Through dedication of merits to your loved ones.
http://www.jenchen.org.sg/vol5no1a.htm
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.
The practice of Ullabana is not restricted to the deceased nor
those who are sufferings in the lower realms, but even for the
living, and those who may have ascended to higher planes like the
heavens. All these beings can receive your kind dedication of
merits and this will help them a lot.
You can attend Pujas at monasteries to dedicate the merits. You
should also give offerings to the Sangha. Through this, you can
liberate the deceased.
