ion. As Buddha preached number of his followers increased.Question 5. Ancestor WorshipA central feature of Chinese funerals and post-burial mortuary practices has been the transfer of food, money and goods to the deceased. In return the living expected to receive certain material benefits, including luck, wealth, and progeny. The living had the responsibility of sustaining the spirits of the ancestors and protecting their graves. As long as this reciprocal relationship was maintained both the living and dead benefited. However, should the descendants neglect the spirit of ancestor by failing to make regular offerings at his grave, the ancestor would be cut adrift in the other-world and seek nourishment and attention elsewhere. Ancestors abandoned in this way became "hungry ghosts," a general term for spirits of dead people who did not have any reciprocal relationships with the living. It was not uncommon for an ancestor to make the transition from a benevolent, cooperative spirit into a vengeful, dangerous ghost. Specialist had to be employed to make sure that the feng-shui (wind and water) influence was not negative. If the remains of the deceased were not placed and arranged in the right way things could turn out bad. Because of the influence the dead was believed to have on everyday life, a proper funeral was very important and poor families often spent beyond their means. Furthermore, funerals provided an arena for status competition and wealthier families used their resources to demonstrate their superiority (and perhaps persuade their poorer neighbors about the continuing prosperity of their descendants)....
