Hungry Ghost Month
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"One need not be a cow to know that it eats grass, poops and produces methane in the process.
Methane is 20x (citations needed) more potent than carbon dioxide in green house effect. I'm pretty sure the cow don't know about this as it doesn't need to."
Applicable to scientist... but not limited to them.
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Originally posted by Mel.greywolf:
Hi,
I hate it when my in-laws keep telling me can not do this or that during that 7th month. So, one day, I asked that among all the Chinese virtue, which is the greatest. Of cause it is filial piety (å�).
And I told them the story of 木莲救�. Mu lan's mother did something wrong, and was send to hell. Mu lan went through a lot of trials just to atone for her mother. To cut the story short, and the deity took pity of him, and allow him to meet with his mother. But it will be unfair to just release his mother to earth, so they determine to release all ghosts to earth on that certain month, so as to visit their love ones.
Then I asked my in-laws, if we hide at home, not going out, what will our ancestor think? That we are avoiding them? Is this filial piety?
From that day on, my in-laws never stop my family from doing any activities on 7th month, be it travelling, swimming, or practical anything.
So, as much as those who believe that there is ghost, remember, there is also God. If we put our faith in God, what is there to fear ghost? Reasonable?
There is one type of ghost that God also can't help you. That is your karmic ghost (karmic debtor). I met someone who believed in God but was haunted by his karmic ghost. God can't help him, so he turned to all types of religions including taoism for help, trying to get rid of his karmic ghost but I've no idea did he manage to get rid of it.
"Karmic ghost" may not always haunt a person but it can create havoc in your life.
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Originally posted by Dawnfirstlight:
There is one type of ghost that God also can't help you. That is your karmic ghost (karmic debtor). I met someone who believed in God but was haunted by his karmic ghost. God can't help him, so he turned to all types of religions including taoism for help, trying to get rid of his karmic ghost but I've no idea did he manage to get rid of it.
"Karmic ghost" may not always haunt a person but it can create havoc in your life.
On Karmic Ghost - "For every action, there is an equal n opposite reaction" - I Nfor wat we have done n shld hv done, it will come bak to haunt us years down the road. There is no ghost wen u have the peace of mind.
On 7th month Ghost - The real ghost is u
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Originally posted by Dawnfirstlight:
There is one type of ghost that God also can't help you. That is your karmic ghost (karmic debtor). I met someone who believed in God but was haunted by his karmic ghost. God can't help him, so he turned to all types of religions including taoism for help, trying to get rid of his karmic ghost but I've no idea did he manage to get rid of it.
"Karmic ghost" may not always haunt a person but it can create havoc in your life.
Karmic ghost is different from karmic debtors, ya? What you're referring to is literally someone from a past life lingering around as a "ghost"/"spirit" to extract revenge?
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Originally posted by realization:
Karmic ghost is different from karmic debtors, ya? What you're referring to is literally someone from a past life lingering around as a "ghost"/"spirit" to extract revenge?
you believe in past life? -
Originally posted by realization:
Karmic ghost is different from karmic debtors, ya? What you're referring to is literally someone from a past life lingering around as a "ghost"/"spirit" to extract revenge?
Karmic debtors can be in many forms. The more revengeful one will be what you said, lingering around as a "ghost or spirit" to take revenge on the person who harmed him in his past life. Others will be like creating havoc.
I heard of my ex-colleague's relative being haunted by 2 karmic debtors in the form of spirit (ghost). The spirits claimed that my ex-colleague's relative killed their whole family in his past life.
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Originally posted by lce:
you believe in past life?I'm convinced there are past lives and rebirth.
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Originally posted by lce:
you believe in past life?Those who claim that they will go to heaven after death. Their past life is human.
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Originally posted by Dawnfirstlight:
Those who claim that they will go to heaven after death. Their past life is human.
... never thought of it that way. You crack me up. -
now i noe why we sucked big times
there are more evils in the real world n u guys r afraid of ghost in the underworld.
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fyi Karmic "debtors" can be human too.
there are four kind of affinity/yuan when a child is born
报��报怨�讨债�还债这四� 缘
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Originally posted by lce:
now i noe why we sucked big times
there are more evils in the real world n u guys r afraid of ghost in the underworld.
