Blackwell Reference Online

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[xii] The Funeral Rites (Sang Li), mourning and continued offerings are essential elements in the traditional Chinese Ancestor cult. Generally the procedures follow those described in the Classic of Rites (see Confucian canon; Li) [69; 94: vii, 88–91]. The elaborateness of the rites is determined by the status of the deceased in the family and the lineage. Their main intention is to assist the spirit (shen) of the hun soul (see Hun-p'o) on its dangerous journey through the underworld, and its safe transference to the spirit or ancestor tablet (shen chu). Only the very worth shen can ascend to heaven. The p'o soul, which normally resides in the grave, must also be ritually sustained and pacified to prevent it becoming a dangerous ghost (kuei). (see also Feng-shui; Festivals (chinese).) [1; 44; 50; 75; 98: xxi; 99: iii, 34–65; 122: ii, 28–57] ... log in or subscribe to read full text