Continuation of the previous post…

4. The practice of the Hundred Peaceful and Wrathful Deities.
The practitioner considers the entire body as the mandala of the Hundred Peaceful and Wrathful Deities. The wrathful deities are visualised in the brain, and the peaceful deities in the energy center in the heart. It is then imagined that the deities send out innumerable rays of light, which stream out towards the dead and purify all his or her negative karma.
The practitioner recites the mantra of Vajrasattva, or the shorter Vajrasattva mantra: OM VAJRA SATTVA HUM.

5. Cremation.
In Tibetan Buddhism the crematorium or funeral pyre are visualised as the mandala of Vajrasattva, or the Hundred Peaceful and Wrathful deities. The dead person’s corpse is seen as representing all her or his obscurations and negative karma that burns together with the corpse. The corpse is visualized dissolving completely into light, with all the dead person’s impurities cleaned by the blazing flames of wisdom.

7. The Weekly Practices.
During the forty-nine days after death; usually every seventh day, or as often as the death person’s family can afford it, practices and rituals take place. Lights are offered and prayers said by the Lamas and monks, mainly those close to the deceased’s family and those who had a link with the dead person. The process continues till the body is taken out of the house.
In the name of the dead person, alms are given to the poor and offerings made to shrines and known masters. The fourth week after death is regarded as especially significant, for Tibetans believe that most ordinary beings do not stay in the bardo for longer than four weeks.
These weekly practices are considered essential, because the mental body in the bardo of becoming undergoes the experience of death each week, on the same day. Those dead who have enough merit from their past life, the benefits of weekly practices can give the impetus to transfer to a pure realm.