The ghost month
One day, well before JC, one of the two disciples of Buddha (Mou Lien) visits the sky. There he met his dead father who was overwhelmed by the fate of his wife. Mou Lien's mother was indeed trapped in hell, where she was condemned to drink the blood in a lake three times a day.
At that time, there were no showers, people washed themselves and their clothes directly in the lakes and/or rivers. Nevertheless, the fact of soiling the earth and water with one's blood during childbirth or other occasions constituted a crime because it defiled and offended the gods. All women were therefore guilty of this and had a dedicated place in hell.
Mou Lien tried to bring a bowl of rice to her mother, without success. This one began to burn instantaneously, she could neither drink nor eat. Distraught, he then asked for help from the Buddha who answered that in order to redeem the faults of all these women it would be necessary to recite a mantra and to observe the fast of the blood basin during 3 years. At the end of this period, a boat would then come to take the condemned women to the other side of the bank and thus obtain salvation (source : " Histoire et philologie chinoises ", Michel Soymié - Annuaires de l'École pratique des hautes études, 1968, pp. 563-566)
However, other sources indicate that in order to obtain his mother's salvation, Mou Lien had to gather a huge number of monks (100,000 according to some people) and prepare numerous offerings to heaven. All of these offerings had to be blessed beforehand in order to be consumed. It is from this legend that Buddhists have adopted the tradition of offerings for their deceased parents.
Finally, another legend tells that the emperor Tang Taizong allowed the execution of the Dragon King of the Jing River, which was a heavy sin. For this he was taken to hell during his sleep to be tried. After the charges were dropped, he had to cross the underworld before he could reach the gate and get out. During his journey he would have met many souls asking for help. When he woke up in the world of the living, he organized a religious period of 40 days for the souls in pain that he had met.
From all these different sources, legends and religious texts, a popular belief in Taiwan finally emerges. Every year, on the first day of the 7th month following the lunar calendar, the border between the world of the dead and the living disappears, the door is then wide open and the spirits invite themselves on earth.
To welcome these souls, entertain them, appease them and guide them as well as possible during their stay in the world of the living, a whole of religious rites take place. Among these we will find the presentation of stands in the streets with candles (to guide the spirits), incense (to bless the offerings), food, water (to clean the spirits' faces), etc. We will also find some kind of bins in which fake money (ghost money) is burned, the purpose with ghost money is to bring them a certain wealth and thus to be able to continue to live normally in their new world.
To ensure that all spirits return to where they came from before the end of the month of the ghosts, a special "feast" is organized on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, during which, in a massive way, all the stores and people able to do so will carry out the rites previously mentioned.
The top 9 taboos of ghost month
that I have observed
If you see money on the ground don't pick it up, otherwise you might bring a spirit with you...
Avoid going out at night, especially after midnight.
No water activity of any kind. Spirits in the water may drag you down, out of revenge or hoping to take possession of your body.
Do not move during ghost month.
Whistling at night is probably a bad idea, it could attract spirits.
Don't talk about "ghosts" but about "good brother" or "good sister".
Don't look over your shoulder. If you have to turn around in the street, for whatever reason, don't just turn your head but your whole body at the same time. The idea is to not show yourself vulnerable in case of a surprise attack...
Never slap a Taiwanese person on the shoulder during this month, some people still believe that we all have an invisible flame on each of our shoulders to protect us from certain spirits. Tapping on someone's shoulder would be like smothering one of their flames and thus making the person vulnerable.
Avoid elevators with mirrors, as they are never exposed to the sun and therefore their concentration of Yin (negative) energy would be higher. This situation could favors the possible creation of a portal through the mirror.
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Anecdotes
These offerings are reserved for souls, they are not for passers-by !
It's stupid but when we are not warned it can be disturbing to see things presented like that in the streets, without any surveillance, in "help yourself" mode... I had this big question in my head before : "I take... I don't take?" 😂
This is reserved for the spirits and then at the end of the day it is consumed by the person(s) who displayed the offerings.
If you see an envelope with money, don't pick it up !
How tempting it could be ! Some parents, having lost a child who didn't have time to get married before he or she left, drop money in the hope that someone will pick it up. This will be worth as a commitment, even if unconscious, and you will find yourself married... to a ghost. 🙊 With all the visits and inconveniences that this could entail.
