Death arrangements.

Death, similar to a school graduation, should be a celebration!

It marks the end of our current role and the beginning of our next phrase in life. It is like telling everybody that we had completed what we were tasked to do during the period when we stay in this earthly world.

Using the concept in my earlier posts on Right Livelihood and Living life, living now, I would like things to be carried out under the following 2 guiding principles in the event doctor certified that I am no longer able make decision for myself. This also serve as a notice to all my friends and anybody else interested in my pre and post death arrangements, that the ideas were mine and they should not question my wife or daughter on those arrangements.

1.  Nobody should be made to suffer.

I want to be remembered as a person that bring happiness and smile to others around me. As such, I do not wish to see others suffer as a result of supporting my life and handling my death arrangements. I do not want my family to spend huge amount of money buying special equipments to sustain my life nor pay for expensive medical procedures just to lengthen my life.

As a registered organ donor, doctors should be informed and as many of my usable organs should be harvested to enhance the quality of life of those who are living and sufferings. Why keeps a complete body when it is going to be cremated and turned into ashes anyway? I am only hoping that by then, my other spare parts are still in good working condition.  :-/

I want only the very basic package for a Buddhist funeral, with no extras to ensure that I had a good life thereafter. I need to pay for my karma, be it good or bad. Even if it’s delayed with the extra spending, I believe that I will ultimately be required to pay. Why waste the extra money when it can be used for future expenditure of those still living? So, no burning of joss sticks and incense paper, no meals 3 times a day on the altar, no wine and no candles. Just lose flowers on a plate, 2 electrical lotus lights and daily changing of plain water. I will be very happy if a cup of tea can be added with the playing of Buddhist music, Jazz and Pop songs in the background.

Don’t bother to find me a good resting place. Just made arrangement to have my ashes thrown into the sea so that others alive can live their life, and need not be bothered with the annual prayers. If you really missed me, just drop a note on my blog crazybeng.blogspot.com, google+ account at +Chong Beng LING or Facebook at www.facebook.com/chongbeng.

2.  It’s a celebration!

So NO dull clothing and crying! No dull tones such as blue and black. Well, if those are your favorite colours that make you looks slim, wear it! I am equally ok with that too. Haha. Just wear anything you like while visiting me at my wake.

Yes, I still wanted a wake cause knowing myself; I am unlikely save enough for my own funeral. ;P

Moreover, with our busy lifestyle, friends hardly meet and while this isn’t a good time, it is still an avenue for old friends to gather and catch up. Come! I provide the opportunity for the gathering, and you guys better contribute so that my wife and daughter need not be burdened with the cost related to my cremation and throwing of ashes into the sea. Any extras should be donated to charities so that it benefits others who are less fortunate than I am.

yt and 小tz, one good way to reach out to people that knows me is through posting the notice of my funeral on my Google+ and Facebook Profile page. Got it?  ;->

hmm… anything else I missed out? I think I had recorded everything for now. I am sure I may change some of the arrangements later in life. But in case I cannot make it to made amendments, what is stated here stays.

Err… some may start saying “Choy!” right? Come on, we all will die one day so why not put things down in writing so that it can be done in our preference. Moreover, it saves our families the trouble of arguing and explaining to others on the arrangement of our funerals.

What are you waiting? Quick! Start writing your preference for your own funeral NOW.  ;P