In Thai or siamese community in Malaysia, they believed that in certain days in the year, the hungry ghost (or preta) is released from hell and they visit the human world. During this time, they will have a ceremony which basically offer food for donation to the monk with the hope that any of their relative or ancestors which may get into the hungry ghost realms to get some food from them.

In wiki, hungry ghost or preta is describe as below:

In Buddhist Psychology at least, Hungry Ghosts are ghosts only in the sense of not being fully alive; not fully capable of living and appreciating what the moment has to offer. Although the Eastern terminology and metaphor is very different, the concept has strong parallels with similar concepts in Western Psychology.

In his book Thoughts Without a Thinker, Mark Epstein paints a picture connecting these two viewpoints:

The Hungry Ghosts are probably the most vividly drawn metaphors in the Wheel of Life. Phantomlike creatures with withered limbs, grossly bloated bellies, and long thin necks, the Hungry Ghosts in many ways represent a fusion of rage and desire. Tormented by unfulfilled cravings and insatiably demanding of impossible satisfactions, the Hungry Ghosts are searching for gratification for old unfulfilled needs whose time has passed. They are beings who have uncovered a terrible emptiness within themselves, who cannot see the impossibility of correcting something that has already happened. Their ghostlike state represents their attachment to the past

This ceremony can be seen every year in any siamese temple in Malaysia. Some of you might think that it is very ‘old believed’ and it is not even practices in many location even in Thailand, however I think it is an interesting and ‘exotic’ culture which is hard to be seen in other places.

Here is some photo that I take during the visit.

Monk chanting in the ceremony – the ceremony start with the chanting.

The money for donation is stick to the ‘tree’.

The buddhist believed that if they do good things, they can transfer part of the merit to the death.

Paying respect to their ancestor.

Having lunch. Each ‘family’ normally will bring their own lunch then eat together.

After pray, they will bring food to a ‘stage’. This is to symbolise that they offer the food to the preta – hungry ghost.

closer view for the stage

Another view

Some family will make a wish and transfer merit near the stage.

Every food that is presented, will have jostick stick to it.

In Kedah, they will have someone dress as hungry ghost – preta, coming to the stage to take the food. This is to symbolise it.

another view

Normally kids will come and take the food offered at the stage in the end of the ceremony.

There are teenager which place some music to entertain the visitor to the ceremony. This is new things which has been added to the ceremony. Not all temple will have this.

Since there are many peoples, some take the opportunity to sell some goods in a ‘temporary stall’.

A food stall.

This is a unique culture in Malaysia. Not many Malaysian that even know about it. If you visit Malaysia and have a chances to see it, do not missed it.

I manage to take some photo, but not all of the functions today.

However, before I go further, some of you may not aware of what is katina ceremony is, I get this information from the net and it describe what is katina:

Katina Ceremony
By Ven Panditha M. Dhammagavesi

First of all I would like to draw your attention to the history of observing VAS (rainy) retreat. Secondly, about the Kathina ceremony and finally, the benefits of performing it.

For the first twenty years of establishment of The Order of the Sangha (Sangha community) the Buddha did not have to lay down any kind of disciplinary rules for monks, because the Sangha community was not so large, they were not too old in the Order and also their main intention was to eradicate defilements to lead a pure life. With the increasing of the Sangha community some of them entered The Order with the intention of obtaining material gains. Some of them did not know what they should or should not to do for their spiritual upliftment. Therefore, there was a need to implement some rules to correct them and show them the right way to practice for their welfare and also for the welfare of those who would enter in to the order.

Most of the monks did not stay in one place for a long time. They would travel from place to place, from village to village, from suburb to suburb practicing meditation, preaching and teaching, encouraging and stimulating people to engage in Dhamma. They did not stop travelling even during the rainy period of the year. During that time there were some other religious groups as well. One of them was Nighanta natha puthta and his disciples. They went to the extreme of practicing Ahimsa.i.e. they considered even grass as a living being and therefore did not walk about on grass for fear of killing them. They stayed indoors during the rainy season without walking anywhere so that they would not cause death or harm to any living thing. Under these circumstances Buddha and his disciples were accused of travelling during the period of rainy months. Taking into consideration this accusation and recollecting the actions of previous Buddhas, he advised monks to go into retreat during the rainy season starting from the day after the July Full moon.. Those who could not commence the retreat on this particular day due to unavoidable circumstances were advised to commence it following the August full moon. Each and every higher ordained monk is supposed to observe rainy retreat whether they were invited to do so or not by lay people and no matter where they live. The rainy period usually lasted for three months.

Monks are not allowed to use more than three robes during the Katina retreat.(The three robes are the inner robe, the outer robe and the double robe) When they get more robes they should be kept in the store.

On one occasion Vishakha Maha Upasika (The chief lay lady disciple) expressed her desire to offer a special piece of cloth to each monk and invite monks for Vas observation. Buddha accepted her invitation. Since then we have been following that custom. That is why people these days too invite monks to go into retreat and this is called Vas Aradana. This is done by offering a special piece of cloth at the beginning of the rainy period. From the beginning up to the end of this period monks are provided with food, domestic facilities, medicine and so on. These three months are very important for both monks and lay people because they could do more and more meritorious activities such as participate in dhamma sermons, dhamma discussions, meditation programs and Pirith chantings.

