We're right in the middle of the Chinese 7th Lunar Month, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival in this part of the world. According to tradition, the Gates of Hell would open up during this month, unleashing all hungry ghosts to roam Earth for their one month holiday. If it could be visualised, I would assume the scene would be pretty much like Boxing Day sales at David Jones, except these ghosts aren't after any 50% off items. They want food!! Inevitably, every Chinese family would be roped into the "festivities". The point is not whether you believe that these ghosts are actually around, but its more for keeping to the tradition of showing respect for the memory of one's deceased relatives and friends.
A typical day starts with Mum cooking up a storm in the kitchen. For food offerings, the unwritten rules states you must have chicken, duck, roast pork, rice, soup, vegetables, fruits, tea, sweetbuns, sweet cookies and rice wine. Not that my dad or grandparents ever drank rice wine, but that's just the way it has to be. Would you risk offending the ghosts during this month? Probably not. As she ages a little more each year, she has finally given in to cheating with some of the food items by buying them from the shops instead of attempting to prepare them all from scratch.
For the non food items, we need red candles, large incense, small incense + paper offering in 5 varieties.
All these have to be carried (we trolleyed it) from our home to the temple nearby (10 minutes walk) and set up according to a fixed formation on the tables (see pic below) and the spirits have to be invited to feast on the preparations.
This was downloaded from the internet, not the actual photo taken during our offering. The Chinese are superstitious about taking photos of offerings for fear of capturing unwanted images..
The temple itself would be a hub of activities, with monks chanting, paper offerings burning, elderly people sitting together chatting, rows and rows of food and paper offerings.
Amidst the suffocating smoke and loud chatter in the temple, I wonder if all these activities are an act of respect, or is it an indication of attachment and unwillingness to let go of the past?
2 comments:
Hey GMW! great write up!! lurvee it...an article worthy of action!! I think it's not about attachment or unwillingness to let go....its just routine...once a year??
Once a year? What about Chinese New Year, Ching Ming (Chinese Remembrance Day), birthdays and anniversaries of the dearly departed?
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