群書類要事林廣記。十二卷。南宋。陳元靚編
中元
七月十五日謂之中元。道藏經云。中元地官撿狡人間。分別善惡。其日作元都大會於玉京山幡幢。寶蓋清饍飲食獻諸眾。道士講誦老子經十方大聖。齊詠靈太藏經云。目連以母生餓鬼。中佛令作盂蘭盆至七月十五日。以百味五果置盆中供養十方大德。
15th day of the seventh month is the hungry ghost festival. This is an important festival in the middle of the year. The story behind is a man named 目連 Mu Lien, his mom had done some wrongful act and after her death, she went to hell. The Judge of the Hell punished her sinful act for making her throat as small as needle, so she cannot eat and swallow any food.
Every year of this year, Mu Lian prayed to his God to have mercy on his mum and open her throat so she can swallow food to make her escape from being hungry all the time. Not only Mu Lian’s mom got blessed but other ghosts had the same situation was relieved from being hungry too.
