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Commonly known as "Festival of Hungry Ghosts"

We have all heard about the Hungry Ghost Festival. So who let's the ghosts out? Why are they "released" once a year and when released why must they be appeased? According to superstition, ghosts are released from hell in the 7th month of the Lunar calendar for a one-month break in the human world. In order to appease them, animals are slaughtered and offered to these 'hungry ghosts', together with other food. Big feasts and other festivities are held during this month and the most 'auspicious day' is the 15th day of the month. It is so widespread that this yearly affair is dubbed the Month or Festival of the Hungry Ghosts.

What is this really all about? Did you know that this actually has its roots in Buddhism?

Maudgalyayana

Maudgalyayana was one of the chief disciples of the Buddha. He had immense supernatural abilities as a means to benefit all beings: to appear at any place at will, unlimited vision; to hear all sounds regardless of the distance. He had the ability to read and understand whatever was in a person's mind and also the ability to see clearly the events that occurred in a person's many past lives aeons ago. Thus, Maudgalyayana is considered to be a Maha-Bodhisattva.

His mother

He saw that his deceased mother had taken rebirth in the realm of the hungry ghost. Her stomach was enlarged and she had tiny limbs. Her throat was as small as the eye of a needle, and as a result, it was impossible for her to eat any food or even to swallow a drop of water. Maudgalyayana could not bear the sight of his mother in such an extreme state of suffering. He immediately filled his begging bowl with food and with the immense ability that he possessed, he sent it to his mother. However, she could not have the food because each time she could only see the food as charcoal before she could put it in her mouth.

Buddha's Advice

It hurt Maudgalyayana to see what was happening and because of his strong emotion for his mother, it hindered his ability to see the karma that she had committed in her past lives. He went to Buddha for advice. The Buddha entered into meditative absorption, and with great compassion said: "Maudgalyayana, your mother did not believe in the retributions arising from the law of cause and effect. She committed many evil deeds. She dishonoured the Buddha and insulted the sangha (spiritual community) , had no respect for the Three Jewels, was greedy, filled with hatred, ignorant and arrogant. She was a wicked person who committed many evils, and she teased others giving them no peace. Therefore, she is suffering such a bitter consequence. Even though you are her son and your filial piety touches the heavens, these are still not able to save a person who had committed such serious evil karma." On hearing this, Maudgalyayana wept in pain.

Help the hungry ghost

The Buddha continued to console him, "It is impossible to rely solely on your own effort to save your mother from the realm of the hungry ghost. The only way is to use the combined merits of the Sangha. The 15th day of the 7th month of each year is designated "Buddha's Joy Day". This is the last day of the Sangha's summer retreat, and because of the purity with which the Sangha observed the precepts and practised cultivation, they accumulate merits are immense beyond imagination, and the Buddha is most delighted. If you make an offering to these Sangha during this time, you can liberate your deceased parents and relatives from the suffering of the three evil realms (realms of animal, hungry ghost and hell) through their immense merits. If the parents are still living, then they shall be blessed with good health, happiness and a life of abundance. This is the truly marvellous method of giving salvation to the deceased." Maudgalyayana was delighted to hear this, and carried out the Buddha's advice accordingly. Thus, on the 15th of the 7th month after the offering to the Sangha, Maudgalyayana's mother was liberated from the suffering of the realm of the hungry ghost.

To give offering to the Sangha in this way is called the 'Ullambana' method. After Maudgalyayana received the benefits from this Dharma, he was very grateful to the Buddha and praised the merits of the Three Treasures. He advised people to promote the 'Ullambana Dharma'. This day, the 15th of the 7th month, can also be considered an occasion to express our gratitude and filial piety to our parents and ancestors. Unfortunately, the passage of time has seen degeneration in understanding and purpose, so much so that this special occasion is not performed in accordance to the Dharma. Today, this auspicious celebration has become a day of auctions and widespread slaughter of animals to be used as offering to the hungry ghosts. The original act of performing offerings to the Sangha has become a day for feasting and making offerings to the hungry ghosts, often referred to as 'to invite the good brothers to a feast'. These practices are not only against the compassion of the Buddha, but also goes against Maudgalyayana's advice to the world to be filial and to perform good deeds.

At Thekchen Choling, the month is marked with chanting of the Ksitigarbha Sutra, Amitayus Sutra and other confession texts. As we must transform our mind to regard all sentient beings as our mothers it is an incredibly beneficial method to benefit mothers of countless lifetimes.

From the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra "By reciting or hearing the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Sutra any being will attain seven kinds of benefits :

1. They can attain the divine stages quickly.

2. They will be free from bad Karma.

3. They will be protected by Buddhas.

4. They will proceed towards Buddhahood without falling back.

5. The energy of will to do right will be increased.

6. They will have the power to recollect past lives.

7. They will finally attain Buddhahood

From the Smaller Sukhavativyuha Sutra : Shariputra, if there be a good man or a good woman who listens to those Buddhas' invocation of the name (of Buddha Amitayus) and the name of this Sutra, that good man or woman will be protectedby all the Buddhas and never fail to attain Anuttarasamyaksambodhi. For this reason, Shariputra, all of you should believe in my words and in what all the Buddhas proclaim.

 盂兰节     

在本地， 人们称之为‘鬼节’ 。为了安抚‘饿鬼’又名‘好兄弟’从地狱里释放出来，到人间度假一个月，人们就会宰杀鸡鸭等供品祭祀给他们。大摆宴席或摆歌台请这些‘好兄弟’观赏等等。

    其实盂兰节的真正意义是农历七月十五又称“佛欢喜日”或“僧自恣日”，是源于佛世时的印度，因为每逢夏日雨季来临，地面上有很多昆虫，要出去就会踩死很多昆虫，所以佛陀就制下一种叫“结雨安居”的制度。因此，农历四月十五至七月十五这段时间，所有僧侣皆不外出拖钵，只在山林间打坐经行，专心修持。印度的天气分为热天、雨天和寒冷气候。当佛教传到中国的时候，“结雨安居”的季节刚好是中国的夏天，所以在中国就有“结夏安居”。

　　农历七月十五日，是大众夏安居九十日清净守护、实践戒法的圆满之日。三个月的精进用功，到七月十五日这一天，所有僧众会将修行体悟向佛陀一一报告，有许多人因而证果成就佛道，诸佛菩萨见弟子道业有成，感到欣慰和欢喜，安居到此结束，所以也叫做“解夏”。因此，农历七月十五是很殊胜的日子。

　　此外，农历七月十五也是一年一度的盂兰盆节。此法会以大目犍连尊者度母因缘为缘起，为解一切众生之倒悬，度脱无始以来的亡灵有情、父母师生，令其得以福资增长、善根增长、法缘增长，乃至成就菩提。目犍连尊者曾经为了救度母亲而于此日斋僧，沿传至今，每到农历七月十五日，佛弟子恪遵佛制，举办盂兰盆法会，打斋供僧，以此功德回向现世父母消灾延寿，七世父母得以脱离恶道。佛教界更将此日订为“僧宝节”，以“供僧大会”来表达对僧众的恭敬供养。