What happens at a Chinese Buddhist funeral

The first hours

In many Buddhist families, especially those who follow the Pure Land tradition, the body is left undisturbed for about eight hours after death while relatives or a chanting group (助念團) recite the name of Amitabha Buddha (阿彌陀佛) beside it. Families who observe this should tell us when they call. At home we wait until the family says the time is right; in a hospital or care facility we ask the staff what they can allow.

The altar and the wake

The altar (靈堂) at a Buddhist wake holds the portrait of the deceased, an image of the Buddha, incense, candles, fresh flowers — often lotus or white chrysanthemum — and offerings. Offerings are vegetarian: fruit, tea, rice, and plain dishes; no meat, and nothing is killed for the funeral. Above or beside the altar hangs a banner, commonly 往生極樂 (“reborn in the Land of Bliss”) or 南無阿彌陀佛.

During the wake, monks or nuns (法師) from the family's temple lead chanting sessions — the Amitabha Sutra (阿彌陀經), the Rebirth Mantra (往生咒), and the Buddha's name — with the family kneeling or standing behind them and joining in. Chanting may continue for hours over one or several days. The merit of the chanting is dedicated (迴向) to the deceased.

What guests do

Guests arrive, sign in, and pay their respects at the altar with three bows; many families invite guests to offer incense or to press their palms together (合十) and bow. If a chanting session is in progress, wait quietly at the back until a pause, or join in if you know the words. Dress in dark colors and avoid red. Guests do not need to be Buddhist to attend or to bow.

The funeral service and committal

On the day of the funeral, the monks lead a final service, often including a short teaching, before the casket is closed. By custom the family turns away as the casket is sealed. Cremation is common in Buddhist families, though burial is also practiced; the family may accompany the casket to the crematory and witness the beginning of the cremation while chanting. Ashes may be placed in a columbarium, a temple, or a cemetery, or returned to a hometown abroad.

The forty-nine days

Buddhist teaching holds that the deceased passes through an intermediate state (中陰) lasting up to forty-nine days before rebirth. Families therefore observe rites every seventh day (做七), with the first (頭七) and the seventh (滿七 or 尾七) most important, often at the temple or at home before the memorial tablet. During these weeks many families keep a vegetarian diet, avoid celebrations, and continue to chant or have the temple chant on the deceased's behalf. The hundredth day (百日) and first anniversary (對年) are also marked.

How we help

We coordinate with the monks or nuns of your temple — or help you find a temple if you do not have one — and prepare the altar, banner, lotus arrangements, and vegetarian offerings correctly. If your family also keeps regional or Taoist customs alongside Buddhist rites, as many do, we arrange both without fuss. See our Buddhist funeral services.

Last reviewed October 2026 by Wah On Funeral Home.