"Occasionally, the world is worth the gold, and if you don't offer the gold, you will have no time." The Tang Dynasty poet Ling Guchu had a very open mind about life and death, probably because of his dissatisfaction in life. It was the middle of the Yuan Dynasty, but he felt that he came to this world by chance, but if he read it carefully, he found that everyone in this world came to this world by chance.

The Hungry Ghost Festival is a festival full of longing. It can be a deceased ancestor, or it can be a family member, friend, or partner who has spent the Hungry Ghost Festival with you.

As a traditional Chinese festival, the origin of the Ghost Festival is not simple and has gone through a process of change. On the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, the Ghost Festival, you need to know these things;

1. Why is "July" so mysterious?

In "half July", the time for crops to mature has arrived. When ancient people had a good harvest, they would worship heaven and earth and thank the gods for their blessings. Over time, "July" has become an extremely important time node in this ancient country.

The "Book of Changes" says: "Repeating the path, coming back in seven days, is the way of heaven." It can be seen that seven has an unspeakable mysterious color. In "Journey to the West", Taishang Laojun puts Sun Wukong in an alchemy furnace. Once he practices it, it lasts forty-nine days. Why does it have to be forty-nine days? Wouldn't it be safer to train him for eighty or ninety days?

According to the "Book of Changes", seven is the number of yang. There is yang energy between heaven and earth. The yang energy repeats every seven days. It is extinct every seven days and can be reborn after seven days. Therefore, seven is the way of movement of heaven and earth, following the principle of the ebb and flow of yin and yang.

2. The Festival of "Sacrificing Ancestors and Celebrating Harvest"

Therefore, July every year is of great significance. With the development of later generations, in the pre-Qin era, the half of July was basically finalized and became an ancestor worship festival. After the autumn harvest, people would offer new rice to repay their ancestors' kindness and tell their ancestors that they lived a good life as a filial piety.

As for why the connotation of July and a half has changed? You can refer to the development of "Confucianism" during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Although Legalism was the dominant family in the pre-Qin era, Confucianism was more popular among the people.

As we all know, there is no one-size-fits-all approach in the world, because the world is changing all the time. The addition of the connotation of "filial piety" in July and a half is just the beginning.

3. The origin of "Ghost Festival"

In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Taoism became popular. Among the Taoist gods, there are the Heavenly Official, the Earth Official, and the Water Official, which are called the "Three Officials". Each of the three officials performs his own duties. On the half day of July, each has his or her own business.

The Heavenly Official will bless you on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month. Local officials must pardon their crimes on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month. Shuiguan will be in trouble on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month.

Let’s not talk about the Tianguan and Shuiguan. Everyone can understand the two responsibilities at a glance. As for the "imperial sin" of this local official, how to describe it?

Forgive sins, and the magistrate opens the door to hell. We know that hell is the underworld, the underworld, where ghosts are. The gates of hell are wide open, and ghosts can return to the world. Those who have homes go home, and those who have no homes wander around.

Obviously, people are more wary and afraid of these ghosts, but they also have some expectations because their relatives may come back to see them. As a result, activities to worship ghosts began in various places.

Over time, what was originally a festival to worship ancestors and celebrate the harvest has turned into a ghost festival - the Ghost Festival.

However, this brings about the work of many Taoist priests and monks, who have to save these dead souls. Some local governments will raise funds to hold big festivals, and in other places people will organize them voluntarily and invite Taoist priests to save the souls of the dead.

4. Why is the Hungry Ghost Festival said to be three festivals?

As for the "three festivals" of the Ghost Festival, we have to talk about the inclusiveness of Chinese culture. What is its historical origin?

When a nation has a larger population, the culture it forms becomes grander, and its history is long enough. As talented people emerge from generation to generation, the influence of culture will become stronger and stronger, and at the same time it will have a more irresistible ability to absorb.

"Absorptive capacity", as the name suggests, foreign cultures will be assimilated, absorbed, and integrated as long as they enter China, such as Buddhist culture, Mongolian culture, etc.

When there are many cultures, each has its own position, and the "Hungry Ghost Festival" is the best embodiment of this. In folk language, Taoism, and Buddhism, the half day of July can be called the Ancestor Worship Festival, the Ghost Festival and the Bon Festival. The three are in a parallel relationship without distinction.

I have explained the Taoist Hungry Ghost Festival before, but what about the Obon Festival?

"Ullambana" is the pronunciation of Sanskrit, which means to save the hanging upside down, and "hanging upside down" means hell. Many people think that the Obon Festival is basically the same as the Taoist Hungry Ghost Festival to rescue the ghosts who are suffering in hell, but this is not the case.

On the Taoist Hungry Ghost Festival, local officials release the ghosts imprisoned in hell and go home to visit relatives. This is to forgive sins, while the Bon Festival is to rescue.

In Taoism, after the Hungry Ghost Festival ends, the ghosts return to hell, while the ghosts during the Bon Festival are transcended. So, the two are still different.

Conclusion

The Ghost Festival is an extremely ancient traditional festival in China. After the evolution of the past dynasties, its connotation is also changing. However, all connotations will not be discarded and can be used.

In other words, during the Hungry Ghost Festival, you can worship your ancestors, celebrate the harvest, and offer sacrifices to ghosts and gods.