As in the legal court system for anyone accused (guilty or not) of unlawful acts, so too the living are judged at death.

According to tradition a trial for the deceased in Buddhism will be held only seven times which is every seventh day after one's death. So the seventh day services are like the trial to defend the dead. In Buddhism there are seven prosecutors. Each prosecutor takes court for one day only. In another words, seven prosecutors takes one each every seventh day. King Emma is the most famous among them. He has a very dreadful face and carries a pair of big scissors to cut the tongue of a liar. It is said that Emma has a huge record book about one's conducts like a black box on an airplane. Emma reads the record, "You did such a wrong deed; therefore, you must go to the Avichi hell." Even the dead tries to defend himself or herself, the wrong conduct are shown up on a screen like seeing his or her own video-tape.

The ways to defend the deceased are to have memorial services and to chant the Buddhist scripture, and to talk something good about the dead. Comparing to the seven prosecutors, there are many defendants. They are Buddhist priests who read the Lotus Sutra and chant the Sacred Title - Odaimoku, bereaved family, friends and lay believers who pray and chant.

We understand who the prosecutors and defendants are. Then, how about a judge and juries. Buddha does not judge others. He just reveals the truth. The Buddha forgives sinful people but never judges them.

Well, then, how to recompense one's crime and sins? The most important recompense is to repent one's wrong conducts. If he or she can not repent the wrong conducts, in the next life he or she will receive the same sufferings which he or she has given to others. It is the law of Karma - cause and effect. As we sow, we must reap. In order to avoid that, we have gathered here to have the last seventh day service for the Late...(name withheld)... Let us talk some thing good about him/her and pray for him/her to rest in peace.