The Spirts ’ Happy Days

1. The Spirts’ Happy Days

2. Introduction • The film follows the ceremonies and rituals found in Buddhist monasteries in Quanzhou City in Fujian Province in South East China. • In China it is understood that at the beginning of the seventh lunar month King Yama opens the gates of the underworld to release the spirits of the dead. These spirits are free to roam the earth and receive offerings from the living. • During this ghost month Buddhist monasteries hold public recitation meetings in which the resulting merit is transferred to deceased relatives.

3. Preparations • The afternoon before the rituals begin there is an invitation and purification ceremony. This is undertaken in order to prepare the monastery for the ceremonies about to be held. • Incense invites the Buddha, bodhisattvas, gods to join the ritual. It is also used as the smell will attract the ghosts. • The monks recite a formula to destroy impurities and the abbot sprinkles blessed water with a willow stick to purify the monastery before the ritual.

4. Abbot of the monastery performing a purification ritual by sprinkling blessed water with a willow stick. (Chengtian Monastery, China: 2008)

5. Daily activity during the Ghost Month • During the seven days of the ritual the monks lead the laity in chanting the name of Amitābha. • Daily feeding of ghosts is integral for monks. Helped by the writing sacred symbols. • The ghosts and spirits are not allowed near alter of Buddha so food is given outside temple on special pedestal. • During the daily recitation rituals a ‘noon offering’ is held in which the abbot of the monastery and the main sponsors of the ritual offer incense to the buddhas.  Food is also offered and the monks and devotees recite sacred formulae to transform and multiply it for the benefit of all beings. 

6. Every day during Ghost Month a noon offering is held during which incense is offered to the Buddha. (Chengtian Monastery, China: 2008)

7. Daily Activity during the Ghost month • Afterwards, the abbot reads a document known as the wenshu while the monks silently read lists of the dead so that they may also benefit from the ritual. • After the offering at Buddha alter, the assembly moves to alter of spirits in the Hall of Rebirth to transfer merit. • The Hall of Rebirth is covered in ‘Lotus Seats’ which are paper slips with the name of the deceased written on them as well as the name of the person who purchased the slip. • More than 10,000 lotus seats can be seen in the ceremonies in the film.

8. Lotus Seats are displayed in the ‘Hall of Rebirth’. They have the name of the deceased written on them as well as the names of those who purchased the Lotus Seat (Chongfu Monastery, China: 2008)

9. Daily Activity in the Ghost Month • Food, incense and paper money is offered. Assembly recite scriptures, mantras and the names of buddhas and bodhisattvas to help them achieve a rebirth in the Western Paradise. • Abbot purifies offerings and quenches thirst of spirits by sprinkling dew water. • The monks and devotees also perform daily recitations of the name of Amitābha, the scripture of the Bodhisattva Kshitigarbha, or the Precious Penance of the Liang Emperor.  The purpose of this is to help the participants progress on their path to liberation and to generate merit which is transferred to the ancestors and other dead beings.

10. Paper money is given to ancestors and ghosts. The design of the money can differ and often represents the value of the money, or its recipient (Chongfu Monastery, China: 2008).

11. The Buddha’s happy day • The fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month is the Buddha’s happy day and is seen as the most auspicious time for lay people to donate paper money and food for their ancestors and ghosts. • It also marks the last opportunity for families to visit the lotus seats of their relatives. • In afternoon the ritual is concluded by escorting the spirits to the burning place where the lotus seats are burned with a large quantity of paper money. • As lotus seats burn the laity wish for the deceased to reach the western paradise where they will gain enlightenment. • Normally ends after 15 days but in the Chongfu Monastery the daily recitations continue.

12. The Lotus Seats are gathered up and burned along with paper money (Chengtian Monastery, China: 2008).

13. Final day of the Ghost Month • The last day of the ritual starts with the rite of releasing captured animals. Animals are bought from nearby markets and saved from almost certain death. • Animals live pitiful life in a lower realm of existence. The ritual not only saves their lives but also spiritually liberated. Is seen as very compassionate. • Animals released outside of the monastery in nearby rivers or the sea.

14. Final Day of the Ghost Month • After animals have been released the abbot conducts a long rite of food bestowal for hungry ghosts, homeless souls and hell beings. • Homeless souls are seen in China to be the spirits of people who have died young, those who did not have proper funeral rites and those who died violently. • Abbot commands ghosts to appears and invites them to take the triple refuge and recites the precepts to them. • After being instructed in Buddhist doctrine they are fed with nuts, sweets and coins.

15. On the last day a huge amount of food is prepared for them and offered along with chopsticks, bowls, cooking oil, woks and fire-wood (Chengtian Monastery, China: 2008)

16. Final day of the Ghost Month • Going to the Hall of Rebirth once more the congregation transfers merit, accumulated through the previous feeding of the ghosts, to the spirits. • All of paper slips are taken down and are burned. • After this happens all of the humans, spirits, homeless souls, ghosts, buddhas, and bodhisattvas who assembled for the ghost month go their separate ways until the next year.