A Messed Up Death Rite (乱七八糟的超度法)

It is important for me at least to know what the doctrine of my religion is about. In this case, most Buddhists lacked the knowledge of their own Buddhism. This is a worrying situation and it is not surprised to say that true Buddhism will disappear in near future.

I have attended and seen many messed up funeral services. One of those was of my grandma's some 10 years ago.

It was arranged by my uncles that there shall be 3 nights of deliverance services. The first night being the chanting session by local Buddhist center and the subsequent two nights were dedicated to Taoist dead rites.

"What is wrong with different dead rituals?" You may ask.

Well, practically none logically speaking because the dead won't be able to wake up and complaint of course. Such action is not acceptable logically speaking...

First, my grandma's soul (if she could hear) would be asked to listen to some Buddhist chanting and mantra and probably asked to follow the Amitabah Buddha to the Pure Land on the first day. So be it. At least she can now rest in peace happily in Amitabah's land.

Then, on the second day, my grandma's soul was summoned from the Amitabah's care back to her body and that she had to go through all the hassle of Taoist ritual of hell breaking ceremony etc. and then enjoy her life with all those burnt offerings of cars, houses, flower gardens and maids...

So is it logical then may I ask you to first send your love ones to the Pure Land, then asked he/she to return from Pure Land and to go to hell, and then broke the hell and send the person to underworld into a house?

I have even saw people performed Buddhist, Taoist and Christian funeral rites because the descendants were followers of different religions. So the poor dead soul had to travel from Pure Land to the hell and then out of hell to underworld; and then to heaven to meet with God?

Assuming that those dead rites worked as they are meant to be.

Perhaps it is not a problem still if the rituals are authentic at least the dead souls would end up somewhere for heaven's sake...

I have come across some cunningly edited deliverance rites of Vajrasattva taken from Guhyagrabha Tantra. The tantra was transmitted by Dudjom Rinpoche and the dead rite is complete by itself.

Someone who does not understand that the Vajrasattva rites led the dead soul to 'emptiness' and added a mantra of Amitabah Buddha. Perhaps the editor hoped to give the deceased a 'bonus'.

Without his/her knowing, this editor is asking the dead soul first to go into emptiness and then return from emptiness and then into Amitabah's Pure Land!

So, even though the dead cannot complaint, we as the living cannot make such a mistake that defied our religious doctrine.