It is nice to see that many buddhist organisations are organising pujas during the 7th month, pujas for the deceased and living.
Actually I would like to include my deceased relatives in the pujas for deceased (I think they call it chang chog) as much as possible but when I check up some of them, I am quite taken aback by the fees quoted for sponsorship.
So I have this internal angst...are they organising the pujas to really benefit the dead or are they taking the opportunity to jump on the chinese cultural bandwagon to organise the pujas to raise funds for themselves?
I recognise and accept that they cannot organise the pujas for free but I would have been more impressed if they allow sponsorship based on what you can afford. The most important thing to me is whether they have compassion for the deceased when they organise the chang chog pujas but somethimes the sponsorship fees quoted just put me off.
Finally I get this off my chest.
In my opinion, if too much can don't participate, the choice is yours, no sutra stated that you have to. Exploring and listening to dharma talks are important. Buddhism is the teachings of regaining back the unsurpassed filial piety, as the loving kindness and compassion mind/heart are beyond normal living beings and it is also about themselves. Buddhism merges into all cultural background because its deal with serenity and compassion of all backgrounds, especially filial piety as stated above. Thus, it is natural to conduct 7th month ritual to subsume into chinese cultural, and offerings is a basic needs, and it is nothing improper to contribute a small amount to buy fruits, titbits and other groceries. The principal of the temple who oversees the needs and compassionately invites the venerables and its laybuddists to lead the congregation of Buddha / sutra remembrance to remind and reflect upon oneselves, in which, this merits of togetherness performed will benefit the deceased and ancestors as well as the practitioners themselves. The money contributed that used to buy offerings also benefits the fruits stalls and grocery shops. It is a good practice as it bring the community together for good of all in the present and future. Not all can attain suppreme enlightenment in this short lifespan, and the merits accrued will bring fruition of Buddhahood in future - as buddha seeds grown stronger will naturally bear future Buddha fruit.
There are also many temples offered for free.
According to Sutra of Earthstore, it surely benefits all because all living beings is under the same loving kindness mind/heart.
From website:)
To Mahayana Buddhists, the seventh lunar month is a month of joy. This is because the fifteenth day of the seventh month is often known as the Buddha's joyful day and the day of rejoice for monks. The origins of the Buddha's joyful day can be found in various scriptures. When the Buddha was alive, his disciples meditated in the forests of India during the rainy season of summer. Three months later, on the fifteen day of the seventh month, they would emerge from the forests to celebrate the completion of their meditation and report their progress to the Buddha. In the Ullambana Sutra, the Buddha instructs his disciple Maudgaly�yana on how to obtain liberation for his mother, who had been reborn into a lower realm, by making food offerings to the sangha on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. Because the number of monks who attained enlightenment during that period was high, the Buddha was very pleased.
The Buddhist origins of the festival can be traced back to a story that originally came from India, but later took on culturally Chinese overtones. In the Ullambana Sutra, there is a descriptive account of a Buddhist monk named Maudgaly�yana, originally a brahmin youth who later ordained, and later becoming one of the Buddha's chief disciples. Mah�maudgaly�yana was also known for having clairvoyant powers, an uncommon trait amongst monks.
After he attained arhatship, he began to think deeply of his parents, and wondered what happened to them. He used his clairvoyance to see where they were reborn and found his father in the heavenly realms i.e. the realm of the gods. However, his mother had been reborn in a lower realm, known as the Realm of Hungry Ghosts. His mother took on the form of a hungry ghost (preta) – so called because it could not eat due to its highly thin & fragile throat in which no food could pass through, yet it was always hungry because it had a fat belly. His mother had been greedy with the money he left her. He had instructed her to kindly host any Buddhist monks that ever came her way, but instead she withheld her kindness and her money. It was for this reason she was reborn in the realm of hungry ghosts.
Maudgaly�yana eased his mother's suffering by receiving the instructions of feeding pretas from the Buddha. The Buddha instructed Maudgaly�yana to place pieces of food on a clean plate, reciting a mantra seven times to bless the food, snap his fingers to call out to the deceased and finally tip the food onto clean ground. By doing so, the preta's hunger would be relieved. Through these merits, his mother was able to be reborn as a dog under the care of a noble family.
Maudgaly�yana then sought the Buddha's advice to help his mother gain a human birth. The Buddha established a day after the traditional summer retreat (the 14th day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar, usually mid-to-late August) on which Maudgaly�yana was to offer food and robes to five hundred bhikkhus. Through the merits created, Maudgaly�yana's mother finally gained a human birth.
Due to Confucian influence, the offering became directed towards ancestors rather than the Sangha and ancestor worship has replaced the ritual of relieving the hunger of pretas. However, most Buddhist temples still continue the ancient practice of donating to the Sangha as well as to perform rituals for the hungry ghosts.
when religion becomes organised and institutionalised, the spirit of it gives way to the material concerns...it's the same everywhere....
