Hungry Ghost & 7th Month
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My guess is ghosts probably don't dwell in popular places like zouk, but more 'isolated' places without much people.Originally posted by TheGoodEarth:Strange that ghosts only appear at night and when you are alone. Never heard of people seeing ghosts at the Zouk.
Hmmm...... I wonder those at the getai seen any ghosts? -
How will the ghosts spend their one mth holiday ?
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they usually go to those 7th month concerts.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:My guess is ghosts probably don't dwell in popular places like zouk, but more 'isolated' places without much people. -
feeding their hunger.Originally posted by knightlll:How will the ghosts spend their one mth holiday ? -
There is no one month holiday, this is a superstition. Please read what is the 7th month truly about:Originally posted by knightlll:How will the ghosts spend their one mth holiday ?Originally posted by An Eternal Now:
http://www.jenchen.org.sg/vol5no1a.htm
[b]Ullambana Dharma - not Festival of Hungry Ghosts
By Venerable Shen-Kai
According to a popular Chinese superstition, ghosts are released from hell in the 7th month of the Chinese calendar for a one-month break in the human world. In order to appease them, animals are slaughtered and offered to these 'hungry ghosts', together with other food. Big feasts and other festivities are held during this month and the most 'auspicious day' is the 15th day of the month. It is so widespread that this yearly affair is dubbed the Month or Festival of the Hungry Ghosts. What is this all about?
Among the chief disciples of the Buddha was one named Maudgalyayana. He had immense supernatural powers: Deva-foot ubiquity which made it possible for him to appear at any place at will, the divine sight of Deva-eye to have unlimited vision of all things, large and small, near and distant; Deva-ear to hear all sounds regardless of the distance. Furthermore, he had the ability to read and understand whatever was in a person's mind. He also had the ability to see clearly the events that occurred in a person's many past lives aeons ago. Thus, Maudgalyayana is considered to be a Maha-Bodhisattva who is foremost in supernatural powers.
One day, his Deva-eye saw that his deceased mother had transmigrated to the realm of the hungry ghost. Her stomach was enlarged and she had tiny limbs. Her throat was as small as the eye of a needle, and as a result, it was impossible for her to eat any food or even to swallow a drop of water. Maudgalyayana could not bear the sight of his mother in such an extreme state of suffering. He immediately filled his alms bowl with food and with the immense power that he possessed, he sent it to his mother. However, she could not have the food because each time it turned into charcoal before she could put it in her mouth. It hurt Maudgalyayana to see what was happening and because of his strong emotion for his mother, it hindered his ability to see the karma that she had committed in her past lives. He went to Buddha for advice. The Buddha closed his eyes and entered into pure contemplation. With great compassion and gentleness, he said: "Maudgalyayana, your mother did not believe in the retributions arising from the law of cause and effect. She committed many evil deeds. She dishonoured the Buddha and insulted the Sangha [1], had no respect for the Three Treasures (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha), was greedy, filled with hatred, ignorant and arrogant. She was a wicked person who committed many evils, and she teased others giving them no peace. Therefore, she is suffering such a bitter consequence. Even though you are her son and your filial piety touches the heavens, these are still not able to save a person who had committed such serious evil karma." On hearing this, Maudgalyayana wept in pain.
The Buddha continued to console him, "It is impossible to rely solely on your own effort to save your mother from the realm of the hungry ghost. The only way is to use the combined merits of the Sangha. The 15th day of the 7th month of each year is designated "Buddha's Joy Day". This is the last day of the Sangha's summer retreat, and because of the purity with which the Sangha observed the precepts and practised cultivation, many attain the Bodhi [2]. The merits that they accumulate are immense beyond imagination, and the Buddha is most delighted. If you make an offering to these Sangha during this time, you can liberate your deceased parents and relatives from the suffering of the three evil realms (realms of animal, hungry ghost and hell) through their immense merits. If the parents are still living, then they shall be blessed with good health, happiness and a life of abundance. This is the truly marvellous method of giving salvation to the deceased." Maudgalyayana was delighted to hear this, and carried out the Buddha's advice accordingly. Thus, on the 15th of the 7th month after the offering to the Sangha, Maudgalyayana's mother was liberated from the suffering of the realm of the hungry ghost.
