In Buddhism, the seventh lunar month is a month of joy, delight and auspicious. This is because the fifteen day of the seventh month is the Buddha’s joyful day and the day of rejoice for monks.
When the Buddha was alive at India 2500 years ago, the seventh month is the rainy season like what is happening in India now too. Buddha ask his disciples not to go out for alms instead stay in the monastery for meditation and Dhamma discussion. Upon completion of the three months retreat, on the fifteen day of the seventh month, the number of monks who attained enlightenment and improved in Dhamma was high, the Buddha was very joyful. Thus this is the month of joy, delight and auspicious.
At the same day, one of the Buddha chief disciple, Mahāmaudgalyāyana. (Chinese. 目連, Mulian, Pāli Mahāmoggallāna) eased his mother’s suffering from the hell through offering of foods to the Sangha. Through the merits created, Mahāmaudgalyāyana’s mother gained a human birth.
Due to Chinese cultural influence, the offering of foods became directed towards ancestors rather than the Sangha but now the ancestor worship has now transform to burning of paper money, paper houses, paper TV, paper DVD, paper handphone, paper camera and etc to their ancestors who they believed still reside in hell.
Those who are educated, please stop this kind of supertitious belief and practise to your next generation. Do explain the origin of the story to your parents about this supertitious belief . Burning paper money openly will only increase damages to our environment and increase global warming and burning your real money. Non of our ancestor will received your money and relief from the hell.
