PUJA CEREMONY FOR MY MUM

This is the 7th lunar month in the Chinese calendar.  It is popularly known as Ghost Month.  This festival is also known as Ullambana or Yu Lan Pen Festival where the gates of Hell are flung open for the ghosts to be released for a month-long “holiday" in the human realm. To pacify the departed souls, food, incense, paper money, opera, puppet shows and even pop concerts are presented as offerings. However, this is mostly practised by the Taoists.  The Buddhists will conduct pujas or prayer ceremonies for the souls of the dead.

For your information, Ullambana in Sanskrit means “deliverance from suffering”, in reference to the salvation of anguished souls in hell and wondering spirits.

The puja ceremony can be described as a Tantric ritual to purify all the deceased’s souls, transfer merits (from devotees) to them and liberate them from suffering. The names of the deceased will be read out during the puja so that these souls can benefit from the prayers.  Their names will also be written on pieces of paper or tablets in the prayer halls. The month-long festival started on Friday and will end on Sept 15.

I was at the Sitiawan Buddhist Association this morning with Lai Yoong.  She had already registered her late husband, Charlie Wong, her parents-in-law and her late brother-in-law for the puja.  I too wanted to register my mum for the puja ceremony which started today.

The Sitiawan Buddhist Association

The Puja Ceremony being conducted by monks from China and Penang

Worshippers chant along with the monks

One can see the paper tablets with names of the deceased placed elaborately on rows and rows of tables which serve as altars. One needs to pay RM300 for such a place for the ceremony. This includes the paper tablet and food that will be changed daily for the 4-day ceremony.  A simple placing will have a piece of light yellow paper with the name of the deceased and the relative doing the puja.

Vegetarian buns are used as offerings

Flower offerings

Registration for the puja ceremony.  I paid RM25. 

Me alongside a few rows of the tablets

Tablets for the late Charlie Wong and his parents

 My friend Steven offering flowers for his late wife, Elizabeth

 Lai Yoong offering prayers to her late husband and parents-in-law

 Steven taking pictures of the information slip for his late wife who died this year

 Me in front of the place for my late mother

 Stephen offering prayers to Alice