Buddhists' Transcending Meeting

Recently the Buddhists held a meeting at Changhua Athletic Park on Pagumount to transcend the soul from suffering in the underworld.The meeting is closely related to the legend of Mu-lian(目蓮救母)who rescued his mother from the hell.Mu-lian's mother was orignally a devoted Buddhist before her husband was sick. She prayed to Buddha for her husband's recovery.But she was disappointed.After her husband's death she began to eat meat and committed wrongdoings which led her to the hell.Mu-lian,the obedient son,visited all the hells to save his mother. He opened one of the doors of the hells and the ghosts escaped from the hells,returning to the world.That is why the Chinese and Taiwanese call this month (July by Chinese calendar)ghosts' month.During this month,people do many bai-bais to treat the ghosts,burning lots of paper money to them,and let the Buddhist Master transcend the souls from sufferings in the hell.

Homage to ancestors

About 400 years ago,little was known about Taiwan. It was once occupied by Dutchman and then by Japanese. Our ancestors crossed the hazardous Taiwan Strait to cultivate this piece of land.Many people died during the crossing,and therefore some historians assumed that the word "Taiwan" literarily meant "burying the dead people who died in injustice or in grievance". The married males migrated to Taiwan without their wives and the bachelors got married with the local indigenous women. Today we flourish(prosper) on this land,enjoying complete freedom and economic richness,we should pay our homage to our beloved ancestors.(照片:台南億載金城) .