A life of piety: aging and dying in a rural Sinhala Buddhist village

Udalagama, Tharindi

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between aging, care, and death in a rural village in Sri Lanka from an anthropological perspective. It examines how the Buddhist concept of merit acts as a link between these elements. Through a 14-month ethnographic study, I observed how elders, and their younger caregivers engage in a reciprocal exchange of care and merit. Elders in the village engage in various pious activities to accumulate merit, which in turn leads to the care they receive from others as a meritorious deed. The responsibility of caring for the elderly primarily falls on women, who seek to accumulate more merit to alleviate their suffering. Both elders and caregivers believe that accumulating merit reduces suffering, leads to a good death, and ensures a good rebirth. These beliefs are reinforced and evaluated by Buddhist clergy in funeral sermons. This article illustrates how Buddhist ideas of accumulating merit give rise to an emerging ‘economy of merit,’ wherein elders are cared for by their families and communities. This finding has significant implications for understanding and addressing the challenges of an aging population in Sri Lanka.

Citation

Udalagama, T. (online). A life of piety: aging and dying in a rural Sinhala Buddhist village. Journal of Religion, Spirituality and Aging, 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1080/15528030.2024.2370023

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 20, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Jun 20, 2024
• Deposit Date: Jul 23, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 23, 2024
• Journal: Journal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging
• Print ISSN: 1552-8030
• Electronic ISSN: 1552-8049
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Pages: 1-19
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15528030.2024.2370023
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2611191