Hungry Ghost Festival Taboos

Specially dedicated this post to John Matthew

Taboos to Follow:
1. Avoid swimming during the 7th month. It is believed that those previously drowned evil ghost might cause you to drown in the swimming pool. Such ghost need to find victims in order for them to be go for rebirth.

2. Children and young adults are also advised to return home early and not to wander around alone at night. This belief is due to the reason that the wandering ghosts can possess children easily.

3. Avoid moving into new homes and opening new businesses this month as it is considered inauspicious and bad luck on new ventures.

4. Avoid getting married during this month because couples will have bad ending. Some bad ghost may cast a bad spell on couples during their wedding.

5. Avoid going for jungle trekking and going on camping trips as chances of injuries, possession and death are high.

6. Drive very carefully during this month to avoid accidents, as there may be many wandering spirits who died of accidents previously that are searching for next victims so that they could be reincarnated.


Hotel Taboos:
For those who are travelling, they may want to be cautious when staying in hotels. The hotel is considered as a "yin place" and is normally a favorite settlement for ghosts. The following are some tips that one can follow when staying in hotels to prevent ghostly encounters:

1. Provide a respectful knock on the bedroom door before you enter for the first time.

2. Avoid entering the room right away. Whisper to yourself that you are renting the room to stay temporarily, as a form of asking permission. Let any spirit leave the bedroom first before you enter.

3. Place your pair of shoes or sandals facing the door. The shoes must be away from the bed. One side of the shoe points to the door and the other side point inwards.

4. Display a glass of salt water next to your bed. Salt is an excellent antidote for dirty energy.

5. You are encouraged to flush the toilet bowl first before using it.

6. You are also encouraged to avoid wearing black or striking red colored clothings.

7. Normally there is a bible or quran in the drawers. Please avoid touching or moving them from their original positions.

8. Always keep the toilet's door closed with lights turned off when you go to sleep.

9. Try to avoid facing the mirror when you sleep. If the mirror is designed in this manner, try to cover it with a towel.

10. Avoid placing any shoe next to the bed when sleeping.

11. Watch out the mouth from mentioning anything about ghost. Ghost story telling must be avoided by all means.


From: This Link

Monday blues ...

I think I have not recovered from that day which i worked for 23 hours yet. I am very sleepy now. Yesterday slept during the bus journey, and also slept for 7 hours at night. But still, I am feeling very sleepy and blur now. How much sleep do I need in order to recover? Taken my B complex and also a cup of black coffee just now. Hope they help. There are quite a lot of things to be done today.

Will try to go home by 7.30pm from today onwards as I read about some taboos of Ghost Month this morning. It says that we shall reach home by 10.00pm. A bit scary because i need to walk quite far from the bus stop to my house. And my landlord put some Ornamental Buddha Head as decorative in the living room too. So, whenever I open my room's door the first thing I will see is the Ornamental Buddha Head. Scary! Especially at midnight.

Namo Amitabha