Observing Ghost Month
Homage To Ancestors Ceremony
Sunday, August 8 to Sunday, August 22, 2021
Honoring our living and deceased parents
In keeping with the tradition, Dari Rulai Temple Longbeach CA USA conducts this daily prayer ceremony from New Moon to Full Moon of the 7th Lunar Month, traditionally known as the Ghost Month. Honoring your parents, living and deceased, and the parents of your past seven lives by participating in these Dharma Rites brings blessings to you and your descendants.
The rituals performed during this two-week Prayer Ceremony will help to maintain your connection to and receive blessings from your ancestors who may have attained high spiritual realms, known as ‘ancestral deities’ in some cultures, as well as help extinguish disasters brought about by your deceased relatives who passed away bearing heavy karmas and who are ‘plundering the merits of their descendants’.
Any who wish to render homage to ancestors can make an offering of $32, $72, $108, $300, $600, $900 etc.
Your name will remain on an altar at the Dari Rulai Temple during 2 weeks of daily rites to benefit and pay homage to living and deceased parents, the parents of the past 7 lives, and ancestors in general.
In China the 7th lunar month is a time when people traditionally perform prayers, rituals, and ceremonies to honor and benefit deceased ancestors and relatives. It is said that this tradition originated when Maudgalyayana asked Shakyamuni Buddha’s help in liberating his deceased mother from suffering (In his meditation he saw that his deceased mother was suffering).
As part of Shakyamuni’s discourse on filial piety(showing proper respect to one’s parents), he said that one’s parents, ancestors, and parents of seven past lives will receive blessing if one offers food to the Buddha and Sangha (monks) on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month.
