Date: September 5th,2010 (Sunday)
Lecturer: Master Zheng-Yan
Subject: Changing Misconceptions about "Ghost Month" 孝親感恩歡喜月
Everyone, what does it mean to say “the days are hard to pass”?
When one is suffering from disaster or hardship, the days would be hard to pass and one feels miserable and helpless.
Yet, often, we feel the days are hard to pass not because we are in difficulty but due to our mindset.
That’s why we often hear of people feeling miserable.
How can they say the days are hard to pass when they are safe and well?
They feel this way because they cannot overcome their internal obstacles.
These are “spiritual disasters” (跟自己過不去的難過，叫做心靈災難)
So, the Buddha teaches us to take care of our heart and mind everyday so that we can be well and stay healthy both physically and spiritually.
When we are physically and spiritually healthy, we are blessed. That is the happiest life.
(身心健康平安，那就是福了，就是最幸福的人生)
Therefore,we have to make use of our time to establish the right direction for our life by having upright faith, beliefs and conduct, and by cultivating diligently.
(我們要好好的，把握著平安的時間，把我們人生的方向，正信、正向、正行為，不斷地精進)
Right now, we are in the seventh month on the Chinese calendar.
Among Chinese people, it is popularly believed to be “Ghost Month” which is a misconception.
In fact, the seventh month on the Chinese calendar is a month of auspiciousness, gratitude, and joy.
(其實七月是吉祥、感恩、孝親、佛歡喜月)
Many auspicious historical events happened in this month.
Yet, many people do not know this.
So, in recent years, I’ve been very grateful that Tzu Chi volunteers are very mindful in showing how the idea of “Ghost Month” came about, so that people can let go of their superstitions and have correct beliefs.
A community volunteer, Yu Suli said: “When we are making offerings, especially in the Ghost Month, we would burn a lot of paper money. But beginning last year, I told my husband that we need to protect our Earth and not burn paper money.”
In these recent years, people’s beliefs about “Ghost Month” have started to change.
We can see that people have changed their traditional folk superstitions, learned to have correct beliefs, and changed their practices for “Ghost Month”. So, this a good sign.
During this one month, Tzu Chi volunteers have been holding prayer events across Taiwan, at temples, parks, and sports stadiums.
The prayer events range from small-scale prayers in the local community to large-scale ceremonies in parks or stadiums.
All the prayer events are very orderly and solemn.
A community volunteer, Liao Jiyan: “There are a lot of disasters nowadays.
We’ve all seen them in the news. I hope that through everyone’s prayer, we can mitigate disasters.”
They’ve gathered together, people of various religious faiths.
Everyone sincerely prayed together.
With their sincere piety and wholesome thoughts, their collective prayers have reached Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and all the divine beings above. Everyone prayed for a world free of disaster.
(這一念虔誠的心，人人發好心、立好願，這樣共振的心聲，都已經上達諸佛菩薩，諸天諸神聽到了，祈禱我們天下無災難)
Look at e recentty phoons about around Taiwan.
They only passedby Taiwan, brought us the needed rain, and relieved us of our drought condition.
The rain was able to fill up our reservoirs and relieve us of water shortage.
So, we have to be grateful for this and for everyone’s sincere prayers.
Yesterday, we learned that Typhoon Malou will bring torrential rains to Taiwan.
We all have to be vigilant and keep praying sincerely.
We have to be cautious, sincere, and be prepared for the event of torrential rain.
So, we must remain vigilant and sincerely pious everyday, all the time.
We need to be grateful and sincerely pious.
During this month of gratitude, we promote vegetarianism as a way to protect the environment.
Tzu Chi volunteers promote meatless meals in the community, in business, and in factories.
They really make very mindful efforts.
During this seventh month,
Tzu Chi volunteersin 20 countries are doing this as well, so it’s not just in Taiwan.
For example, in San Francisco, USA, local Tzu Chi volunteers are diligently promoting vegetarianism by going door-to-door.
Every year, they go into the community like this.
This year, they covered eight streets and visited 1,100 households.
They went door-to-door to invite people to a free vegetarian meal.
In order to promote the concept of vegetarianism as a way to protect environment.
They hope to waken everyone’s compassion and love, so everyone can get involved in caring for the planet.
So, they hosted a free vegetarian meal and invited people to come.
They were very mindful in this.
A resident asks: “Beside this vegetarian lunch, are you doing anything else?”
A local Tzu Chi’s volunteer answered: “We’ll be offering a vegetarian cooking class.”
When they ring people’s doorbells, they aren’t always greeted with a warm welcome.
But,these Tzu Chi volunteers take it all as spiritual training.
They remind themselves to persevere in the face of difficulty and see it as a test of their faith and convictions.
(這就是我們的道場，在艱難中就是要激發靱力，才更需要把自己的心更堅定，要守志奉道。)
So,though people might give them a bad attitude, they still keep a grateful heart and consider it all as spiritual training.
(所以看到了什麼樣的臉色，聽到什麼樣的聲音，他都用感恩心，這就是來鍛鍊他的道心堅固。)
My disciples, Tzu Chi volunteers, live in countries all around the world but they are doing the same thing out of the same sincere piety.
Just countingareas outside Taiwan, over 50,000 people have participated.
In Taiwan, hundreds of thousands have participated.
But outside Taiwan, it’s 20 countries where people are participating in our vegetarian appeal. That’s no easy feat. (響應齋戒，不簡單).
So, I am truly very grateful.
We can see how mindfully Tzu Chi volunteers have brought the spirit of Buddhism into communities, making the community a place of spiritual practice. It is very moving.
They enable people to experience and be moved by the spirit of Buddhism which can inspire people’s goodness and enable them to let go of superstitions.
I am truly very grateful that this year, Tzu Chi volunteers in 20 countries have mobilized promote a correct understanding of this seventh month and inspire the spirit ofgratitude, joy, giving back, and filial piety.
(人人宣導七月的，感恩、歡喜、報恩、孝道)
You’ve all truly done a good job.
(Source:Da Ai TV 人間菩提)
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