We are well aware of the evils in the real world. The topic we are discussing now is "Hungry Ghost Month". So, we are talking something relating to this topic.
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Originally posted by I No Stupid:
Science is about discoveries and determining or explaining natural phenomena. It has no place in metaphysics. Science is also about challenging established understanding. It is not static; therefore the notion of 'science is not always right' is meaningless. Scientists don't claim they are right without any basis, they seek understanding of the true nature by investigation, test, observation, experiment, gathering data and evidence. They say they are right only by supported evidence. Science is also not faith. Faith doesn’t require establishing truth by logical and systematic technique used in science.
Your belief in monster cookie is just belief. Kids may believe but I don’t. I’ll just put the cookie in a jar and bite the monster whenever I need a bite.
We all possess faith at some level, whether or not we can extend it to meet with logic, means that we are limiting ourselves and what we can do.
We have faith in theories of science, because it allows us to build such wonderful machines but only because those that do make them have faith in the theory after using it time and time again.
Criticism of faith is unsound because we all possess it. Faith exists in two forms. The first which allows us to have faith in the things that are, and the second is faith in possibilities. They are one in the same, and yet only slightly different because one is from a closed heart, and the other is one with an open heart. -
Greywolf your story to your mother-in-law doesn't make sense to me , what is Mu Lian story to do with you going out during the 7 month? There are certain taboos during the 7 month but it is for the safety of the living beings. And what is God to do with Mu Lian buddhist story and the 7th month? Your God refers to who?
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Originally posted by Aneslayer:
"One need not be a cow to know that it eats grass, poops and produces methane in the process.
Methane is 20x (citations needed) more potent than carbon dioxide in green house effect. I'm pretty sure the cow don't know about this as it doesn't need to."
Applicable to scientist... but not limited to them.
wow u so smart le
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Originally posted by Aneslayer:
"One need not be a cow to know that it eats grass, poops and produces methane in the process.
Methane is 20x (citations needed) more potent than carbon dioxide in green house effect. I'm pretty sure the cow don't know about this as it doesn't need to."
Applicable to scientist... but not limited to them.
liquidize yr methane to methanol n soak up the damp foul moisture in here -
Hungry Ghost Month Taboos Taboos to Follow: 1. Avoid swimming during the 7th month. It is believed that those previously drowned evil ghost might cause you to drown in the swimming pool. Such ghost need to find victims in order for them to be go for rebirth. 2. Children and young adults are also advised to return home early and not to wander around alone at night. This belief is due to the reason that the wandering ghosts can possess children easily. 3. Avoid moving into new homes and opening new businesses this month as it is considered inauspicious and bad luck on new ventures. 4. Avoid getting married during this month because couples will have bad ending. Some bad ghost may cast a bad spell on couples during their wedding. 5. Avoid going for jungle trekking and going on camping trips as chances of injuries, possession and death are high. 6. Drive very carefully during this month to avoid accidents, as there may be many wandering spirits who died of accidents previously that are searching for next victims so that they could be reincarnated. 7. Protect your entrances with the genuine Peachwood Sword. This is the most excellent protector of ghost and evil spirits, claimed by many of our customers. Alternatively one may also choose to use the Seven Stars Sword of Chung Kwei. Hotel Taboos: For those who are travelling, they may want to be cautious when staying in hotels. The hotel is considered as a "yin place" and is normally a favorite settlement for ghosts. The following are some tips that one can follow when staying in hotels to prevent ghostly encounters: 1. Provide a respectful knock on the bedroom door before you enter for the first time. 2. Avoid entering the room right away. Whisper to yourself that you are renting the room to stay temporarily, as a form of asking permission. Let any spirit leave the bedroom first before you enter. 3. Place your pair of shoes or sandals facing the door. The shoes must be away from the bed. One side of the shoe points to the door and the other side point inwards. 4. Display a glass of salt water next to your bed. Salt is an excellent antidote for dirty energy. 5. You are encouraged to flush the toilet bowl first before using it. 6. You are also encouraged to avoid wearing black or striking red colored clothings. 7. Normally there is a bible or quran in the drawers. Please avoid touching or moving them from their original positions. 8. Always keep the toilet's door closed with lights turned off when you go to sleep. 9. Try to avoid facing the mirror when you sleep. If the mirror is designed in this manner, try to cover it with a towel. 10. Avoid placing any shoe next to the bed when sleeping. 11. Watch out the mouth from mentioning anything about ghost. Ghost story telling must be avoided by all means. 12. Display a 7 Star Sword made from Peach wood. It must be made from "genuine peach wood" to be effective in chasing away ghosts and protecting one with a good night's sleep. http://www.fengshuibestbuy.com/hungryghostfestival.html Rituals and Prayer Celebrations: The dead would return to visit their living relatives during the 7th month of the Chinese Lunar year and thus the living people would prepare sumptuous meals for the hungry ghosts. The Chinese feel that they have to satisfy the ghosts in order to get good fortune and luck in their lives. During this festival, the Chinese offer prayers to the deceased relatives, burn paper money, paper houses, paper transportation, paper accessories and joss sticks massively to their ancestors as well as wandering spirits in front of their homes. Giving the ghost such necessities would enable them to live comfortably when they go back their own world. In Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, it is a common sight to see entertaining Chinese Opera shows performed on outdoor stages in many neighborhoods. These events are always held at night. Such entertainment would please those wandering ghosts that comes to earth once a year
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Leogirldreamer come here to advertise. A Malaysian.
