Dhamma talk and meditation studio-recorded by Phra Nicholas Thanissaro at DIMC Azusa CA and broadcast on 1 September 2024.

Subjects Covered:
1. Sources
2. Sutta name meaning
3. Interlocutors
4. Placenames
5. Backstory
ancient funeral practices in India
the tenfold path of unwholesomeness
the Buddhist idea of what constitutes 'food'
7. Realms where deceased relatives cannot receive dedicated merit
hell realms
animal realm
human realm
heaven realms
8. 40-minutes meditation
9. Realms where deceased relatives can receive dedicated merit
peta realms
the Tirokuddha Sutta and merit dedication
10. The holding over of merit
11. Cases of mixed karma
12. Summary of the Sutta
13. Some issues raised by the sutta
the logic of cremation or burial
how one person’s merit can be shared with another
the objectives of a Buddhist funeral
some examples of Buddhist funerary rites and their logic
Questions and Answers:
is a 'warm fuzzy feeling' a reliable indicator that a deed is good?
what is the purpose of Thai spirit houses?
is rebirth as an animal a dead-end existence?
are after-death visitations by relatives to be expected?

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