During Lord Buddha’s time a group of thirty monks went away from the place of retreat where The Buddha was to spend three months. At the conclusion of the retreat they returned to visit the Buddha. On the way they had to face heavy rains. They were in trouble. One of them got extremely wet. It was a very hard time for him. Some how they visited the Buddha. Seeing the monk whose robes were very wet the Buddha advised them to accept an extra robe as a KATHINA. The extra robe was always given to the one who needed it. (There are some rules to be observed by monks when using the kathina robe) If devotees offer a piece of cloth to monks in the name of kathina, the monks have to make a robe with that cloth on the same day. Lay people could do it as well. Offering of Kathina robe is considered as one of the greatest meritorious activities. Also whatever is offered on Kathina day, the same merit could be obtained by donors. That is why people make various types of
offerings on the day of the Kathina.

One of the stanzas chanted during Kathina glorifies the greatness of merit which one gets from performing Kathina. Even this solid Earth, or a solid rock or a piece of diamond could tremble, shake and break at times. However. the merit obtained by offering of kathina robe could not be nullified by any thing until one achieve the ultimate goal Nibbana. That is why

it is called KATINA. One of the disciples called NAGITHA expressed the glory of doing it. As a result of offering kathina robe to the MAHASANGA he was never been born in lower places (like the spirit world and the animal realm) and for the last thirty eons or KALPA he had been born in higher and blissful realms like the divine or human. The merit thus obtained was very helpful for him to realize the ultimate truth.

It is clearly mentioned in Buddhism that if one commits a GARUKA KAMMA which means serious unwholesome deeds such as:

1) Matricide
2) Patrricide
3) the Murder of an Arahant
4) the Wounding of Buddha
5) the Creation of Schism in the Sangha,

one has to undergo the unpleasant results during this life or in the next life immediately after death.

Even the merit of offering of Kthina robe cannot help such a person to avoid the suffering or bad karma. However the merit, the positive power of offering Kathina could reduce the negative effects of other minor bad deeds. Furthermore, one could be blessed with happiness, long life, good health, a good complexion, physical strength, and wisdom in this life and in the continuing lives in the cycle of rebirth until we achieve Nibbana.

Here is some photo that is taken during the ceremony:

Some of the ropes that the devotee donate to the temple

The chief monk starting the ceremony

Katina Tree. It made from banana tree and the devotee donate money and stick the donation money to the ‘tree’

Another view of the Katina tree

The devotee praying

Personally I didn’t have any of this amulet and don’t know much about it, however, here is some information from the web about the Jatukarm:

Once upon a time, many centuries ago (about 1700 years ago), it was a time of war and trouble. There lived a king and his princes. The elder prince named Jatukam and the other named Ramathep. After many years of war, the King finally conquered and managed to secure Sri Lanka into part of his Kingdom. There was a saying that the King possessed a sacred treasure, this was none other than the Holy relics of Lord Buddha. Before the King began his journey to the newly conquered land, he tasked the protection of the Relics to his two princes. And ordered them to guard it with their lives.

Some time later, the princes received information of plan by the enemy to capture the Relics. They immediately informed the King in Sri Lanka. The King instruction was to quickly bring the Relics via sea and head to Sri Lanka. Halfway through the journey, a thunderstorm stroke and their ships were sunken. Except the two princes, the rest of the crews did not survive.

The two princes were washed ashore, but well. Without the sea transport, they could no longer bring the Relics to Sri Lanka. They started praying sincerely to the Relics “Dear Enlighten One! If this land we step upon is a holy piece of land, then please guide us let us live a new life here. With our people, we shall guard and protected your Relics forever.”

Later the two princes built a temple on this holy land and with much hardwork, they also establish a wealthy and strong city. They brought new hope and peace to all the people. In remembrance to the great deeds by the two princes, they named this place Nakon Si Thammarat in their honour. This is now located at Southern of Thailand at present time. The temple that the two princes built for the Relics is Wat Mahathat, as it is known now.

Ever since then, after a few century, many people had travelled to Wat Mahathat to locate the Relics that were buried by the princes. Finally, they found a stone craving and the Relics buried at the Wat. The stories of the two princes were found engraved on this stone.

The two princes had done many great deeds and the greatest is by erecting the temple to house the Relics. And they promised to guard the Relics with their lives. They had earned respect from both the heavenly and earthly beings. Later, the people combined the two princes into one and named Tao Jatukam Ramathep, when praying to him. Tao Jatukam Ramathep becomes one of the most respected and popular deity in the South of Thailand. In olden days, Tao was used to address the noble one. It is believed that those that pray to Tao Jatukam Ramathep will be blessed with fulfilling life and better in all aspects in everyday work.

In Malaysia, there are many place that someone can get the Jatukam amulet. One of the place is the Chetawan Temple . I went there and saw there are some that avaiable… If anyone like to have a look, you may try to go there.

Here is some photo of the Chatukam that I take during the visit: