Sunday being the Hungry Ghost Festival, it’s a day to venerate ancestors. It is a day where the doors of the underworld are most open. While it is recommended to offer incense on all days of Ghost Month to appease ghosts and ancestors alike, it is of extra importance on the day of the festival where food and drinks are most likely to be offered also.
The offerings vegetarian in nature, it is easy to forget about one thing. That offerings do not need to be grand or expensive, it doesn’t have to be much nor complex to make. All it needs to be is simple and appropriate. But what is appropriate? Vegetarian meals and what ones ancestors would enjoy seems to be the best answer I can give.
How much should be offered can be of an issue. How does one know the amount of offerings to give? To put it as bluntly as possible, a stick of incense, a glass of a drink and a bowl or dish of food. Of course other kinds of incense and bottles and cans of drinks can be given, it comes down to availability. Offer what can be given, it being a small amount or not does not matter.
Should what’s offered be consumed? If the offerings are to ancestors or even ghosts, no. It is considered inauspicious to do so, even considered to be highly unlucky to eat offerings. Interestingly, it is considered lucky to eat the offerings of gods, buddhas and bodhisattvas. This is due to the belief that offerings to ancestors and ghosts gain a yin/negative energy, with offerings to gods, buddhas and bodhisattvas gaining a yang/positive energy.
Showing posts with label hungry ghost. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hungry ghost. Show all posts
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Hungry Ghost Month
Already it is the month of the Hungry Ghost, where it started yesterday and shall end on the 28th. It has been a fast few months, leaving wonder of how the Hungry Ghost Festival has come so close to the current date with so little notice. Unbelievable how this festival is so close, being on the 14th.
Regardless, it is the month of the hungry ghost where the spirits of the dead roam the earth. A time seen by many unlucky, where spirits are appeased by the smell of burning incense and aroma of food. A time to be extra careful.
Regardless, it is the month of the hungry ghost where the spirits of the dead roam the earth. A time seen by many unlucky, where spirits are appeased by the smell of burning incense and aroma of food. A time to be extra careful.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Death And Ghosts
Death is an unavoidable part of life and the fact that a life has ended also puts parents of young children to explain death. To many people, death is something to fear, to be frightened of, but it truly isn’t. Death itself has always been around and will always been around.
One thing that has been spotted time and time again throughout history is ghosts. There are many ghost stories to tell from this modern world and many more pop up. Ask a classroom of high school students for ghost stories of their own to which you are likely to get at least one story from a small class. Even I can tell of a ghost or two. Ghosts themselves can be found culture to culture, and many have given much respect to the deceased through from just funeral rites to ancestor worship. Some people claim that a ghost have given them a message or to have seen a ghost or ghosts of animals.
There are also hungry ghosts, those who come back from the afterlife for whatever reason (such as lack of food or water) and are said to feed on peoples fear and energies. Offerings to help these ghost survive in the next life is said to get rid of hungry ghosts. Recently the Hungry Ghost Festival was celebrated on August 24, a Chinese festival honouring the dead and ancestors. There is also the Day of the Dead coming up in a couple months which is another day to honour the dead. Both days are a reminder of how life is not eternal, but both great days to celebrate but also to teach children about death.
Death and ghosts are both subjects that are interesting, both something to study. Many have their opinions of their own. Some do think ghosts do exist, some don’t. Some have ghost stories, others don’t. People claim a certain thing about the afterlife, but many people have many differing ideas of what when one dies.
One thing that has been spotted time and time again throughout history is ghosts. There are many ghost stories to tell from this modern world and many more pop up. Ask a classroom of high school students for ghost stories of their own to which you are likely to get at least one story from a small class. Even I can tell of a ghost or two. Ghosts themselves can be found culture to culture, and many have given much respect to the deceased through from just funeral rites to ancestor worship. Some people claim that a ghost have given them a message or to have seen a ghost or ghosts of animals.
There are also hungry ghosts, those who come back from the afterlife for whatever reason (such as lack of food or water) and are said to feed on peoples fear and energies. Offerings to help these ghost survive in the next life is said to get rid of hungry ghosts. Recently the Hungry Ghost Festival was celebrated on August 24, a Chinese festival honouring the dead and ancestors. There is also the Day of the Dead coming up in a couple months which is another day to honour the dead. Both days are a reminder of how life is not eternal, but both great days to celebrate but also to teach children about death.
Death and ghosts are both subjects that are interesting, both something to study. Many have their opinions of their own. Some do think ghosts do exist, some don’t. Some have ghost stories, others don’t. People claim a certain thing about the afterlife, but many people have many differing ideas of what when one dies.
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