Who is the memorial service for?

It seems that memorial services in Japan are held only for those who have died, but I think that is a mistake.
After the Buddha passed away, the disciples scattered all over the country and set up stupas to hold memorial services. Why is it necessary to set them up all over the place? That's because it's for people who are alive.
It seems that there were bad disciples who said, “The Buddha has passed away - you are no longer bound by the precepts and are free,” but Buddhism is not about others. I live the best way I can live my life. To that end, I have a sense of ambition and a sense of bodhi for myself. It is offered as a memorial service for the deceased. This is the best memorial service, and it is the best offering. There is no way that the Buddha is most pleased with fruits and sweets. It is the best memorial service only when you deconstruct the Buddha's teachings, preach Buddhism on behalf of the Buddha, and spread the good bacteria of the mind called safety, comfort, and peace of mind to the world. In response to the person who died, the bereaved families said, “Oh, I was dispatched by a monk who became a dog from a company that didn't know which horse's bone on the internet, and it was cheap and it was cheap, and my mother would be happy with this, Amazon, super ~ senkyu.” In a memorial service that feels like that, neither one comes to mind. Why is that? This is because religion is not born there. This is because there is no Bodhi Heart there. Bodhi Heart is a feeling that a living person aspires to practice Buddhism in search of enlightenment, peace of mind, and peace of mind. Right now, the world is being driven by a wave of ego. North Korea's missiles, global economic domination by some wealthy people, terrorism, wars...
It is the exact opposite direction of the mind that Buddhism preaches. People who have turned to the ego just drop themselves into the hell world of the ego. It shows that the only thing on my mind is myself.
That's why memorial services should not be an attitude of buying a “box” to put the bones of the deceased in a temple or cemetery and just doing a memorial service for one's own home. This is because if it's just a memorial service for a family member, anyone can do it. There are even people who don't do it, though.
Therefore, memorial services imitate the disciples who respected Buddha, and build a memorial tower (tomb or pagoda) for the bodhisattva heart themselves as a symbolic act. In Buddhism, tombs and pagodas are not built only for the deceased. A memorial tower is being built as a “symbol of the Bodhi Heart” of thanksgiving. If the Bodhi Heart isn't there, there's no soul. The same goes for memorial services. In addition to remembering those who have passed away, they also make memorial services for themselves and others with Buddha's Buddhism. The Bodhi Heart is the best memorial service.

Hello Komachi.

Your father passed away, didn't you? I would like to express my condolences.
You recite sutras every day for your father, don't you? That's great.
A memorial service for my father is not complacency.
The real memorial service is for you to live happily and even for others through the Buddha's teachings. If Komachi were to live for people, I also understand the logic that the father who gave birth to Komachi would also be a merit. Buddhism makes people happy not only in this world, but also in past and future generations for three generations. Listening to the Buddha's teachings through chanting sutras in front of a Buddhist altar and showing the spiritual world how you are living well and happily is nothing but a memorial service for your late father.

If chanting sutras makes you happy, just play the sutras recitation CD in front of a Buddhist altar. True sutras chanting is putting the written teachings into practice. To that end, my oath to the Buddha is to recite sutras.

I also recite sutras in the morning and evening for my late parents. Let's be happy together through the sutras recitation memorial service. Gassho

　You're looking back on the memorial service you perform with a very humble feeling. I'm sure both the Buddha and his late father are happy with Komachi's humble feelings.

If you search on the internet, I think various explanations will come up. It's not a perfect explanation based on the limited number of characters and the extent of my knowledge, but I'll explain it for reference only.

Basically, I think it's about devoting one's heart to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and ancestors.
Various memorial services have been explained as specific actions to that end. As an example, there are three types of memorial services.
1. Ri memorial service - offering flowers, incense, lights, food and drink to Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and ancestors
2. Memorial service - read sutras and recite mantras for the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and ancestors
3. Memorial service - practice Buddhism and practice the teachings of the Buddha

The act of offering the first incense or offering is a majesty for the Buddha, Bodhisattva, and our ancestors, and I think our hearts when we offered it at the same time will also be majestic.

Also, when reciting sutras 2, it is said that the person who recited the sutras will receive merit from chanting the sutras. That's why we recite something called “conversion” after chanting sutras so that the merits of chanting sutras can be transferred to the Buddha and ancestors. They chant the merits of chanting sutras in order to “turn (turn) it around” to their ancestors. If you make a memorial service, the person who performed that act will also receive merit. The purpose of receiving a reward is not good, but I think “being able to sort out my feelings” can be taken as a reward for doing a memorial service.

① Who are memorial services for?
- As already mentioned, we do it for the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and ancestors.

② Why is a memorial service necessary?
-I think this is because it is a courtesy to show respect to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and ancestors, and is performed to honor the virtues of Buddhas, Bosatsu, and ancestors and receive virtue.

③ What is the proper way to hold a memorial service?
-In the Soto sect, the term “majestic Buddhism” is often used. Living according to proper discipline and manners is a prerequisite for learning Buddhism, but it is used to mean that the premise is Buddhism itself. Please work at Komachi's family temple with all your heart in accordance with its purpose, such as daily work at the Buddhist altar and the memorial service for the anniversary at the family temple.

Komachi-sama

This is Kawaguchi Hidetoshi. This is my humble answer to the question.

I am very grateful for my father's memorial service, and it is precious.

As the character suggests, a “memorial service” means that not only the father and Komachi-sama, but all sentient beings want to prepare their Buddhist practice together in order to move towards enlightenment, as “to nourish (the Buddha's teachings)”.

“Who is the memorial service for”... after all, it is for everyone, for everyone to eventually reach enlightenment,

“Why are memorial services necessary”... this is because if we don't practice Buddhism together firmly, no one can get out so easily from this reincarnation of hesitation and suffering,

“What is the proper way to do memorial services?”... I understand that it is about properly learning and practicing Buddhism.

I would really appreciate it if you could take advantage of this opportunity to study and practice Buddhism thoroughly.

Kawaguchi Hidetoshi Gassho