Question: If a person chants aloud in a room, while another silently in another room – both to help the deceased, will the deceased get the same benefits as group-chanting?
Answer: What done described, would as if be as if wishing the deceased’s consciousness to pay attention to two people, who are sharing that chanted at the same time, but at different paces and volumes, even if what shared is similar. (Note that the consciousness can read minds.) Thus, the power of unified and clear guidance is weakened. In contrast, group-chanting aloud and in unison offers more streamlined and collective guidance and merits, due to greater strength and synergy in expression.
Question: If the deceased had basic understanding and practice of chanting when alive, but family members did not ask the person to follow their chanting, will the deceased do so?
Answer: The deceased’s consciousness, if around, and with adequate understanding, should readily do so. However, if the ‘basic’ understanding is not enough, and without clear guidance, he or she might not. This is why this practice sequence’s words of guidance should be offered before chanting begins: https://purelanders.com/2016/07/19/what-should-be-chanted-during-after-a-funeral The guidance urges giving rise to the Three Provisions of Faith, Aspiration and Practice for reaching Pure Land.
Related Article:
Can Those Reborn Elsewhere Still Reach Pure Land?
https://purelanders.com/2019/05/08/can-those-reborn-elsewhere-still-reach-pure-land
