Zhongyuan Festival is a traditional festival in China. It is said that on this day, people will meet by the river to put lotus lanterns together, but if you don't know about Zhongyuan Festival, you should pay attention. Putting lotus lanterns is not for blessing, but to commemorate our ancestors. Zhongyuan Festival is also called 'Ghost Festival'. People pay homage to their ancestors on this day. Do you know the origin and legend of Zhongyuan Festival? Let's have a look with Sihai Xiaobian
What is the Zhongyuan Festival
Every year, the 15th day of the seventh lunar month is called "Zhongyuan Festival", also known as "Yulan basin Festival". In some places, it is commonly known as "Ghost Festival" and "Shi Gu", also known as the day of the dead and July and a half.
'Ghost Festival', commonly known as' July and a half '(13 or 14 in some areas). It is said that the deceased ancestor was released by the king of hell for half a month in early July, so there is the custom of receiving the ancestor in early July and sending the ancestor off in July and a half. When giving money to ancestors, paper money was burned a lot for 'ancestors to enjoy'. At the same time, money paper was put into the paper seal with the name of the user and burned during sacrifice, which is called "burning bag". Those who die within a year burn new bags. How big is it? Those who die more than a year burn old bags.
Both rich and poor should prepare wine and vegetables and paper money to pay tribute to the dead to show their memory of the dead ancestors. Zhongyuan Festival is generally seven days, and there are new dead people and old dead people. Those who died within three years are called new dead, and those who died three years ago are called old dead. Superstition says that new and old dead people should go home to have a look during this period. It also says that the time when new and old dead people come back is different. New dead people go back first and old dead people go back later. Therefore, we should sacrifice separately. The time to burn paper money is in the dead of night. First sprinkle lime in the yard for several circles. It is said that the paper money is burned in the circle, and the lonely ghosts dare not rob it. Then they burn it in piles. When burning, they can't stop saying, 'so and so come to get the money.' Finally, we have to burn a pile outside the circle, which is said to be for lonely souls and wild ghosts. On the day when the dead go back, both rich and poor should cook a good meal to honor the dead, also known as' sending the dead '.
In Indian Buddhist rituals, Buddhists held a "Yulan basin meeting" in order to commend their ancestors. The Yulan basin Sutra in the Buddhist sutra was intended to practice filial piety and encourage Buddhist disciples, which was in line with the popular belief of chasing the first and mourning the distant in China, so it became more and more popular. The story of Mu Lian rescuing mu'e is widely spread among the people: 'a monk with Mu Lian has great magic power. His mother degenerated into the hungry ghost Road, and the food turned into flames at the entrance. She was too hungry. Mu Lian couldn't save her mother, so she asked the Buddha for advice. In order to say the Yulan basin Sutra, she taught to make a Yulan basin on July 15 to save her mother. "
China began to follow this example from the Liang Dynasty and became the Zhongyuan Festival. However, later, in addition to fasting for monks, activities such as repentance and fireworks were also increased.
The origin and legend of the Zhongyuan Festival
The story of Mu Lian rescuing mu'e is widely spread among the people:
'monk Mu Lian has great mana. His mother degenerated into the hungry ghost Road, and the food turned into flames at the entrance. She was too hungry. Mu Lian couldn't save her mother, so she asked the Buddha for advice. In order to say the Yulan basin Sutra, she taught to make a Yulan basin on July 15 to save her mother. "
China began to follow this example from the Liang Dynasty and became the Zhongyuan Festival. However, later, in addition to fasting for monks, activities such as repentance and fireworks were also increased.
On this day, the master's seat and shigu platform were set up in front of JIEKOU village. In front of the mage seat is the Bodhisattva of the Tibetan king who has transcended the ghosts of hell, and below is a plate of peaches and rice. On the shigu stage stood three spirit cards and soul calling flags. After noon, families put all pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks, geese and all kinds of Fagao, fruits, melons and fruits on the shigu platform. The principal put a blue, red and green triangular paper flag on each sacrifice, and wrote the words Yulan Festival, manna door open and so on. The ceremony began with a burst of solemn temple music. Then the master rang the bell and led the monks to recite various mantras and truths. Then, spread a plate of peaches and rice in all directions and repeat it three times. This ceremony is called fireworks.
In the evening, every family has to burn incense at the door of their house and insert the incense on the ground. The more, the better. It symbolizes a bumper harvest. This is called Butian. In some places, there are water lanterns; The so-called water lamp is to tie a lamp on a small wooden board. Most of them are made into lotus shape with colored paper, which is called flood and drought lamp. According to the traditional saying, the water lamp is to guide those wronged and dead. When the light goes out, the water lamp completes the task of guiding the wronged soul across the Naihe bridge. The shops were closed that day and the streets were given to ghosts. In the middle of the street, a incense table is placed every hundred steps. On the incense table are fresh melons and fruits and a kind of ghost steamed stuffed bun. Behind the table, there are Taoists singing ghost sacrifice songs that people can't understand. This ceremony is called singing.
Shangyuan Festival is the Lantern Festival on earth. People celebrate the Lantern Festival with lanterns and decorations. Zhongyuan comes from Shangyuan. People believe that the Zhongyuan Festival is a ghost festival, and lights should also be put on to celebrate the festival for ghosts. However, people and ghosts are different, so Zhongyuan zhangdeng is different from Shangyuan zhangdeng. Man made Yang, ghost for Yin; Lu is Yang and water is Yin. The mysterious darkness under the water reminds people of the legendary ghost hell, where ghosts sink. Therefore, the Shangyuan lantern is on land and the Zhongyuan lantern is in water.