Ancestors to commemorate

[Tonstad39]

While in the east, Buddhists commemorate their ansestors in the late summer: Sanghas here in the west have their ghost ceremony in line with when westerners celebrate death by reveling in the horrifying. My sangha is holding its Hungry ghosts ceremony this November 1st and I have some ideas of who I will commemorate this year (in spite of never haing been to such a ceremony before). I want to hear from you when I ask: whitch of ansestors will you be commemorating at your Sangha?

 

[Unveiled Artist]

While in the east, Buddhists commemorate their ansestors in the late summer: Sanghas here in the west have their ghost ceremony in line with when westerners celebrate death by reveling in the horrifying. My sangha is holding its Hungry ghosts ceremony this November 1st and I have some ideas of who I will commemorate this year (in spite of never haing been to such a ceremony before). I want to hear from you when I ask: whitch of ansestors will you be commemorating at your Sangha?

If you're referring to the Ullambana festival, we already celebrated it September 23rd. I honor both sides of my family on back. The further back I go, I only know names I researched from my genealogy search. I go to a Vietnamese temple in the West but they don't correlate with "western" temples or rather accurately meditation centers. Most temples here are on private property and the abbots or masters that own it go by their culture's timing as much as possible. I guess the bigger ones accommodate the dates to the western part of the hemisphere.

What is "reveling in the horrifying"?

At the temple, we had a full Dhamma talk on the sanctity of life, honor to our mothers, and rebirth to an extent. I know in Catholicism, they commemorate the dead in heaven on November 1st. All Saints Day.

 

[Tonstad39]

I go to a zen center where they apparantly (i've only been a buddhist for two months now, don't blame me for not knowing all the ceremonies in Buddhism) reallocate days in line with western culture like anime being dubbed and localized.

I use 'revelling in the horrifying' to refer to people dressing up in costumes, watching horror films etc. (basically the traditions of Halloween as practiced by many western cultures).