The Feng Shui Story of the Yu Pen Lan Festival in the Seventh Month of the Lunar Calendar

Introduction: There have been many legends passed down from ancient times to the present day, and there are many different opinions. Although it is difficult to distinguish the true from the false, you can learn about them as a topic of conversation after dinner. Have you heard of the legend about the Obon Orchid Festival? Let’s take a look at it together below. Feng Shui stories have been circulating among the people. This is a symbol of folk wisdom. Let's take a look at the following Feng Shui legend.

Taoism has the so-called Heavenly Official, Earthly Official, and Water Official, collectively known as the Three Officials. These three are representatives sent by the Jade Emperor to the human world. Every year they inspect the good and evil in the human world and report to the Heaven. The birthdays of the Three Officials are the 15th day of the first lunar month, the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, and the 15th day of the tenth lunar month respectively. These three days are also called the Three Yuan. The 15th day of the seventh month is called Zhongyuan, which is the time when the Earth Official reviews the lists and pardons sins. On this day, he would take out a thick roster and make marks on it based on the performance of the gods, mortals, and animals, and pardon sins and exempt from punishment. People hold some sacrificial activities on the day of the Ghost Festival to save the wandering ghosts, which should be related to the forgiveness of sins by the Earth God.

July 15th is the Buddhist Ullambana Festival. It is said that Sakyamuni had a disciple named Mulian. Although his mother was young and beautiful, she had no good words and deeds, loved money and was stingy, and especially hated monks. After her death, she was reborn as an evil ghost. Mulian followed the Buddha's instructions and prepared hundreds of flavors and five fruits, various utensils, and put them in a basin to offer to monks from all directions on the fifteenth day of July. Only then did his mother escape from the evil ghost world and ascend to heaven. In view of this, the Buddha extended it and required Buddhist disciples to practice filial piety with all their heart. On the fifteenth day of July every year, they would prepare the Ullambana offering and offer alms to the Buddha and monks in order to repay their parents’ kindness. The significance of the Buddhist Ullambana Festival is in tune with the Confucian filial piety, and this day has become a ghost festival for the people to commemorate their deceased parents and ancestors.

The story of Mulian rescuing his mother from distress is widely circulated among the people:

"There was a monk named Mulian, who had great dharma power. His mother fell into the realm of hungry ghosts. When food entered her mouth, it turned into flames. She suffered from extreme hunger and pain. Mulian was unable to save his mother, so he sought advice from the Buddha, who recited the Ullambana Sutra and taught him to prepare a Ullambana on the fifteenth day of the seventh month to save his mother."

On this day, a magician's seat and a platform for offering sacrifices to the lonely were set up in front of Jiekou Village. In front of the monk's seat is a statue of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who is dedicated to liberating the souls in "hell", and below it are plates of peaches and rice. There are three spirit tablets and soul-calling banners on the Shigu platform. After noon, every household put whole pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks, geese, as well as various steamed cakes, fruits, melons and fruits on the Shi Gu platform.

The person in charge inserted a triangular paper flag of blue, red, green or other colors on each offering, with words such as "Yulan Festival" and "The Gate of Nectar Opening" written on it. The ceremony began with solemn temple music. Then, the master rang the bell and led the monks to chant various mantras and true words. Then offer food by scattering a plate of peaches and rice in all directions, and repeat three times. This kind of ceremony is called "Fang Yankou".

Butian: At night, every household would burn incense at their doorsteps and stick the incense on the ground. The more incense, the better, as it symbolizes a good harvest.

Water and Land Lanterns: In some places, there are activities of releasing water lanterns; the so-called water lanterns are a lantern tied to a small wooden board. Most of them are made of colored paper in the shape of lotus flowers and are called "water and land lanterns." According to tradition, water lanterns are meant to guide the ghosts of those who died unjustly. When the lights go out, the water lanterns have completed their mission of guiding the wronged souls across the Naihe Bridge.

Shi Geer: All the shops were closed that day, leaving the streets to the ghosts. In the middle of the street, there is an incense table every hundred steps, on which are offered fresh fruits and a kind of "ghost buns". Behind the table, there was a Taoist priest singing a ghost worship song that no one could understand. This ceremony is called "Shi Ge'er".

Shangyuan and Zhongyuan: The Shangyuan Festival is the Lantern Festival on earth, when people hang up lanterns and decorations to celebrate. "Zhongyuan" comes from Shangyuan. People believe that the Ghost Festival is a festival for ghosts, so they should light lanterns and celebrate for the ghosts. However, there is a difference between humans and ghosts, so the lanterns hung during the Zhongyuan Festival are different from those hung during the Shangyuan Festival. Man is Yang, ghost is Yin; land is Yang, water is Yin. The mysterious darkness underwater reminds people of the legendary hell where ghosts sink. Therefore, lanterns are hung on land during the Lantern Festival, and lanterns are hung in water during the Zhongyuan Festival.