expression, godan verb (-u)
hold a memorial service for the dead, praying for their happiness in the next life by chanting sutras
Buddhist expression. Refers to performing rites, especially sutra chanting, to pray for the repose of the deceased's soul and their well-being in the afterlife.
お盆には先祖の菩提を弔うためにお寺に行きます。
During Obon, we go to the temple to hold a memorial service for our ancestors, praying for their happiness in the next life.
菩提 (bodai) is a Buddhist term for enlightenment or the state of spiritual awakening, and 弔う (tomurau) means to mourn or hold a memorial service. The phrase literally means 'to mourn for (the deceased's) enlightenment'.