To give offering to the Sangha in this way is called the 'Ullambana' method. After Maudgalyayana received the benefits from this Dharma, he was very grateful to the Buddha and praised the merits of the Three Treasures. He advised people to promote the 'Ullambana Dharma'. This day, the 15th of the 7th month, can also be considered an occasion to express our gratitude and filial piety to our parents and ancestors. Unfortunately, the passage of time saw a gradual erosion in its understanding and purpose, so much so that this special occasion is not performed in accordance to the Dharma. Today, this auspicious celebration has become a day of widespread slaughter of animals to be used as offering to the hungry ghosts. The original act of performing offerings to the Sangha has become a day for feasting and making offerings to the hungry ghosts, often referred to as 'to invite the good brothers to a feast'. These practices are not only against the compassion of the Buddha, but also a let down to Maudgalyayana who had advised the world to be filial and to perform good deeds.
When we refrain from killing and protect all lives, we actually accumulate the merit of longevity and good health. It is meaningless to kill other living beings and offer them to the ghost, because they cannot benefit from these at all. Instead, those who kill shall have to repay for their action by suffering endlessly in hell. Unless we put an end to all forms of killing, the world forever shall not have peace. If the tradition of offering to the ghosts and the deceased on this day cannot be changed, the least we could do is to replace the slaughter and offer of meat with vegetarian food, flowers or fruits. It does not matter if we are not able to make offerings to the Sangha on this day, but at least we could invite them to chant the sutra for the purpose of liberating the deceased. In this way, it benefits both the living and the deceased.[/b] -
Can I say that ghosts are afraid of humans while humans are afraid of ghosts?Originally posted by An Eternal Now:My guess is ghosts probably don't dwell in popular places like zouk, but more 'isolated' places without much people. -
Humans were once ghosts; and ghosts were once humans.Originally posted by TheGoodEarth:Can I say that ghosts are afraid of humans while humans are afraid of ghosts?
Fear exist probably because we don't know one another.
Fear exist probably is due to the lack of love as well. -
Originally posted by TheGoodEarth:
yes, there's a "ratio" saying that ghosts are 7 times afriad of human while we are 3 times afraid of them.
Can I say that ghosts are afraid of humans while humans are afraid of ghosts
http://sg.search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0oGk5a_uMNGDKQA4Wwj4gt.?p=%E4%BA%BA%E4%B8%89%E5%88%86%E6%80%95%E9%AC%BC+%E9%AC%BC%E4%B8%83%E5%88%86%E6%80%95%E4%BA%BA&y=All+the+Web&fr=yfp-t-web
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i think only when one's conscience feel a sense of guilt, then will one feel fearful.
if your mind is in moral goodnes, talks in moral goodness and act in moral goodness , there would be nothing to be fearful of.
moreover if you are abiding the 5 precepts, the ghosts/spirits would respect you very much and would wish to protect you, let alone hurt you.
as ghosts/spirits do have a little bit of natural spiritual powers of seeing future. they can notice a bodhisattva-to-be per se. they would be afriad of creating more karma by hurting a bodhisattva-to-be.
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btw, that say "there are nowhere where there's no ghosts....the ratio of ghosts to human is 10000:1 !!" ----Master Yin Guang (a clairvoyance, i believe)
ref:
http://www.lioncity.net/buddhism/index.php?showtopic=51438&st=0&p=708136&#entry708136
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Frightening.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:Used to live in a rented house for a short period of time about 8 years ago (when I was 9)... the house has a very dark and creepy feeling and there was nobody living there for a few years.
