4. CHINESE CEREMONIES AND MAHAYANA BUDDHISM
4.2 Ceremonies in the Cycle of the Year
4.2.3 Ancestor Worship ( 清明 , Cheng Meng, เชงเมง )
Cheng meng falls around 4-6 April each year and usually occurs on 5 April of the Gregorian calendar. The literal meaning of Qing Ming (cheng meng) in Chinese is
“clear” and “bright”, which is in keeping with the festival’s timing at the beginning of spring, during which people expect beautiful weather. Cheng meng is a time for remembering the dead and in the Chinese tradition, it is very important to worship ancestors at their tombs. This celebration stems from the Confucian precept of theimportance ofthe virtue of gratefulness. The whole family sweeps their ancestors’
tombs and offers the ancestors food, tea, wine, chopsticks, and joss paper accessories.
Chinese people in Thailand like to put new paint on the tombstone and decorate the tomb with colored paper. By tradition, changing something at the tomb should follow Chinese astrological symbolism.25
Besides worship, other benefits and purposes unique to this festival include:
1) It is a reminder of the virtues of the ancestors. The troubles an ancestor faced resulted in a happier life for his descendants. Therefore, his posterity should be remembered and respect payed.
2) It is a day when family members come together because custom dictates that each relative in the family should take part in the ceremony every year.
3) It is a time and an opportunity to follow and practice the virtues that descendants appreciate in their ancestors.
4) Symbolically, the ancestor’s tomb is used to remind people of the three great truths in Buddhist thinking, which are “all things are
impermanent”, “nothing has an ego”, and “nirvana is quiescence”.
25 This section refers to Peking Language University, Nanjing University and Anhui University (2000).
4.2.4 Paying the Respect to the Deity Ceremony (Waichao, ไหวเจา)26
Fig.13. Image of Guan Im Bodhisattava at Hat Yai, Songkhla Province Photo by R. Ungpho 2006
Throughout the year, there are holy days for each Buddha, Bodhisattva, or deity, which all help to distinguish one’s religious tradition. In each Mahayana temple, shrine, or Chinese association facility, a special holy figure is individually selected to be the main object of worship. Because of various influences and sects, it is impossible to attach a particular holy figure to one day in each Buddhist domain. The general tradition of Mahayana Buddhism in Thailand emphasizes the practices of the Mantrayana or Vajrayana sect,27 the Dhyāna sect,28 the Sukhavadi sect,29 and Taoism, which come from various common Chinese folk religions. The venerable master who arrives and performs first in a particular Buddhist facility chooses the holy figure or religious paragon that the temple will thereafter honor publicly. This Buddhist location then holds a special ceremony of merit earning, honoring their chosen figure or deity on a special day.
26The title is in Thai, there is no Chinese character.
27 The Mantrayana or Vajrayana sect is one practice of Buddhism. The distinctive feature of Vajrayana Buddhism is the ritual involving the use of mantras.
28 The Dhyāna sect is the practice of Buddhism that refers to either meditation or meditative states.
29 The Sukhavadi sect or Pure Land Buddhism has a concept of nirvana; looking to Amida Buddha for guidance can help being reborn in the Pure Land.
In worshiping a Buddhist deity, an altar can be set up at home or worship can be done in a Buddhist facility. The standard offerings to the deity in the Mahayana tradition are a combination of the objects listed below. The choice of objects is based on beliefs of showing respect and the sense of obligation to the gods. People pick and choose all offerings to set on the altar and then implore the gods to bless them.
¾ Flowers
The lotus is the symbol of Buddhism. Other flowers could be used in worship including most often, cape marigolds and orchids. The cape marigold is known in Thai as daorueang (ดาวเรือง), whose meaning is prosperity. Flowers not to be used as offerings include anthuriums and tuberoses because these flowers are always used in funeral ceremonies.
¾ Fruits
Traditionally, the most commonly used fruits are oranges because they represent gold or prosperity. The number of fruits offered should be an odd number. For example, one could offer one orange only, an orange in combination with an apple and a Chinese pear, or an arrangement consisting of five, seven, or nine fruits on a tray.
¾ Food
The food offering should be vegetarian though certain deities can be offered meat, fish, and chicken, signify the offering of prosperity.
¾ Water or Chinese whiskey
Giving water is a common Buddhist tradition for worship and signifies cheerfulness or high spirit. An exception is to offer alcohol, which is not common in Buddhist tradition, but there are some possibilities to offer alcohol to some deities.
¾ Chinese tea
Tea is, in Chinese tradition, served as a sign of welcome. The Chinese believe that tea can both reduce fat and support longevity. It is also a symbol of prosperity.
¾ Candles
The candle is the symbol of light, which means enlightenment in Buddhism.
¾ Incense or joss sticks
The Chinese believe that smoke from incense can ascend to heaven.
Burning incense signifies informing the deities that they are invited to join the ceremony.
¾ Perfume
In addition to their odor, perfume is a symbol of worship. The Chinese have said that the smell can go to heaven and the fragrance will honor the deity. The deity knows how it is used in the human world. Usually, it is not necessary to place perfume on the altar, except when it is a decision made by the faithful.
¾ Music
Music is used to extol the virtue of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Buddhist holinesses, or the deities through its beautiful sound.
