Lunar
July in Taiwan
A weird disturbance is running through and terrifies
him. He wakes sweaty and suddenly finds himself in the room, which belonged to
his deceased parents. He sadly realizes he is not a teenager anymore and he has
not a place to rush to but the hospital. The routine he continues is to take
the endless-like treatments for the liver cancer which almost destroys his
physical strength.
The intensity of the vivid dream where he
lives a free-and-easy life when as a teenager and the
unfairness of cancer make him feel sorrows over the long-gone youth and the
fact of life. He bursts into tears.
He is confused about why he can’t find his wife. She
is supposed to accompany him to the hospital today. It seems that he is left
alone in an empty house in a horrible silence. It is like a still from a film.
His mind is getting restless and the blur is taking everything.
Religions
and traditions in Taiwan
It is said the spirits who suffer in a limbo are
allowed to come back in Lunar July to the world where they used to belong to
but are no longer part of. It is the so-called-ghost month.
The gate of the hell is
opened on Lunar July 1st, and closes on 30th. During the
whole month, people could prepare the feasts for the spirits and invite them to
enjoy the foods offered and on the last day those from the underworld should go
back to where they are from.
The constitution of the Republic of China entitles everyone to freedom of religion in Taiwan, where the population of 23,162,000 or so. The official population was record in the 2010 census, which was conducted by the Ministry of the Interior every ten years.
As a matter of fact, there is a variety of religious beliefs. Buddhism is the most popular religion, practiced by around 35.1% of the whole population, followed closely by Taoism (33.0%). And, Christianity and Yiguandao (一貫道) have their followers too, 3.9% and 3.5% respectively while 18.7% are classified in a categorized of atheism (無神論) or none of the above.
The religious beliefs and practices of Taoism and Yiguandao have strongly related to Chinese culture and Confucianism. Besides, it is difficult to distinguish between Buddhism and Taoism too, both of which have been intertwined with Confucianism and the folk religions of Chinese history.
That means that there must be more than 71% of the whole population in Taiwan following the traditions of Lunar July no matter how they worship the deceased in a temple of Buddhism or Taoism or at home.
The taboos in Lunar July
In
this month, most people try to behave themselves not to break the taboos. They
believe that the spirits live on in a limbo after death, where the souls are kept
from Heaven due to some circumstances like the sudden death caused by an
accident or a high crime the deceased committed to.
The
elderly especially of Buddhism and Taoism will ask their family members not go swimming
or playing on the beach, where the ghost spirits might be lingering around. Not
hanging clothes or blowing a whistle in the evening is another instance of the taboos
which are planted in their minds. Besides, the small children will be given a
good-luck charm (護身符) against evil.
The spirits in
Lunar July
Chinese
philosophy has not restricted to Confucianism. For Taiwanese people, however,
Confucius has always been called the “Sage of All Time” (萬聖先師). People
believe that the heart of Confucianism lies in the emphasis on the people and
virtue. From the first year, junior high school students at the age of thirteen
or so are required to study the Confucian Analects. People are taught that
Confucianism teaches people how to value the family and respect other people.
The
statement of Confucius about the unknown is that people should give their great
respect for gods and ghosts but should not get close to them.
Why
do people remind themselves of what they have lost? Shouldn’t they have learned
to appreciate what they have now around them? Shouldn’t they leave the deceased in peace? Why do they make such a feast to treat the spirits that are believed still
wondering eternity in a limbo? Will this disturb the spirits? Will the spirits
be willingly to take an exit and go back to where they belong to after all this
comes to an end?
The ceremonies
held in Lunar July
The
significant of the ceremonies has its religious concerns mixed with the beliefs
of Buddhism and Taoism. The traditions people follow are not only to mourn the
loss of theirs but offer the feasts to those lonely spirits without descendants
to worship them.
Most
businessmen gave their respect to the spirits on Lunar 15th July
(September 5th), and the Chairman of Foxconn, Terry Gou, followed
suit to attend the ceremony held by his company in Taiwan. Mr. Gou, who
President Trump believes is a friend of his and one of the great businessmen in
the world planning to bring thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in
investments to America, acts like most of people burning the ghost money, fake
American money, to the deceased with a wish for gaining peace and prosperity.
Here
comes a picture, which shows that police officers did the same as others
offering the spirits different kinds of fruit and food in addition to soft
drinks.
The
arrangement of the ceremony
The
good time of holding the ceremony is around after noon and before the sunset. Not
asking for trouble by placing the table outside the house is a must to keep one
safe. By doing this, no sign of inviting the spirits to enter the house
appears and wandering of the spirits among the living won’t occur then.
The
fruits to worship vary. But, three kinds of fruits are not recommended, which
are bananas, plums and pears, because they are pronounced like “you’re welcome”
in Taiwanese or in Chinese. Pineapples are not a choice either, which means “a
lot [of you are welcome].” The fake paper money, which represents the money used
in the underworld, will be burned after the feast is completed.
That
delivers a conviction that Buddhists and Taoists believe in the existence of afterlife. It is clear that they also grasp it -- that the living should keep themselves away from the dead even
though the lament of the loss of the deceased might remain. Lunar July does
allow the symbolic connection between both, but the things which might lead to
all kinds of bad luck should be carefully avoided.
The youth in
Lunar July
Nowadays
the young people might believe in what they see and understand. That is why the
famous haunted houses are popular for the young people to explore in Ghost
Month. The effect of going to the haunted house on everyone is palpable but
they love it. They feel so thrilled that they can’t resist it. There
won’t be a complaint to file even though they might be scared out of their wits
if they enter and stay in that haunted house as they expect themselves.
Apart
from that some, not too many though, are unafraid of challenges to the taboos that most people might
shun. For example, they might hold their wedding ceremony or buy a car or a house when they are offered
special discounts. The taboos sacred in Lunar July cannot forbid them not to break even when life events are related to.
.
* The photos of Mr Guo are taken by a journalist, Yun-chun Ho.
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