The 15^th Day of 7^th Moon in Lunar Calendar - Ullambana

Ullambana (Sanskrit), is the festival of “all souls”, the prototyoe of All Soul’s Day in Christian lands. In actual mean, is interpreted as “to hang upside down”. This is to describe hungry spirits – their esophagus is as narrow as a needle, their belly is as big as a drum. They cannot eat nor drink and are always hungry. Even though there is food, it will turn into charcoal as soon as it is swallowed. The pain is similar to being hung upside down. "Bana" is a vessel filled with offerings of food and it has the meaning of salvage. In other words, Ullambana means to save from being hung upside down and to relieve of pain.

The Buddhist origins of the festival can be traced back to a story that originally came from India, but later took on culturally Chinese overtones. In the Ullambana Sutra, there is a well descriptive account of a well-to-do merchant who eventually gives up his trade to become a Buddhist monk. He became one of the Buddha's chief disciples. His name was Mahāmaudgalyāyana. (Ch. 目連, Mulian, Pāli Mahāmoggallāna)

After he attained the title of arhat, he thinks of his father and mother, and wonders what happens to them. He travelled over the known Buddhist universe, and found his father in heaven.

However, his mother was reborn in a lower realm, known as the Realm of Hungry Ghosts. His mother took on the form of a hungry ghost---it could not eat because its throat was very thin and no food could pass through, yet it was always hungry because it had a fat belly. His mother was greedy with the money he left her. He had instructed her to kindly host any Buddhist monks that ever came her way, but instead she withheld her kindness and her money. It was for this reason she was reborn in the realm of hungry ghosts.

Mahāmaudgalyāyana eventually saves her from this plight by battling various demons and entreating the help of the Buddha. The compromise that was made was one that owes to the relevance of the Ghost Festival and ancestor worship.

The Buddha established a day after the traditional summer retreat (the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar--usually mid-to-late August) as a day of prayer and offering in which monks can pray and make sacrifices on behalf of dead ancestors or hungry ghosts. The family members of the deceased essentially pay for this service, and thus their patronage is a form of charity. The deceased ancestors are pacified and hungry ghosts can eat (the sacrificial foods).

The story ends with this festival and the rescue of his mother from hell. She ended up being reborn as a dog, but as a pet in a well-off household.

Another than commemorating the departed ones, in this month, monks and nuns will confess for their sins. according to Buddhist regulations, each summer during the 90 days from the 15^th day of the 4^th moon to the 15^th day of the 7^th moon, monks and nuns will not go out to convert. They will assemble together. During the summer retreat, they will follow the rules strictly, purify their acts, and concentrate on the right path. The last day is to dismiss the summer retreat.

On the last day, the monks and nuns will confess their sins. First, they will evaluate whether they gave committed any physical, verbal or mental sins. secondly, they will invite other monks and nuns to comment on their opinion, what they hear and what they doubt. Monks and nuns will the confess their sins at the assembly, correct their mistakes and restore to purity. After dismissing the summer retreat, monks and nuns might attain four kinds of Hinaya, i.e. early fruit, second fruit, third fruit and fourth fruit.

But why did Buddha want his disciples to hold the summer retreat? Buddhist followers normally practice near the bottom of hills or forests or close to water. During the summer, flooding occurs frequently in India. For all followers' safety, Buddha implemented this regulation which requires monks to assemble together to spend the summer. Besides, Summers in India are humid. It is the season for snakes and insects to grow. The summer retreat will avoid monks from being hurt by these insects and at the same time prevent the monks from hurting these insects, as they will not be going out.

Indeed, it’s also Buddha’s joyous day, here human beings becoming good rather than evil, understanding rather than superstitious, and being true rather than false after self-confession.

From this, as you can see, the way we celebrate this special occasion is slightly different from the Taoism. I’m sure most of the people would mess up this day with Taoism Hungry Ghost Festival since they are falling in the same month. Ullambana festival chiefly reinforces the concept of filial piety. It signifies the importance of performing "good deeds" to accumulates spiritual merit. Most significant is to share the merit with the departed souls, to help them reborn in good realms and end their suffering.

As World-Honoured One told Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva “if in the future, humans or gods who ought to fall into the evil paths as karmic retribution are on the verge of falling into those paths, or are already at the very gates to those paths, or are able to recite the name of the Buddha or Bodhisattva, or a single sentence or verse of a Great Vehicle (Mahayana) Sutra, you should use your spiritual powers to rescue them with expedient means. Display to them a limitless body, smash the hells, and cause them to be born in the heavens and to experience supremely wonderful bliss.”

