In Taiwanese society, the traditional ritual of Zuo Qi (the Seven-seven funeral observances) originates from the integration of Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist thought. It not only embodies the pluralistic nature of religious and cultural practices but also manifests a dual concern for both the “deliverance of the deceased” (du wang) and the “elimination of self-attachment” (po wo zhi). The concept of “deliverance of the deceased” emphasizes the act of transcendental offering to guide and settle the souls of the departed, while “elimination of self-attachment” focuses on leading both the living and the dead to release their attachments, thereby achieving emotional adjustment and spiritual reconciliation. Amid Taiwan’s current challenges of declining birth rates and shifting family structures, the persistence of this tradition reveals the society’s profound cultural heritage and enduring concern for life and death. This study centers on the ritual text Zude Liufang Yuanman Fayi (“The Complete Ritual of Ancestral Virtue and Fulfillment”) and incorporates ethnographic fieldwork to explore how the Zuo Qi funeral observances constructs a religious-philosophical interpretive framework that simultaneously enables “the deceased to attain deliverance” and “the living to find peace of mind.” The findings aim to provide insights into the deep psychological meanings carried by the traditional Zuo Qi funeral observances within contemporary Taiwanese society.

Authors:
Cheng-Lu Shih, Weixin Shengjiao College, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
iang Zong-Hao, Master’s student at Weixin Shengjiao I Ching Institute; interests in Feng Shui, real estate, working on thesis on Taichung geomancy.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule

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