Chapter Seventeen · 第十七章
盂蘭盆 · 中元 — Real and Myth
Mùlián saving his mother, feeding the saṅgha, merit for the departed — vs. the taboos no sutra ever taught. The Buddhist root, the Taoist layer, the culture, and the myths, clearly separated.
Articles & Topics in this Chapter 本章文章與課題
Every part of this chapter, spread out like an open book. Each is a full, sourced article you can read on its own.
The Hungry Ghost Festival — what's real & what's myth
The Ullambana root, Mùlián, and the taboos no sutra taught — separated into Buddhist, Taoist, cultural, and myth, clearly sourced.
Grief & the end of life — a caring guide 悲傷與临终关怀
Our reflection on A Handful of Leaves' collection of Singapore grief & end-of-life resources: support groups, hospice care, dharma talks and free books — kind, real, and reachable here at home.
The 49-Day Journey — 做七, the Intermediate State & Merit Transfer
Where the 49 days come from, what the tradition says happens between death and rebirth, the seven-day cycles of 做七, the 安靈 household altar and ancestral tablet, and the pure-hearted practice of transferring merit. With honest flags on doctrine vs folklore.
Facing Our Own Death & Aging 面对自己的老与死 — mindfulness of death, equanimity & the courage to live awake
We grieve for others and flee the one certainty about ourselves — that we too will age and die. maranānussati (念死) turns us gently toward death, not from fear but from steadiness, until aging stops being an enemy and the present sharpens into what it truly is.
— Chapter Seventeen · 第十七章 · Metta 慈悲
© 2026 Eric Ho & Alison Goh · All roots, planted together.