The seventh lunar month is here. Are you afraid? People said that this is the month where ghosts roamed the Earth freely, especially when the Gate of Hell opens in the middle of the month. It is also widely believed to be an inauspicious month. Is that so? It is a month steeped in taboos and rituals such as the burning of paper offerings, ancestor worships, chanting, etc. But, do you know the origins of all these?
In Buddhism, the seventh lunar month is considered an auspicious or joyful month, much to the contrary of the Chinese tradition. This is because the fifteenth day of the seventh month marked the end of the three-month-long Vassa (Rain Retreat). Buddha was said to rejoice on this day as his disciples had made great progress in their Dhamma practice upon completion of Vassa. It was also the day that Venerable Moggallana, one of Buddha’s great disciples, delivered his mother from the sufferings of a Preta (Hungry Ghost) and to gain human birth. Interested in knowing how he did it?
Here are some interesting videos that may answer your burning questions:
PS: Sincere apologies that the videos are in Mandarin and do not load in the proper size. To have a better view, click on the headings of the videos and they will link to the original videos on Youtube.