first ancestral rites is the most important. That's why the first and second ancestral rites are all conducted at home. However, Koreans believe that the spirit of the deceased is in the tomb, so they think of them as living and conduct the first ancestral rites in front of the tomb. The second rite involves lamentation, then going back to the office and conducting the rites in front of the tomb again. These are all expressions of not having a concept of death. Conducting the ancestral rites in front of the tomb in this way is a result of not having a concept of death. By conducting the ancestral rites in this way, and for three years, the spirit is treated as if they have vanished. During these three years, food is offered when going out and coming in, following these customs influenced by Confucianism, which is why there is no concept of death.

The mindset of preparing for death is lacking, and there is a strong tendency to pursue materialism over spirituality. This is a proverb that I quote a lot. Even by looking at proverbs, you can understand, right? Even if you roll in manure, this world is good. Even if you hang upside down, living here is good. A dead righteous person is not as good as a living dog. Since jokes are good, living here is good. How secular is this era? Currently, Christianity accounts for a quarter of the population. So, I thought there would be many changes, but no, there aren't many changes. I think, no, there aren't many changes. Koreans have this kind of mindset structure. It's structured into two levels. The Korean unconscious has 40,000 curses, but I didn't mention any of the 240,000 curses in this session. Unconsciously, there is Mu (nothingness), then there is Confucianism.

People's unconsciousness is Confucian, living like a shaman at night, teaching like a Confucian scholar during the day, distinguishing between men and women. You know, Christianity or Buddhism, their beliefs are slightly coated here. If you look closely, it disappears quickly. So, soon we say that whether it's Confucianism or Buddhism, it's all the same inside. I mean, the one I'm talking about has been there for 30 years. They talk like the Holy Spirit of Christianity, pray, and talk about becoming the body of the Lord. For four years, they had to listen to this every Tuesday. It's a clear violation of religious freedom, not being able to talk about this. While talking a lot about Christianity like that, I realized that even there, it's just part of Confucian society, just authoritarian. The authority of the teacher between students and disciples is amazing, and then.

Also, especially in the academic world, there are many female professors. The authoritarianism of that authority is remarkable. Therefore, in Korea, even if we have different religions, it may not change significantly. I think so. Now, lastly, there is a more interesting issue. The problem seen in modern Korean funerals. Now, primarily, our ceremonies have become very simplified. Various aspects have been simplified. In the whole world, there is no country like Korea that conducts funerals and ceremonies similarly to Confucianism. An art historian went to Taiwan and presented. When they mentioned our ceremonies from last year, they were surprised. They asked if we still do that, but we are still doing it that way. When you look at funerals, Korean funerals have many issues. So, how we choose is not about the deceased person. We went to a funeral where the deceased person wasn't there. In fact, there was no funeral. I will explain why there wasn't.

There's no concept of a funeral in Korea. If I say that, you'd be surprised. Then what is a funeral? Let's not think about a wedding. How do you hold a wedding? You set a specific date, a specific time, at a specific place, and specific people come together. Is a funeral like that? It's just a way to pay respects. You come, pay respects, and leave. It's also lacking in substance. To properly hold a funeral, there are two important things. This is really important, but if not followed, it's not upheld. First, comforting the bereaved family. Funerals are very important in comforting those who have lost a loved one, easing their grief and sorrow. This function of a funeral is crucial. Second, mourning the deceased. Sending off and honoring the departed, reflecting on who they were, and so on.

The most important thing is the branch, you know, in Korean funerals, look, they are completely immersed in that, you know. Now, when you go there, how does it go? As soon as you enter, there must be people who have experienced it all, so you pay and go in. What do you need to be aware of first? You need to see if they are Christians or not. Especially if they are Protestants, you shouldn't call them. Just by looking, Oh, there's a cross, so this is it. Then, if there is Jesus on the cross, it's Catholic. If there's only a cross, that's Protestant. You observe and, if there's nothing, you bow twice. If it's a Buddhist funeral, you just sit and pray. Then, when the temptation comes, saying, Oh, he was deeply troubled, if you go to the evil spirits, that's it. Then, when you go to the reception room, what should you do when you have small talk? Keep an eye on everything and you can leave when you feel it's okay.

