The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2512 page)

Tomurai
.

Japanese funeral rites. At the approach of death, people plead with the soul not to depart, but when it is clear that it has nevertheless gone, a bowl of rice is placed by the head of the deceased for sustenance in the spirit world, with a sword or sharp knife on the other side for protection against evil spirits. The body is washed and dressed in white before being placed in the coffin. Words of comfort may be spoken (e.g. by Buddhist functionaries), and the body is then buried or cremated. A week later, on
shonanuka
(‘seventh day’), a posthumous name is bestowed. Mourning continues for seven weeks. Commemorations are made, especially at Bon (see
ULLAMBANA
;
FESTIVALS AND FASTS
). When these are complete, the last being called exactly that,
tomurai age
, ‘completion of the rites’, the spirit has become one with the ancestral
kami
.

 
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see
KOREAN RELIGION
.

 
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(Jap., ‘sudden enlightenment’). The attainment of sudden or immediate enlightenment in Zen Buddhism, in contrast with the gradual progress (
zengy
) through long training, meditation practice, etc. Tongy
-tonshu is ‘sudden enlightenment and sudden practice’ (i.e. all meritorious acts are performed in a short time), tongy
-zenshu is ‘sudden enlightenment and long practice’.

 
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(Jap.). Retreating from the world, the Buddhist practice of world-renunciation; tonsei-sha is one who has renounced. After the Kamakura period, tonsei became a more formal group of those who simply wished to live in seclusion.

 
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see
HAIR
.

 
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