Buddhist funeral services in Utah
There is no single Buddhist funeral. We ask which temple you belong to, and we follow that monk, minister, or priest.
The day follows your tradition
Utah's Buddhist families come from many lineages: Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Lao, Cambodian, Tibetan, Korean, and Western communities that practice here. A Jodo Shinshu memorial and a Theravada rite are not the same service. We do not pretend they are.
Tell us the temple and the teacher's name. We will arrange a quiet place, the cremation or the burial your tradition uses, and the timing of a later memorial if your family keeps one.
What we are prepared to support
The teacher leads. We adapt the building, the clock, and the crematory.
A place for chanting and offerings
Many services include chanting, an altar, flowers, fruit, or incense. We ask about incense before a gathering in one of our buildings so we can honor the rite and the building's fire rules at the same time. The service can also be at your temple.
Cremation, which many traditions choose
Cremation is common, and Larkin has its own crematory at Sunset Lawn in Salt Lake City. Ashes can be returned to the family, kept for a memorial, or buried. Some families want a witness at the crematory. We arrange that with the teacher's direction and with safety in mind.
Burial, when that is the tradition or the wish
Not every Buddhist family cremates. If burial is what your temple or your family wants, we arrange it with the same care, at our cemeteries or at another cemetery in Utah.
A later memorial
Some traditions gather again around the forty-ninth day, or on another date the temple names. We can reserve a chapel for that memorial so the family is not hunting for a room while they are still in the first weeks.
What we take off the family's list
- A first conversation that starts with which temple, not with a standard package.
- Cremation at our crematory, or burial, depending on the tradition.
- Time and a quiet room for chanting, with a direct answer about whether incense can be burned in that building.
- Care of the ashes until the family is ready, including for a later memorial.
Where the service can be held
Services can be at your temple, at our chapels in Salt Lake City, Sandy, or Riverton, at home, or at the crematory when the teacher wants the family present.
- Downtown Salt Lake City — 260 E South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84111. (801) 363-5781.
- Larkin Sunset Lawn — 2350 E 1300 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, with our crematory. (801) 582-1582.
- Larkin Sunset Gardens, Sandy — 1950 E Dimple Dell Rd, Sandy, UT 84092. (801) 571-2771.
- Riverton — 3688 W 12600 S, Riverton, UT 84065. (801) 254-4850.
Questions families ask
Do you understand that Buddhist funerals are not all the same?
Yes. We ask which tradition and which temple, and we follow that monk, minister, or priest. We do not use one script for every Buddhist family.
Can you cremate and still hold a Buddhist memorial?
Yes. We operate a crematory at Larkin Sunset Lawn, and we can host or help schedule the memorial your tradition keeps, including a later gathering.
Is incense allowed?
Sometimes, and not in every room. Ask us about the specific building before the day, and we will tell you plainly what is possible.
Can the service be at our temple instead of the funeral home?
Yes. We will bring your loved one to the temple and follow the schedule the teacher sets.
Other traditions we serve
Tell us what your faith requires.
Call, including in the middle of the night. We will ask what your clergy and your family need, and we will arrange the day around that.