<p><a href="http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/pv/pv.1.05.than.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Tirokudda Kanda</a> (as well as <a href="http://dharmafarer.org/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">dharmafarer.org</a>'s traslation of <a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/2.7-Tirokudda-S-kh7-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Tirokuḍḍa Sutta</a>) mentions doing this for the benefit of the dead. Meritorious acts cause positive telepathic vibes which can help betterment of the dead especially if the see and rejoice in the meritorious acts we do.</p>

<p>So this does not look out of place as a later composition. It is the merit that is given not the food.</p>

<p>Also even if you leave out food this can be of some enjoyment to the spirits. Say a person liked a certain type of food and you leave it out. His spirit would naturally be attracted to it through he cannot physically partake it. As I see this is not what is mentioned in the Sutta, but the transfer of merit.</p>

<p>Transfer of merit works in two way:</p>

<ol>
<li>Positive vibe associated with the positive through having a positive externality on the person concerned</li>
<li>The entity rejoicing at good action creating positive karma and betterment on its own</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-15T04:44:58.800Z
2014-11-17T12:46:46.297Z
2018-08-14T22:06:13.773Z
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena
<p>Surely the Buddha never said to do this as there is not a single case I have ever heard of where a dead being was able to eat food and drink from our dimension of living. </p>

<the-buddha>
In the Tirokudda Kanda food and drink are given for dead relatives. Is this a superstitious scripture most likely not uttered by Buddha?
# In the Tirokudda Kanda food and drink are given for dead relatives. Is this a superstitious scripture most likely not uttered by Buddha?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-11-15)

Surely the Buddha never said to do this as there is not a single case I have ever heard of where a dead being was able to eat food and drink from our dimension of living.

**Tags:** the-buddha


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-11-15. Score: 4

[Tirokudda Kanda](http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/pv/pv.1.05.than.html) (as well as [dharmafarer.org](http://dharmafarer.org/)'s traslation of [Tirokuḍḍa Sutta](http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/2.7-Tirokudda-S-kh7-piya.pdf)) mentions doing this for the benefit of the dead. Meritorious acts cause positive telepathic vibes which can help betterment of the dead especially if the see and rejoice in the meritorious acts we do.

So this does not look out of place as a later composition. It is the merit that is given not the food.

Also even if you leave out food this can be of some enjoyment to the spirits. Say a person liked a certain type of food and you leave it out. His spirit would naturally be attracted to it through he cannot physically partake it. As I see this is not what is mentioned in the Sutta, but the transfer of merit.

Transfer of merit works in two way:

1. Positive vibe associated with the positive through having a positive externality on the person concerned
2. The entity rejoicing at good action creating positive karma and betterment on its own


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