Lunar July Ghost Month and Zhong Yuan Pu Du

adapted from Ghost Festival-Origin

According to folklore, the gates of hell are opened at midnight on lunar July 1st, allowing all the suffering spirits to return and see their living descendants, and enjoy grand feasts. The vacation ends on July 30th, when all the ghosts must return to the underworld. Therefore, lunar July is called the Ghost Month.
Most folk activities in lunar July are related to wandering spirits, who are called good brothers. From July 1st to July 30th , the Pu Du activities, designed to placate wandering ghosts, are seen everywhere, and are the culmination of religious ritual for the entire year. In Chinese, Pu Du means universal deliverance.
Zhong Yuan Pu Du originated from the ancient ritual of offering sacrifices to malicious ghosts. In order to keep from being bothered by those who died of unnatural death, people would burn paper money and spread starch liquid to bribe and placate the fierce spirits. Fear of ghosts has resulted in a variety of rituals designed to ward off evil.
The term Zhong Yuan originated from Taoism. To Taoists Zhong Yuan, or the 15th day of lunar July, marked the birthday of Di Guan - Di meaning land, Guan, official - the god believed to be in charge of land. On this day, sacrifices are offered to Di Guan to thank him for his protection of crops. Di Guan has been referred to as Xung, a legendary virtuous ruler around the year 2200 BC.
The concept of Zhong Yuan Pu Du developed from a popular Buddhist story concerning Mu Lian who was the eldest monk disciple of Buddha.
After learning of the sufferings of his mother in hell, from the spirit of his deceased father, Mu Lian visited his mother and tried to alleviate her pain, with rice and water. But the rice and water turned to fire soon after reaching the mouth of his mother. Mu Lian then turned to Buddha for help, and was told that his mother's sins were so great that it would take the combined power of thousands of monks to save her. Acting on Buddha's advice, Mu Lian held a massive ritual on the 15th day of lunar July, chanting liturgies and providing abundant sacrificial offerings to save his mother's suffering soul from hell. Now, large-scale rituals are held on this day for the deliverance of all suffering souls.

鬼月及中元普渡

摘自Ghost Festival - Origin

在民間的流傳中，每年陰曆七月初一凌晨，地府開鬼門，讓所有在陰間受苦受難的鬼魂，能夠趕回陽間去探望生前的老家和後世子孫，並且享宴一番。到了七月三十，假期結束，這些鬼魂又得重返陰間。因此農曆七月就被稱為鬼月。七月的民間行事中，大部分都跟被稱為「好兄弟」的孤魂野鬼有關，所以，從七月初到七月底各地的普渡活動不勝枚舉，這也是我們一年的祭祀活動中的高潮。
「中元普渡」的起源，根據記載就是古代的「厲祭」，「厲」指惡鬼。人們怕橫死凶亡的「強魂厲魄」來作祟，因此就燒些紙錢，灑些江水來賄賂他們，叫他們不要干擾人們。也由於這種怕鬼的心理，才有了這些各式各樣的祭祀祈求消災。
「中元」的名稱來自道教，而中元指的就是道教信仰的最高神祇「三官大帝」中的地官，因此七月十五這天，民間都會祭祀地官大帝，而地官大帝相傳也就是古代賢君大舜，所以民間就以祭祀地官大帝，感謝大地的福佑，作物得以生生不息。
「中元普渡」的觀念是來自佛教的「盂蘭盆會」。相傳佛陀的大弟子目犍連，也就是民間傳說中的目連，到了地獄，看見母親置身在餓鬼道中受苦，趕緊用缽子盛飯給母親解餓充飢，但是沒有想到飯一到母親口中，立刻變成火炭，不得下嚥，目連悲痛不已。
於是就以百味五果供養佛僧，廣結十方僧侶，舉行「盂蘭法會」，誦經施食，把母親的靈魂從地獄中救出，福報無量。宗教的慈悲精神，借著超渡的活動，來表達人世間的善意。