Joss paper was seen being tossed from the fifth floor of Richfield Industrial Centre building located at Eunos Avenue 7 at around noon on Aug. 16, as others observing the seventh lunar month traditions were on the ground floor burning paper offerings.

However, the act of scattering paper offerings far and wide outside of a contained area and not caring about where they eventually land has raised eyebrows and questions about offering etiquette.

The scene of tossing joss paper from the corridor was caught on camera by an onlooker, who subsequently shared the footage with Shin Min Daily News.

Company 'did not clean up joss paper': Witness

In the video, joss paper could be seen falling from above, as some 20 people carried out the burning of offerings on the ground floor, reported Shin Min.

It was observed that two migrant workers were standing along the corridor of the building, with one of them holding a stack of joss paper and loosening the stack.

According to the onlooker, those who had congregated are believed to belong to the same company.

The prayer ritual apparently lasted for about an hour.

The onlooker's gripe also extended to how the joss paper scattered were not cleaned up or burned, but left on the ground only to be blown about.

'Not very considerate' to toss joss papers from the corridor

When Shin Min reporters arrived at the industrial building on Aug. 17, they saw at least three large metal incinerators and a red incineration barrel at one of the parking lots.

They were in use.

Joss paper, some not completely burnt, were found in the incinerators and on the ground.

One person who works on the same floor as the workers who supposedly toss joss paper from the corridor, said she noticed several pieces of the paper offering near her company's door on Aug. 16.

The common understanding apparently was that those who made the offerings would clean up after themselves.

"We cleared up some on our own. Soon after, some staff members came to clear the rest," she recounted.

Hence, the employee added that it was "not very considerate" to toss joss paper downstairs, given that there were others who were on the ground floor.

The implication was that the ones burning their joss paper at the designated areas suddenly had to contend with unburned joss paper falling on them.

Moreover, the inability to control where the paper offerings landed meant that those who made a mess did not factor in cleaning it up eventually.

This added to the disamenities encountered.

"When the wind blows while people are burning joss paper, the ashes will fly everywhere uncontrollably," the employee shared.

Others did not toss joss paper from corridor

Another employee who works at the industrial building told Shin Min that many companies held prayers and burned offerings for the seventh lunar month on Aug. 17 morning.

The building management prepares incineration bins during this period to facilitate tenants' joss paper-burning activities.

"At the end of the sessions, cleaners would be sent to the scene to clear up what was left behind," said the employee, noting that the aftermath of the joss paper-burning sessions had to be cleared up by others who did not make the offerings.

Given this arrangement, staff from most companies in the building rarely engage in joss paper-tossing to avoid creating a mess.

'Not absolutely necessary' to burn large quantities of paper offerings

In a 2021 interview with Mothership, Venerable Shi You Wei, abbot of Di Zang Lin Buddhist Temple in Singapore, said the practice of burning paper offerings is not a tradition infused with Buddhist or Taoist beliefs.

Displaying filial piety and compassion for the beings in hell is more important compared to burning paper offerings for the dead:

"Compassion means we tell them why they are stuck below so that they can repent and move on, rather than burning paper gifts, making them attached to it and making it hard for them to move on."

There are also good reasons to incinerate less, namely, being considerate to one's neighbours.

That includes burning paper offerings only in designated burners, not scattering them on the ground, as well as removing items, such as food offerings, from public areas after prayers.

Top images via Shin Min Daily News