I would like a religious service to be conducted for my relative (or friend) who has recently passed away. What is the procedure for this?
There are two kinds of religious service that the monks and nuns at the temple can conduct for the deceased: chanting the Amitabha Sutra, or chanting the Ksitigarbha Sutra. The Amitabha Sutra lasts for 2 hours (from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM). The Ksitigarbha Sutra takes about 3 hours (from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM). Ancestral tablets with the deceased’s name (with or without a photograph) can be also placed in the temple. With their names engraved onto wooden or plastic tablets, those who have passed on will be able to listen to the prayers of the monks and nuns everyday. As prayer services involve the chanting of sutras, the departed will benefit from recitations of the Buddha’s teachings so that they may too become enlightened and eventually enter Nirvana. Please contact a temple representative for more information.
