Ghost Festival 中元節 (中元節的由來)
The
seventh lunar month is traditionally regarded as Ghost Month, the result of two
major festivals, one Taoist and one Buddhist, both
honoring the dearly departed. The Chungyuan Festival ( 中元節
) is part of the Taoist tradition. It is the date when the god of earth (there
are separate festivals for the god of heaven and the god of water) give
absolution for the sins of dead. In the Buddhist tradition this is the time of
the Ullambana (deliverance) Festival ( 盂蘭盆節
), referring to Buddha’s compassion in granting salvation for the tormented
souls in hell.
融合道教與佛教信仰的中元普渡儀式
面對社會不安之源的孤魂野鬼，發展出七月中元普渡的儀式，以安頓這些地獄中無人祭祀的惡鬼。今日農曆七月中元普渡，除了漢人的鬼魂信仰，也融入道教與佛教的思想，因此七月中元普渡常稱為「中元普渡」或「盂蘭盆會」。「中元普渡」之稱與道教思想有關，在道教的神祇中，有天官、地官、水官，地官執掌赦罪，於農曆七月十五日（即中元日）神祇生日降臨人間，定人之善惡罪福。孤魂野鬼被認為罪過較深，乃延請道士做科儀救渡眾孤鬼。「盂蘭盆會」是梵語之漢譯，意為施食拯救苦難。「盂蘭盆會」係釋迦牟尼告知其弟子目連於七月十五日以盆盛五果百味，供養十方大德，以救母脫離餓鬼道。由於佛、道兩教思想之滲入，中元普渡也有佛、道兩教不同的儀式。
It is a time when respect for one’s
ancestors is greatly emphasized and filial piety gets lots of attention. One of
the reasons for this is that during this month, popular superstition has it
that the gates of hell are opened and the souls of the dead wander among the
living. Failure to do the right thing by the deceased might lead to all kinds
of ill fortune.
The deceased are not a particularly agreeable lot, and need to be pacified by
offerings of food and drink. Jealous of the living, they are prone to bringing
the living across to the dark side. Many people take particular precautions
during Ghost Month, avoiding possibly dangerous activities such as swimming.
For the unsuperstitious, this makes Ghost Month an ideal time for river or
lakeside trips, but you will be warned that you are tempting fate.
Chungyuan marks the high point of Ghost Month and is celebrated across Taiwan
today in the Chungyuan Pu Tu ( 中元普渡 ) or mid-origin
passage of universal salvation. While virtually every major temple on the
island will have activities on this day, the Keelung Ghost Day Festival has
pride of place as the most spectacular.
中元普渡之儀式主要分成：請鬼、施食、誦經、驅鬼等。請鬼，是打開鬼門，迎請陰間的孤魂野鬼來到陽間。為讓眾鬼順利得由幽暗的地獄來到人間，人們在廟前豎立燈篙，上掛燈籠，上書「慶讚中元」，引導鬼魂。燈篙愈高，照明範圍愈大，來食的孤鬼就越多，因此各廟必須衡量自己能供食的程度，以免「鬼多粥少」，造成鬼魂的怨懟而加禍於人間。除陸上豎燈篙外，水中也有放水燈之儀式，照明來自水中的溺鬼。因深恐來到陽間的眾鬼不能滿足口食之慾，慎重的街市如鹿港，從鬼門開後，街民分組輪流按日供食祭祀，以保平安。
The Pudu rite can be split up into the
following parts: inviting the ghosts, offering them food, reciting sutras, then
driving the ghosts away again. Inviting the ghosts involves opening the ghost
gate, and inviting the wandering souls to come up from the underworld into the
light. So that the horde of ghosts can have a smooth passage from the gloomy
underworld up into the world of mortals, people erect lantern poles in front of
temples and hang lanterns, “celebrate Chungyuan" as mentioned above, and
guide the ghosts. The higher the lantern poles, the larger the area they light
up, and so the more lonely ghosts that can be fed. For this reason, each temple
must consider the amount of feeding they can provide, so as to avoid having
“too many ghosts and too little gruel" and angering the ghosts into
bringing misfortune on humans. Apart from the lantern poles erected on the
ground, there is also a ceremony where water lanterns are set on the water,
lighting the way for the souls of the drowned. Fearing that the ghosts may be
afraid of the world of mortals and will not be able to eat their fill, so
cautious towns such as Lukang have patrols that take it in turn to offer
sacrificial food each day, after the ghost gate has been opened, so as to keep
things safe.
施食 The offering of
food
「施食」是中元普渡中最重要的儀式，信眾供奉豐盛的飯菜以飽眾孤鬼口福。除食物之外，也為其準備經衣（即新衣），讓其在陽間渡過短暫的舒適生活。施給眾鬼的食品，因有法師的科儀，信眾認為食後會帶來好運，因此有搶取貢品的「搶孤」活動，形成中元普渡過程中最熱鬧的畫面。除了施食之外，也為這些孤魂眾鬼誦經，使其能超渡達於樂土。中元普渡的尾聲是農曆七月二十九的「關鬼門」，這天傍晚，人們在自家門前準備菜餚，為眾孤鬼「餞別」，廟前的燈篙也要拆除，宣告中元普渡結束。有時寺廟生怕孤鬼留連不願歸回陰間而危害陽間之人，因此於是日深夜特請鍾馗押孤，以保地方安寧。
The offering of food is the most
important rite in the Pudu, and believers make sacrifices of rich dishes to
sate the lonely ghosts’ appetites. Apart from food, people also prepare new
clothes to allow their passage into the world to be a comfortable one. Because
of the discipline rite performed by the priest, believers think that the food
for the hordes of ghosts will bring them good luck if they eat it, and so
people compete for the food offerings in the “chiang gu" activity, the
liveliest scene in the Pudu rite. Apart from the offering of food, people also
recite sutras for the wandering souls, so that they can cross over into
paradise. The end of the Pudu rite is the “closing of the ghost gate" on
the 29th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, and at dusk on that
day, people prepare cooked food outside the doors of their homes as a “farewell
dinner" for the lonely ghosts, and the lantern poles in front of the
temples are dismantled, announcing the end of the Pudu rite. Sometimes, fearing
that the lonely ghosts will be unwilling to return to the underworld, and will
harm mortals, temples will invite Chung Kuei (a special deity who protects humans
from evil spirits) to escort the ghosts, and in this way keep the locality safe
and peacefu
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They got in the winners of the Red Dot Design Award listed in our online exhibition in 2013. The design was inspired by Buddhist prayer beads
