The Origin of The Seven-days Funeral Rites And Study of Its Relative Historical Documents in Dunhuang Manuscripts

This article is trying to testifying that there are many types of ceremony rite of the Seven-days Funeral Rites in exist then among the local folks by a careful textual research and analysis of Dunhuang Manuscripts. The Seven-days Funeral Rite which had recorded in Dunhuang Manuscripts could be traced back and divided into following types: the rite hold for parents by their own children ; the rite hold for children by parents; the rite for brother by the brothers; the rite hold for wife by husband; the rite hold for monks or nuns. Among those mentioning funeral rites, the two are special and interesting issues that was worth to mention: the one hold for children by parents, another hold by one's own while one was still living.