JOHOR BARU: MEMBERS of the Pertubuhan Penganut Agama Buddha Sia Tze Jee will be chanting the Ullambana Sutra, a Mahayana Buddhist sutra,  on Sept 2 from 11am.

  Devotees who want to join in the chantings can head to the Sia Tze Jee Temple at 69 Jalan Chengai, Taman Melodies, in Johor Baru.

  The event is organised in conjunction with the Hungry Ghost Festival which falls on the seventh lunar month that began on Aug 17.

  Association chairman Albert Tan said the sutra is aimed at remembering  the dearly departed who have been reborn in the lower realms.

  "Devotees chant and make food offerings to the sangha (Buddhist monks), especially on the 15th day of the lunar seventh.

  "However, due to Confucian, the food offerings became directed at one's ancestors rather than the sangha," Tan said.

  The Sia Tze Jee was founded 70 years ago and was relocated from Jalan Tun Razak to Jalan Chengai in 1996. The temple houses a very old statue of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, popularly known as Kuan Yin among the Chinese, besides the Buddha's image,

  Members conduct  chantings at the temple  on the 1st and the 15th day of each lunar  month, and during Buddhist festivals such as the Wesak Day and the birthdays of the Bodhisattvas.

  It also channels donations regularly toward the underprivileged community and welfare homes in Johor Baru.

  Members of the Buddhist faith who want to take part in the chanting on Sept 2 can call Tan at 019-779 4949 for details.