Today is the exact mid of the seventh lunar month. Maybe I can pen down some random thoughts.
This is the month of many taboos.
If you have noted…
- No “sane” chinese person will get married during this month.
- If anyone were to get a new house during this period, he will make sure the renovation does not start during this month.
- It was reported that in Taiwan, the hospitals are crowded as people rushed and asked to be admitted to the hospital just before the month, as getting admitted into hospital during this period is unthinkable. Sway lah, they claimed.
- Some even said there is an observable increase in the number of funerals all around the island.
Etc..
Besides, there are just too many offerings (of joss sticks and joss papers) almost everywhere. I came back late last night, only to see a pile of joss papers burning wildly and strongly near a tree with no one to attend to it at all. It didn’t look like the strength of the fire was going to diminish any sooner. Obviously, that fellow who started the offerings wasn’t patient enough to stay on to ensure it was safe (in any sense), left (too) early to sleep. How irresponsible?! Mm..
A thought raced through my mind.
Do these people who offer the joss sticks and joss papers so generously know what they are doing?
What is the purpose of “中元节”? The essence is for “普渡”.
Do we think the souls can be “普渡” with just the offerings of joss sticks and joss papers (and many food items)?
Do we carried out all these rituals in the true spirit of wanting to “普渡”?
Or we performed all those rituals just to appease those wondering souls?
Or is it the case that whether we believe or not, just do it, just in case? Heh…
Yes, many people are practicing it…
But, there are even more people who are not observing it or practicing it, yet living very well.
难道是“信则有，不信则无”的关系？荒唐！
Hey, I am not suggesting all people to forgo the practice. I just want people to think about their own practices.
若言普渡众生，尔等可知普渡之法？
若只是将重点至于地府幽魂，岂有参透“普”字之意？
相信参与者皆认同有“鬼魂”，那么应该也认同有“神明”。
再想想“鬼魂”与“神明”是谁人当？
了解他们都曾经在人间走一回，百年岁后，路却不相当，因何故？
咳！
其实还有千言，不知从何开始。
不如今天就到此为止。
…
敢问一句：我们自己被“渡化”了吗？
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
七月
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2 comments:
hmmm did u burn any joss papers? haha
my family does that every year...
Hi. Firstly, I don’t oppose the observing of the festival. In fact if we learn about how it first came about, we might be pretty amazed and may even find it quite touching.
But the way I see it, the “essence” of the festival is already very much diluted over thousands of years.
I try to find out why people are still observing it… erm…
- They believe in the wandering souls. They are worried of offending any. They just hope they don’t come and “kajiao” them and they pray so that their own safety and the safety of their family members are more or less “guaranteed”. I only like the part of the sincere concern demonstrated towards family members.
- They believe that these “hao xiong di” brings them luck. There are countless of instances where people strike it rich, immediately after participating actively in the month’s activities (offering of incense, joss papers, auctioning over-prized auspicious items back home, etc.. ) This only further enhanced the belief that what they are doing is “correct” and these wandering souls must be so happy that they are returning a kind favour. But people, where’s the “essence”, the “essence”?! Haha…
- Etc..
To answer your question more directly, I don’t burn these joss papers as this was never part of the original practice (be in Buddhism or Taoism or whatever –ism). I don’t think the currency policy there is controlled by the mortal world here (by don’t know what printing companies?). :P
Nevertheless, I don’t really oppose it, if it is done more or less on the “right” spirit.
That is
- to alleviate the sufferings of these wandering souls,
- wishing they could transcend to a better realms, and so on...
By the way, although I don’t burn these joss papers, my parents still do. Oh well, I don’t think they can sleep well at night if they were asked to stop. The practice has been so deep-rooted. They are the seniors, let them be ba… but if you/they were to ask me, I think there are better means.
These are just my random thoughts this morning.
No offense hor.
Yes, let’s pray for their deliverance...
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