If you are afraid of death or concerned about where you are going after death, and think there is something you should do, that is not the true Ch'an spirit. It is more likely the attitude of the Pure Land practitioner or the esoteric Buddhist; and as I said earlier, other Buddhist traditions speak of different levels and gradual practice. The true Ch'an way is to cultivate a fearless attitude to life and death regardless of your attainment, and this comes only from diligent practice.
From the Sung dynasty onward, Ch'an Buddhism absorbed some elements from other Buddhist traditions, especially the Pure Land. It was then that people became preoccupied with questions about death: "If you practice your whole life and die without getting enlightened, what happens?" Maybe these people should practice Pure Land Buddhism instead so that when they die Amitabha Buddha will take them to the Western Paradise. That is not the true Ch'an spirit, since it is driven by attachment and desire.
STUDENT:
Is it important to recite prayers or sutras for the deceased? What about the Chinese practice of the Ulabana Sutra?
SHIH-FU:
There really is no need to do anything for relations or friends after they pass away. Services are useful, but not that significant. Besides, to depend only on the help of other beings after death, whether they are relatives, bodhisattvas or Buddhas, is not in accordance with Buddhadharma. What is important is the power of one's own karma and vows.