Chapter XIII :: The Entrustment of Humans and Gods

Magnetic Jesus Dress Up!

What do you think of this stuff? Blasphemous? Actually it’s an invention to final justice of someone you think s/he should receive the punishment from what has had done wrong.

And why is it called Final Justice? Because now you can finally seek true justice and crucify the most hated villains of our time the way they shoulda been punished! The same way Jesus paid! And with magnetic Jesus Dress Up you can hang your dealt justice like a trophy in your school locker, confessional booth or on your jail cell door as a reminder that even the worst sins of man have been forgiven, thanks to Jesus.

© 2006 NormalBobSmith.com

What do you know about MAGIC?

Spells, charms, rituals and invocations are the practical resources that enthuse my curiousity to explore the truth lies beneath. When I was naïve (decent kid), I was told magic is a very powerful practice that you would never believe the outcome and how commanding it is when a person knows how to perform the ritual adequately. Charmed, my favourite movie series which I never missed. From this series, actually it gives us some useful lesson of how magic is used for protection and saving others. Black magic is the malevolence side of magic that is performed to hurt someone or creates pandemonium in society. As a result, of course s/he will receive thousands fold of retribution from what s/he has done – Karmic reprisal.

The purpose I post this White Magic practice to share with you guys of its origins, and what can be done by magic for any occasions. On top of that, one must abide the rules for any reason to perform the rituals, as you’ll be working with the forces of nature for personal empowerment and successful spellweaving.

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INTRODUCTION

Essentially, magic is the art of making things happen by drawing on the powers of the natural world. But even if we are not yet able to influence events, most of us retain a sense of the magical, despite living in an urban, technological society and, for the most part, out of touch with the natural world and its powers.

“Magic” is often the world we instinctively use to describe a stunning sunset, a leafy forest glade, or a wintry landscape transformed by a carpet of snow. It may also be how we refer to an idyllic time, such as a love affair or dream holiday, or to one of life’s very special moments, such as the birth of a child or an outstanding achievement. All of these experiences, however diverse, have something in common: they touch us at our deepest core, enchanting, surprising and delighting us.

We may also use the term “”magic” to express our sense of wonder and awe at creation and our place in it: the feeling that for this moment at least, all is right with the world. Magic is what can happen when we step outside our everyday reality to connect with something precious and much bigger than our “little selves”

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The Otherworld

Regardless of time or place, is based on the understanding that behind the ordinary, everyday world, there exists another dimension, or “otherworld”, a spiritual domain that is said to co-exist with the mundane. A realm of deities, spirits and other discarnate beings, it is also a place of knowledge and sacred power, and whenever we experience a “magic” moment, we are tapping into this dimension, albeit accidentally. In this context we can say that the world “”magic” describes the inner nature of the beings that make up the universe – the spiritual part of all things that is cosmic and eternal.

The practice of magic involves making contact with this otherworld through special rituals and ceremonies, and because this world is invisible to the naked eye magic often referred to as “”the occult” (literally “concealed” or “hidden” in Latin). Magic then is primarily concerned with a spiritual experience of hidden worlds; this lies at its heart and informs magical practice.

Refining our values

In modern western society, with its emphasis on reason, logic and scientific enquiry, a living relationship with the otherworld has largely been lost. Although we are materially wealthy, many people feel dissatisfied with their lives; there is feeling that something is missing but we are not quite sure what. This condition has engendered a search for meaning and a spiritual that makes sense, and it is in this context that interest in magic is steadily growing.

Magic suggests that there is more to our world than can been seen with the naked eye, and that a rational and objective approach is not always the best way. In fact, to establish a relationship with the irrational , emotional and intuitive, or the forces of “unreason”. Connecting with the world of magic means rediscovering the languages of dreams and visions, imagination and fantasy, myth and story, image and symbol and to be prepared to enter the unknown.

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Magic and the sacred tradition

Since the earliest times, magic has been practiced in many different guises throughout the world, despite opposition from orthodox religion and mainstream society at various points along the way. Magic is an ancient art, and far from being something “bad” or “evil”, it has played an important part in the psycho-spiritual development of the human race. To many, this may sound preposterous, yet if we look at cultures other than our own we can see evidence of “magical” thinking and how this informs the way people live. For instance, Native American Indians regard the Earth as a living spirit whose voice can be heard in the roaring, sighing or whistling of the wind. Consequently, they believe in treating the land with respect and living in harmony with nature’s laws.

