Synopsis:

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Bardo State: it is believed to shift every seven days, for up to seven cycles, 49 days in total that form a complete ritual cycle in Buddhism after death.

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When this concept reached China between the Wei-Jin and Tang periods, it merged with Han Chinese ancestor worship and folk beliefs. Incorporated into family structures and religious frameworks, it gradually evolved into a set of rituals that help manage death, process grief, and maintain social order.

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中阴（佛教）： 万物死后进入“中阴身”，每七天一变，最多七次（49天）。在魏晋至唐代，“中阴” 观念传入中国后，与汉族祖先礼制和民间魂魄信仰融合，在家族制度和宗教解释体系支撑下，逐渐形成的一种管理死亡、安顿情感与维持社会秩序的仪式结构。从离别（死亡） 的那一刻，到七七中阴过渡，最后整合进祖先和轮回体系，整个仪式告一段落。