The proper conduct of the burial ceremony has always been a matter of great importance to the Chinese. The soul of a person was believed to leave the body at death, in order to take its place in the spirit world. An elaborate funeral gave the spirits in the next world, as well as the mourners left behind, a clear idea of the rank of the dead person. The separation of body and soul was felt to cause some fear and confusion to the new spirit, so the surviving members of the family tried to provide it with all the support it needed. If they were able to ease its passage into the next world, they reasoned, the dead person would not turn into an evil spirit that would return to make trouble for the living. Containers filled with food and drink provided sustenance on the journey to the spirit world. Other objects found in graves show that life in the hereafter was thought to be much the same as on earth.