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Medicine Buddha is the Buddha of healing and medicine in Mahayana Buddhism. The practice of Medicine Buddha, the Supreme Healer is not only a very powerful method for healing and increasing healing powers both for oneself and others, but more importantly it is an antidote for overcoming all sickness and sufferings cause by greed, hatred and delusion. The Medicine Buddha Sutra states: “Wherever there are sentient beings who hold fast to the name of the Medicine Buddha and respectfully make offerings to him, whether in villages, towns, kingdoms or in the wilderness, we, the Twelve Generals, will all protect them. We will release them from all suffering and calamities and see to it that all their wishes are fulfilled.” you can invite the medicine buddha home, please contact KMSPKSM Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery 88 Bright Hill Road, Singapore 574117 Venue: Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas | Hall of Medicine Buddha Fee: $88 per statue   Enquiry:  Front Office | 6849 5333 供佛药师琉...

Taboos & Questions about Qingming Festival The general practices of worshipping ancestors are fairly similar whether it is done at a cemetery, columbarium or temple. Food offerings are laid out in front of the grave or niche or at the temple altar. Red candles and joss sticks are also lit. Descendants pay their respects by kowtowing, kneeling or bowing before the grave, niche or tablet, usually with lighted joss sticks in their hands. Traditionally, male members of the family offer their prayers first, followed by the females. Next, mock money and paper gifts are burned to ensure that the ancestors are not short of material comforts in the afterworld. These paper offerings include replicas of various items such as clothing and accessories, houses, cars, servants, televisions and mobile phones.Some believe that the paper gifts must be labelled with the names of both the deceased and the descendants to ensure that their ancestors receive the items on the other side. In the Qingming F...

First and Second Masters" (大二老爺; 大二老爷; Dà Èr Lǎoyé) or "First and Second Uncles" (大二爺伯; 大二爷伯; Dà Èr Yébó; Tua Di Ah Pek / Tua Li Ya Pek in Hokkien).  are two Deities in Chinese folk religion in charge of escorting the spirits of the dead to the underworld. As their names suggest, they are dressed in black and white respectively. They are subordinates of Yanluo Wang, the Supreme Judge of the Underworld in Chinese mythology, alongside the Ox-Headed and Horse-Faced Hell Guards. They are worshiped as fortune deities and are also worshiped in Cheng Huang Temples in some countries. In Taiwan, they are called "Seventh and Eighth Masters" (七爺八爺; 七爷八爷; Qīyé Bāyé). In Sichuan Province, they are referred to as the "Two Masters Wu" (吳二爺; 吴二爷; Wú Èr Yé) The most common background story of them they both used to work as constables in a yamen. One day, a convict they were escorting to another location escaped during the journey. They decided to split up and search f...

Goddess of Mercy’s Birthday  The Birthday of the Goddess of Mercy or Kuan Yin happens three times a year. The first birthday falls on the 19th day of the 2nd Chinese lunar month. The second birthday falls on the 19th day of the 6th Chinese lunar month and the third birthday falls on the 19th day of the 9th Chinese lunar months. These dates denote Kuan Yin’s birthday, her initiation and the event of her attaining the state of Nirvana. The Goddess of Mercy or Kuan Yin is a Bodhissattva or the enlightened being who hears the sufferings of the world and reaches out in compassion. Boddhisattvas are enlightened beings who live in this world, foregoing nirvana to help others and guide them to the pure land. Kuan Yin is revered by the Buddhists and Taoists. The 19th day of the 6th month in the Chinese lunar calendar is the birth of Kuan Yin as a monk or nun who dedicated his / her life to Buddhism. In the Lotus Sutra, Kuan Yin is believed to be able to assume any gender or other being to b...

 Ghost Festival, Hungry Ghost Festival The 15th day of the 7th moon in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh moon in general is regarded as the Ghost Month, in which ghosts, including those of the deceased ancestors, and spirits come out from the lower realm: the gates of hell are opened to free the hungry ghosts who then wander to seek food on Earth. On Ghost Day, the deceased visit the living. During the Ghost Festival, the elder ancestors and older generations are worshipped. Rituals are preformed to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased, offerings reaching the ghosts should comfort the ghost’s life. A satisfied ghost will not harm the living, but rather protect them, acting as a ‘guardian angel’. Important during the Ghost Festival is the fulfillment of one’s filial duties, filial piety and to calm spirits. Activities during the month include preparing ritualistic food offerings, giving a feast to the ghosts, burning incense, joss paper, spirit m...

Rituals & Rewarding Of Five Camps Celestial Soldiers (五营兵将): 1) Diao Bing Qian Jiang (调兵遣将), this is a procedure that all groups that needed to perform before any Events commence 2) Fa Bing Dian Jiang (发兵点将), this is a procedure to summon, gather and appoint tasks to the Marshals and their respective subordinates 3) Jie Jie Ding Fang (结界定方), this is a procedure to set the Territory for the Marshals and Armies to stand guard, etc (Mend for External and Internal Camps). 4) Gao Shang Jun Ma (犒赏军马), this is a procedure to reward the Marshals and Armies after a certain Ritual/Ceremony ended 5) Dian Jiang Shou Ying (点将收营), this procedure only occurred at the end of the whole Ritual/Ceremony, this is to send back all the Marshals and their Armies to their respective posts (各营皆回各自岗位). The rewarding the troops (犒軍) ritual is common in settlements mainly populated by Hoklo (福佬) migrants. In traditional society when faced by disease or invasion a “ritual expert (儀式專家)” would be invited to con...

Chinese New Year celebration doesn't just begin on the actual day by itself. In fact, Pre-CNY preparations and small scale events already begin few weeks before Chinese New Year and ends after 15th / 16th day of Chinese New Year. Winter Solstice Festival ( 冬至 - Dong Zhi) 22nd December Gregorian Calendar Not only a Festival of the Chinese,  Winter Solstice Festival is also celebrated in Japan - Toji ( 冬至 ) , Korea - Dongji ( 동지 , 冬至 ), and Vietnam - Đông chí.   The traditional East Asian calendars divide a year into 24 solar terms. Dong Zhi ( 冬至 ) is the 22nd solar term, and marks the winter solstice. Dong Zhi Festival was originally celebrated as an end-of-harvest festival. Dong Zhi is now celebrated as a time for the family to get together. In Southern China and Oversea Chinese (mostly Southern Chinese), one activity is the making and eating of Tang Yuan ( 汤圆 ) - Balls of glutinous rice, which symbolizes reunion. In northern China, people typically eat dumplin...