Solar Tree Time: Taichung Funeral Day 5

Breakfast was shuijianbao again. Typhoon holiday today, but it's still taking its sweet time walking towards Taiwan at a literal walking pace... 6-8km/h. But it's bringing a cool down effect, and the breeze is actually not warm for once. Phew. A few spits here and there.

A nice big tree and seats under next to the alter room building, where we gathered and waited for Shao Zhóng & staff to come get us to go to the Funeral Home grounds

Today we start at 9am and it's a full day of prayer. Instead of the neighbouring building where we had the altar room, it's at the funeral home, in one of their halls. It's been decorated with cloth and a full set up with Buddha portraits and framing, and two 門神？ on the left and right.

Today's crew consists of 4 ladies and 1 gentlemonk. From morning to 5pm, with a break at 10:20-10:45am, lunch 12:30pm - 2pm, and afternoon break at around 3pm, it was full prayer of 1 mantra book. Grandma kept smiling from the portrait but at one point it seemed like she was smiling bittersweetly. I wonder if she 2as worrying about 三叔 and his relations with the rest of the brothers, arguing and what not.

At lunch I took a walk around the block. I spotted about 9 dragonflies just hanging about outside the funeral home grounds.

Dragonflies video... unsure if it will upload properly.

Skate park

A local miao

Saw a moped with a cute/funny cover haha

They offered a paper house (like a mansion), fully furnished with a butler and housekeeper and pet dog, car, scooter, and bike, and some ingots and silver. Along with the usual lotuses and yuanbao, paper money. They brought the burning forwards to after lunch break because of the typhoon. The house is part of the package offered by the Funeral Home.

I could help but keep helping asleep during recital... Not sure if it's because I was already sleep deprived or the usual sleepiness that comes when I try to participate in mantra reading. I did my best though.

In the afternoon they offered 6 tables of daily staples, and moved 奶奶 soul plaque 靈派 out there as well as the family ancestor plaque. A plaque for a specific Buddha was also outside. It's quite windy now. They use an umbrella to cover and escorts the soul plaque, cause the deceased is afraid of (natural) light.

The 6 tables of offerings

Afterwards the last part was a prayer offered by the crew, and involved throwing of snacks, rice, and $1 coins. The rice will be eaten by the birds later. The snacks were gathered and I assume donated to the needy/food bank. The coins were split amongst the uncles and eldest grandsons.

The crew has really good teamwork. When the lead monk had a break in singing, the other ladies would help cover.

After that we went home.

Mum and dad grabbed bentous and I waited in the car.