Greetings,
brilliant viewers!
Moon Festival,
sometimes called
Mid-Autumn Festival,
is one of the major holidays
joyously celebrated
by people of
Asian ancestry
and their good friends.
It takes place
on the 15th day
of the eighth month
of the lunar calendar,
when the moon is at its
fullest and most radiant.
It is a time for the family
to come together
in the spirit of grace,
gladness,
and appreciation
of life’s tender gifts.
Many traditions and
legends are associated
with the Moon Festival.
One of the customs
is moon gazing.
In fact, the moon
and her beauty
have fascinated
and inspired humanity
since time immemorial.
The moon,
romantic and mysterious,
is the Earth’s satellite,
playing a vital practical
role in maintaining
the Earth’s position,
climate, and tides.
The cycles of the moon
are said to be related
to the growth and decline
of plants, animals,
and human lives.
The moon is also
closely connected to spiritual life in
various cultures.
Some societies believe
that the rays of the moon
have the power of
healing and purification.
In Egypt,
the moon-god Thoth
represents
wisdom and justice.
The Hindu deity Shiva
is adorned with
a crescent moon,
signifying his perfect
mastery of the mind.
In Buddhism,
the Wheel of Rebirth
often depicts Shakyamuni Buddha
pointing to the moon,
which symbolizes
enlightened Nature.
In an international gathering with
our Association members
in October 2007,
Supreme Master Ching Hai
revealed that
the moon is actually
a living being.
One night, when I first
came back from America
to Spain in that house,
and it was the moon light
When it’s the moon light,
I like to watch; so
I come out and watch it.
Suddenly all the seagulls
waken from their sleep
and come out,
flying around
and singing and dancing
all over the place.
And the Moon
keeps smiling at me,
many hours long.
Really the face
of a smiling person,
and my assistant said,
“Oh my God.
Look at that, Master.
Look at that.”
Many hours we sit there
and it keeps smiling at us.
We were in a mountain
and next to the river.
Then we were singing
with guitar, mandolin,
and all kind of things
that we had there.
Whatever we had,
singing.
The moon just stood still,
really, for many hours,
as long as we were there.
The moon is really alive,
I am telling you,
and if you love it,
it will respond.
I mean must have love
inside, truly love.
I love the moon so much.
The tradition
of celebrating
the Moon Festival
dates back to the time
of the Tang Dynasty
in China.
According to
ancient manuscripts,
on the eve of the 15th day
of the eighth month
in the lunar calendar,
a Taoist priest
named Luo Gongyuan
saw that the emperor
was mesmerized
by the moon’s beauty.
He offered to take
the emperor to the moon
with his magic power.
Upon arriving
at the Moon Palace, the
emperor was welcomed
by the Moon Goddess
who prepared a banquet
and entertainment.
There, he saw hundreds
of fairies dancing
to heavenly music.
When he returned to Earth,
the emperor
made the Moon Festival
a national celebration
in China
in remembrance of
the wonder-filled experience.
There are many other
enchanting legends
regarding the Moon Festival,
such as one
about the Moon Goddess.
Long ago,
the Moon Goddess was
a graceful and loving fairy
living on the moon.
At one time,
the Moon Goddess
had incarnated into
our world to save others.
After many trials and
tribulations, she met the
Quan Yin Bodhisattva,
who gave her a magic pill.
She eventually triumphed
in her endeavor
to save suffering beings,
but lost her life
in the process. Touched
by her noble sacrifice,
God made her
the Moon Goddess,
and since then
she has presided
over the magnificent
Moon Palace.
In China,
the Moon Festival
is celebrated with dances
and moon gazing.
People also enjoy tea
and mooncakes
with relatives and friends.
According to
Chinese legend,
a beautiful lady
named Chang’e resides
with the Jade Rabbit
in the Moon Palace.
It is said that Chang’e, an Earthling,
took the elixir
of immortality,
flew to the moon and
became the goddess in that realm.
The Moon Festival
is also observed
in Formosa (Taiwan) and
the Chinese communities
of other Asian countries,
such as Singapore,
Cambodia, Thailand,
Malaysia,
and the Philippines.
In Malaysia,
the Mooncake Festival
is celebrated with
the eating of mooncakes
and round fruits
that symbolize fullness
and family harmony.
Lantern processions
are joined by children
and adults alike.
In Hong Kong,
the festival is marked by
a Fire Dragon Dance
where a 220-foot long
Fire Dragon is carried
through the village
of Tai Hang.
People perform
the Fire Dragon Dance
and light firecrackers
for health and peace.
Japan also celebrates
Moon Festival,
calling it “Jugoya,”
meaning
“night of the full moon.”