Look like Chinese in Sg and My have a lot of differences in Chinese culture.
There are books on what is 7th month all about. Eg. in Bright Hill temple. Taboo are experiences pass down from generation. Sad to say, some are fake by Sales people who is trying to make a quick buck.
In fact, the translation Hungry Ghost from Zhong Yuan Jie is NOT right.
Sometimes ago, 8th month the 15th was translated as Moon Cake festival by the Amg Mo. It was later translated by locals to be Mid Autuum festival. Not just about moon cake.
Could some guys help to translate Zhong Yuan Jie into English ?
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Punggol meegoreng you from malaysia ? so you go around assuming all forummers here are from your country?
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The Hungry Ghost Festival celebrates the Taoist belief in the afterlife. Chinese communities in Malaysia and Singapore believe that the gates of Hell open on the 7th lunar month, freeing the spirits of the dead to roam in the world of the living. The living, in turn, must make offerings of food and burnt prayer money to the souls of the dead to appease them. The ghosts in question inspire both pity and fear. The spirits who roam the earth during this time have been denied access to Heaven for some reason, or have no descendants on earth to make offerings on their behalf. The former will look for any living being to take their place in Hell. The latter are starved from their year-long stint in Hell, and seek sustenance during their earthly furlough. The spirits of dead ancestors, though not as needy as the ghosts described above, are also celebrated by their living descendants during this time. Celebrating Hungry Ghost Festival Throughout Singapore and in Chinese enclaves in Malaysia (Penang and Melaka chief among them), Chinese go all out to feed and entertain the roaming ghosts. In 2009, the Chinese in Malaysia celebrate Hungry Ghost Festival from August 20 to September 18. In Singapore, the celebration is held from August 29 to September 1. Song stages known as getai are set up, and Chinese opera (phor thor) and puppet shows held for both the living and the dead. Spectators leave the first row empty to accommodate the spirits. More modern entertainments like karaoke and dance contests are also held on these stages, presumably for the spirits of the more recently deceased. To satiate their dead relatives, Chinese will offer meals and burn joss sticks, "hell money" (wads of fake paper money), and assorted paper versions of earthly goods like TVs, cars, and furniture. The Chinese, who believe that the ancestors can help them and their businesses from beyond the grave, do this to ensure continuing blessings and protection from beyond. Food offerings are also left along roadsides and street corners, and outside houses. The latter theoretically prevent hungry ghosts from entering residences - after all, with food just waiting outside the door, who needs to go inside? Visit the local Taoist temples and wet markets to see the most spectacular displays of food offerings for Hungry Ghost. These displays are usually overseen by an effigy of the Leader of the Hungry Ghosts, the Taai Si Wong, who gets first dibs on the food on the table and keeps lesser ghosts in line, preventing them from doing too much mischief during their time on Earth. Penang boasts of the largest Taai Si Wong in Malaysia, which is set up every year at Market Street on Bukit Mertajam. These places are usually fragrant affairs, as the air will be thick with the smell of burning joss sticks. Giant "dragon" joss sticks loom over the smaller sticks, like fenceposts in tall grass. The giant joss sticks are usually placed by businessmen, who seek the favor of the spirits so their businesses will do better. On the 30th day of the seventh moon, the ghosts find their way back to Hell, and the gates of the Underworld are shut. To see the ghosts off, paper offerings and other goods are incinerated in a giant bonfire. The Taai Si Wong effigy is burned along with the rest of the goods to send him back to Hell. Hungry Ghost Traditions The month of Hungry Ghost Festival is, generally speaking, a bad time to do anything. Many significant milestones are avoided at this time, as people believe it's simply bad luck. Chinese believers avoid traveling or performing any significant ceremonies throughout the festival. Businessmen avoid riding in airplanes, buying property, or closing business deals during Hungry Ghost Festival. Moving house or getting married are frowned upon during this time - it's believed that ghosts will mess up one's plans during the festival, so your house or your marriage may be jeopardized at this time. Swimming is also a scary prospect - children are told that hungry ghosts will pull them under, so they will have a soul to take their place in Hell! Elsewhere on the Web •Dos and Don’ts During Hungry Ghost Festival •Hungry Ghost Festival in Malaysia - Penang Tourism •Hungry Ghost Festival in Singapore - bullockcartwater