Originally posted by AspenAng:It is nice to see that many buddhist organisations are organising pujas during the 7th month, pujas for the deceased and living.
Actually I would like to include my deceased relatives in the pujas for deceased (I think they call it chang chog) as much as possible but when I check up some of them, I am quite taken aback by the fees quoted for sponsorship.
So I have this internal angst...are they organising the pujas to really benefit the dead or are they taking the opportunity to jump on the chinese cultural bandwagon to organise the pujas to raise funds for themselves?
I recognise and accept that they cannot organise the pujas for free but I would have been more impressed if they allow sponsorship based on what you can afford. The most important thing to me is whether they have compassion for the deceased when they organise the chang chog pujas but somethimes the sponsorship fees quoted just put me off.
Finally I get this off my chest.
Hi aspenang, you can dont take part
for me i chant at home can already .
no need to pay so much .its the sincerity that counts when u chanting for the benefits of sentient beings at home
Originally posted by AspenAng:It is nice to see that many buddhist organisations are organising pujas during the 7th month, pujas for the deceased and living.
Actually I would like to include my deceased relatives in the pujas for deceased (I think they call it chang chog) as much as possible but when I check up some of them, I am quite taken aback by the fees quoted for sponsorship.
So I have this internal angst...are they organising the pujas to really benefit the dead or are they taking the opportunity to jump on the chinese cultural bandwagon to organise the pujas to raise funds for themselves?
I recognise and accept that they cannot organise the pujas for free but I would have been more impressed if they allow sponsorship based on what you can afford. The most important thing to me is whether they have compassion for the deceased when they organise the chang chog pujas but somethimes the sponsorship fees quoted just put me off.
Finally I get this off my chest.
I do not know which temple you are talking about. There are many Buddhist temples which charge only 10 dollars per deceased. One temple which is Buddhist Lodge which charge only 5 dollars per deceased.May be you can check it out there.
i usually think in a positive way. Our duty as Buddhist is to support the dharma and propagation of dharma... when we put money into these pujas for the names for chao-du or any kind of puja/teachings etc, we can also consider this supporting the temple or activities for all those beings involved and also indirectly for all beings in the dharmadhatu as merit is dedicated to all... so if you think like that, the money you put in also is very meaningful and creates merit for you and helps many beings... it's your own small part...
many things depend on the way you look at it. In Buddhism especially we emphasize mind and motivation. so if you can be skilful in your perception of things, in fact, you can turn many situations into your practice and progress much faster instead of letting it be a problem.
Millons of dollars can't buy merits, colorful rituals can't relieve the dead.
The best puja can be done free by a sincere heart with folded hands citing Namo Amitabha.
Originally posted by wisdomeye:i usually think in a positive way. Our duty as Buddhist is to support the dharma and propagation of dharma... when we put money into these pujas for the names for chao-du or any kind of puja/teachings etc, we can also consider this supporting the temple or activities for all those beings involved and also indirectly for all beings in the dharmadhatu as merit is dedicated to all... so if you think like that, the money you put in also is very meaningful and creates merit for you and helps many beings... it's your own small part...
many things depend on the way you look at it. In Buddhism especially we emphasize mind and motivation. so if you can be skilful in your perception of things, in fact, you can turn many situations into your practice and progress much faster instead of letting it be a problem.
Yes, you are right. Unlike other religions, there's no rule that Buddhists must contribute regularly to the temples. Temples also need operation fees. So, let's do our part if we can.
Originally posted by WeeShun:Millons of dollars can't buy merits, colorful rituals can't relieve the dead.
The best puja can be done free by a sincere heart with folded hands citing Namo Amitabha.
When you get pestered by the spirits or deceased/ancestors to bring them to the puja, then you will know whether money can buy merits... :)
Let's not forget that money IS merits also... merits from your past life... so what's so strange about money being used to create merits?
Originally posted by WeeShun:Millons of dollars can't buy merits, colorful rituals can't relieve the dead.
The best puja can be done free by a sincere heart with folded hands citing Namo Amitabha.
When you get pestered by the spirits or deceased/ancestors to bring them to the puja, then you will know whether money can buy merits... :)
Let's not forget that money IS merits also... merits from your past life... so what's so strange about money being used to create merits?
So you are trying to say that money can buy merits?
May I know, 100 dollars can buy how many Kg of merits?
It is through aspiration and right motivation that merits arise, money is a transformation of offering and dedication.
One can pay thousand of dollars but yet with no aspiration to help beings in the lower paths, thus no merits are even accured.
The Buddha needs no money, money is only a social form for the society and the realistic world to move on.
Metta,
Goh
hi WeeShun,
u saying the same thing as i mean.