before the spirit of the deceased; in front of the memorial tablet
Used in Buddhist and Shinto contexts to refer to the space or presence before a deceased person's spirit, often at a funeral, memorial service, or household altar. Typically appears in set phrases like 霊前に供える or 霊前で祈る.
The bereaved family offered flowers before the spirit of the deceased.
僧侶が霊前で読経した。
The monk chanted sutras before the memorial tablet.
before the spirit of the deceased
Compound of 霊 (spirit) and 前 (before). The reading れいぜん follows standard on'yomi.