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Originally posted by Aneslayer:
I don't blame you for not understanding simple questions, or simple English, and just assumed a position for appealing to ridicule. I pity you...Edit: I'm feeling charitable... I have linked the definition of posit in the word of my previous post, before you quoted it. You have exposed yourself of using a word that you didn't understand. Correct yourself, lest you appear similar to the foreign talents here who boast a degree that they simply bought. Else, get a better education... =D
hahaha, my English is bad, your Rubbish is excellent!
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Originally posted by TTFU:
We all possess faith at some level, whether or not we can extend it to meet with logic, means that we are limiting ourselves and what we can do.
We have faith in theories of science, because it allows us to build such wonderful machines but only because those that do make them have faith in the theory after using it time and time again.
Criticism of faith is unsound because we all possess it. Faith exists in two forms. The first which allows us to have faith in the things that are, and the second is faith in possibilities. They are one in the same, and yet only slightly different because one is from a closed heart, and the other is one with an open heart.Faith generally means trust, firm belief, having the confidence in. Children have faith in their parents. They trust their parents to provide or protect them. When I buy a loaf of bread, I have faith in the bakery. I trust that I won't be poisoned. When you buy an insurance policy, it is based on good faith - meaning the insurer trust that you have declared all the information completely and truthfully. How's that for my English?
In religious faith, it means a firm belief in some supernatural beings, the teachings, or the practices. That means one does so without questioning, checking or verifying. Take the belief in god/God. If you go by faith, you don’t question whether god/God exists or is real. You would also believe the supernatural powers without checking, testing, investigating or verifying. You would take into confidence whatever the teachers told you or written in the scriptures. And you would follow the practices or rites or rituals faith fully.
If you believed something after questioning, checking, investigating, testing, verifying and so forth, then you won’t call it faith. Hence, the term blind faith is used for a belief when there is no question, check, verification, analysis and so forth. Notice that many religions are like that, you don’t question whether their god/God exists. And you accept without question the doctrines or the practices. The belief in ghost is also blind faith.
I don’t subscribe that we ‘possess’ faith. There are reasons why a person would go by faith. A child trusts its parent because of the special relationship. I trust the bakery because I don’t think it would do an evil thing like adding poison to the dough. The insurer has to go by faith because it is quite impossible for it to verify the completeness and truthfulness of the information asked for.
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Faith is not Blind Faith. When Faith is blind Faith, the cults get their members. You believe without questioning.
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Originally posted by I No Stupid:
hahaha, my English is bad, your Rubbish is excellent!
Thank you XD for the appreciation. Thumbs up on you self actualization!
Plan to get a better education. Save yourself the humiliation!
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Originally posted by Leogirldreamer:
Faith is not Blind Faith. When Faith is blind Faith, the cults get their members. You believe without questioning.
Faith is just trust or belief. When you trust or believe without question - that is blind faith. Read the meaning and explanation I have given. If you don't understand ask an English teacher!
Most religions are blind faiths. I know this statement will not go down well. Give a good thought, don't just react emotionally.