Can you dedicate merit to people who died several years ago?

[Boomerang]

There are teachings that recommend you do practices for the deceased 49 days after they die, while they're in the bardo. But what about after that? If a person is reborn in hell, does dedicating merit to them several years later still work? What if they're reborn as a human or animal?

[Inedible]

There have been studies about the power of prayer on people in hospital for treatment. Half of the patients were prayed for and half weren't, randomly. I haven't read the actual study, just references to it. So the people who received prayer had better outcomes and shorter recovery times. There was a clear difference. You're probably thinking there are lots of studies like this and why does it matter. The thing is that the patients already had procedures done about ten years before. The outcomes were set long before the prayers were done and it still made a difference. So go for it.

[Soma999]

Yes you can and it will help them, wherever they are now.

[Könchok Thrinley]

Namgyalma dharani sutra mentions that if you recite the dharani 21 times and blow on mustard seeds and then sprinkle those on bones of a being, the being will get liberated from he lower realms, doesn't matter how long the being was there.

Same claims are made in case of Akshobya dharani for example.

So for sure possible.

The being being dead does not mean it does not have a connection to you right now at this moment also. Be it someone around you, some ghost living near you or a microbe in your body.

[Konchog1]

Ajahn Sona and Ajahn Punnadhammo says that when you give to Pretas there are three possibilities: 1. they are a recent relative 2. given infinite rebirths, they are a distant relative or 3. even if the preta is a stranger they benefit.

[curtstein]

The Chinese Zen Master Sheng Yen has a very nice little book on Pure Land practice that addresses this question. The book is based on talks that he gave to a seven day retreat that coincided with the traditional annual "Tomb Sweeping Festival" (清明節, Qingmingjie). During the talks Master Sheng Yen encourages the attendants to dedicate the merit of their practice to their deceased relatives, regardless of how long they have been dead. He is quite insistent that the deceased will benefit from this. Master Sheng Yen also emphasizes that dedicating the merit of one's practice to the deceased is very important because we must repay the kindness that has been done to us by those who are now dead.

The title of the book is "Mindfulness of the Buddha and the Concept of Pure Land" by Master Sheng Yen.

[PeterC]

There have been studies about the power of prayer on people in hospital for treatment. Half of the patients were prayed for and half weren't, randomly. I haven't read the actual study, just references to it. So the people who received prayer had better outcomes and shorter recovery times. There was a clear difference.

The studies showed a slight improvement for people who knew they were being prayed for (and presumably had some belief that it might help). The more plausible explanation was simply that if there was an effect, it was caused by the patients.

[pemachophel]

Boomerang,

Yes

[Malcolm]

does dedicating merit to them several years later still work? What if they're reborn as a human or animal?

Yes, and yes.