One night before I was asleep I was playing with my fingers on my bed, then suddenly a ghostly looking hand came up from below and moving towards me... I was totally freaked out and completely stunned and gripped by fear, didn't even dare to move or do anything. I closed my eyes and open again, it's still there, but suddenly it just gets sucked out of my sight.
I have a friend who used to see "things" every now and then for the past few yrs. He's a successful professional with good social status, so was quite reluclant to talk abt it with others. Knowing I'm a Buddhist he's more open to me. His encounters were not for ppl with a weak heart.
As he is a free-thinker ( a very tough one ), I could only advised him to chant " Namo Amitoufo" whenever he sees it again, it wld at least calm him down. He has now never met another encounter for almost a yr.
He aslo used to hv nightmares of ghosts or monsters chasing him, so I advised him to chant Amitoufo as well in his dream. He couldn't do it at first, but later could remember do it when facing such fear while still in the dream. His nightmares hv redued. Of cos I told him that his stress at work or personal lives may hv greatly attributed to his experiences or state of mind, but he's no idiot, he knows when it is time to ask for help.
I had two encounters in Japan hotels, one in tokyo another in Fukuoka. Fortunately I didn't see anything, but heard noises, very loud ones.
The Tokyo one, I heard a " tssk tssk..." sound as if someone was trying to get my attention. In Fukuoka, I heard clearly a sml girl sobbing, then a lady's muffled crying. Initialy I investigated the whole room ( lowered the tv's volume, checked under the bed, pressed my ears against the wall to see if the nosies were fr the next room etc) for possible sources, but to no avail. So I sat down and chanted the Great Compassion Mantra. Then all became quite... so I continued to watch my TV programmes.
I was thinking of asking the hotel the next morning for a refund for giving me a "dirty" room, but what the heck, of cos they won't admit it with all their samurai's might.
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Isn't it good that you didn't find anything. hahaOriginally posted by cycle:In Fukuoka, I heard clearly a sml girl sobbing, then a lady's muffled crying. Initialy I investigated the whole room -
http://yeobt.multiply.com/photos/album/18/Square_OneOriginally posted by An Eternal Now:Buddhist temples do discourage burning of paper money. As for joss sticks, joss sticks is part of an offering of incense to buddhas and bodhisattvas and symbolises the fragrance of 'dao de', but we do not offer incense to ghosts and spirit deities.
You must also be able to distinguish what is a taoist temple and what is a buddhist monastery. It is unfortunate that alot of people don't even know what's the difference.
KMSPKS, the largest Buddhist monastery in Singapore, has also asked people not to burn things in accordance to chinese traditions in their grounds.
Take a look over there, you sure KMSPKS is discouraging people in burning?
lol -
I clearly remember KMSPKS did write letter 2 years ago to ask everyone to stop burning things etc in accordance to taoist/chinese traditions in their grounds, and help protect the environment.Originally posted by yamizi:http://yeobt.multiply.com/photos/album/18/Square_One
Take a look over there, you sure KMSPKS is discouraging people in burning?
lol
And the first comment in the URL you gave me:
Correction,buddhist do nt burnt paper money at all!
imagine a indian man teaching people to burn paper houses?
kong meng sua do allows ppl because there are also taoist and people who's ancestors are taoist are place in the temple,thats why they allow the people to do so,and the monks open one eye,close one eye,this year,remember kuang sheng fa-shi said that burning paper money is nt a practice of buddhism
so he encourage buddhist to correct their act and if they must do so,try to burn lesser,to protect the enviroment,lots of buddhist monesteries in sg allow because there are lots of people who are of chinese folk religion who dont know that buddhism dosent allow burning paper money and they just place the urns in a buddhist temple..
and the above picture is a event call water and land liberation ceremony
it is a of some kind of a tantric involved ceremony,so it would do things to signify somethings..like they are burning the ship,to signify that the dead,are leaving for pureland..
the money/clothes boxes are all from the folk people,if nt in traditional ceremony in china,this money paper or money box would nt exist,only the pureship,guardian..etc -
Oh...so KMSPKS wrote letter to ask others not to burn but can burn in their own temple?Originally posted by An Eternal Now:I clearly remember KMSPKS did write letter 2 years ago to ask everyone to stop burning things etc in accordance to taoist/chinese traditions in their grounds, and help protect the environment.
