August is already gone! Every year, about this time, my heart gets somehow squeezed. This is because August is the seventh month in the lunar calendar, which is named “hungry ghost month”. For those who don’t believe in ghosts, you won’t see ghosts but some unfortunate matters related with violent situations, like accidents, forest fire will happen…
If you don’t know what the “hungry ghost month” is about, I can explain: -The ancient Chinese believe that every year, the hell’s gate is opened for a whole month and there is a specific day that all ghosts are out there. They can frighten people late at night or even possess them leading to violent behavior. We must stay at home at night or avoid insecure places.
As I remember, there was a horrible car crash on the high way involving more than 10 vehicles at the night of the “hungry ghost day” in 2011 (Portugal). Seven people died.
In 2012, a hundred students out of control burned several vehicles in the street for all night long, leaving world in panic. (France)
2013. I was so apprehensive about what would happen. I was in holiday, paying attention to every detail on daily news. One day I was feeling so sad watching my country’s forests being burned by some suspects (criminals) and suddenly I remembered the words of an expert. She said that back in the old days, people used to burn incense for their Gods. Now a days it rarely happens, so the forest are burned, especially pine forests, to release the smell of incense because incense is the food for “ghosts” (wondering souls). If they are fed and happy, we are happy too. But…
So what happens in 2013? Every where but especially in Australia, we saw the destruction in August of a waste area that was burned out. So desolating…
Now we can feel relaxed. At least for the next eleven months!
Have a wonderful year!
Lifesglance 