被遺忘的先人The Forgotten Ancestors

受邀明早將到新加坡一華人墳場為此處的大伯公和地主神進行祭神活動，和為祭墳場內的無主孤魂祈福消業及說法。

邀請者在清明前已聯絡吾，更通過各管道找了25位發心人士出錢出力、買供品、為無主孤魂報名蓮生活佛清明超度法會，折千朵蓮，以盼他們能早日離苦得樂、往生佛國。

埋藏在此的孤魂至少有11,550位，從1957年至今。他們的墓碑沒有名字，沒有照片，只有一個編號。我看到墓地的照片時，感嘆孤魂的福份薄弱，過世後不但沒後代祭祖，墓碑也比別人小的可憐，猶如墳場的’一房半廳式組屋‘，更有些東歪西倒、破損或埋在土壤裏，只見編號，不見磚頭。

聽說，深夜時分常有人來拜祭，事後便求’真字’。人們只想到自己的利益，有多少人會想到孤魂解脫的問題？孤魂若有福氣能賜這麼多財給你，死後又為何會無主呢？切記，若曾向孤魂許下什麽諾言，務必要遵守，否則後果不堪設想。

我讚嘆邀請者和贊助者的大善心！他們做到佛家所言: 無緣大慈，同體大悲！能夠參與這活動是我的榮幸。若您有緣能參與如此善行，不要扭扭捏捏，趕緊抱握！把心打開，利己利他，十方結善緣！

注： 此照片經由同意才發上網。請給予應有的尊敬而勿隨意轉發或拿照片做笑話或無稽之談。

I am invited to perform offering rites for Tua Pek Gong and the Earth Deities at a Chinese Cemetery in Singapore tomorrow morning. I will also be praying for the homeless spirits residing there and share the Dharma with them, in bid to lessen their negative karma.

The organizer of this event extended the invitation to me before the Qing Ming festival and through various channels, found 25 kindred sponsors who offered their generous assistance, both monetary and non-monetary. With this collective effort, they bought various offerings, registered the homeless spirits for deliverance pujas by Living Buddha Lian Sheng and folded 1000 paper lotuses, in the earnest hope that the spirits can end their sufferings and transcend to the Pure Land.

There are at least 11,550 remains buried here since 1957. The miniscule tombstones have no names or photos, just a cold serial number that accompanied them. Looking at pictures of the cemetery, it saddened me that their merits had been so inadequate that not only do they have no descendents to make offering to them proper, the size of the tombstones are like tiny 1-room flats, compared to their counterparts in a neighbouring plot. Some of the tombstones were falling apart, chipped, leaning in all directions instead of being upright or worse, had no clear visibility of the brick stone sans its serial number.

It is said that many people will often visit this cemetery during the wee hours to make offerings to these homeless spirits in hope to get the ‘magic 4 numbers’ from them. The intention behind their offerings had self interest written all over. How many of them actually pondered about the means to set these spirits free from their sufferings? Let’s think logically. If the spirits have the merits to grant you a winning 4-D numbers, why would they themselves end up in their current homeless state? Furthermore, be careful what you wish for or promise that you made, it may not turn out pretty if you did not fulfill your insincere promises to the spirits.

I am in full praise of the organizer of this event and the group of sponsors! Their actions exemplifies the Buddhist teaching of practicing universal compassion & empathy. I am most honoured to be given a chance to participate in this meaningful activity. If you have the opportunity to join or organize similar activities in the future, do not hesitate and grab it with both hands! Open up your heart, live beyond yourself to benefit others and form kind affinities in all ten directions!

Note: The photo in this post is published with permission given. Please show due respect & do not re-post this photo with the intention of making jokes or meaningless comments.