To celebrate a holy day, general practices always include chanting and giving offerings and donations. There are minor differences depending on the particular holy day. The main great holy days are dedicated to Sakyamuni Buddha, Maitreya Bodhisattva and Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. Others holy days are designed around individual occasions from each tradition.
Date in Lunar Month
Feast Liturgy
On the first day of the first lunar month
Celebration of the birth of Maitreya Bodhisattva
- Incense Anthem
- Recitation “The Sitatapatrosnisa Dharani” and “Prajnaparamita Hrdaya Sutra”
- Presentation of Buddha’s teachings - Circumambulation and Invocation of the name of Maitreya Bodhisattva (many times)
- Antiphonal Chants and Alternate Prostrations, especially for Maitreya Bodhisattva
- Three Refuges On the eighth day
of the second lunar month
Celebration of the day of great renunciation of Sakyamuni Buddha
- Incense Anthem
- Recitation of “The Sitatapatrosnisa Dharani” and “Prajnaparamita Hrdaya Sutra”
- Presentation of Buddha’s teachings - Circumambulation and Invocation of the name of Sakyamuni Buddha (many times)
- Antiphonal Chants and Alternate Prostrations, especially for Sakyamuni Buddha
- Three Refuges On the fifteenth
day of the second lunar month
Celebration of the day of nirvana attainment by Buddha
See “the day of great renunciation of Sakyamuni Buddha”
Date in Lunar Month
Feast Liturgy
On the nineteenth day of the second lunar month
Celebration of the birth of
Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva
- Incense Anthem
- Recitation of “Dharani of the Most Compassionate One”
- Presentation of Buddha’s teachings - Circumambulation and Invocation the name of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva (many times)
- Antiphonal Chants and Alternate Prostrations, especially for
Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva - Three Refuges
On the twenty first day of the second lunar month
Celebration of the birth of
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva
- Incense Anthem
- Recitation of “An Act of Buddha Worship and General Repentance”
- Presentation of Buddha’s teachings - Circumambulation and Invocation the name of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva (many times)
- Antiphonal Chants and Alternate Prostrations, especially for
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva - Three Refuges
On the sixth day of the third lunar month
Celebration of the birth of Maha Cundi Bodhisattva
- Incense Anthem
- Recitation “An Act of Buddha Worship and General Repentance”.
- Presentation of Buddha’s teachings - Circumambulation and Invocation the name of Maha Cundi Bodhisattva (many times)
- Antiphonal Chants and Alternate Prostrations, especially for Maha Cundi Bodhisattva
- Three Refuges
Date in Lunar Month
Feast Liturgy
On the forth day of the forth lunar month
Celebration of the birth of Manjushree Bodhisattva
- Incense Anthem
- Recitation “An Act of Buddha Worship and General Repentance”
- Presentation of Buddha’s teachings - Circumambulation and Invocation the name of Manjushree Bodhisattva (many times)
- Antiphonal Chants and Alternate Prostrations, especially for Manjushree Bodhisattva
- Three Refuges On the eighth day
of the forth lunar month
Celebration of the birth of Sakyamuni Budda
See “the day of great renunciation of Sakyamuni Buddha”
On the nineteenth day of the sixth lunar month
Celebration of the day of achievement of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva
See “the birth of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva”
On the thirteenth day of the seventh lunar month
Celebration of the birth of
Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva
- Incense Anthem
- Recitation “Amita Sutra” and
“Rebirth Dharani”
- Presentation of Buddha’s teachings - Circumambulation and Invocation the name of Mahasthamaprapta
Bodhisattva (many times)
- Antiphonal Chants and Alternate Prostrations, especially for
Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva.
- Three Refuges
Date in Lunar Month
Feast Liturgy
On the twenty ninth or thirtieth day of the seventh lunar month
Celebration of the birth of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
- Incense Anthem
- Recitation of “An Act of Buddha Worship and General Repentance”
- Presentation of Buddha’s teachings - Circumambulation and Invocation the name of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva (many times)
- Antiphonal Chants and Alternate Prostrations, especially for Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
- Three Refuges On the nineteenth
day of the ninth lunar month
Celebration of the day of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva ordination
See “the birth of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva”
On the twenty ninth or thirtieth day of the ninth lunar month
Celebration of the birth of Bhaisajya- guru-vaidurya-prabhasa Buddha
- Incense Anthem
- Recitation “An Act of Buddha Worship and General Repentance”
- Presentation of Buddha’s teachings - Circumambulation and Invocation the name of Bhaisajya-guru-vaidurya-prabhasa Buddha (many times) - Antiphonal Chants and Alternate Prostrations, especially for Bhaisajya-guru-vaidurya-prabhasa Buddha - Three Refuges
Date in Lunar Month
Feast Liturgy
On the
seventeenth day of the eleventh lunar month
Celebration of the birth of Amitabha Buddha
- Incense Anthem
- Recitation of “Amita Sutra Spoken by Buddha” and “Rebirth Dharani (Three times)”
- Presentation of Buddha’s teachings - Circumambulation and Invocation the name of Amitabha Buddha (many times)
- Antiphonal Chants and Alternate Prostrations, especially for Amitabha Buddha
- Three Refuges On the eighth day
of the twelfth lunar month
Celebration of the day of enlightenment of Sakyamuni Buddha
See “the day of great renunciation of Sakyamuni Buddha”
Fig. 14. Table of the Holy Day of Buddhist Holiness with the liturgy30
4.2.5 The Festival of Leaving the Basket for Charity (Thingkrachat,