In observance
of the harvest moon,
as it is sometimes called,
families nowadays
make susuki,
or pampas grass
arrangements, and dango,
or rice dumplings,
while viewing
the radiant moon.
In ancient times,
the Korean people
believed that jade rabbits
lived on the moon.
The story is that when
you look at the moon
you can see the
silhouettes of two rabbits
pounding away,
making rice cake.
One of the traditions
of this mid-autumn night
is gathering together
to make this
moon-shaped rice cake,
called songpyeon.
Families then enjoy moon
gazing together while
savoring songpyeon.
It is made with
green beans, sesame, and
chestnut, and is steamed
over a layer of pine needles,
giving it a wonderful
fragrance.
This cake is in the shape
of a half-moon,
symbolizing expansion.
The Korean people
offer this cake to friends
as a wish for each other
to grow and develop in
mind, body, and spirit.
Korean folk dances are
performed at this time,
such as
the Gang Gang Suwollae,
which is formed
by a large circle
of women under
the bright full moon,
and Nongak dance,
a folk dance celebrating
autumn harvest.
In Âu Lạc (Vietnam),
shops prepare at least
a month in advance to sell
mooncakes and lanterns.
Aulacese mooncakes,
similar to
Chinese mooncakes,
are made with sweet
and fragrant fillings,
such as bean paste,
lotus seeds,
water chestnuts,
taro, durian, or coconut.
The lanterns
used in the festival
have many different
colors and shapes,
like star, half-moon,
rabbit, butterfly,
even boat and airplane.
At dusk, after enjoying
moon cakes
with their families,
children will light up
the lanterns,
and join in a candlelit
lantern procession
with other children
in the neighborhood.
The Moon Festival
in Âu Lạc (Vietnam)
also brings us a legend
of a man named Cuội,
who,
on his way to the forest,
saw a mother tiger
obtaining some leaves
from a nearby banyan tree.
The concerned
and loving mother tiger
chewed these leaves
and pressed them onto
the wound of her cub,
who, miraculously,
was healed right away.
Realizing this banyan tree
in the remote forest
was sacred,
Cuội brought it home
to plant in order to help
more villagers in need.
Using his knowledge
of the healing leaves,
Cuội was able to
save many human
and animal lives, and,
believing that Heaven’s
blessing should be shared
with others, he never
charged for his service.
One day,
his wife carelessly
polluted the tree root,
and the tree slowly
flew up in the air.
Cuội, having just come
back from his farm work,
saw this happening.
He quickly jumped
and caught the tree root,
but the tree kept flying,
eventually taking him
to the moon.
Since then,
on mid-autumn night
every year, legend
has it that one can see
the silhouette of Cuội
sitting by the banyan tree
on the moon, looking at
all beings on Earth,
lovingly wishing them
peace and healing.
Over the years,
Supreme Master Ching Hai
took time whenever
possible from her work
of bringing lasting peace
to the world to celebrate
the Moon Festival
together with our
Association members.
The moments
of these reunions
are forever priceless.
On September 25, 2007,
the day of the Moon
Festival celebration,
Supreme Master
Television staff received
a surprise phone call
from Supreme Master
Ching Hai.
It was a great honor
for all as our hearts
rejoiced upon hearing
the sound of our
beloved Moon Goddess.
I just want to wish you
a good Moon Festival.
Thank you, Master.
Happy Moon Festival!
Master, I would like to
offer you an Arabic song.
It's about the kids of God.
Children of God, right?
Halakat, Halakat,
let’s make a big circle for
kindness, and goodness.
We are the children
of God,
Brothers and Sisters.
Beautiful, beautiful!
Hi Master.
When you talk about
true love and the
connection in the world,
I hope that
the whole world desires
for the Almighty's Name
and that comes through.
It will.
I love you very much.
Me too, Master.
I love you very much.
On behalf of
the Vietnamese here,
I sincerely thank you,
Master.
You bring the sun
to our life every day,
Master, and
we’re most grateful.
You’re welcome, honey,
you’re welcome!
I love you guys.
Thank you, Master!
You’re welcome!
It’s getting
emotional here, huh!
The Moon Goddess
is crying.
She feels touched
by your love.
You guys’ love
is overwhelming,
for me also.
On this Moon Festival,
we respectfully wish
Supreme Master Ching Hai,
much-loved
spiritual teacher, guide,
and friend of the planet,
a tranquil
and blessed holiday,
as she devotedly helps
our world in this time
of urgent need.
We also sincerely wish
all Supreme Master
Television viewers
and friends a happy and
peaceful Moon Festival
in the benevolence
of the Divine.
Please stay tuned to
Supreme Master
Television; coming up
next is Vegetarianism:
The Noble Way of Living,
right after
Noteworthy News.
May the light, love
and beauty of the moon
and other compassionate
beings remain
in your heart always.