做功德 The Dedication of Merits

锣鼓唢呐伴着诵经声环绕庄严的道场，侯府老少逾百人身穿红色孝服齐聚一堂，在五名道士的指引下持香祭拜。侯家老太太辞世三年孝满之际，阖府协力筹备数月，一举为所有往生的至亲办一场五昼夜的功德法事，卅尺高的灵厝奉祀着八名先人的灵位。

传统观念认为人气绝命终后，亡魂由冥吏牵引至地府，交由十殿阎王审查其生前所作所为，进行反思与接受审判。即使生前时常行善，难免犯下无心之过而被责以苦刑。孝子贤孙为表达慎重追远之意做功德，跟随道士诵经拜忏，化解业障，超渡先人脱离苦难。

现年六十九岁的侯金兴是侯家的主事者，他的公公从祖籍中国福建南安来到马六甲州双溪南眉（Sungai Rambai）落地生根，子孙繁衍昌盛，散居新马各地。侯金兴早年在新加坡从事建筑业，后来回到老宅定居，照顾年迈父母直到他们离世。母亲于九十三岁寿终正寝时，五代同堂玄孙绕膝，是以操办喜丧，家眷采用红色孝服。

福建人的丧葬习俗看重做功德，母亲生前亦曾提及，于是侯金兴与兄弟姐妹决定给爱热闹的母亲一场隆重的仪式。一般功德法事历时三昼夜，小型则一昼夜，而侯府选择了规模颇大的五昼夜。完整流程包括招魂、早晚各四场诵经拜忏的功课、放赦、走城、早朝、填库、普施、除灵等科仪，最后焚化灵厝并答谢天公。

主持这场功德法事的高功道士侯印展师承龙虎山正一派，授箓后法号侯罗展。虽然他才四十岁出头，入行资历却近三十年。侯印展的外曾祖父和父亲皆是道士，他自小对这行业饶有兴趣，约十岁起每逢周末假日便跟在父亲身边参与各种法事，一边帮忙一边从中学习诸如打鼓、音韵、吟唱等基本功。侯印展中二辍学后正式入行，二十岁之际便能独当一面主持中小型法事，得到父亲认可继承衣钵。

侯印展初出茅庐时，接的多为中小型法事，一般由乡亲邻里帮忙主家张罗祭品、供品、吃食等。但随着老一辈作古，社区关系不如往昔紧密，普遍上由外包承接商处理祭品、供品及外烩服务。身为道士，面对不同的主家各有需求，他尽量去配合。有时一天内需奔波两、三个道场，虽疲惫但仍怀抱热诚与责任心，力求周到地完成每一场法事。

做功德不仅是缅怀及感恩先人的法事，还能凝聚亲友之间的情感联系，延续文化礼俗的传承。妥当完成每一项科仪，对先人恪尽孝道，也引导着后辈崇德向善，方能达成功德圆满。

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「招魂」
道士开通冥路，以招魂幡将先人魂魄请至堂前灵位。招魂幡上写着先人名字，垂直悬挂在细长的竹枝上，由长子或长孙负责扛，如果没有子嗣可由侄儿代劳。

「五老启途」
奏请五老天君、五方童子接引亡灵。
五老天君：东方青帝青灵始老九炁天君、南方赤帝丹灵真老三炁天君、中央黄帝玄灵黄老一炁天君、西方白帝皓灵皇老七炁天君、北方黑帝五灵玄老五炁天君。
五方童子：东方青灵童子手执青莲花；南方金辉童子手执红莲花；西方真觉童子手执白莲花；北方开明童子手执碧莲花；中央妙光童子手执黄莲花。接引亡灵和往生神仙界。

「诵经拜忏」
道士率领孝眷完成《九幽宝忏》十卷、《三元宝忏》三卷、《太上渡人经》等功课。每卷功课完毕，便扬幡宣召告慰亡灵一次。

「放赦」
道士除了唱诵、宣白，还会进行精彩表演。演出情节包括与赦官相会、央赦官前往地府颁行赦书、饲喂赦马、赦官快马加鞭抵达地府、恳请阎王赦免亡灵罪责等等。

「走城」
又称“破地狱”，源于目连救母的典故。孝眷在道士带领下绕纸扎四角城门行走，通过重重关卡后将其破开，持赦书解救出受苦的先人亡灵。

「早朝」
向道坛上众神供茶、进献致谢。

「填库」
填还库钱，依照亡者生肖偿还向库官借贷来投胎的款项。在焚烧库钱的过程中，孝眷需不断敲打铁器防止附近的无主孤魂前来抢夺。

「普施」
主家准备干粮、供品、金银纸等，抚慰无主孤魂。

「除灵」
做功德的最后一个晚上，拆除灵厝进行焚化，孝期正式结束。

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The sounds of cymbals, drums and suona accompanied Taoist prayer chanting, around 100 members of the Hau family gathered together at their ancestral house in red mourning attire, burning incense and kneeling to pray under the guidance of five Taoist priests. Through joint effort over several months, the entire family organized a commemoration ceremony in conjunction with the third death anniversary of the late old Mrs Hau. The 30ft joss paper house is dedicated to eight deceased relatives.

In traditional Chinese beliefs, a deceased person’s soul would depart to the Underworld, where they would pass through the Ten Courts of Judgement. Even if a person always did good deeds while alive, there might be unintentional mistakes for which they were punished. Descendants will engage Buddhist monks or Taoist priests to facilitate merit dedication rituals to help their ancestors atone for past misdeeds thus achieving enlightenment.

The head of the household is 69-year-old Hau Kim Heng, whose grandfather hailed from Nan’an, China yet eventually settled in Sungai Rambai, Melaka, where the family prospered and spread across different regions in Singapore and Malaysia. Hau Kim Heng used to work at Singapore in the construction industry, then he returned to the ancestral home to take care of his ageing parents until they breathed their last. His mother passed away peacefully at the ripe old age of 93, with five living generations, therefore a 'Joyful Funeral' was held where all the family members wear red mourning clothes.

The dedication of merits is very important in the Hokkien community, the late old Mrs Hau also commended the practice, therefore Hau Kim Heng and siblings decided to throw a grand ceremony in honour of their beloved mother. The dedication of merits usually spans three days, smaller occasions merely 24 hours, yet the Hau family decided on a large scale event spanning five days. The full itinerary comprises 'soul summoning', four sessions of prayer chanting held in the morning and at night, request for pardon, destroy city walls, morning assembly, repayment of treasury debts, appease roaming spirits, and dismantle the joss paper house. Last but not least is burning the joss paper house and give thanks to the Jade Emperor.

The leading Taoist priest for the Hau family’s dedication of merits, Haw Eng Thian, is a Zhengyi Taoist affiliated with Mount Longhu in Jiangxi, China. After ordination, he goes by the monastic name Hóu LuóZhǎn. Although just in his forties, he spent almost 30 years in the profession. Both Haw’s father and maternal great-grandfather are Taoist priests, he sparked a keen interest since the tender age of 10, following his father to attend various ceremonies on weekends and holidays, lending a helping hand while learning basics such as drumming, rhyme and rhythm in prayer chanting. Haw started out upon leaving school after Form Two, by the age of 20 he is capable of handling small to medium-scale ceremonies, therefore his father handed over the reins to him.
(Full text: https://uniness.gallery/the-dedicatio...)

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