What Every Buddhist or Taoist Should Do on the 49th Day After Someone Passes Away?
By - Jeremy G
Nirvana Memorial Park Ancestral Tablets
In Buddhist and Taoist traditions, the 49th day after someone passes away is seen as a crucial moment.
During this period, the soul is believed to be in transition, preparing for rebirth or moving on to the next phase of existence.
Families often take this opportunity to perform rituals and prayers to guide the soul and ensure a peaceful journey.
Rituals and Chanting Performed by Taoist Monk
The Importance of the 49th Day After Someone Passes Away
In both Buddhism and Taoism, it is believed that the soul experiences different stages after death, and the 49th day marks a significant turning point.
By performing rituals on this day, families can help the soul transition smoothly, giving them peace and a better next life.
This is why many families turn to professional services to ensure the correct prayers and offerings are made.
Guidance and Assistance from Nirvana Staff
Our Complete 49th Day Memorial Services
Our team offers comprehensive support to families observing these important traditions. We coordinate every aspect of the 49th-day ceremony, so you can focus on paying respects to your loved ones. Our services include:
-
Hiring Taoist Monks for Rituals and Chanting: We arrange for experienced monks to lead the prayers and perform the traditional rituals, ensuring that your loved one is properly honoured.
-
Preparation of Prayer Offerings: Our team prepares traditional offerings such as 三牲 (Sān shēng)—poultry, pork, and fish—along with pastries, rice dumplings, fruits, tea, wine, and foods that the deceased enjoyed in life. Incense, joss sticks, candles, and joss papers are also included as part of the ritual.
-
Flower Bouquet and Ancestral Tablet: We organise and prepare the ancestral tablet at locations like the Nirvana Memorial Park in Semenyih, making sure that your loved one’s final resting place is handled with care. The ceremony includes the 合炉 (hé lú) ritual, where the deceased is united with the family’s ancestors on the ancestral tablet, allowing future generations to honour them in one place.
Prayer Offerings
Why These Rituals Matter?
The ceremony is more than just a tradition—it’s a way to provide peace and support to your loved ones as they move on to the next phase of their journey. By organising offerings and working with monks, we help ensure that everything is done properly, leaving you with peace of mind knowing that your family’s spiritual needs are met.
After the ritual, the family typically consumes the prayer foods, symbolising blessings and abundance being passed down from the ancestors.
The ceremony is completed with a flower offering at the ancestral tablet and the burning of joss papers to send off your loved one with good fortune.
Business Development Director, Dave Goh and Family of Deceased at 49-Day Memorial Rite
Let Us Help You
Handling these rituals can be overwhelming, especially during such an emotional time. Our team is here to manage every detail, from the chanting services to preparing the offerings, flowers, and ancestral tablet.
You can rely on us to ensure everything is done with respect and according to tradition, giving your loved one a peaceful send-off and honouring your family’s legacy.
Related Articles
Explore our insightful articles on funeral traditions and memorial parks in Malaysia.
