Zen Buddhist Ceremonies for the Dead (most of which originated in tenth-century China, before Dogen):
Funeral ceremonies performed by the living can help the intermediate realm being (stream of consciousness) to
realize complete awakening, birth in a pure land, or at least rebirth in the upper realms of gods or humans. In
Soto Zen, the funeral for laypeople begins with ordaining the deceased as a Zen priest (shukke tokudo)—
receiving the bodhisattva precepts (jukai), initiation into awakening (abhisheka/kancho), and the blood lineage
document (kechimyaku) as a blessed talisman. Then there are words of guidance and encouragement (insho) for
the deceased, recitation of the ten names of buddha (nenju), and dedication of merit to adorn the deceased’s
place of destination (whatever it may be). Incense is offered as nourishment for the intermediate realm scenteater (gandharva).
Since nobody can know the destination of the deceased person’s stream of consciousness, the
living just encourage and assist it toward awakening. It is taught that the intermediate realm beings, and other
non-physical beings such as hungry spirits, can “hear” speech, perceive thoughts and intentions, and meet the
living in various ways imperceptible on the gross level, with their subtle immaterial bodies and sense faculties.
Memorial ceremonies are performed every 7 days after death, calling on different buddhas and bodhisattvas to
help the deceased realize awakening or birth in a pure land, for each of the 7 weeks of the intermediate realm up
to 49 days—when the intermediate being has either realized complete awakening, been born in a pure land,
been born into one of the six realms as a bodhisattva, or been born into one of the (hopefully upper) six realms
as an ordinary being. Annual memorials in Japan are traditionally performed up to 33 years, the maximum time
(in human years) it takes for a bodhisattva in a pure land to realize complete awakening (buddha).
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