The Chinese tradition of Kong Teck (Gong De) or Funeral Memorial is observed on the 49th day following the death of the deceased.

[Cecil Lee]

Dear Users,

I have received multiple emails requesting an explanation of the importance of Kong Teck.

Chinese Traditions: What does "Kong Teck (Gong De) 功德 Funeral Memorial" signify?

1. It is believed that this ritual brings blessings to the departed soul.

2. In the traditional sense, it is preferred that an individual passes away peacefully, free from suffering, rather than through a tragic or painful event.

3. It is believed that the guardians of the underworld are compassionate beings who come silently to escort the soul of the deceased to the afterlife.

4. Kong Teck, also referred to as 功德 " Gong De " in Mandarin, is a traditional ritual aimed at assisting the deceased in their transition to the next phase of existence.

Made from paper and bamboo strips intricately tied together with strings, these ritual items are typically of a considerable size.

5. Consequently, family members or relatives often invest significant amounts of money in carrying out this important ritual.

6. The ceremony takes place on the 49th day following the passing of the deceased.

6.1. The primary focus is on the incineration of intricate paper replicas, including a stunning paper mansion.
6.2. The ritual also involves burning a bamboo and paper model of a luxury car like a Mercedes Benz.

A full paper house hidden behind a power supply box unit...

6.2 And they really look like a car. Besides this, `hell money' or `hell notes' are also burnt.

6.3 These are printed paper money (no value) and these are also burnt.

6.4 The intention behind the burning ritual is to send offerings to the departed loved ones, allowing them to make use of the new possessions in their afterlife. Family members are seen folding gold ingots to be later burned as offerings to the deceased.

Family members folding gold ingots for later... burning... as offerings to the deceased:-

When folded, the each resembles a Chinese ancient ingot:

7. The intention is to ensure a peaceful passage for the departed souls, free from any ailments. Moreover, there are traditional "silver" and "gold" paper notes, referred to as "Jin Zhi" (silver notes) and "Yin Zhi" (gold notes) respectively.

8. Therefore, Kong Teck is meant to bestow blessings upon the deceased.

In contemporary society, certain relatives opt not to fold the gold ingots. Instead, they choose to purchase them in large quantities, stacking them in a burning vessel.

9. During the event, which takes place on the 49th day, if possible, esteemed monks or Taoist priests are hired to recite mantras and more.

9.1 These monks or priests are (considered) as " lawyers " to "plead" the deceased case to the Hell Judge or King of Hell known as 阎罗王 (yan luo wang) - Yama, King of Hell

10. Thus for those who attend this ceremony or visit this ceremony on the 49th day, one has to be `pleasant, happy and peaceful' and must not tell the decease (in their hearts) that he/she was ill.

11. Previously, I shared images on the Picture Resources website featuring intricate "paper houses" and lanterns meant for burning on the 49th day or Kong Teck.

Warmest Regards,
Cecil Lee

Postscript: In the past, there existed a shophouse in Joo Chiat that specialized in crafting intricate scale models of funeral memorials, ranging from grand mansion houses to cars and even boats for the deceased.

The former shop (Circled in red) used to be here:-

Now, shop no more - permanently closed.

Currently, the funeral memorials have decreased in size and can be seen in many Chinese stores that specialize in selling incense supplies. These shops offer a wide range of products including clothing, shoes, Rolex watches, iPhones, tablets, and more.

Related to burning memorial...

It is possible that a construction supervisor managed to gather foreign workers to assist in burning the offerings for him. It could be that he is utilizing the principles of Tai-chi or delegation in this situation.

More...

 

[Bee Pooh]

Dear Cecil

On the 49 days, can the monk chant Di Zhang Huang Pusa mantra at the ancestral tablet at home.  

[Cecil Lee]

On 4/20/2018 at 9:52 PM, Bee Pooh said:

Dear Cecil

On the 49 days, can the monk chant Di Zhang Huang Pusa mantra at the ancestral tablet at home.  

As stated in the initial discussion in Paragraph 9, high-ranking monks or Taoist priests were employed to chant mantras during the ceremony, which took place on the 49th day.

[Cecil Lee]

Another photo of a hell note under this resource link...

 

[Cecil Lee]

The items presented to the deceased are made from paper or cardboard materials. These must be folded in order to create the paper ingots, as demonstrated in a previous discussion.

[Cecil Lee]

Nowadays, ready made paper ingots are also available for the busy or those find it a chore to fold one by one...

Folded from each sheet of these sheets:-

[Cecil Lee]

31.12.2019.

Unfortunately, I have missed the opportunity for the Kong Teck (Gong De)功德 Funeral Memorial.

[Cecil Lee]

Towering gold ingot display... 

[Cecil Lee]

Paper House ... 

[Cecil Lee]

Good guidelines...from various Federations: Taoist Federation,  Singapore Buddhist Federation and Wat Ananda Metyarama:-

To all Devotees,
Responsible Burning of Incense and Joss Paper during 7th Lunar Month.

During the 7th Lunar month yearly, Chinese devotees in Singapore observe the tradition of paying their respects to their loved ones who have departed.

The Taoist Federation (Singapore), the Singapore Buddhist Federation, Wat Ananda Metyarama and Chua Chu Kang Town Council would like to encourage all devotees to practise considerate joss paper/incense burning and adopt safety measures while carrying out these traditional rites.

In order to maintain a clean, pleasant and safe living environment for all, we would like to remind all devotees of the following:

1) Please use designated incense burners provided by your Town Council or proper incense burners when burning incense offerings.
2) Please avoid open burning of joss papers and incense sticks directly on the ground and grass patches as this poses potential fire hazards and damages ground surfaces which are common public property.
3) There is no need for the customary throwing of joss paper in the air to indicate "Prosperity".
Please kindly burn these joss paper instead.
4) For you and your neighbours' safety, please do not leave an incense burner unattended while burning and do not dispose inflammable items such as lighters, matchsticks and cigarette butts into the burner.

We would like to appeal to all devotees to be considerate and play their part in keeping their environment clean by practising responsible joss paper/incense burning.

The religious federations will be working closely together with the Town Councils to provide guidance in order to ensure the cleanliness of estates and deter indiscriminate burning of incense offerings at common areas.

Should you have any feedback or enquiries on the provision of incense burners, please do not hesitate to contact Chua Chu Kang Town Council at Hotline: 6569 xxxx. We thank you for your kind consideration and cooperation.

[Cecil Lee]

Source & Credit: