Since ancient times, why do people keep vigil after death?

There are two ways to say it's a wake for the dead. The traditional definition was handed down from ancient times to show filial piety. After all, I will never see this deity again, so I can only take pictures as my thoughts. It is usually buried after three days of wake, so that the body will not rot for three days, and two or three days will be enough for all relatives to be present.

Why do people keep vigil to see the ever-burning lamps and incense? If you don't keep vigil, the ever-burning lamp will go out without oil, and the soul of the old man will walk in the dark or kowtow. If cigarettes are not replaced after burning, there will be no smoke to guide the way, which will make the soul of the elderly lose their way and take more detours.

After death, the soul will leave the body and report to the underworld. Because it's a long way to enter eighteen layers of hell, in order to prevent the inconvenience of walking at night, we should light an ever-burning lamp in front of the spirit to light up the road for it. We should also light incense and guide them. It is often said that the route taken by the elderly is consistent with the direction in which cigarettes float.

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After death, the body should stay at home for a period of time, which is called "stopping the spirit". At night, I am guarded by my family to show filial piety. Ming Lingmengchu's "Surprise at the First Moment" Volume XIII: "Neither daughter-in-law woke up." Shen Congwen's Border Town 20: "The remaining few people are required to spend the night in front of the coffin."

The wake is basically limited to three days. Some people stay in the mourning shed and mourning hall in the house, and some rent the auditorium of the funeral parlour for vigil. There is also a move to "shelve the Three Dynasties" in suburban counties. In the Book of Rites, "People die for three days to live." I won't live for three days. Filial piety also benefits and declines.

Family planning and clothes have become a thing of the past. Relatives from far away can also come. Therefore, the sage made a decision for it and took three days as the ritual system. "So, the three-night wake is not entirely out of superstition, but three days, everything is ready, and relatives and friends from afar can also arrive, which is enough to do human kindness.

References:

Baidu encyclopedia-vigilance