Ullambana Festival (盂兰盆节） is August 30 this year. Ullambana, or the Ghost Festival, is the most popular celebrated Buddhist festival in various countries. The Ullambana Festival, observed in the 7th month of the Lunar calendar, holds deep significance in various East Asian cultures as an important occasion. It aims to bring liberation to all sentient beings, including our ancestors and departed loved ones. Throughout this period, we actively partake in acts of merit by making extensive offerings to the Triple Gem and engaging in mass prayer recitations. At the heart of Ullambana lies the mission of spreading the universal compassion of Buddha and amassing merit for the betterment of both the living and the departed, drawing strength from the power of the Triple Gems.
On this day, it is believed that the “Gates of the Hell” are opened and the dead souls visit their loved ones. During this festival, offerings are made to the spirits of the dead and to the hungry ghosts in order to bring good fortune and luck. The word ‘Ullambana’ is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word meaning ‘deliverance from suffering’, and specifically refers to the salvation that is granted to tormented souls in hell. On this day, Buddhists offer prayers both to their departed forefathers and to their living parents and elders. It is the day for helping those beings who are suffering so that they can obtain liberation.
The Ullambana Festival is also known as the “Buddha’s Joyful Day”; on this day, monks finish their practices and emerge from their retreats. In ancient times, the emperor and his people would make offerings and donations to the great monks and congratulate them on their enlightenment. It is also on this day that the underworld king visits the human world to pay respect to the Buddha and celebrate the enlightenment of the great monks, and sentient beings in hell are allowed to travel to the living world to celebrate the joyous occasion.
Grandmaster JinBodhi once said, “Only when we accumulate merits on this auspicious Buddha’s Joyful Day and think of our parents and ancestors who gave birth to us, wishing for them to receive the blessings and guidance of the Buddha and bodhisattvas can we find peace of mind. If our loved ones are suffering, not to mention in hell or prison, can our hearts be at ease? For example, if your child is living abroad and not doing well, you will not be calm, and you may feel your heart beating irregularly. Why is that? When your child is experiencing afflictions, anger, fear, or being bullied, your heart aches. This is why some people often experience rapid heartbeats. Here, we’re only talking about our loved ones who are still alive; if our parents who gave birth to us are suffering in hell, how much impact would it have on us?”
According to the Story of the Ullambana Sutra, the most important practice on this day is actually to make offerings to the Sangha (ordained monks and nuns), as taught by Shakyamuni Buddha in ‘Ullambana Sutra’. The Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana, one of the great disciples of the Buddha, was foremost in spiritual powers. When he obtained the six spiritual penetrations, he searched for his departed mother. He discovered that she had fallen into the hells. Although the Venerable Maudgalyayana had great spiritual powers, he could not save his mother. Thereupon he knelt before his teacher, the Buddha, and beseeched the World Honored One to help.
The Buddha explained that his mother was suffering in the hells because of her deep offenses and so the Venerable Maudgalyayana must rely on the united strength of the Sangha of the ten directions in order to save his mother. The Buddha said, “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you should make an offering of the finest vegetarian foods and drinks and offer it to the Buddha and the Sangha. By making this offering, the Way-virtue of the high Sanghans of the ten directions will then be able to save your mother.”
The Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana did as the Buddha had instructed. Due to the strength of the greatly virtuous ones of the ten directions, his mother was reborn in the heavens. Since then, the Ullambana festival has become an annual Buddhist celebration and a day upon which anyone can rescue his or her parents of seven lives past.
There are many ways to celebrate Ullambana Festival. City of Ten Thousand Buddhas Live 萬佛聖城直播 has an online events you can follow. For people who do not have access to temple resources, another popular ways is to Recite Kstigarbha Sutra. The Boddhisattva who is most famous for his filial piety and his great vow- “If the Hell is not empty, I shall not attain Buddhahood”.
In the context of Mahayana Buddhism, Kstigarbha Sutra is the most fundamental sutra when it comes to classical teaching of Mahayana. In all sects of Buddhism, we start learning Buddhism by learning the original teaching of the Buddha Shakyamuni, the 4 Noble Truths, follow by the 8-fold path. From the 8th fold path, it developed into the 37 meritorious avenues. All those are the fundamentals of Shakyamuni’s teaching. After having studied those subjects mentioned, Mahayana Buddhism takes a step further. It progresses further with a higher form of ideology. Generally speaking, the Theravada ancestors are known as the Vibhajyavadin and their ideology is analytical reductionism. As opposed to that ideology is the new school called the Sarvastivadin and their ideology is anabolic holism. A better term for analytical reductionism is reductive analysis. A better term for anabolic holism is holistic synthesis. Curriculum at www.AWE-edu.com has offered in-depth Buddhism program, here is a seminar on Ksitigarbha Sutra Commentary Part 1, Part 2.
Regarding the Earth Store Bodhisattva, you can follow the reciting online from this youtube program: Sutra of the Past Vows of Earth Store Bodhisattva. I also had wrote about a whole series of Learning Ksitigarbha Sutra from Buddhist Mastersa while ago.
Introduction; Chapter1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6;
Chapter 7; Chapter 8; Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13;
When all Buddhas throughout time and space achieve enlightenment, their names have the power of all their past cultivation and prayers. That is why reciting their names have so much power to purify our defilements and eons of negative karma. This is also reiterated in The Kstigarbha Sutra Chapter 9. 鬼月最易積陰德！地藏聖誕散功德，這樣做才能接得住！地藏經讀誦2小時18分版本包括回向文，由台湾地藏学会编制非常好。或者拜地藏忏，or practice repentance with Kstigarbha Boddhasattva。
南无阿弥陀佛！顶礼十方三世诸佛菩萨！
南无地藏王菩萨摩诃萨 ！
- 南无大愿地藏王 愿我永离三恶道
- 南无大愿地藏王 愿我速断贪嗔痴
- 南无大愿地藏王 愿我常闻佛法僧
- 南无大愿地藏王 愿我勤修戒定慧
- 南无大愿地藏王 愿我常闻佛法僧
- 南无大愿地藏王 愿我勤修戒定慧
- 南无大愿地藏王 愿我恒随诸佛学
- 南无大愿地藏王 愿我不退菩提心
- 南无大愿地藏王 愿我决定生安养
- 南无大愿地藏王 愿我摩顶受圣记 ！
愿世界和平，人民安乐。 正法久住，法轮常转。 灾障消灭，祸患不生。 法界有情，同生极乐。
