The "flaming mouth" is the common name of Taoist dietetic instruments, that is, the vegetarian set up a land and water Dojo, and asked the Taoist priests to recite spells and cast spells, so as to turn water, food and other offerings into dew, and help the ninth parents and all kinds of hungry ghosts to get rid of it, so that they can die in heaven and leave the sea of misery forever.
Through solemn ritual activities, let the gods know the filial piety and merits of worshipping the ancestors of heaven and repaying their parents, so as to bless the living, live a happy life and be lucky, and let the dead get out of their misery.
Extended information
Due to the combination with folk customs, the Taoist flame opening is usually held in the following three situations: First, the Ghost Festival, that is, the Qingming Festival in the lunar calendar, the fifteenth day of July (the Mid-Autumn Festival) and the first day of October. Every Halloween, Yamaraja gives the ghost a day off, opens the gate of hell, and the ghost can go to Yangshi to accept the worship of relatives and friends.
Second, on the third day after death, it is commonly known as "receiving three", "welcoming three" and "sending three". According to legend, because the dead look back at their hometown in Wangxiangtai within three days, giving alms to the dead at this time can make the dead atone for their sins and accumulate virtue and enter the fairy land. Third, according to the agreement of the vegetarian, on special anniversaries, the deceased parents and clan relatives of the vegetarian were put on fire.
If the "flame opening" is held on the traditional Ghost Festival, the scale of ceremonies is generally large and the scene is grand, because this kind of food-eating instrument with a fixed date often has no specific fasting master, but aims at all kinds of ghosts in the world, offering them food to atone for their sins and offering sacrifices to pray for them. Therefore, the flame-letting activities held in this case are most attractive to ordinary believers and have the greatest social impact.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Flame Mouth