PAYING RESPECT TO THE DECEASED DURING THE ULLAMBANA, CHING MING, AND WINTER SOLSTICE FESTIVALS
Question: During the Ullambana, Ching Ming or Winter Solstice Festivals, certain households may have to pay respect to a few deceased at the same time. In a scenario where based on a totem reading performed by Master, one of the deceased is said to have ascended to the Asura or Heavenly realms, while the spiritual realms for the rest remain unknown, do we still pay our respect to all the deceased on the same or separate offering tables? In some cases, it’s been more than 80 years since some of the deceased have passed on.
Answer: What I meant was to advise all of you against saying, “Dear ancestors and forefathers”. This is a no-no. For all you know, many of your ancestors have been reborn as your younger relatives or descendants. Based on the many Totem readings that I have performed, it is common for the deceased to be reborn into the same family.
The best solution is to pay respect to those who have just passed on, or those who still appear in your dreams. For example, you can definitely pay respect to your parents. Likewise, your grandparents if you still dream of them.
Question: Does this mean we do not need to pay respect to the deceased after a certain number of years, say, 50 years?
Answer: As a matter of fact, when you have helped the deceased ascend to a higher spiritual realm and they hardly revisit you in your dreams, you can try not to make any offering to them. If they still do not appear in your dreams, it is definite that they will not return and have in fact left you for good.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s World Buddhist Fellowship Meeting (Q&A Session) – Question 35, Singapore, 10 April 2015