Question: During death anniversaries, Qīngmíng Festival (清明节) and the seventh month (七月), there is often the practice of ‘writing tablets’ (写排位) for deceased family members, which is to dedicate (回向) meritorious virtues (功德) from Dharma assemblies (法会) at temples to them. However, if they have already departed for a long time, is it alright to stop doing so?
Answer: If the deceased
[1] departed in a peaceful manner,
[2] way beyond 49 days, and
[3] there are no signs of restless haunting,
they should be reborn already. If there is still wish to help, you can practise the following for the deceased at home (with appropriate tweaking of the guidance text): https://purelanders.com/wake. If there are signs of haunting, this should be practised at homes of the deceased.
However, there is still value in writing tablets, as this creates more meritorious virtues for dedication. Even if they are already reborn in Pure Land (净土), or elsewhere, the meritorious virtues can still be dedicated and received.
If there are unfortunate rebirths, they can alleviate suffering and expedite a better rebirth. If there are fortunate rebirths, the more meritorious virtues, the better, for general benefits. The merits can also be dedicated to all beings, to actualise the Bodhi Mind (菩提心) of helping everyone.
Related Article:
General Buddhist & Pure Land Practices | During Qing Ming & Ullambana
http://purelanders.com/2012/06/25/general-buddhist-pure-land-practices-during-qing-ming-ullambana
