The "Kṣitigarbha Sūtra" teaches that within the forty-nine days after death, the deceased, moment by moment, hopes their kin will plant merit to rescue them. Each of these seven periods is a pivotal node of karma-transformation and orientation. The Sakya school views this journey through the Lamdré insight—life and death are not separate; deliverance is not "sending the dead away" but helping them recognize their own innate light.

Sakya's seven-week memorial follows the blessing of Hevajra, with a qualified lama performing the rite every seven days. Each period has its focus: settling the consciousness early, purifying obscurations midway, and stabilizing the cause for a good rebirth at the end—progressing layer by layer, like passing a flame from lamp to lamp.

Seven continuous periods far surpass a single ceremony.

• **Karmic bonds loosen.** Each rite loosens one layer of the dead's karmic knot; across forty-nine days the consciousness moves from fear to peace.
• **Stable good cause.** Repeated dedication plants a firm seed for a good rebirth or liberation, not lost with one fleeting merit.
• **Solace for the living.** Kin remember and dedicate with each period, turning longing into sustained virtue, and finding their grief a place to rest.

The seven-week memorial proceeds thus:

• **Memorial tablet.** Provide the deceased's name and birth (or lunar memorial) date; a liberation tablet is set before the mandala.
• **Periodic rites.** One every seven days, reciting the Hevajra heart mantra and deity chant per the Lamdré ritual, purifying the dead's obscurations.
• **Smoke offering and dedication.** Each period includes a smoke offering to bardo and hungry spirits, dedicated solely to the dead.
• **Final dedication.** On the forty-ninth day a complete great dedication gathers all forty-nine days' merit and turns it to the dead's freedom from suffering.

You need only, in a quiet moment each seventh day, speak with the departed in your heart; the lama completes the rest by lineage.