Within Lao Buddhism, shaped by Theravāda doctrine and animistic sensibilities, ancestor veneration permeates the entire sequence of funerary rites. The dead are not treated as having simply vanished; rather, they are drawn into a wider network of ancestral and tutelary spirits who remain intimately bound to the family and village. From the earliest moments after death, ancestral spirits are invoked to guide the newly departed, helping the spirit avoid becoming a wandering or malevolent presence. This guidance is understood as part of a continuous relationship in which the living and the dead mutually influence one another’s well-being.

Central to these customs is the making and transferring of merit. Family members offer food and material support to monks, engage in chanting and other virtuous acts, and then explicitly dedicate the resulting merit to the deceased and to earlier ancestors. Ancestors may be called as witnesses to these ceremonies, and the merit is envisioned as radiating outward to the deceased, the ancestral lineage, and all beings. In this way, karmic progression and filial devotion are woven together, so that honoring one’s forebears becomes a concrete spiritual practice rather than a merely symbolic gesture.

Offerings to ancestral spirits continue beyond the funeral itself. Food, water, incense, and other items are presented at the funeral, at the cremation site, and later at domestic or village altars, reaffirming that ancestors remain part of the household’s moral and spiritual world. Regular acts of remembrance, especially during major festivals and commemorative occasions, sustain this bond and help maintain harmony between the living and the unseen members of the family. Through these observances, ancestors are regarded as protectors and intermediaries, safeguarding the family during the vulnerable period after a death and helping ensure that the newly deceased is peacefully integrated into the wider ancestral community rather than becoming a source of fear.