And the first comment in the URL you gave me:
Correction,buddhist do nt burnt paper money at all!
imagine a indian man teaching people to burn paper houses?
kong meng sua do allows ppl because there are also taoist and people who's ancestors are taoist are place in the temple,thats why they allow the people to do so,and the monks open one eye,close one eye,this year,remember kuang sheng fa-shi said that burning paper money is nt a practice of buddhism
so he encourage buddhist to correct their act and if they must do so,try to burn lesser,to protect the enviroment,lots of buddhist monesteries in sg allow because there are lots of people who are of chinese folk religion who dont know that buddhism dosent allow burning paper money and they just place the urns in a buddhist temple..
and the above picture is a event call water and land liberation ceremony
it is a of some kind of a tantric involved ceremony,so it would do things to signify somethings..like they are burning the ship,to signify that the dead,are leaving for pureland..
the money/clothes boxes are all from the folk people,if nt in traditional ceremony in china,this money paper or money box would nt exist,only the pureship,guardian..etc
That's cool.
Even KMSPKS did write the letter, it seems that it doesn't practice what it preach.
So next time you tell people don't take ecstacy but you take some yourself?
Haha. -
The intent of the letter, I believe is to advise those who are Buddhist to avoid/stop burning paper offerings because it is not stated in any sutras or teachings that this have to be done.Originally posted by yamizi:Oh...so KMSPKS wrote letter to ask others not to burn but can burn in their own temple?
That's cool.
Even KMSPKS did write the letter, it seems that it doesn't practice what it preach.
So next time you tell people don't take ecstacy but you take some yourself?
Haha.
What the temple cannot do is to forcibly stop non-Buddhists: Taoists, Agnostics or Free thinkers, who are following the practice because it has always been done by their seniors or in their family. Never underestimate the power of inertia especially in traditional/cultural practices.
The temple administration/management, I believe never practice burning such offerings. If they do so, I think it is only right that anyone who is curious can approach them and ask what's the reason/philosophy behind it. -
I think you read my post wrongly, kmspks ask ppl NOT to burn things IN their own grounds, and in fact a few taoists protested saying folks practitioenrs and taoists visit kmspks as well.Originally posted by yamizi:Oh...so KMSPKS wrote letter to ask others not to burn but can burn in their own temple?
That's cool.
Even KMSPKS did write the letter, it seems that it doesn't practice what it preach.
So next time you tell people don't take ecstacy but you take some yourself?
Haha.
As for how effective its message had been, I have no ideas.. -
I think you read my post wrongly, I didn't literally mean the location where the paper-stuffs are burnt but whether has the initiator being a good example itself.Originally posted by An Eternal Now:I think you read my post wrongly, kmspks ask ppl NOT to burn things IN their own grounds, and in fact a few taoists protested saying folks practitioenrs and taoists visit kmspks as well.
As for how effective its message had been, I have no ideas..
This is a typical illustration of putting on the buddhist image and doing unbuddhistic rituals, and thus allowing others (with or without intention) to Duan4 Zhang1 Qu3 Yi4 (to misquote). The implication can be serious.
And I'm not sure about this, but AEN you can check it out, there's a fee charged for the monks to perform all these burning paper offerings rituals. -
anyone always go watch the getai?
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how does this custom get started?
read that dunno which dynasty in china, a guy go burn these stuff to his dead relative/family members, dunno from there how it spread around go the common folks and pass it on to now.
alot of pple burned is because they dun wan these spirits to haunt them when the gates of hell are opened.