At the dignified grounds of Jing Si Hall, Tzu Chi members paid homage to the Buddhas, offering flowers and fruits, and reciting praises to the Buddha at the commencement of the event. (Photo by Lim Chee Wah)
“I decided at the start of the year that I would no longer burn paper offerings during the seventh lunar month. I distributed the money that was to be used for buying paper offerings to all my colleagues and workers, to show my appreciation and gratitude towards them, as well as to set a good example.” Wu De Hong shared with the audience the change he made ever since he became a Tzu Chi volunteer.
Traditionally, the seventh lunar month has been known as the “Hungry Ghosts Festival.”Legend has it that the gates of Hell are open during this inauspicious period， and many Chinese from Singapore and Malaysia will proceed to burn paper offerings and offer various types of food to the wandering souls to appease them. Yet, during Buddha’s time, this period was in fact a month of joy, where monks and cultivators who had attained realizations after a three-month-long retreat, would share their joy of Dharma with the rest on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month.
The seventh lunar month is also a month that celebrates filial piety, and the origins of the Ullambana Festival can be traced back to the story of how Venerable Maudgalyayana saved his mother from the lower realms of reincarnation. The significance of the festival lies in its celebration of filial piety, and in saving the souls who have fallen into unfortunate states, with the aim to liberate all sentient beings from suffering.
This year, Tzu Chi Singapore Branch organised three sessions of the activity, “Auspicious Seventh Month Prayers – A Heart Full of Gratitude and Joy,” held on the 27th and 28th of July at the Jing Si Hall. The theme of the event was to go vegetarian and conserve the earth, and in so doing, protect life, accumulate blessings and prevent the occurrence of disasters. A total of seven volunteers were invited to share their personal stories of having Right Faith and Right Mindfulness to encourage participants to live out the concepts of “Right Faith, Vegetarianism and Green Living” in their daily lives to bring peace and blessings to all.
Transforming Superstition into Right Faith with Kind Deeds
In the past, De Hong, who is a businessman by occupation, used to think that if he did not burn paper offerings, he would never be able to reap hefty business earnings. Therefore, every seventh lunar month, he would be sure to make grand offerings that would include expensive joss sticks and different varieties of paper money. After joining Tzu Chi, he finally understood the real significance of the seventh lunar month, and realized that treating the people around him with gratitude and appreciation is the best and most practical way to ensure one’s peace of mind.
This year, De Hong, who used to spend a big sum on the ritual offerings, decided to distribute the money to his workers as an additional bonus, encouraging them to share it with those whom they wished to express their gratitude to, or to donate a portion to charity.
Volunteer Wu De Hong (right) and his wife, Zhu Miao Jin distributed the money they had saved from not making ritual offerings this seventh lunar month to their workers as an additional bonus, encouraging them to share or donate a portion to charity. (Photo by Chai Yu Leong)
Many superstitious beliefs and taboos about the seventh lunar month have been passed down over the generations, and those who do not know better, still subscribe to the belief that burning paper offerings ensures their protection from spiritual disturbances during this period. Many companies in Singapore organize grand seventh month ceremonies, where ritual offerings of meat, fruit and other food items, huge joss sticks, and boxes of paper money are offered up. During this month, due to the various large and small-scale offering ceremonies being organized, the smell of smoke can occasionally be detected in the air.
This year, Tzu Chi volunteers visited homes in the neighbourhood community to spread the philosophy behind the auspicious seventh lunar month. They distributed “auspicious vows” cards to the residents, encouraged them to take up vegetarianism as a way to accumulate blessings and repay the debt of gratitude they have for their departed loved ones, and urged them to perform kind deeds to pacify calamities instead of burning paper offerings. Over the two days, the events received an enthusiastic response from the community; many turned up to return the cards, which recorded their promise to fulfill good vows and the number of vegetarian meals they had taken, as an offering to the Buddha. In addition, 230 bamboo banks filled with coins were returned to Tzu Chi as funds for charitable purposes.
A volunteer shows her support for the “A Million Vegetarian Meals” campaign by pasting her vegetarian meal count card onto the pictorial backdrop of a Bodhi tree. (Photo by Lim Chee Wah)
As the coins from the returned Tzu Chi bamboo banks were emptied into the huge vat, it seemed as if the kind aspirations of mankind had joined the vast seas of merit accumulated from helping those in need. (Photo by Derek Tan Chuen Yeow)
Protecting Life and Purifying Ourselves Through Vegetarianism
In just two short hours, attendees were able to benefit from the teachings of Master Cheng Yen through short video clips and hear volunteers share their personal experiences. They were encouraged to substitute meat offerings with flowers and fruits, as consuming a vegetarian diet is not only beneficial to one’s health and friendly to the earth, it is also a pure form of offering blessings to our ancestors.
During the session, Tzu Chi volunteers also presented a short segment of the stage adaptation of the “Water Repentence Sutra.” Volunteer Huang Kai Mei was visibly moved by the Dharma teachings contained within, and was barely able to contain her tears of repentance during the sharing session.
