Ghost month will come. What will you do in this month?

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May I have ghosts move some money to me?
Maybe I should go consult the President's son-in-law when he comes out from "there".

Boooooooo, I did not remember what ghost month was so I had to look it up. ha ha.... this is from Lonely Planet


BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ghost Month, Taiwan
Western societies have always had a prickly relationship with ghosts and revenants; give your average Judeo-Christian a whiff of paranormal ectoplasm and they'll be off banishing, busting, exorcising and channelling.

It's as if the presence of a not-quite-dead soul brings out the worst in an orderly Calvinistic heart. The reason for this is that, for a start, it makes a mockery of that neat life-is-life-and-death-is-death thing; and for another it gives rise to soppy tear-jerkers starring Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze.

Eastern religions are a little more sanguine and pragamatic about the whole deal (and, on the whole, also don't make films with either Demi Moore or Patrick Swayze). Rather than banishing the spirits they try to appease them by inviting them temporarily into the world of the living. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Taiwan during Ghost Month. On the first day of the seventh lunar month, 'Open Day' in hell is held, the gates to the underworld are opened and the spirits are allowed to cross over into the living world.

Not only do the Taiwanese accept these hauntings with admirable equanimity, they actually give their ethereal guests the full VIP 5-star treatment. At the Chung Yuan Festival (about halfway through the month), huge banquet tables are set out in temple courtyards and mountains of fish, vegetables, meat and other delicacies are offered as sacrifice; hanging lanterns are erected to guide the ghosts to the table; non-stop operas entertain during dinner and fake money is burnt so that guests have a bit of pocket-money to spend when they return to hell.

This hospitality is not entirely altruistic - it's insurance against paranormal acts of retribution. Other do's and dont's to be observed during ghost month include the following: weddings, special plans, business deals and outings should be put on hold till the end of the month; no whistling, whistling is not a good idea, whistling will lead the ghost straight to your home; talking ill of the dead (even if it's true) will just bring tears and heartache; special care should be taken when walking along riverbanks where a water ghost can easily steal a living spirit; and adding to the numbers by burying the dead is, unfortunately, not a good idea. On the 30th day of the month, the gates of hell are closed again and the ghosts return to the other side

Dave, thank you the detail information about ghost month.

What is BOOOOOOOO?




pS: Who knows the original of ghost month?

Ha Ha, Boooooo is when a ghost jumps out and screams boooooo to frighten you......

Sometimes friends will hide from you and when you come into the room or walk past them and they will yell……. BOOOOOOOOOOOOO


EastCoast
Dave

Ullambana (Ancestor Day)/7th Month Festival/Zhong Yuan Jie/Hungry Ghost Festival
(Compiled by Sidney See and Henry Chia)

Is celebrated throughout the Mahayana tradition from the first to the fifteenth days of the seventh lunar month. "Ullambana" means "to be saved from hanging upside down" in Sanskrit.

The observance of Ullambana is based on the story of Ven. Maudgalyayana and his mother. Ven. Maudgalyayana discovered through his meditative powers that his mother had been reborn in one of the realms of misery. Distressed over the tormented state of his mother, he approached the Buddha for help. The Buddha then advised Ven. Maudgalyayana to make offerings to the Sangha. The merit of making this offering would help to relieve the suffering not only of his mother, but that also of other beings in the realms of misery. It is said that as a result of Ven. Maudgalyayana's offering, his mother was soon released from her unhappy state.

To the Buddhists, the seventh lunar month is a month of joy. This is because the fifteen day of the seventh month is the Buddha's joyful day and the day of rejoice for monks. The origins of the Buddha's joyful day can be found in the 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. Because the number of monks who attained Arhatship during that period was high, the Buddha was very happy.

Making offerings to the Buddha and monks on this day accumulates one's blessings and relieves the suffering of one's parents from seven lifetimes. This is also the significance of the Ullambana Festival thanksgiving ceremony held in monasteries and temples during the seventh lunar month.

The Chinese, however, believed that the gates of Hell are opened on the first day of the seventh lunar month and they will close on the last day of the seventh lunar month. The ghosts may visit the world between these days. Food offerings are made during this time to relieve the sufferings of these ghosts. On the fifteenth day, Ullambana or Ancestor Day, people visit cemeteries to make offerings to the departed ancestors. It is said that people who are not careful at night or down in luck are likely to meet ghosts and get into trouble as a result. Thus, many activities are taboo in the seventh month. These including leaving the house, having an operation, getting married, buying a house, moving house and having a baby. The 7th Month is indeed a scary month for the Chinese society.

Ullambana is also a Japanese Buddhist festival known as Obon, beginning on the thirteenth of July and lasting for three days, which celebrates the reunion of family ancestors with the living.

Many Theravadins from Cambodia, Laos and Thailand also observe this festival.

dave:

booooooooooooooo hahah watch out.


yun:

thank you for sharing the story of ven saving his mother.

Does sg celebrate this ghost month,too?

Ya we do. There are 歌台 and chinese operas in many parts of SG. Also, many Taoist-related ceremonies or practices would also take place in our towns.
However, I am not sure about their purposes lah, since I do not take part in any of them.

The ghost month this year will be longer than usual because it is 閏七月.

Kathy,

Why are you so sad? There are two days of Valentine's day.

Sending you a song: Walking in the air, but please do me a favor to upload the song. Thank you in advance.




Elinor