佛祖統紀 33.32

33.32

述曰。孔子曰。子生三年然後免於父母之懷。故報以三年之喪。佛經云。人死七七。然後免於中陰之趣。故備乎齋七之法。至於今人百日小祥大祥。有舉行佛事者。雖因儒家喪制之文。而能修釋門奉嚴之福。可不信哉。

I comment: Confucius said, 'Only when a child is three years old does it leave the embrace of its parents; therefore, they repay it with three years of mourning.' The Buddhist scriptures state, 'When a person dies, only after seven sevens do they leave the destiny of the intermediate state; therefore, the practice of the retreat sevens is provided for.' As for people of today performing Buddhist rites at the hundredth day, the lesser auspicious [first anniversary], and the greater auspicious [second anniversary], although they rely on the mourning regulations of the Confucian tradition, they are nevertheless able to cultivate the blessed merit of veneration and solemnity of the Buddhist school. How could one not believe in it?