It's not about escaping. Here, what was talked about earlier, comforting the bereaved family, mourning the deceased, and making a request should be respectful and meaningful, but there is none at all, right? Instead, they just put pressure on the bereaved family, saying they will hold a hypnotic session. Isn't it only like this? So, if it's like this, isn't there no need to do it? That's why I'm saying this. Now, you are coming out of the wedding ceremony. Let's do this a bit like this, and the funeral like this. Then, what I dislike the most is giving wreaths. I like flowers. It's like offering them. He's trying to write up to 30 million won worth of expensive things. Then, it's not just throwing away that money, right? Depending on how you do it, there are many ways to put a lot of harmony into it, and it's good. Just putting Reebok on it doesn't work either. Why can't we do it like this from the perspective of seeing that harmony now?

If you can exhibit yourself, why is your name written there this time, especially politicians, like members of the National Assembly, they all try to avoid it, so there is no place to hide the good thing, so in the past, they tried to get rid of that and receive it as rice and send it to those in need, but it didn't work. It's really difficult. Next, at the funeral, we shouldn't hold the funeral, our bereaved families shouldn't do it, because it's the last journey of our parents, we understand filial duty, we shouldn't save money. There are many stories like this, but please don't do it, especially because it's the first and last journey, it's good to avoid expensive coffins, but everyone gets makeup done here, the makeup rate has increased by 20%, so unnecessary, there are paper coffins that are similar.

Without spending money, if you donate that money to a volunteer organization, the person who receives it will build a good business. It's better to do that. Even though the level is not high, when you look at it from a foreign perspective, if the deceased person used to like and wear certain clothes, especially larger ones that fit comfortably, it's because the body becomes stiff, so larger clothes are more comfortable. If the deceased person liked the clothes they usually wore, suddenly dressing them in clothes three times bigger would be strange. Let's not do that. When the deceased person is not well known, don't invite random people, just like in a wedding, unnecessary guests are not welcome. Let's stop the hypnotist from coming; that won't work. I've already invested some amount, so I should get it back. This turns into a vicious cycle. In reality, those who want to know the deceased well and pursue their wishes.

I wish to invite only those who truly want to share their sorrow and many stories with the deceased. That's why it's called a memorial for the deceased. How can the bereaved practically commemorate the deceased? It could be an item with the deceased's thoughts, like a book the deceased wrote or anything else. Display it, continuously unraveling the videos depicting the deceased's life. When getting married, if children see that and display childhood photos, asking why they are not here, the bereaved come and say, Oh, the deceased lived like this. Nowadays, it seems to be done a bit, but we still have a long way to go. For this to settle, we still have a long way to go. Also, let's hold funerals like weddings, with a separate funeral hall held at the hospital. There's no job at the hospital. Let's hold a proper ceremony with someone close to the deceased, who has a strong physical presence. I always insist on that.

Sometimes, when a celebrity is alive, they plan out the order completely. They even pre-record a video greeting to the guests for when they mature mentally, saying, Oh, I'm not here now, but thank you all sincerely for coming to see me off on my final journey. How nice would it be to reveal something like this with a smile at the funeral home? Let me give you an example. When Mr. Baek Nam-jung passed away in 2006, his funeral was held in Manhattan, New York. They have a separate funeral in the U.S. and it was held in Manhattan. If you want to become famous, you should criticize famous people. It becomes an event, and you become famous together. There was a person named Kage Cage, who was famous for his avant-garde art.

Suddenly, the cheerful atmosphere went up, so I cut off the person's tie. Due to the wind, I just cut off the deceased's tie. At first, at the funeral, Baek Nam-jun's face appeared on the screen, shaking a lot, looking so young. Oh, then, when they saw that, when it was free, they cut each other's ties. Initially, what happened was that at the funeral, when someone asked who Baek Nam-jun's disciple was, a Japanese person, Hakoda, a Japanese person, said, Let's cut our ties like our teacher did. So, that's how it started. That good age is like the Beatles, isn't it? His wife, Yoko, was Japanese. That person didn't really want to cut the tie, but it started like that. So, the participants cut each other's ties with scissors next to the deceased Baek Nam-jun's body.

I heard that when Baek Nam-jun passed away, he was wearing a suit, just like a Korean would. I have some photos now. It would be nice to show those real photos. In that way, each person can come out and say, This is the Baek Nam-jun I knew, this is the kind of person he was. That's what true mourning is about. I think in order to properly design our own funerals, we should discuss it in advance. For example, the way we want the funeral to be held, whether we prefer embalming or cremation. In most cases, it's cremation, so in the case of cremation, there's something called a columbarium. Now, in terms of the columbarium, if it's placed in a temple, would it be nice to be enshrined there, or would you prefer to keep it at home, or scatter the ashes at sea? We should clarify these things in advance. Next, we can invite those we want to attend the funeral and list all the names.

