Do deceased relatives attend the mourning hall? Why first ensure the soul invitation is properly carried out?

In our religious experience, when the soul invitation and calls during the ritual are properly carried out, the relative’s energy is present in the mourning hall. The priority is doing and confirming these first, rather than overlooking them because a tablet is already displayed.

Dao Xuan, who previously worked in funeral services, shared such experience. When the deceased has genuinely been invited into the tablet and called during the rite, they are present. Relatives may sense a familiar smell or presence, or feel they are listening during recitation. Experiences differ and are ways we understand their presence through faith.

The deceased’s own understanding also differs. Some know they have died; others seem to dream of their mourning hall and funeral without grasping events. Rituals gradually help them understand and know that deities and Buddhas accompany them in another world.

When visiting to pay respects and bless someone, silently recite familiar names such as Amitabha Buddha or Guanyin Bodhisattva, dedicate your intention and ask for guidance toward a better place.

We have encountered beings who do not know they have died or where to go. Some retain family or romantic attachments and regrets, requiring gradual understanding, persuasion and reassurance. Soul invitation and guidance concern their actual condition, not merely displaying a tablet outwardly.