A thousand-year-old Buddhist ritual
Venerable Thich Thanh Dong, Chief of the Office of the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Association of the province and Abbot of Non Nuoc Pagoda, said that according to Buddhist history, the Vu Lan Festival dates back to the time of the Buddha. The Vu Lan Bon Sutra states that Venerable Maudgalyayana was one of the Buddha's many disciples, possessing the highest level of supernatural powers, and was among the ten greatest disciples of the Buddha. Before becoming a monk, his name was La Boc, the son of a Deputy General and Mrs. Thanh De. Mrs. Thanh De lacked faith in the Three Jewels and always acted against her conscience, causing much suffering to others. After her death, she was condemned to Hell and suffered greatly. La Boc faithfully observed filial piety towards his mother for three full years. He then became a monk and a disciple of the Buddha.
After becoming a monk, he attained supernatural powers and, remembering the kindness of his parents, used his supernatural abilities to search for them in the heavens. He couldn't find them, so he reported this to the Buddha. The Buddha explained that his mother had committed many evil deeds during her lifetime and had therefore been condemned to hell to suffer extreme torment. Mục Liên then went to hell to search for his mother, passing through various prisons. He witnessed much suffering endured by the beings there. He couldn't enter one prison and returned to the Buddha. The Buddha said, "Your mother is inside. If you wish to enter, you must use my staff and robe."
With the Buddha's permission, he went down to the prison and met his mother. They spoke with mixed feelings of joy and sorrow, but before they could finish, the prison warden took Thanh De away to face punishment. Before she left, Thanh De told Mục Liên to go and ask the Buddha to save her. Mục Liên followed her and prayed to the Buddha for his mother's salvation. The Buddha, in his compassion, instructed Mục Liên that the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month was the day of the Self-Reflection of the Monks after their three-month retreat. He should sincerely offer sacrifices to the Monks and, through their divine power, dedicate the merits to Thanh De. With the blessings of the Monks, Thanh De was freed from her suffering and reborn in a peaceful realm. Mục Liên then asked the Buddha if he could use this method to repay the kindness of his parents and ancestors. The Buddha permitted this as a means to repay the kindness of parents. The Vu Lan Festival, a celebration of filial piety, originated from this.
From the revered story of Bodhisattva Mục Kiền Liên rescuing his mother from the realm of hungry ghosts, the Vu Lan Festival has become an occasion to remember the gratitude and express filial piety towards parents and ancestors in this life and previous lives. Beyond its religious significance, the Vu Lan Festival also carries many profound meanings, reminding each person of their national origins, the tradition of filial piety, and respect for ancestors.
During each Vu Lan season, temples in our province usually organize activities such as: lectures on the meaning of the Vu Lan festival, Vu Lan cultural performances, the ritual of pinning roses on clothing, distributing charitable gifts, releasing animals into the wild, chanting prayers for the deceased and dedicating merit to parents and ancestors... Families who cannot afford to go to the temple organize the Vu Lan filial piety ceremony at home. Everyone gathers together, lights incense to remember the deceased, and prays for parents, relatives, and the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the peace of the homeland.
Filial piety is a journey.
According to Venerable Thich Thanh Dong, Abbot of Non Nuoc Pagoda ( Ninh Binh City) and Chief of the Office of the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Association in Ninh Binh Province, the Buddha taught that "Filial piety is the Buddha's heart, filial conduct is the Buddha's conduct." Similarly, in the Sutra of Patience, the Buddha taught: "The ultimate good is filial piety, the ultimate evil is unfilial conduct." Therefore, filial piety is not only expressed during the Vu Lan Festival in the seventh lunar month, but in any stage of life, we must fulfill our duties as children. Filial piety is for those who created our physical form, nurtured our consciousness, and passed on to us good values. Sometimes, in life, we are swept away by the worries of daily life, forgetting the waiting and anxieties of our parents. In such times, the seventh lunar month, with its roses pinned to our clothes, serves as a reminder to remember them more.
Every Vu Lan season, Ms. Bich Ha (Ninh Binh city) visits Buddhist temples to express gratitude, praise, and commemorate her ancestors. This year, Ms. Bich Ha says she is very happy to still be able to wear a vibrant red rose on her chest – a symbol of completeness and having both parents. To repay their kindness, she always strives to live a good life so that her parents do not have to worry. She lives positively, sincerely, and does many things that benefit the community. However, life is inherently busy, with many ups and downs, and sometimes she hasn't fully fulfilled her filial duty in the simplest sense, which is not spending enough time close to and with her parents.
"Time waits for no one. My parents have grown old with each passing year. The Vu Lan season reminds me that I still have parents to care for and repay. I will often return to my hometown, to embrace my parents. I will spread a floral mat in the yard, rest my head on my mother's lap, to be comforted and lulled to sleep like in my childhood, amidst the cool breeze, in a garden fragrant with the scent of betel nut flowers, night-blooming jasmine, and dragon's claw flowers... that is the scent of my roots, of my parents. Perhaps the greatest happiness for parents is simply welcoming their children home, holding them in their arms," said Ms. Ha.
Tien Pagoda, located in Hung Tien commune (Kim Son district), lies amidst a tranquil countryside. But unlike the serene atmosphere of other pagodas, behind its gates, one can hear the playful laughter and the sounds of underprivileged children teaching each other. Though not related by blood, these children have become close and bonded like family in a happy home.
Nun Thich Dam Quy, abbess of Tien Pagoda, said that in addition to carrying out meaningful and familiar activities during the Vu Lan season such as: preaching the meaning of the Vu Lan festival; chanting scriptures; releasing animals; giving gifts to the needy… the pagoda also regularly spreads the spirit of "mutual support and compassion" to Buddhists through charitable work, contributing to building a compassionate community. Currently, the pagoda is caring for four children with particularly difficult circumstances. Although these children lack the love of their parents, they are still filled with the love of the community. Importantly, the children are nurtured with compassion and filial piety that grows stronger with age. They do not harbor resentment or bitterness when they are not cared for with the love of their parents.
Nun Thich Dam Quy further shared: "Sending children to the Buddhist temple is surely the last resort for parents. Perhaps they also suffer greatly from being separated from their children. Therefore, I still hope that one day, if life improves, they will find their way back to their children. I also want to send a message to the parents of these children – if they are still alive, and to those who are about to become parents – that they should let their children wear a vibrant red rose on their chests – the color of abundant parental love. Wherever they are, children still yearn for the love and care of their parents, wanting to rely on their parents to nurture filial piety."
Dao Hang - Minh Quang
Source: https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/le-vu-lan-loi-nhac-nho-ve-long-hieu-hanh/d20240816163019352.htm
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