Hi I have personally not gone to this fa hui for a very very
long time... so I can't remember. But I can give you the links and
contacts and address.... you can find out from there.
p.s. there's also an article i posted in this forum before
regarding the 7th month:
http://www.jenchen.org.sg/vol5no1a.htm
Volume 5 no
1
Feature
Ullambana Dharma - not Festival of Hungry Ghosts
By Venerable
Shen-Kai
According to a
popular Chinese superstition, ghosts are released from hell in the
7th month of the Chinese 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 all
about?
Among
the chief disciples of the Buddha was one named Maudgalyayana. He
had immense supernatural powers: Deva-foot ubiquity which made it
possible for him to appear at any place at will, the divine sight
of Deva-eye to have unlimited vision of all things, large and
small, near and distant; Deva-ear to hear all sounds regardless of
the distance. Furthermore, he had the ability to read and
understand whatever was in a person's mind. He also had 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 who is foremost in supernatural powers.
One
day, his Deva-eye saw that his deceased mother had transmigrated to
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 alms bowl with food and with the immense power that he
possessed, he sent it to his mother. However, she could not have
the food because each time it turned into charcoal before she could
put it in her mouth. 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 closed his
eyes and entered into pure contemplation. With great compassion and
gentleness, he 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 [1], had no respect
for the Three Treasures (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha), 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.
Notes
1.
Sangha
The corporate assembly of at least 3 monks; in general the term has
come to mean a monk, or monks. 2.
Bodhi
From budh; knowledge, understanding; perfect wisdom; the
illuminated or enlightened mind.
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, many attain the Bodhi [2]. The merits that they accumulate
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 saw a
gradual erosion in its 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 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 a let down to Maudgalyayana who had advised the world to be
filial and to perform good deeds.
When we
refrain from killing and protect all lives, we actually accumulate
the merit of longevity and good health. It is meaningless to kill
other living beings and offer them to the ghost, because they
cannot benefit from these at all. Instead, those who kill shall
have to repay for their action by suffering endlessly in hell.
Unless we put an end to all forms of killing, the world forever
shall not have peace. If the tradition of offering to the ghosts
and the deceased on this day cannot be changed, the least we could
do is to replace the slaughter and offer of meat with vegetarian
food, flowers or fruits. It does not matter if we are not able to
make offerings to the Sangha on this day, but at least we could
invite them to chant the sutra for the purpose of liberating the
deceased. In this way, it benefits both the living and the
deceased.
© Copyright 2002.Jen Chen
Buddhism Centre
Designed by DCS Solutions Ltd
Thanks. Though I understand the text you attached
but I don't know what you are telling me.