Some sort of Chinese ghost festival today
Some sort of Chinese ghost festival today
What's with offering food to the God's or dead people, I can't work out the logic in thinking they are being feed.
I'm standing up, so I must be straight.
What's a poor man do when the blues keep following him around.(Smoking Dynamite)
What's a poor man do when the blues keep following him around.(Smoking Dynamite)
- simon.sayed
- Expatriate
- Posts: 43
- Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2020 6:35 pm
- Reputation: 25
Re: Some sort of Chinese ghost festival today
Cambodia is host to many public holidays (21 set for next year), along with several ‘unofficial’ days off throughout the year, mostly celebrated by Sino/Vietnamese Khmer, but often used as a reason to down tools by many.
September 2, 2020 is Chung-Yuan known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, Zhongyuan Jie (中元節), Gui Jie (鬼節) or Yulan Festival. To many non-Chinese speakers in the kingdom it is referred to as Chinese Pchum Ben.
The origins of this festival differ. One is that of Buddha Shakyamuni‘s best students. He had various supernormal powers and owned the divine eyes.
One day, he saw his deceased mother had been born among hungry ghosts. He went down to Hell, filled a bowl with food to provide for his mother. Before reaching his mother’s mouth, the food turned into burning coals which couldn’t be eaten. Moggallana cried sorrowfully and asked for help from Buddha. Buddha said the sins of his mother was deep and firmly rooted, it couldn’t be forgiven just using the divine power and it’s required the combined power of thousand monks to get rid of her sins.
Buddha told Moggallana that, ” the 15th day of the 7th lunar month is the Pavarana Day for the assembled monks of all directions. You should prepare an offering of clean basins full of hundreds of flavors and the five fruits, and other offerings of incense, oil, lamp, candle… to the greatly virtuous assembled monks. Your present parents and parents of seven generations will escape from sufferings.”
Following Buddha’s instructions, Moggallana’s mother obtained liberation from sufferings as a hungry host by receiving the power of the merit and virtue form the awesome spiritual power of assembled monks on 15th day of the 7th lunar month. Today, similar rituals are held in the Buddhism temples on this day for the deliverance of all suffering spirits.
Modern day families will leave food and drinks as offerings to their ancestors, who will leave hell to feast.
The festival is celebrated across Asia among different Buddhist sects and even some branches of Hinduism. However, it is not an official holiday in mainland China.
September 2, 2020 is Chung-Yuan known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, Zhongyuan Jie (中元節), Gui Jie (鬼節) or Yulan Festival. To many non-Chinese speakers in the kingdom it is referred to as Chinese Pchum Ben.
The origins of this festival differ. One is that of Buddha Shakyamuni‘s best students. He had various supernormal powers and owned the divine eyes.
One day, he saw his deceased mother had been born among hungry ghosts. He went down to Hell, filled a bowl with food to provide for his mother. Before reaching his mother’s mouth, the food turned into burning coals which couldn’t be eaten. Moggallana cried sorrowfully and asked for help from Buddha. Buddha said the sins of his mother was deep and firmly rooted, it couldn’t be forgiven just using the divine power and it’s required the combined power of thousand monks to get rid of her sins.
Buddha told Moggallana that, ” the 15th day of the 7th lunar month is the Pavarana Day for the assembled monks of all directions. You should prepare an offering of clean basins full of hundreds of flavors and the five fruits, and other offerings of incense, oil, lamp, candle… to the greatly virtuous assembled monks. Your present parents and parents of seven generations will escape from sufferings.”
Following Buddha’s instructions, Moggallana’s mother obtained liberation from sufferings as a hungry host by receiving the power of the merit and virtue form the awesome spiritual power of assembled monks on 15th day of the 7th lunar month. Today, similar rituals are held in the Buddhism temples on this day for the deliverance of all suffering spirits.
Modern day families will leave food and drinks as offerings to their ancestors, who will leave hell to feast.
The festival is celebrated across Asia among different Buddhist sects and even some branches of Hinduism. However, it is not an official holiday in mainland China.
Re: Some sort of Chinese ghost festival today
Thank a lot for your in depth explanation fascinating
I'm standing up, so I must be straight.
What's a poor man do when the blues keep following him around.(Smoking Dynamite)
What's a poor man do when the blues keep following him around.(Smoking Dynamite)
Re: Some sort of Chinese ghost festival today
This question seems to get asked every year
Re: Some sort of Chinese ghost festival today
Hahaha I won't ask next year
I'm standing up, so I must be straight.
What's a poor man do when the blues keep following him around.(Smoking Dynamite)
What's a poor man do when the blues keep following him around.(Smoking Dynamite)
- John Bingham
- Expatriate
- Posts: 13779
- Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2014 11:26 pm
- Reputation: 8977
Re: Some sort of Chinese ghost festival today
The food is only offered to the spirits for a short time, then shared out and eaten by living folk.
Well you're not alone there.I can't work out the logic
Silence, exile, and cunning.
-
- Expatriate
- Posts: 63
- Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2020 9:01 am
- Reputation: 25
Re: Some sort of Chinese ghost festival today
Another less than helpful post by Bingham.John Bingham wrote: ↑Wed Sep 02, 2020 9:11 pmThe food is only offered to the spirits for a short time, then shared out and eaten by living folk.
Well you're not alone there.I can't work out the logic
[Mod edit: what are you on about? He answered the OP's query.]
- newkidontheblock
- Expatriate
- Posts: 4466
- Joined: Tue May 20, 2014 3:51 am
- Reputation: 1554
Re: Some sort of Chinese ghost festival today
Burning Joss sticks or candles are the conduit to the spirit world. The spirits get a copy of the offerings on the family altar along with any prayers and blessings made by the living. Once the sticks or candles burn out, connection is severed. Spirits are assumed to have finished eating the spirit offerings and received prayers and blessings. I Time to eat the originals.John Bingham wrote:The food is only offered to the spirits for a short time, then shared out and eaten by living folk.
Hope this is less than useful explanation helps.
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
- 2 Replies
- 2727 Views
-
Last post by HappyChappy
-
- 0 Replies
- 1130 Views
-
Last post by CEOCambodiaNews
-
- 30 Replies
- 20123 Views
-
Last post by jah steu
-
- 13 Replies
- 4013 Views
-
Last post by whatwat
-
- 3 Replies
- 4504 Views
-
Last post by camgolian
-
- 6 Replies
- 2392 Views
-
Last post by techietraveller84
-
- 8 Replies
- 2811 Views
-
Last post by Bitte_Kein_Lexus
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: angsta, Chuck Borris, Fridaywithmateo, Moe, yongchi and 382 guests