飄零饑渴又經年，身處異道難交集；
中元薄供修普悲，祝願早登淨土蓮。
跋
憶台北家中每逢中元皆於供佛、祭祖之際，另設供品以奉「老大公、好兄弟」輩之孤魂野鬼。對彼等之供奉，除食物、酒、碗筷、酒杯之陳設，還有盛有清水之臉盆、漱口杯、毛巾、香皂、牙刷、牙膏等，以供彼等略淨風塵。酒過三巡，並焚化紙錢、金、銀箔等，而以供過之酒澆於其上。
此種體貼之供奉，令人心儀。近十餘年來我亦在美國寓所效行。每逢中元，除修頗瓦超幽外，亦於傍晚或夜間供施彼等，並焚化聖符數種以助彼等早得超生。近來亦告知弟子眾，可藉此略表同體普悲之情，視為修法而行之。今特為文紀之，願此良好風俗得以推廣，並成為佛法之修習。
二〇〇八年八月十五日
陰曆七月十五日中元節
養和齋 於加州
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----- Original Message -----
寄件者: Yutang Lin
收件者: 'DD'
傳送日期: 2008年8月16日 上午 11:44
主旨: F1654 in Calligraphy F1654翰墨
As requested by disciple Pian Zhao I had written it in calligraphy.
應弟子遍照之請求我已書寫了此篇。
Some people stop making offerings to ancestors, not to mention to wandering ghosts, after they began to learn Buddhism. Somehow, they forgot that all those beings are still in transmigration and need help at their level. So Pian Zhao was moved by this poem and asked me to point out that such offerings are still very much needed by those beings; we hope that this work will inspire more people to look into the real and urgent needs of beings.
有些人學佛以後，停止祭拜祖先，更不必說要拜孤魂野鬼了。他們都或多或少忘了這些眾生仍在輪迴中而需要他們所在層次的幫助。因此，遍照很受此詩的感動，並請求我點出這種供施對這些眾生仍是非常的需要。我們希望此作能夠鼓舞更多的人重視這些眾生的實質及緊急需求。
May all beings attain Enlightenment soon!
願一切眾生早日成佛！
Yutang
鈺堂
Offerings to Wandering Ghosts Yutang Lin
Wandering alone in hunger and thirst for another year
Beings born in different realms could hardly commune
Light offerings made on Zhong Yuan as practice of universal compassion
May all of you wandering ghosts soon attain rebirth in Buddha's Pureland
Comments:
Lunar July 15 is the date called "Zhong Yuan Festival" by the Chinese people. Lunar July is believed by the Chinese to be the month when ghosts may roam the human realm at relatively more ease, and the 15th of this month is set as the date for making offerings to ancestors and wandering ghosts who had no descendants to worship them.
I recall that at home in Taipei, Taiwan whenever it was Zhong Yuan we made offerings to Buddhas, ancestors, and in addition, to wandering ghosts who are addressed as "Old great grandpa, good brothers." Offerings presented to them include foods, rice wine, bowl and chopsticks, wine cups, and in addition, basin and cup with clean water, towel, soap, toothbrush and toothpaste so that they may clean up a bit. After three rounds of pouring wine into their cups, we burned some hell-bank notes and gold or silver foils and then pour the offered wine over the ashes.
Such considerate offering inspired my admiration for the thoughtfulness implied therein. In the past decade or more years I also adopted this practice on each and every Zhong Yuan. At late afternoon or in the evening, in addition to performing Powa for the deceased beings, I made similar offerings to the wandering ghosts, and I also burned some mantra sheets to help them attain rebirth in Pureland sooner. In recent years I also advised some disciples to adopt the practice as a way to express our feeling of oneness with the ghosts and to cultivate our universal compassion. Now I put it down in writing with the wish that such a good custom will spread and be adopted as a Dharma related practice.
Written in Chinese and translated on August 15, 2008
Lunar July 15, Zhong Yuan Festival
El Cerrito, California
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