Hungry Spirits Month...

I was checking the Lunar calendar the other day and it dawned me that at the moment, it is the 7th month of the Lunar calendar. This is a very important month for the Chinese because it is the month of Hungry Spirits Festival. (Some people may term it as Chinese Halloween).

Since ancient times, the Chinese believe that the Gates of Hades are open between the 1st and 30th day of the Chinese Lunar 7th month. During this period, the spirits are allowed to wander on earth to look for food. The Chinese celebrate this festival is to remember their dead family members and pay tribute to them. They also feel that offering food to the deceased appeases them and wards off bad luck.

On the 15th day of the month (which is the climax of the celebration), it is called the Hungry Spirits Day. The celebration of this day bore some similarities with the Day of the Dead for Mexicans.

The origins of this festival remains unclear. It was said that this festival was started in India and when it spread to China, the Chinese added some elements of Confucian and Taoism to it. However, there is a popular Buddhist legend that relates to this festival. It is about about a Buddhist monk by the name of Mahāmaudgalyāyana who became the Buddha's disciples. Mahāmaudgalyāyana is renown for his clairvoyant powers. He was very concerned for his bereaved mum who was apparently not a very good person when she was alive. By using his clairvoyant powers, he look all over the place and found out that his deceased mother was suffering in hell.

He was saddened. His mother was competing with the other spirits for food and looking miserable. Seeing that, he sent food (by making offerings) to his mother but to his dismay, the food turn into burning coal and burnt her mother’s mouth.

He went to the Buddha for advice. The Buddha told him to make offerings (plenty of it) on the 15th Day of the 7th lunar month. Through the merits created, Mahāmaudgalyāyana's mother was relieved of her sufferings and finally gained a human birth.

Ever since then, people made offerings to the ghost in the form of prayers, food and paper money to the deceased in the month.

During this festival, the living people would prepare sumptuous meals for the hungry ghosts. They feel that they have to satisfy the ghosts in order to get good fortune and luck in their lives. Also, people offer prayers to the deceased relatives, burn paper money, paper houses, paper transportation, paper accessories and joss sticks massively to their ancestors as well as wandering spirits in front of their homes.

The Chinese believe that giving the spirits such necessities would enable them to live comfortably when they go back their own world. In South East Asia, it is a common sight to see entertaining Chinese Opera shows performed on outdoor stages in many neighbourhoods. These events are always held at night. Such entertainment would please those wandering spirits that comes to earth once a year.

There are many taboos that need to be observed during this month. Here are some of them:-

General taboos

1) Don't: Hang bells around your bed
Reason: It will attract malevolent spirits to come by, and also the easiest time to possess when a person is sleeping.

2) Don't: Hang out late at night
Reason: Children and young adults are also advised to return home early and not to wander around alone at night. This is because that the wandering ghosts can possess children easily.

3) Don't: Burn papers at unsuitable places
Reason: People usually burn things for the spirits, so it means it will attract them.

4) Don't: Steal things belong to the spirits (offerings for the spirits)
Reason: Those items belong to them, so if you touch it without permission, you'll get into trouble.

5) Don't: Dry your clothes outdoors at night
Reason: The spirits might borrow it to wear and also leave some negative energy on it.

6) Don't: Call names
Reason: When you hang out with friends at night, don't call each other's name, better to use a nickname so that the spirits will not remember you.

7) Don't: Swim
Reason: It is believed that those previously drowned evil spirits might cause you to drown in the swimming pool. Such spirit need to find victims in order for them to be go for rebirth.

8) Don't: Placed banyan(a type of tree) in front of your house
Reason: This tree will attract spirits to stop by there.

9) Don't: Lean on to the wall
Reason: Walls are kinda cold, and spirits like to lean on them, if you do so, it's easy to attract the spirits.

10) Don't: Pick up money on the road
Reason: It might be belonged to the spirits, don't touch it.

11) Don't: Do not turn your head when someone calls you from behind or taps on your shoulder (Instead, turn your whole body, along with your head.)
Reason: It could be the malevolent spirits are calling and trying to possess you.

12) Don't: Place your hands on other's shoulder
Reason: Human beings have 3 'fires', 1 on the head and 2 at each end of the shoulder, if either 1 is extinguish, one might get possess easily.

13) Don't: Place slippers facing the bed
Reason: Spirits will determine where human are by looking at the direction of how shoes/slippers(front part) is placed.

14) Don't: Interpose chopstick in a bowl of rice
Reason: The spirits might share food with you if you do so.

15) Don't: Being alone
Reason: When you're alone, the spirits are more daring to come by.

16) Don't: Take picture at night
Reason: You might inadvertently take them home with you.

17) Don't: Play "spirit coin"
Reason: You attract malevolent spirits

18) Don't: Whistle
Reason: If you do that at night, it'll attract the spirits.

19) Don't: Sing oldies songs at crossroads
Reasone: Crossroads are place where they like to hang about, as for the singing part, it'll attract the spirits.

20) Don't: Do not play any musical instruments at night
Reason: If you do that at night, it'll attract the spirits.

21) Don't: Talk nonsense/swear/curse or mention the word ghosts
Reason: It might offend the spirits and you might get into trouble.

22) Don't: Move into new homes or open new businesses
Reason: It is considered inauspicious and bad luck on new ventures.

23) Don't: Get married during this month
Reason: Because couples will have bad ending. Some malevolent spirits may cast a bad spell on couples during their wedding.

24) Don't: Go for jungle trekking and going on camping trips
Reason: Because chances of injuries, possession and death are high. Some spirits need to find victims in order for them to be go for rebirth.

25) Drive very carefully during this month to avoid accidents, as there may be many wandering spirits who died of accidents previously that are searching for next victims so that they could be reincarnated. Try to avoid buying cars for the same reason.

26) Don't: Go for holidays/trips unnecessarily
Reason: Because chances of injuries, possession and death are high. Some spirits need to find victims in order for them to be go for rebirth.

27) Avoid attending funerals, visiting the sick or attending any ‘yin’ celebration. It is a good time to do some charity work and take vegetarian meals on the 1st and 15th day.

Taboos for travelling
For those who are travelling, they may want to be cautious when staying in hotels. The hotels are considered as a "yin place" in feng shui and is normally a favourite settlement for the spirits.

1) Provide a respectful knock on the bedroom door before you enter the room for the first time.

2) Avoid entering the room right away. Whisper to yourself that you are renting the room to stay temporarily, as a form of asking permission. Let any spirit leave the bedroom first before you enter.

3) Position your pair of shoes or sandals facing the door. The shoes must be away from the bed. One side of the shoe points to the door and the other side point inwards.

4) Place a glass of salt water next to your bed. Salt is an excellent antidote for dirty energy.

5) Flush the toilet bowl first before using it.

6) Avoid wearing black or striking red coloured clothings to prevent yourself absorbing negative energy into the body.

7) Normally there is a bible or quran in the drawers. Please avoid touching or moving them from their original positions.

8) Keep the toilet's door closed with lights turned off when you go to sleep.

9) Avoid facing the mirror when you sleep. If the mirror is designed in this manner, cover it with a towel.

10) Avoid placing any shoes next to the bed when sleeping.

11) Watch out the mouth from mentioning anything about ghost. Ghost story telling must be avoided by all means.

For some reasons unknown, many people claimed that there are more disasters and accidents happened during the 7th month. They also claimed that more people fall sick during this period. I certainly noticed the same trend even in New Zealand (which is freaky...). Call me superstitious , but I rather stick to the taboos to be safe than sorry...