Deities and Faith
Can rites be added later if the seven weekly funeral observances were not completed?
English translation draft · Based on the Chinese article. This is not a word-for-word translation approved by Master Shengyuan.
Further help can still be explored. Incomplete observances do not mean nothing can ever be done, but any additional ceremony cannot automatically replace the original arrangement. Effectiveness depends on the officiant’s ability and divine assistance.
We usually recommend all seven weekly observances. In my understanding of the intermediate state and soul transformation, change is gradual, so I do not favour arbitrarily compressing time merely for convenience.
It resembles saving for overseas travel: forty-nine days to work, save and prepare suddenly becoming two weeks may not allow enough preparation. The comparison explains accumulation, beyond merely completing the final form.
Some clients who did not complete the observances later received rites from us. But supplying needed energy in a shorter period differs in difficulty from gradual accumulation. The officiant’s strength, divine willingness and sufficient power matter. Comparing days alone cannot make every ceremony interchangeable.
Families’ conditions differ. If the original arrangement is truly impossible, explain and ask how deities can help. Besides number of sessions, consider the deceased and family’s connections and blessings and the officiant’s capacity. Recommending seven observances should still include exploring assistance for families unable to manage, not leave them with ‘There is no hope.’