How & Why Qing Ming Jie Is To Be Celebrated By Buddhists? -- By Ven. Dr.P.Gnanarama (Principal of Buddhist and Pali College of Singapore)

Qing Ming is a festival ascribed traditionally to remember and pay respect to the departed relatives. Following popular usage although it is called “All Souls Day? In Chinese customs and rituals, it occupies a predominant place as a festival showing devotion, respect and gratitude to dead ancestors of each and every family. The festival ensures social mobility and exemplifies filial ethics propounded by the Chinese sage and philosopher, Confucius, in the 6th century B.C. It falls in early spring on the 106th day after the winter solstice. During the festival period, relatives visit the graveyards and columbarium and sweep and clean the place around them and make offerings in the names of the departed ancestors.

Confucius and the Buddha lived in the same epoch in China and India respectively. Filial piety is a theme preached by both the Buddha and Confucius to strengthen social relations for the betterment of society as a whole. The teaching of filial piety by Confucius has integrated so strongly into the social fabric of Chinese society, every Chinese considers that it is a duty incumbent on him to celebrate the festival yearly without fail. The ceremony, although originated mainly to pay respect and offer the dead, it also serves another purpose. Living relatives use to visit the burials and the places where the ash urns of the cremated relatives are deposited and ask for favours and give thanks to their ancestors for blessing bestowed to the living relatives.

Buddhism and Qing Ming

According to Buddhism, some of our dead relatives and friends, due to evil kammas they performed while living, may be born in woeful states. They who are reborn as unfortunate spirits (bhutas) due to their attachment to their property and children may return to their homes and create an eerie atmosphere while lingering behind doors. They need our help in the form of merits for them to be reborn in happier states. Buddhism recommends the living friends and relatives to perform meritorious deeds and transfer merits to them for their happiness. In fact, it is stated in the Sigalovada Sutta that it is a duty of children to transfer merits to departed parents from time to time. Therefore, the Buddhists of any ethnic community can celebrate Qing Ming in remembrance of their departed ancestors and make offerings in their name for their well being. In the Tirokudda Sutta it is stated that how living relatives are motivated by the sense of gratitude make offerings in the name of the departed thus:

“He gave to me, he worked for me. He was my kin, friend and intimate-thinking thus the living make offerings on behalf of the departed.?

“Those who are compassionate, therefore, should remember their departed relatives and make offerings in their names. By the whole-hearted transference of merits, the dead will gratefully wish for the well being of their living relatives who perform the meritorious deeds.?

“In return, those departed thus remembered and satisfied, out of gratitude will eagerly wish for the well being of their living relatives.?

In celebrating Qing Ming, the Buddhists can do the following:

1. Visiting the grave yards, columbarium and holy places where the ancestral tablets are placed, cleaning around the place and make offerings.

2. Visiting the temples and places of worship and make offerings in memory of the dead and transferring merits to them.

3. Observing (8 or 10) precepts in memory of them and transferring merits to them.

4. Visiting homes for the aged, homes for disabled or retarded children and orphanages to make offering and dedicate merits to the departed.

5. Performing any other meritorious deed and transferring merits to them.

May all beings be well and happy!