hasunoha

The ossuary of a stillborn child

I have a child who was stillborn 2 years ago due to surrogacy.
I didn't feel like burying my ashes right away, so I bought a Buddhist altar and kept it close at hand.
My husband's grandmother passed away the other day.
Names are engraved on tombstones in the order in which they died, so stillborn children are also placed in the grave along with their grandmother's ossuary...
I was told by my husband and parents-in-law.
The next time I open my grave is probably when my parents-in-law enter, so it will be a long time away...

I also have a sad feeling that my feelings were decided regardless, and I wonder if the order of the tombstones is more important than the feelings of the person who gave birth...

Originally, my mother-in-law said, “Maybe a year or so will be sad,”
There is also no atmosphere where you can refuse an ossuary, wondering if one year has passed, and you won't be able to stay sad.
I feel impatient that I don't have to sort out my mind before the ossuary. I burst into tears when I think about Ossuary Day.

My older child also cared about my deceased child and thought they would always be together
I'm a little confused by the story of the sudden ossuary.

I can't imagine what life will be like after the ossuary.
What kind of attitude should I have when I greet that day?

4 Zen Responses

Don't try to overcome your sadness by force

It was a painful experience... I offer my condolences.

From my personal point of view, I think it's okay to carve it in stone or put the ossuary on the back burner.
It's best to do ossuary at a time when everyone in the family is satisfied...

Another solution is bone splitting.
But maybe there isn't enough to split the bone.

First of all, it's impossible to dispel sorrow in a year. Counselor, don't force yourself to pay for your grief.
However, being obsessed with the life you've sent forever will drag the life you've sent...

In that sense, I don't want them to drag on feeling that they don't want to let go of their bones for a long time.
Even if they don't have bones, they just have a memorial service for that child, and they've been together the whole time.
It's a mental connection, not a physical one.

I think everything has meaning. It's a sad event, but there must be something important to notice from it.

Rather than the remains, when you can cherish something important that child taught you personally, that child is no longer just a person who gave you sorrow. It evolves into an entity that makes use of parents and siblings.

Either way, I think it's okay to ask for the ashes to be buried at a time you are satisfied with.

human lives and ossuaries are not in order

Were they convinced about the ossuary?
Were they convinced?
Basically, there is no rule that “you have to do this” when it comes to ossuary bones.
Of course, it's also about order.
Please discuss it carefully with your husband. If you want to keep them together more, please tell them how you feel.
It would be difficult to tell parents-in-law, so I think it would be a good idea to discuss it with your husband and get your husband to agree.
“The next time I open my grave is probably when my parents-in-law enter, so it may be a long time away,” but it may be next month. That's because human life is ephemeral and unintelligible.
Apart from that, there is no such thing that you should only open it when your parents-in-law enter.
It is also in this world that there are times when you are ahead of your parents-in-law.
I think it would be nice if your husband and you could bury it when you think “I'll pay it soon.”
Please discuss it carefully.

As one method,

Free up space for children who have died
There is also a way to engrave your grandmother's name.
With that in mind,
Why don't you talk about it again?

They must definitely be buried in the order they died,
It hasn't been decided.
There are also people who have been paying for years on Buddhist altars at their homes.
until everyone is satisfied
I would like the ossuary to be extended.

I'm going to let go of it

You are also originally a parent's child.
I'm also my parent's child.
Everyone is someone else's child.
Eventually, they left their parents and left for a big world.
In a big world, humans don't own humans.
Let's call it the Buddha's Sea.
Shall we call it heaven, earth, the world, the universe? It's a world where human rules don't apply.
Don't you think that putting it in a grave means putting it in the grave and saying goodbye?
That's not the case.
That child's life is about bringing dignity as that child's life.
It would be painful if your parents kept you tied up because you were my child the whole time.
At some point, all living things will live separately from their parents.
Please send it to me with the feeling of “I'll let you pass away.”
Of course, you can do it once you're ready.
Even if it leaves your hand, it still remains your child. Please don't worry.
By being let go of each other, mentally, our attachment to each other is unraveled, and we become free beings.
There are no laws.
All beings exist independently of each other.
It is precisely because we have nothing to feel, see or hear, that Buddha and enlightened people preach futility, no income, and selflessness. It's not lonely. It's a path where we can be free for each other.