On the 49th day after the death, Buddhists help their recently departed love one enter the path of rebirth through a series of prayer and offering. My grandmother passed away 49 days ago and today was the day that karmic forces would decide her fate, her soul departed. I don’t exactly know the true reasons behind the 49th day but I think it has to do with the auspicious number 7; 7 stairs to heaven, 7 weeks, 7 as an odd number, 7 squared, etc. I should know more about this but sadly, I don’t.
I grew up Catholic but many a Sunday were spent at the Buddhist temple as well, praying for past loved family members, feasting afterwards on Buddhist vegetarian dishes. It’s interesting for me to see myself be intertwined within these two cultures & religions; how it has been an ongoing psychological influence on my identity. Yeah I already know, I’m insane. It was also interesting to see husband, the only white, towering over us little people.
