HONORING THE ANCESTORS: PITRA PAKASHA & OTHER TRADITIONS

Pitra Pakasha is a Hindu celebration of the ancestors which is observed this year in the West September 2nd through the 16th. I will go into depth on this celebration after telling you about some other traditions which honor the ancestors.

Prior to Confucius the Chinese worshiped their ancestors much like the Hindus do. Confucius believed that the spirits of ancestors were around, but he thought it best to focus on the here and now of the present life rather than on the next life.

The Shintos in Japan also honor ancestors with rituals of various kinds. When you are Shinto, you have a certain philosophy of life or way of lie. You can be a member of other traditions and be a Shinto at the same time. Many Shintos are Buddhists, Taoists and followers of Confucius.

Catholics honor the dead on All Souls Day, November 1st, a day after Halloween. They go to mass to honor their ancestors and some people visit the graves of their ancestors. The rest of American Christians celebrate Memorial Day to honor vets and relatives who have died.

Mexicans celebrate the Day of the Dead, October 31st to November 2nd. They have altars to remember the ancestors and serve traditional dishes to eat. They offer food to the spirits much like the Hindus do. This celebration is not connected with the Catholic Church since some aspects are pagan and the church does not approve of these practices; however, many Catholics take part in the Day of the Dead celebrations.

Africans also honor their ancestors. In the United States Kwanza is celebrated in December to extol virtues of the cultures of Africa. Honoring your ancestors is very much a part of this celebration.

Native Americans of North America honor their ancestors. Many of the tribes have rituals and ceremonies to honor their ancestors. They believe that right now you ought to live in a way which builds the future ecology of the planet. You are to live in such a way that you preserve the ecology of the planet for the next seven generations. This is the greatest way to honor your ancestors to live in line with Mother Earth.

The Hindus have set set aside a whole period of time in the Hindu month of Ashvin (September/October) to focus on oblations to the ancestors. The last day of the period is the new moon and the most auspicious time to conduct these rites to the ancestors. Hindus offer water and food to help release the souls of their ancestors which might be caught between the Earth and the heavens in the astral world. This is a good time to give charity to the poor, advocate for the poor especially concerning providing food to low income individuals.

In the "Mahabharata" the warrior Karna went to the heavens when he died. He had given generous charity to all kinds of people, but he had not given food to help the poor, so he could not enjoy food in heaven. So Lord Yama allowed him to go back to Earth for 14 days to correct his mistake. During this time he gave food to the brahmins (priests) and to the poor. Then he was required to return to the heavens where he lived in bliss.

During this time Hindus focus on honoring their ancestors by offering food and water to them and also giving charity to the poor, especially food. So it is a great time to donate to the food shelf or other non-profits which help the poor. A Hindu does their daily worship and work during this time period. New projects such new businesses, investments or weddings are discouraged at this time. For those in positions of power, you should use your position to advocate for the poor. Hindu citizens should also take their time to advocate for the poor with their representatives and rulers.

The Pitri Yagna is one of the five important yagnas completed in a Hindu's life time. This yagna is offering water and food on the altar to the ancestors and performing charity to the poor, especially giving food and serving food to the poor. You are encouraged to donate to charities focusing on helping the poor. Donating to the food shelf is one great action greatly needed at this time.

One of the many planes of existence are lokas. The Earth is Bhuloka and the astral plane is Bhurvarloka. Pitriloka or Chanadraloka (place of the moon)) is the loka where the ancestors dwell until they reincarnate again on the Earth.

Michael Newton in the book, "Destiny of Souls," talked about this time between death and reincarnation. He says that the soul chooses opportunities in the next life, so that the soul learns certain lessons to grow as a human being. He was a hypnotherapist who recorded many cases of lives between lives and how it helped his clients become better human beings by learning those lessons they were to learn when reincarnating on the Earth again.

Swarloka is heaven, but it is not the ultimate goal of the Hindu. Mosha, or liberation from the cycle of birth and death, is the highest goal. Maharloka, Janaloka and Tapaloka are the next three highest planes for people who are more spiritually evolved. Satyaloka is the highest plane. This is where liberation happens. There are three regions of this loka: Brahmaloka, Vishnuloka or Shivaloka. These are the most spiritually evolved individuals who have achieved the full knowledge of yoga and lived a pure life in service to others. They are not attached to material desires. Some souls decide to come back to serve humanity and then ultimately return to Satyaloka. In the Buddhist tradition the term used for this individual who comes back to serve humanity is Bodhisattva. Kuan Yin is an example of a Bodhisattva. Some Chinese Buddhists call her the female Buddha.

I would also encourage everyone to focus on honoring your ancestors according to your own tradition. Because of your ancestors you are here today with the possibility of doing good in the world. During this time of living with the COVID 19 Virus, it is very important to help the poor by donating to food shelves and other non-profits which help to empower the poor and improve their situation in the world. Good karma is doing good deeds now because they are the right thing to do right now. Happy Pirta Pakasha!

JAI SHRI ANCESTORS! JAI SHRI FOOD! JAI SHRI MA!

Radhapriestess