Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009
6:00 to 6:30 — Hungry Ghost Ceremony.
6:30 to 9 PM — Halloween party.
ATTIRE
Come dressed as one of your hungry ghosts (or a generic demon): a costume representing a personal character trait which haunts you. For example, we have had ghosts representing: fear of ending up a bag lady, craving for recognition or attention, indecision, and constant vigilance.
BRING
Food to feed our hungry ghosts which after the ceremony, we (dressed as our hungry ghosts, you see) will enjoy.
WHAT
Come join us for a ceremony to acknowledge a shadow-side of ourselves, in a playful costume party Halloween context. Hungry Ghosts are vividly described in Buddhist psychology as phantomlike creatures with enormous constantly hungry bellies. They face never-ending thirst and hunger because their necks are so thin and throats so narrow and raw that swallowing produces unbearable pain. Thus, they roam desperately hungry and perpetually unsatisfied, not unlike their human counterparts who find it impossible to be happy with what they have, always comparing it to their fantasy of what they should have or once had. In our Hungry Ghost ceremony we will welcome these miserable spirits of craving to assemble. With compassion we will offer them nourishment so that they may be at ease and cease to roam the earth in suffering. Our ceremony will be derived from Zen ceremonies I have gathered from several places.
RSVP for DIRECTIONS
Home of Anne Foster and Mike Kupfer, San Carlos. For directions, RSVP Anne Foster, afoster@rawbw.com.