Drafting of some Scarry Novel - Year-round Hungry Ghosts
Delving into the Realm of the Hungry Ghosts: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Ghost Festival.
As the sweltering heat of July begins to wane, a chill of a different kind descends upon the land. It is the time of the Hungry Ghost Festival, a time when the veil between the living and the dead is said to be at its thinnest, allowing restless spirits to roam the earth.
The Hungry Ghost Festival, also known as Zhongyuan Jie or Zhongyuan Festival, is a traditional observance celebrated in many East and Southeast Asian countries. It falls on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, which typically coincides with July or August in the Gregorian calendar.
During this time, it is believed that the gates of hell are opened, allowing the ghosts of those who have died without proper rites or those who have committed grave sins to return to the mortal realm. These restless spirits, known as hungry ghosts, are said to be tormented by insatiable hunger and thirst, forever seeking sustenance that they can never truly consume.
To appease these hungry ghosts, families and communities perform a variety of rituals and offerings. They prepare elaborate meals and set out empty seats at their dining tables, inviting the spirits to join their feasts. They burn incense and offer joss paper, a symbolic representation of money and valuables, to provide for the ghosts’ needs.
The Hungry Ghost Festival is not merely a time of fear and superstition; it is also a time for reflection and remembrance. Families honor their deceased ancestors, offering prayers and blessings for their peace and well-being. They also pay respects to those who have died without proper rites, ensuring that their spirits find solace and rest.
The festival serves as a reminder of the cyclical nature of life and death, the interconnectedness of all beings, and the importance of compassion and generosity. It is a time to extend kindness not only to the living but also to the spirits who walk among us, unseen but not forgotten.
Year-round Hungry Ghosts with their Tricks&Traps around the city feeding on the living. Who are they? They are dead in their souls. A kind of soulless-zombies. Go to park 239, they hanging around there days and nights running their camourflage businesses while trying to be out-smart the rest of us — with a business model of ‘scams out of people’s weaknesses’ ranging from low to hightech. They could be spot on the streets as beggards, street vendors, taxi bikers, …or in the highrise as some white collars with Singaporean style hack-skills. I’ve been there thrice. They inspired me to share this story with the world. Just as a prophecies of their lives in the new era of decency.
Amid global eco-crisis and recession, how can these scavengers hang on in the city?
Mostly by scams: on/offline. All kinds of scams in Saigon, at least what I’ve known are run by an organized gang lead by a female-intensive family business mainly.
(Journal of a family get-together in Govap district at a Cantonese restaurant near Emart. It was the last time I went there and in July 2022 — Or a family trip to Vung tau staying at a 4* resort, in 2022 also, …some valuable footages as proofs of broad daylight/year-round hungry ghosts).
What is expecting them ahead? Some prophecies: lonely wolves sitting at the park benches at night hanging out with their same kinds hunting for lone-sheep; their ancestors would be ‘proud’ of their successes; their peers would be just the exact mirrors of themselves, their offspring would be desperate for generations; all of their takings would be in washed away by the elements and human forces; their kingdom would go to pieces like house of cards; when they need help of any kind, their same kinds would appear and offer the same services they offer the mass. Their products/services would enjoy the biggest boycott ever globe-wide till exstinct.