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Understanding rituals of the Ghost Festival

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Food and drinks prepared for the spirits.

By Natasha Jee & Alexandra Lorna

It’s not just all about darkness, ghosts and death

ONE of the important Buddhist and Taoist traditional festivals observed in most of the Asian countries is the Ulambana Festival.

The festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month of the Chinese calendar, is one of the oldest Buddhist rituals which has been observed since the sixth or seventh century AD.

Traditionally, families offer prayers to their deceased relatives, foods and drinks and burn joss paper money and other forms of joss paper. In addition, families would also offer these items to the spirits that roam the earth.

Nowadays, the celebration comes with a live performance such as Chinese opera and everyone is allowed to attend. However, the front-row seats will normally be left empty as this is specially reserved for the spirits.

Even a table filled with food and drinks are reserved for the ghosts.

Sincerity important

According to Abbot of the Kuching Dhamma Vijaya Buddhist Centre, Venerable Bhikkhuni Dhammika, back in those days, people only burned incense, joss paper money, and offered food and drinks to their deceased ancestors, ghosts, and spirits.

“When family members pass away, the family does not know where they are in the other world.

“So, how do the deceased family members receive these items? Families have to burn joss paper money, prepare foods and drinks, and light candles as offerings.

“But only 10 to 20 years later, people started to burn hell bank notes and other forms of joss paper. Last time it was just the gold and silver type joss paper money burnt as offerings.

“As the world progresses, people get more creative, hence there are different types of joss paper.

“Nowadays, you see people burn replicas of bungalows or fancy cars like Mercedes for their deceased parents,” she said.

She said some families would prepare their deceased family members’ favourite food and this was one of the ways families remember their departed family members.

“Most importantly, when it comes to offering these items, it’s the thought that counts,” she said.

Venerable Bhikkhuni also said that if people do not understand the meaning of these offerings, then it will all be meaningless.

How the young and old observe Ulambana

For Lim Sean Teck, 35, every time of the year during the Ulambana Festival, he would help his family buy joss paper money and prepare foods and drinks for their deceased ancestors.

Lim Sean Teck

“Indeed, due to inflation this year, some would buy less. But we still buy the same amount as before. Afterall, this is just a once a year festival,” he said.

The restaurant owner also said he also buys joss paper money and will place it in an appropriate place before burning, and this will be offered to the wandering spirits.

Meanwhile, 50-year-old Anne Choo, said that she would buy replicas of clothes, shoes, umbrellas, and houses in the form of joss paper; all these would be brought to the cemetery to be burned.

“We will also burn the joss paper money for our great grandparents and grandparents.”

She would normally buy these items, and believes that the joss paper money burnt for offering will be received by their great grandparents and grandparents.

“We believe that when they receive the spiritual money which we have burnt for them, they can also use it to purchase what they want in the other world,” she said.

For Ah Seng, 53, apart from making offerings to his ancestors, he would also often join the elaborate Ulambana Festival ceremony held along Taman BDC Stampin.

“Every year, I would not miss the Ulambana Festival at BDC. But this year, the offering is moderate due to inflation.

“Nevertheless, big or small contribution, it must come sincerely from the heart,” he said.

Understanding the significance of Ulambana

Venerable Bhikkhuni said it is important for parents to teach their children the meaning of the Ulambana Festival.

She said the festival reinforces the important concept of filial piety and younger generation must remember this.

Venerable Bhikkhuni Dhammika

“The younger generation also must remember to provide the best for their parents while they are alive.

“I always tell them to give whatever they can when their parents are alive, and not when their parents pass away, then only they start to burn joss paper as offerings,” she said.

Some children spend less time with their parents and would give material things, but parents would be more happy if children appreciate and care for them.

Datuk Seri Tay Chin Kin

Besides that, she said it is also very important for people of different faiths to understand each other’s culture and tradition and to pass the correct information about what the Ulambana Festival is about.

“Otherwise people will think this is just a ‘Ghost Festival’,” she said.

Meanwhile, Malaysia Buddhist Association Sarawak Branch president Datuk Seri Tay Chin Kin said that there are many taboos in the traditional culture of the Ghost Festival.

“To the general public, there is nothing more than ‘darkness, ghosts and death’ about the Hungry Ghost Festival. But for Buddhists, the seventh month of the lunar calendar is a celebration for the Buddhism.

“Buddhists hold the Ullambana Festival to make offerings to religious monks, and also to educate people to do more good deeds to escape the sins of their ancestors and advocate filial piety.

“Thus, I would encourage the younger generation to be more exposed to the Dharma and learn about Buddhism. Naturally, they will continue to cherish the memory of their ancestors and pursue filial piety,” said Tay.

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