Fei Ren in the seventh month

King Wen, the ancient sage king, penned the words, ‘Zhi Fei Ren Bu Li’ (pinyin) as the opening verse for the judgment in hexagram Pi. In the Wilhelm/Baynes translation, it reads as ‘Evil people do not further.’

‘Fei Ren’ can mean evil people and can also be taken to mean ‘not people’ or ‘non people’. The Chinese call person(s) who commits a dastardly act or acts against humanity - for examples: Hitler, or the Austrian who imprisoned his daughter as a sex slave and their children; ‘Fei Ren’ or even ‘Mo Gui’ (demons).

But since the term can also mean ‘non people’, it can also take the meaning of Ghosts (Gui). Ghosts since they are no longer among the living are certainly ‘not people’.

The seventh month in the Chinese calendar carries a significant meaning to the Chinese in most parts of Asia. This is the month where Daoists and Daoist devotees observe the traditional Hungry Ghosts Festival.

According to Chinese folklore and beliefs, the Hell Gate is opened daily from night to dawn for the entire month to allow ghosts to roam Earth. More can be read at Wikipedia (Google Hungry Ghosts Festival) if you wish.

The seventh month of 2010 started on the 10th of August, and will end on 7th September (the twentieth ninth day of the Chinese month).

As I have indicated before in blog entries, if readers do not believe in these types of phenomena or Daoist beliefs, it is best not to cast any aspersions on it. You may not know what can happen since a popular practice down the ages cannot be treated as mere superstition.

Sages and the wise have briefly explained through the ten wings in the Book of Changes that there are phenomena of light and dark spirits – Shen Gui.

Knowing that the practice exists is good enough for Daoist and Yi students, if they want to learn a thing or two about what can happen in this peculiar month. In case, the not so observant have missed it, dates have been laid out and a hint on timing according to Yi studies has been given.

Some food for thought for Daoist and Yi scholars during this month of the Hungry Ghost Festival, since those who had contributed to the Wikipedia did not know when the tradition has had started. But please do not quote me in the Wiki since I only know a touch of ancients and the Zhouyi.

If you have been observing this peculiar seventh month over the past few decades, you may have noticed that at times, funny things do happen to the Asian financial markets during this particular month.

Fei Ren (the non and/or evil people) may inexplicably decide to play havoc to your life and/or your mountain of treasures. A reason why the judgment says, ‘Evil people do not further’.