Our dog passed away two days ago.
Today, we held a funeral for him.
The facility is located in a rural area of Kansai. Before leaving home, we placed him in a casket filled with a box of treats and heaps of flowers. We also included letters from each family member.
He was surrounded by colorful flowers.
As soon as we arrived, a staff member led us to a small room. There was an altar(祭壇) made of white stone. We placed him in front of it and offered incense(焼香) one by one. After that, we said our final goodbyes. I said, "Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Then, the staff member opened a metal door leading to the cremation chamber.
He was taken inside, and the door closed silently behind him.
We were shown to a waiting room. While waiting, my father paid the fees, which covered the funeral, cremation, and burial(埋葬) in a shared grave. A Buddhist priest chants sutras (お経をあげる) for the animals there once a month indefinitely; we call this "Eitai Kuyo."
Once the cremation was finished, we returned to the room and saw him again. He had become bones. The staff member explained the different types of bones to us.
Most pieces were very small, white, and surprisingly light.
We picked up the fragments and placed them into a white ceramic urn(骨壺).Then, we headed to the shared grave. The staff member unlocked the heavy lid. It was a deep space where many other pets rested.
We placed our dog's bones inside and pressed our hands together in prayer.(合掌) The lid was closed and locked silently once more.
She explained how to visit and leave offerings. "The shallow depression in the stone represents the mouth," she said. We are supposed to pour water there as a memorial tribute(供養). She mentioned that while flowers are welcome, food and toys are not allowed as they might attract wild animals that could mess up the area. Finally, she showed us another room filled with memorial tablets and low tables for offerings. Most were covered in food, letters, and toys.With everything completed, we thanked the staff and left.