Write down and contact, write down and talk, something like this. It would be nice if someone could handle the funeral procedures and if someone could sing a certain song, it would be nice if my favorite religious scripture could be read, something like this. Even if you don't hold a memorial service or a Christian memorial service, it's okay, you might not need to do that, or you might need to do that. It would be good to pre-record the final greetings I mentioned earlier and end the final funeral with that. If you design it like this, I don't know what to do, but let's make a suggestion. That's it for today's lecture. But there's something I haven't covered yet. How to prepare for death, how to overcome the sadness of parting, how to cope after losing a loved one, writing a will, issues related to advance directives for medical care, I haven't talked about these anyway.

However, so far, life, death, the world of the soul, reincarnation, such a vast world has been dealt with. As I mentioned last time, I hope that these things resonate with your hearts. With that in mind, we will conclude our lecture at number 16. Thank you very much up to now.

특히 한국인이 죽음을 두려워하고 삶에 집착하는 이유 - 최준식 교수 [슬기로운 생로병사 이야기 22회]

한국불교대표방송 BTN불교TV 유튜브 공식채널

한국불교 대표방송 BTN

Koreans generally have a strong attachment to this life rather than a strong belief in the afterlife, with about 50% having a positive view of the afterlife, similar to the percentage of those with religious beliefs.

When facing the terminal stage of illness, more than 50% of Koreans choose to receive life-sustaining treatment, showing a strong attachment to life and a fear of death, which is influenced by the enduring presence of Confucianism in Korean culture.

The Influence of Confucianism on Korean Culture

Confucianism had a strong and lasting influence on Korea for over 500 years, shaping the country's social structure and values.

The concept of longevity and the importance of family and relationships are key elements of Confucianism that still resonate in Korean society today.

The emphasis on lineage and blood relations in Confucianism has also contributed to the formation of factions and groups in not only Confucian practices but also in other religions in Korea.

If Korea had been a Buddhist country instead of Confucian, practices such as cremation and the absence of tombs for ancestral rites would likely have been more prevalent, reflecting the different beliefs and customs of Buddhism.

The Influence of Confucianism on Marriage, Funerals, and the Afterlife in Korean Buddhism

Marriage and funeral ceremonies were not prominent in Korean Buddhism due to the influence of Confucianism during the Joseon Dynasty.

Confucianism's focus on the afterlife and ancestral rites led to a lack of acknowledgment for women, children, and the concept of life after death.

The influence of Confucianism resulted in Korean Buddhism being centered on the present life rather than the afterlife.

Different Views on Eternal Life in Religion

Buddhism and Christianity directly present eternal life, while Confucianism offers it indirectly through rituals and the memory of the son.

In 2022, there was a presentation questioning the traditional elements of ancestral rites in Confucianism, suggesting a more modern approach.

The differences in ancestral rites are highlighted, with Confucianism focusing on the living and Christianity focusing on the soul, reflecting contrasting views on eternal life.

The Significance of Ancestral Rites in Korean Culture

Ancestral rites in Korean culture involve paying respects to the deceased and are influenced by Confucian traditions.

The rituals include offerings of alcohol and food, as well as the performance of memorial services.

Korean ancestral beliefs also incorporate a unique perspective on the afterlife, with a focus on the relationship between the living and the dead.

Korean Ancestral Rites, Mindset, and Modern Funerals

Korean ancestral rites are conducted at home, while there is a belief that the spirit of the deceased resides in the tomb, reflecting a lack of the concept of death.

The Korean mindset is structured with a strong tendency towards materialism over spirituality, influenced by Confucianism and other religions.

Modern Korean funerals have simplified ceremonies, unique to Confucian practices, lacking the essential functions of comforting the bereaved family and properly mourning the deceased.

Etiquette and Practices in Korean Funerals

In Korean funerals, it's important to observe the religious symbols to determine appropriate behavior, such as bowing or praying.

There is a disapproval of pressuring the bereaved family and the use of expensive wreaths, with a suggestion to donate money to a volunteer organization instead.

The focus is on inviting only those who genuinely want to commemorate the deceased and incorporating their thoughts and life story into the funeral ceremony.

Pre-Planning Your Own Funeral: A Unique Approach

Celebrity funerals can be pre-planned, including pre-recorded video greetings and unique ceremonial elements.

It is suggested to discuss and plan your own funeral in advance, including the type of service, guest list, and specific arrangements, in order to personalize the experience for loved ones.

Pre-recording final greetings and outlining the funeral procedures can help ensure your wishes are fulfilled and provide comfort to those in mourning.