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The Origins of Magic

Throughout the world, human beings have developed a multitude of beliefs and practices to explain and give meaning to the cosmos. Almost without exception, early cultures evolved with a world view wherein magic and spiritually were inextricably bound, and in some parts of the world this is still true today. In fact, the word “magic” comes from the Greek mageia, which derives from magoi, an ancient Persian caste of priests who studied astrology and divination. Even before written records were kept, however, cave paintings daring back some 30,000 years indicate that our earliest ancestors practiced what we would now call magic in the form of shamanism.

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Shamanism

Claimed as the oldest spiritual practice, shamanism is still embraced by many small-scale societies around the world – Siberian to the Amazonian region to Africa – albeit under increasingly difficult conditions. A shaman takes on the role of mediator between the everyday world and the spiritual dimension. By entering into a trance, he or she “journeys” to the otherworld in an attempt to resolve some difficulty or dilemma in the human domain. Shamanic cosmologies are frequently formed from three regions: a middle world corresponding to our everyday reality on earth; an upper world relating to the sky and celestial realms; and a lower or underworld, which reaches deep down into the earth. These three regions are connected by central axis, and are often represented by a tree.

Most of the world’s sacred traditions have been influenced in one way or another by shamanism. For instance, magic was very important in the Chinese royal-ancestral religion of the Shang and early Chou (16^th-18^th centuries BC), where the wu was a shaman or sorcerer who sacrificed to and invoked the spirits, and also cured physical and spiritual complaints or maladies by means of medicinal plants and spells.

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Ancient Egyptian beliefs

The dual development of magic and religious custom and belief become more sophisticated in ancient Egypt. Egyptian magic dates back to a time when the region’s pre-dynastic, prehistoric inhabitants believed that the earth, the underworld, the air and the sky were populated by countless supernatural beings, some of whom affirmed life and were friendly while others caused death and destruction. Complex rites and rituals beings – the vast pantheon of Egyptian gods and goddesses – and temples were constructed in their honour. Priests became the guardians of a secret knowledge revealed by the deities to help humanity, and their books of spells and other magical formulae were safeguarded in temple and palace libraries. In popular tales, they were credited with the power to bring wax animals to life, or roll back the waters of a lake. The priests’ role was eventually taken over by magicians (hekau), who carried metal or ivory wands as symbols of their authority and ability to summon and control powerful spirits.

Mainly concerned with healing and self-preservation, ancient Egyptian magic permeated every aspect of daily life. Rituals were conducted for all kinds of purposes – to protect the king, to safeguard a woman and her baby during childbirth, or even to help the dead in the afterlife. Egyptians of all classes wore protective amulets inscribed with magical symbols and the names of gods or pharaohs.

Destructive magic was also practiced in ancient Egypt. It was believed, for instance, that foreign enemies and Egyptian traitors could be weakened or destroyed by inscribing their names on clay pots and figurines, then smashing, burning or burying there. Enemies if the divine order could be similarly cursed. For example, to counter the influences of Apophis, the chaos serpent, his image would be drawn on papyrus or modeled in wax and then spat on, trampled, stabbed or burnt in temple ceremonies; any remaining pieces were dissolved in buckets of urine.

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Magic and ritual in India

In India magical thought was inseparable from the sacred tradition. According to legend, the ancient sacred texts known as the Vedas (meaning “what is known” in Sanskrit) were revealed more than 4,000 years ago to 52 great rishis, or seers, during meditation. The Vedas praise and appease forces of nature and “higher beings”, which are depicted as deities. A rich source of magical ideas, they reveal the unity of creation as a mysterious interconnectedness and co-dependence. Each bio-organism, element or species has a purpose within a larger scheme and is sacred, and reality is built up from various networks of affinities or connections, which can be evoked and controlled by human beings.

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Magical rites in the Indian Vedas

The ancient Indian Vedas are divided into smaller books, of which the Atharva-Veda contains a rich collection of spells and magical rites. These are arranged according to those concerned with positive welfare and the pacification of evil influences, and those directed against hostile powers of individuals. The priestly Brahmin caste, or class, performed the rituals, which were to do with restoring equilibrium rather than controlling nature. Their purpose was to keep the life processes of the universe moving and to maintain good relations with the powers of the unseen. They were held on special occasions, such as festivals, and for specific purposes, such as curing disease or exorcising spirits.

