Eastern religions do not have a tradition of "grief" as it is understood in the Western world. Nevertheless, many Eastern religions have practices that help people in their grieving process.

The process of grieving is similar in all cultures, but the meaning of grief is different. In Eastern religions, a death does not represent a single event, but a life “cut short” at some point along the continuum of time.

Below we explore how Eastern religions generally view grief, along with their philosophical teachings.

Buddhism and grief

In Buddhism, the ultimate goal is to free oneself from the cycle of suffering, and grief is seen as one of the many manifestations of this cycle.