Shoshichi-sai is a ceremony that the living people hold in order to wish for peace and comfort after their own deaths; so, it is called 'Yoshu' (practicing in advance; also known as 'Gyakushu [practicing in a reversed way]).
このうち、生七斎は、生者が自身の没後の安穏を祈願して行う儀礼であり、その故に「預修」（または「逆修」）という。