A ritual might include divination and the manipulation of spirits or deities. Sacred sounds, such as ceremonially uttered word or mantra, were often used in spells and rituals as a way of making contact with the hidden world. Many mantras were believed to hold so much power in a awakening the spirit world that they could only be performed under the guidance of guru. Extensive preparation – such as astrological readings, long recitations and a knowledge of how to regulate breathing – was also necessary before it was considered safe to use them.

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Magic Workers

Nearly all societies have some concept of witchcraft in which individuals are thought to possess a form of extraordinary power. A belief in witchcraft is part of a magical world view that sees inherent in the universe powers and forces that may be directed by certain people. These “magic-workers” have been called by many different names, most commonly witches, magicians, sorcerers, shamans or witch doctors. Having all manner of special abilities, they are thought to be able to change their shape, fly and sometimes trick and deceive. Often regarded as frightening, they have been the subject of folklore in numerous countries and used as scapegoats for unexplained or unexpected elements of everyday life.

Witches

The word “”witch” comes from the Old English wician, meaning “to cast a spell”, but the meaning of witch and witchcraft changes from society to society and there is no neat and precise definition with which everyone agrees. In general, however, witches are usually female, associated with darkness and night-time, and with the reversal of normal human lives. Roman literature is full of references to a creature called a strix (a word of Greek origin meaning “”to screech”), which flew about at night, uttering piercing screams and feeling on the flesh and blood of human beings. The Yoruba of Nigeria believe that witches are generally women who fly about at night and meet un secret places. In European folklore, a witch is frequently depicted an ugly old hag, or else a beautiful enchantress, who uses her powers to allure and seduce. Witches are also commonly believed to have special spirit animals or familiars that perform services for them; typical examples include black cats, newts and snakes. They also have knowledge of plants and herbs, and they concoct their spells using a giant pot, or cauldron.

Theories about how witches get their power vary. In some parts of the world it is thought that power derives from an association with carnivorous predators; gained through acquired knowledge or skills; or inherited, as in the African society of the Azande. At the time of the witch hunts in Europe (16^th – 17^th centuries), the Christian church convinced that a witch’s power was reward making a pact with the Devil.

Wise Women, Cunning Men

Alongside the idea of “bad” witch there co-exists the idea if magic-workers who use their powers for the good of the community. In the European tradition these are often referred to as “cunning folk”, also known as wizards, wise folk, wise women or white witches. Once found in every village, these magical practitioners were commonly consulted for identifying witches (of the bad kind), fortune-telling, finding lost or stolen goods and naming the thief, as well as for providing remedies for a wide range of illness. In fact, many illnesses and misfortunes were attributed to the workings of spirits, so that a sick or unlucky person or animal was considered to be “bewitched”. It was the job of the cunning worker to lift spells and to provide antidotes to, and protection against, witchcrats.

Shamans

Common in early traditions, and still practiced b some societies in Siberia, the Amazonian region and Africa, shamanism is a tradition whereby an individual works magic for the benefit of the social group from magical aggression and natural calamities. They also heal sick people, communicate with the spirits of the dead, find lost objects and predict the future. They can do this by entering a trance during which the soul leaves the body and changes, or shape-shifts into spirit forms, such as various animals. This altered state enables shamans to battle with spirits or forces, or to gain valuable information.

Magical medicine

The link between magic and medicine exists in many cultures and healers are often referred to as medicine men or women. A medicine may be used for more than healing the body, however. In many traditional African societies, for instance, magical “medicines” may be used to bring or prevent rain, to delay sunset, as an aid in hunting, for success in love affairs or to find stolen property, as well as for treating illness.

The medicine man, or diviner, may also use spiritual power in amulets or charms to protect individuals. The magic may also involve rites using medicines made from trees and plants, with the magician telling the medicines what he wants them to do. In most Bantu languages the term used to refer to a medicine man, magician, herbalist or shaman is nganga. The nganga goes into the forest to collect herbs, roots, bark, and plants for the medicine. Some nganga families have a tradition of healing that goes back many generations; the living members receive guidance from their ancestors, who speak to them in dreams, instructing them about which herbs to use and where to find them.

(Consultant Editor, Raje Airey)

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