Qingming Fetival - 08.04.17

It's time to pray our late parents for this Qing Ming day. The official date was 4 April 17. But some people said we can pray our late parents 10 days before or after the actual date. So, eldest sis and me chosen to pray on 8 April, which was a Saturday. We brought all the necessary pray items and food, arrived at Kwong Tong Pagoda around 10.30am. Still many people there though already past the actual date.

Crowd still here but is lesser than before the actual date.

Flower, chicken rice and local coffee for late mom, bak kut teh and pu-erh tea for dad.

Hi mother and father, we bring some foods, fruits, coffee, chinese tea and pastries for you, please come down to enjoy....

Time flies....mom left us 21 years.

Father left us 6 years already...

I wish both mom and dad are living happily in Paradise World (極樂世界)

This place has developed compare to years ago.

 This is the season many people burning papers for their ancestors.

 "Love Our Environment, Reduce Burning" but yet there are still people burning, I am one of them, shame to say this out. 

Different people has different belief and thoughts. But I told myself that I will not do that again next year during QingMing festival. My reason is very simple, if we want and believe our ancestors are living happily in Paradise World, they don't need those paper money, hand phone, watches, TV, houses, cloths, etc. If we notice the printing on the money, there are meant for underworld (冥府) or hell (陰間). Logically, this is against the belief that our ancestors would live in Paradise World. 

If someone believes we must burn those things including paper hand phone, TV, watches, etc because this is a tradition and culture. But during the ancient time, do the people has hand phone, TV and watches ? I see this is just a business gimmick from merchants and those believe this is superstition and blind worship. Hopefully more people can see this clearly and understand the true Buddha teaching... We are living in the world with huge information available for us to search and analyze...we have to pray wisely.