By Natasha Jee and Alexandra Lorna
KUCHING: The seventh lunar month in the Chinese calendar is commonly regarded as the Ghost Month, in which it is believed that deceased ancestors, spirits and ghosts are allowed to come out from other realms to the world of the living.
This year, the seventh lunar month falls between July 29 and Aug 26 in the Gregorian calendar.
Buddhists and Taoists would often perform rituals in this month to relieve the sufferings of the deceased.
Often we would hear that during this month, the hungry ghosts are out to haunt the living, and that many unlucky things would occur.
There are also taboos that need to be observed during the so-called Ghost Month.
But according to the Abbot of Kuching Dhamma Vijaya Buddhist Centre, Venerable Bhikkhuni Dhammikā, many still do not understand the actual significance of the ‘Ghost Month’ or ‘Hungry Ghost Month’.
She said there are still many misconceptions when it comes to the seventh lunar month, and in fact, it is not a spooky month as claimed.
Understanding Ulambana Festival also known as Buddha’s Delight Day
“The seventh lunar month of the Chinese calendar, according to the Buddhist perspective, it is different, we don’t call it a Ghost Month or Ghost Festival.
“But, we call it Ulambana Festival or Buddha’s Delight Day,” she said.
“There are two suttas in Buddhism which mention how this festival came about namely the Ulambana Sutta and the Tirokudda Sutta,” she said, adding that the Ulambana Festival falls on Aug 12 in the Gregorian calendar.
As to how the Ulambana festival came about, she explained that according to Buddhism, there are six realms – god, demi-gods, humans, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell.
“According to the Ulambana Sutta, one of Buddha’s great disciples, Mongalana, who had divine eyes wanted to check where his mother was.
“He found out that his mother was in the ghost realm, very hungry and in great suffering and he wanted to give her a bowl of rice but when the bowl reached her month, it turned into charcoal.
“Mongalana then sought the advice of his master, the Buddha. The Buddha advised him to offer food to the Sangha (monks) on the full moon of the seventh lunar month and transfer his merits to his mother to be reborn in a better realm,” she said.
With the virtues gained from the merits she received, she said his mother was reborn in a better realm.
Practices observed during the seventh lunar month.
On this Ulambana Festival, there will be offering of prayers to the souls of deceased ancestors and spirits.
Venerable Bhikkhuni said that in conjunction with the Ulambana Festival, the Buddhist and Taiost community would start to do chanting from the first day until the last day of the seventh lunar month.
“Buddhist devotees in every part of the world would chant every night,” she said.
In what ways can we help our departed relatives? She said the Buddha mentioned that even if a person carries his or her father and mother on his or her right and left shoulders for thousands of years he or she also cannot repay their kindness.
“We have to have filial piety for our parents,” she said.
She said if parents are in the heavenly realm it is good, but if they are in hell realm, how can we help?
“We can do so by practising dana, sila, bhavana (in Pali) which means generosity, morality and mental cultivation.
“Generosity, like doing charity – charity to the Sangha and helping the poor, maintaining our morality well – no killing and no stealing. If our speech is pure our action will be pure and this will create pure energy which will be transferred into merits.
“With all this very good energy and pure thoughts, we can transfer these merits to the departed relatives.
“And if they are in the ghost realm or hell realm, then we can help them to be reborn in a better realm,” she said.
She stressed that the Ulambana Festival reinforces the important concept of filial piety which is very much practised in the Asian culture.
On the difference between Qing Ming and the Ulambana Festival, she said during Qing Ming, prayers and offerings are made to deceased family members, but during the seventh lunar month, these prayers and offerings are also extended to the wandering spirits as well.
Can we still call it the Ghost Festival?
Venerable Bhikkhuni said it is alright to call it a Ghost Festival as such because it has been carried down from generation to generation for so long already.
“Common people would call it a Ghost Festival. That is the layman’s understanding. For us, the Buddhist community, we call it Ulambana.
“We cannot correct it. As for the Buddhists, they already understand and how to call it – Ulambana Festival,” she said.
Recalling when she was young, when she still did not understand the meaning behind the Ulambana Festival, she said she too was scared as it was thought as a ghost month.
“Our parents would normally say that during the seventh month not to go out late at night. So, after understanding what it is about, there is really nothing to be afraid of.
“The ghosts are around all the time. Not only during the seventh month,” she said.
Most importantly, during the seventh lunar month have compassion and help those in need, she said.
Talking about whether there is such a thing as good ghosts and bad ghosts, Venerable Bhikkhuni said just like in this world of living, there are good and bad beings, and it depends on how people perceive beings from the other world.
“As human beings, we have certain thoughts about the other dimensions. If you have these thoughts in your mind, then everyday you will see ghosts.
“If you think that every day is good, then every day will be a good day,” she said.
Common myths during the seventh lunar month
Many still believe that during the seventh lunar month of the Chinese calendar, there are certain taboos that need to be observed to avoid unwanted incidences or bad luck.
Most commonly, they say, avoid organising auspicious events, holding weddings, opening up a business, and moving to a new house or renovating a house.
Some believe that swimming is also not advisable as bad spirits might pull you under the water.
Other do’s and don’ts includes:
- Do not touch, move and step on offerings that are put on the roadside or pavements.
- Do not leave external doors open at night as you might invite ghosts to enter the house.
- Do not put chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice, as this resembles joss sticks used for prayers and spirits may mistake this for an offering.
- Do not hang clothes outside during night time as spirits might ‘borrow’ them.
- Avoid taking pictures late at night as photos of spirits might be captured.
- Avoid staying out too late as there will be roaming spirits, the best time to be home is before sunset.
- If you see something interesting on the street, don’t pick it up, as it might belong to the spirits.
- Avoid wearing red or black clothes as spirits are attracted to these colours.
But according to Venerable Bhikkhuni, every day of the year is the same.
“Everyday is a good day. This means, to have a good heart, be compassionate and feel happy,” she said.
Nothing to be afraid of during the seventh lunar month
Commenting about refraining from going out late at night during the seventh lunar month, she said people are bound by such perception.
“Sometimes parents tell us not to go out late at night because they don’t want us to go out. So they will make up stories and scare you to make you feel afraid,” she said, adding that such a perception would be handed down from adults to the younger ones.
Talking about unwanted incidents such as road crashes and others, she said it is due to not being careful or careless, and nothing about ghosts causing these to happen.
“So, why do you see so many ‘bad’ things such as road accidents, people drowning during the seventh lunar month? It is because people emphasise more about it.
“But how about the other 11 months? These unwanted incidents do occur as well. Not just only during the seventh lunar month,” she said.
She said thus there is a need to re-programme how people think about the seventh lunar month.
“We should be thinking about the positive things only then we can attract good things.
“If we promote loving kindness and compassion the whole world would be better,” she said.
She also reminded that not only during the seventh lunar month, should people be mindful of their actions and speech daily.
“Some people think that they are very helpful, but on the other hand, their verbal actions speak otherwise. They slander, they sweet talk, backstab, this is not right.
“If this goes on, it becomes a habit, so we must correct our bad habits. Be a better person, have love, passion and care for others,” she said.