“Since I was a child, I had never liked vegetables; I disliked even tofu and gourd vegetables, and was truly a meat eater！” Kai Mei recalled how during a training camp back in her student days, she once wasted a whole plate of rice vermicelli prepared for breakfast, as she felt that there was just too many bean sprouts added into the dish. Looking back, she now regrets her foolish action.
“Previously, I used to think that as long as I was not the one who had killed the animal, and had not seen how it was killed, the whole matter had nothing to do with me. There are so many other people who consume meat in this world, so I felt that I was not doing anything wrong.”
After participating in the “Dharma as Water” group study sessions, she began to understand the law of cause and effect. She also signed up to perform in the year-end stage adaptation of the sutra, and during the course of the practice sessions, realized that in order for society to be peaceful and harmonious, change must start from within oneself. Therefore, Kai Mei no longer makes excuses for her behavior and has vowed to consume a long-time vegetarian diet.
Volunteers performed a short segment on the “Water Repentance”stage adaptation which was well-received by the audience downstage. (Photo by Chai Yu Leong)
Huang Kai Mei used to love consuming meat in the past. After understanding the law of cause and effect from the “Water Repentance”stage adaptation group study sessions, she publicly repented for her past ignorance and vowed to be a lifelong vegetarian. (Photo by Lim Chee Wah)
Cultivate Restraint and Develop Kind Thoughts to Avert Disasters
During the session, there was a short screening of the story of how Venerable Maudgalyayana saved his mother. The Venerable’s mother loved to consume different types of animal meats, thus accumulating much evil karma in her lifetime. This resulted in her reincarnation in the lower realms of existence after her death. In order to save his mother as well as other hell beings undergoing suffering in the evil realms, the Venerable sincerely and respectfully offered food to all members of the Sangha.
The story of how Venerable Maudgalyayana saved his mother was screened at the event to promote the messages of filial piety and urgency of delivering sentient beings from suffering. (Photo by Chua Teong Seng)
Zheng Zhi Xing, a participant, had gotten to know of Tzu Chi in June of this year, when he attended the Jing Si Book Fair. He not only signed up to take part in the stage adaptation of the “Water Repentence Sutra,” but also decided to adopt a vegetarian diet. The story of how Venerable Maudgalyayana saved his mother had stirred him deeply. In the past, he had always thought that burning paper offerings was an act of respect and filial piety to one’s ancestors, but now, he finally understood that in reality, they are not able to receive his offerings.
Participants Zheng Zhi Xing (third from left and Ding Mei Yin (fourth from left) present their offerings to Buddha with sincere hearts. After attending the event, they now have a better understanding of Buddhism, and are inspired to influence others positively through having Right Faith. (Photo by Lim Chee Wah)
Ding Mei Yin, another participant, does not understand Chinese and had to rely on a volunteer to translate the contents of the session. The message conveyed during this auspicious seventh lunar month, i.e. to have Right Faith, to observe a vegetarian diet, and to conserve the earth’s resources, had struck a chord in her heart. “This event is not just a Buddhist activity, it brings a message that is applicable to everyone.”
Mei Yin realized the concept of impermanence in life after her parents passed away one after the other, and she experienced a bout of serious illness. Hoping to gain a better understanding of Buddhism, she decided to participate in this auspicious seventh lunar month event. Though she had always burnt paper money and made offerings of meat during the seventh lunar month, in recent years, she had started to feel that that it was inappropriate to do so and had replaced them with fruit offerings. Mei Yin now feels that regularly praying for her deceased mother and making offerings of fresh fruit is more meaningful than burning paper offerings.
The people in Singapore had experienced bad haze conditions in June this year; the PSI air quality index had shot past the hazardous 300 level mark, resulting in a shortage of face masks and panic and unease among the populace. As Master Cheng Yen once said, peace and safety comes from one’s sense of mission. If we act with vigilance and restraint today, we can enjoy living in peace and safety tomorrow.
Members of Parliament, Mr Gan Thiam Poh and Mr Yeo Guat Kwang were also present at the event to show their support. At the close of the event, volunteers took the opportunity to promote the campaign for “A Million Vegetarian Meals.”They exhorted everyone to consume three vegetarian meals daily, and if possible, to invite friends and relatives to join them in doing so. The target was set for 1.08 million vegetarian meals to be achieved during the period from 20 June 2013 to 31 December 2013, which will reduce carbon emissions by 842,400 kg. The campaign aims to encourage people to purify their hearts and minds while keeping the earth free from pollution. As of 28 July 2013, a total of 25,382 vegetarian meals had been collectively achieved.
Many attendees respectfully presented their completed“auspicious vows” card in front of the mural of Buddha, then immediately collected another card, with which they can record the number of vegetarian meals they have taken. There were also attendees who decided to sign up as volunteers, or to take part in the year-end stage adaptation of the “Water Repentence Sutra.”A total of 1,270 people took part in the auspicious seventh lunar month event and made auspicious prayers that all have Right Faith and Right Mindfulness, and that disasters be averted by the performance of kind deeds. In so doing, they hope to bring blessings to our earth and all beings.
Participants respectfully present the cards on which they have committed to upholding good vows to Buddha as an offering. By observing a vegetarian diet, and engaging in good deeds instead of burning paper offerings this seventh lunar month, they hope to influence others to save the earth. (Photo by Lee Kwong Seng)
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