Without the walls they stand and wait,
And at the junctions and road-forks,
Returning to their prior homes, urging!
They wait beside the posts of gates.
But when a rich feast is set out with food &
drink of every kind, remember the fact that
Few Humans do recall: These pellucid ghosts
was created from their past acts.
So they who are compassionate, who
have a heart to give for relatives
Such drink and food as may be pure
And good and fitting at these times:
Then let this be for these relatives;
May the ghost relatives have happiness.!
These ghosts of the departed family
Foregathered and assembled there
Will eagerly their blessing give
For plentiful rich food and drink:
So may our relatives live long,
Owing to whom we have this gain,
For honour to us has thus been done,
No giver ever lacked the sweet fruit.
In the dimension of these Ghosts,
Now there is never ploughing there,
Nor any cattle-herding found,
Nor merchandizing just the same,
Nor bartering for coin of gold:
The ghosts of the departed family
Live there on any giving given only here;
As water showered on the hill,
Flows down to reach the hollow vale,
So giving given here can serve
The ghosts of the departed family.
As river-beds when full can bear
The water down to fill the sea,
So giving given here can serve the
ghosts of the departed family there.
He gave to me, he worked for me,
He was my family, friend, intimate!
Give gifts, then, for departed ones,
Recalling what they used to do.
No weeping, nor yet sorrowing,
Nor any kind of mourning, helps the
Departed Ones, whose family remain
Unhelpful to them acting thus silly.
But when this offering is given
Well placed in the Sangha Community
For them, then it can serve them long
In future and at once as well.
The True Dhamma for relatives has here been shown,
And how high honour to departed ones is done,
And how the bhikkhus can be given strength as well,
And how great merit can be stored away by you.
