Buddhist Funeral Prayers, Explained

Most Buddhist funeral packages in Singapore include three core chanting sessions, conventionally at the encoffining (when the body is placed into the casket), on the final night of the wake (sometimes called the "Western" or Pure Land session), and on the day of the funeral itself before departure to the crematorium. Each session draws on a specific, fairly consistent set of chants, based on standard practice confirmed with a funeral director. Families can request additional sessions for longer wakes, and can ask for more monks if they wish, though a single monk is traditionally sufficient.

This is the standard three-session structure. Exact chants can vary slightly by monk or temple tradition, but this reflects common practice.

The most commonly chanted scripture at Buddhist funerals in Singapore, and the centrepiece of the final-night session, where it's typically recited three times. It invokes Amitabha Buddha and centres on rebirth in the Pure Land (Sukhavati), a realm free of suffering. Chanting it is believed to help guide the deceased's soul toward that rebirth. It's also chanted, usually once, as part of the funeral day session.

Chanted at the encoffining. It's the shortest and most frequently recited text in Mahayana Buddhism, focused on the concept of emptiness and impermanence, that nothing, including suffering, is permanent. It's meant to prepare the soul to accept the death of its physical body, and to help the family find the same acceptance.

Also known as the Nilakantha Dharani, this is one of the most widely chanted mantras in Chinese Buddhism, invoking the compassion of Avalokiteshvara (Guan Yin). At a funeral, it's chanted at both the encoffining and the funeral day session, and is believed to help relieve suffering and generate protective merit for the deceased.

A short mantra chanted specifically to support a favourable rebirth, recited at both the encoffining and funeral day sessions alongside the Great Compassion Mantra. Its name literally means "mantra for going to be reborn," and it's one of the most direct, purpose-built chants for this specific moment in the rite.

A mantra chanted to transform and multiply food offerings, so they can be shared more broadly, including with hungry ghosts and other spirits believed to be present. It's a standard closing element of both the encoffining and funeral day sessions, paired with the Great Compassion Mantra and Rebirth Mantra.

A distinct and significant scripture, sometimes called the Ksitigarbha Sutra, but not part of the standard three-session structure above, it's an optional add-on some families request separately, rather than something routinely chanted in the standard wake sessions. It centres on Di Zang Wang (Earth Store Bodhisattva), a figure who vowed not to achieve final Buddhahood until all souls suffering in the underworld are liberated. Chanting this sutra is believed to specifically help guide a soul through difficult passage and toward peace, and it's particularly associated with Teochew Buddhist funeral practice, though not exclusive to it. If you'd like this included, raise it with your monk or funeral director directly, since it isn't automatically part of most packages.

A longer, more profound scripture focused on wisdom and the nature of reality. Chanting it is believed to generate significant merit, which is then dedicated to the deceased to support a favourable rebirth and reduce karmic obstacles. It's used more selectively than the Amitabha or Heart Sutra, often for families who want a more extensive chanting session.

A repentance text, invoking eighty-eight Buddhas, chanted to help purify the deceased's karma. It appears more in longer or more elaborate wake arrangements rather than as a default inclusion.

The Chinese transliteration of "Homage to Amitabha Buddha." This short, repeated phrase is the easiest for family members and visitors to join in with, even without familiarity with the longer sutras, and is often used throughout a wake alongside the more formal chanting sessions.

Not a sutra itself, but a closing verse recited after chanting, dedicating whatever merit was generated by the prayers and offerings directly to the deceased. It reflects a core Buddhist belief that good actions can be consciously shared with and benefit others, even after death.

Some families place a yellow or gold blanket inscribed with sacred mantras, sometimes called a Sukhavati Rebirthing Blanket, over the body in the casket. It's believed to lighten the deceased's karma and support their journey, and is an optional addition rather than a required part of the rite.

Distinct from the wake-day prayer sessions, Gong Teck is a larger, more elaborate merit-making ceremony usually held afterward, on the 49th day, 100th day, or at the 1-year or 3-year anniversary. On the Buddhist side, it's led by monks, sometimes high-ranking ones, involves extensive chanting, generous food offerings, and often lavish paper effigies. It's one of the more significant, and more costly, post-funeral Buddhist rites, commonly running from a few thousand dollars to well over ten thousand depending on scale. For the earlier, more immediate 49-day mourning period that comes before Gong Teck, see An Ling and the 49 Days After Death.

Gong Teck is also practised by Taoist priests, with a different structure and chants. See Po Di Yu, Crossing the Bridge, and Other Special Taoist Rites for that version.

It's worth saying plainly: monk chanting is very common and deeply valued in Buddhist funeral tradition, but it isn't strictly mandatory, and the specific sutras chanted can be adjusted to a family's preference, budget, and the wake's length. A shorter, simpler wake with a single monk and the Amitabha Sutra is just as complete and respectful as an elaborate multi-day arrangement with several sutras and additional rites.