Today is the start of the annual opening of the Gates of Hell, when the spirits from the underworld are free to return to earth either to visit their loved ones or to have a good time. The living will be busy preparing 'food' and performances for the 'visitors' to keep them entertained during their month long break from torture. Thus, it is a month that is not only filled with activities but also with air and noise pollution.

I used to look forward to this festival when I was still a child. It was the only time of the year when I could legally play with fire and not get scolding from my parents. I would watch the incense paper burn and would try to catch the charred bits that swayed in the hot air. I would even use a lit joss stick as a weapon to play sword fighting with my siblings. Then there was the tableful of food which I would always eye for. We were supposed to share the 'offerings' with the 'unseen' and I had always managed to get the biggest share. During the nights, we would be seated in front of an open stage (sometimes in a tent if we were invited to the feast) to watch the variety show performed by 'live' artistes. Of course, another special feature of the occasion was the ever noisy auction where the auctioneer would be shouting out the bids at the top of his voice. Thus, there would be something that everybody could participate in and sometimes it really made me wonder who really benefit from the festival, those alive or those who are not?

As I grew older, I became less enthusiastic, feeling that it was all so fake and a waste of resources. Then while doing my National Service I was puzzled by the behaviour of the other guys regarding the festival. I remembered once during the 'Hungry Ghost' month, the guys decided not to book in on Sunday night to sleep at what was believed to be a haunted army camp. They didn't want to run into any of those 'things' so they would rather stay out and wake up early on Monday to report for duty. But never having been an early riser, I prefer to sleep more than to get up early ( I would need to get up at 5am to reach camp before 8am). Thus, I booked in on Sunday night and was surprised that none of my bunkmates, in fact, none of those in my block, had booked in. They were indeed serious about avoiding those 'things' at all cost and I had never expected to find so many superstitious young men who would believe in the existence of such carp - ghost. I did ask myself if they could be right but then I was too sleepy to think about it. In fact, I was hoping to be able to come face to face with one so that my doubts could be verified. But to my disappointment, I wasn't that lucky (or unlucky) to meet one. When my roommates returned the next morning, they were surprised to hear me snoring away and that I had slept through the night alone in the deserted building (they had actually expected to find me dead with my eyes and mouth widely open as if in shock).

Then there was another time, during the same month, we were out on a mission. We were passing a cemetery when our commander decided that it was the perfect place to spend the night and to hide from the 'enemies'. My platoon chose a spot under a big tree but there were so many of us that it became very warm and stuffy as we lay under the tree. I couldn't get to sleep and decided to look for a higher ground where it would be more windy. But the highest ground I could see around was the tombs there so I decided to climb up one and sleep on top of it. It wasn't as windy as I thought it would be but it was definitely much more spacious and cooling, probably due to the presence of the 'unseen' who had cooled the air around me (it's a scientific fact that a cold object will cool the surrounding air). Anyway, I had a good night sleep while my platoonmates were drenched in their own perspirations. There was a commotion the next morning when my buddy couldn't find me. Then when he saw me lying on top of the tomb, he thought I had been sucked dry by the 'night visitor'. But when he realised that I was still breathing, he said that I must have been carried there by the invisible hands. I assured him that none of those things had happened and that I had got on the tomb on my own. He then said that I should make some offerings to the owner of tomb as I had been pressing down on the occupant the whole night. Being a stubborn guy, I brushed off his suggestion as I didn't believe in such things and moreover I had nothing to offer to it then. However, my buddy, who believed in retribution, was concerned for my safety and had actually returned on another day with the offerings. A true buddy indeed.

All these years, I have been trying to find out the truth about the existence of such 'beings' from hades but couldn't arrive at anything conclusive as I have yet to meet one. It seemed that they only exist in the minds of those who believe they existed which means they exist only if we think they exist and vice versa. Anyway, even if they do exist, must we live in fear of them? Do they exist for the sole purpose of scaring the hell out of living people? I doubt so, in fact, most of those who live in fear are those who are haunted by their own conscience rather than by these 'beings'. We should, in fact, be more fearful of people who could commit crimes which are more hideous than the most gruesome-looking spirit. So if you ask me who I fear more, it would definitely be the living human rather than the harmless dead. Thus, you too should be more wary of the unpredictable human minds and not be bothered by something that might not even exist. Set yourself free of such fear and you will realise that there is really nothing to fear.

'The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness.'