What kind of paper should be put in the burden package during the Ghost Festival?
The paper usually placed inside the burden package is mainly spirit money, which comes in many types and varies by region.The common types of paper include five categories:
First, large burn paper, white paper with four rows of round coins, five per row;
Second, spirit money, which was imitated after the introduction of foreign currency, and is marked with phrases like "Heavenly Bank," "Spirit Kingdom Bank," and "Hades Bank," along with images of Fengdu City, mostly with high-value denominations, and printed with the Buddhist "Sutra of Departure to the Other Shore" on the back;
Third, fake foreign currency, made of hard paper as the core, covered with silver foil, and stamped with the same pattern as the circulating silver dollars;
Fourth, the "Sutra of Departure to the Other Shore" printed in red on yellow paper, shaped into a round coin, hence also called "Departure Money";
Fifth, gold and silver foil folded into ingots and small gold pieces, some of which are strung together with threads and have a colorful paper tassel at the bottom.
Why do people burn burden packages during the Ghost Festival?
Burning burden packages is a custom of honoring ancestors. It is a way for the living to send spiritual money to their deceased relatives during the time when the gates of hell are open, to help them live comfortably in the afterlife. The method is similar to sending letters to friends and family in the real world. First, the spiritual money (paper money) is folded neatly, then wrapped in white paper (which serves as an envelope). Next comes writing the "envelope" (the writing method varies by region).Different generations have different titles, generally going back four generations: father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather, to show "respecting the past and remembering the ancestors." The titles are written with males on the right and females on the left. The self-reference also changes accordingly, corresponding to: son, grandson, great-grandson, and great-great-grandson. The intersection on the back of the envelope should be marked with a large "封" character, indicating that it is sealed and other spirits cannot open it. In addition, a roll of paper money should be rolled up, wrapped in white paper, and labeled "For the Carrier Only." The "carrier" refers to the "postman" in the afterlife. Without the carrier, the spirit money cannot be delivered.
Things to note when burning burden packages during the Ghost Festival
1. Bundling The first step in burning the burden package is to bundle it, meaning that the written packages are tied together with a thin rope in pairs for transportation.2. Feeding the Horses Feeding the horses means feeding the paper horses responsible for transportation, i.e., placing some grain, green grass, and water in the place where the paper horses are stored so they can eat well;
3. Offering Food to the Horsemen Offering food to the horsemen means inviting the paper horsemen to eat and also burning paper money for their transportation fees;
4. Loading the Burden Loading the burden means placing the bundled packages onto the horseback, actually inserting the two bundles between the paper horses;
5. Drawing the Burn Package Circle Drawing the burn package circle means using white ash to draw a circle with an exit on the area where the burden packages will be burned (usually the front door or courtyard), with a diameter of about one meter and the exit facing the main road;
6. Inserting the Guidance Incense Inserting the guidance incense means burning a stick of incense and placing one stick every 2-3 meters along the path from the exit of the burn package circle to the main road, serving as a lamp to guide the horse team out;
7. Stacking the Packages Stacking the packages means arranging the packages to be burned in a shape with space inside (usually a hollow tower shape) to facilitate combustion.
8. Burning the Packages Burning the packages means igniting and burning the stacked packages with paper money, while reciting the names of the deceased ancestors and asking them to claim their own money. During the burning process, the金山银山 (gold mountains and silver mountains), incense flowers, and paper flowers offered at home can also be burned. At the same time, some scattered paper money is burned outside the burn package circle, while reciting the names of the unclaimed wandering souls and ghosts to invite them to take the money.
According to fate theory, "human destiny is determined by heaven". A person's life path is already set at birth.
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