The 15th day of the 7th lunar month and the concept of filial piety

In the minds of Vietnamese people, the full moon of the seventh lunar month is a holiday with many spiritual and religious elements. However, not everyone understands the true meaning of this holiday. Ha Tinh Newspaper reporter had an interview with Venerable Thich Chuc Giac - Head of the Propagation Department of the Provincial Buddhist Sangha Executive Committee on this issue.

Venerable Thich Chuc Giac

PV: Venerable Thich Chuc Giac, could you please tell us the meaning of the full moon festival in July according to Buddhist beliefs?

Venerable Thich Chuc Giac: According to Buddhist beliefs, the full moon of the seventh lunar month is associated with the Vu Lan festival of filial piety. This comes from the story of Bodhisattva Maudgalyayana saving his mother. The story is told that during the time of Buddha Shakyamuni, Maudgalyayana was one of the Buddha's most outstanding disciples.

After attaining enlightenment, he used his supernatural powers to find his deceased mother. When he discovered that his mother, Thanh De, had been sent to the realm of hungry ghosts due to bad karma, suffering from hunger and thirst, Bodhisattva Maudgalyayana begged the Buddha to show him how to save his mother.

Vu Lan Festival is held by pagodas in Ha Tinh every full moon of July.

Thanks to following the Buddha's teachings, on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month that year, not only did his mother escape suffering and be reborn in heaven, but many sentient beings who were suffering in hell were also liberated. Bodhisattva Maudgalyayana was so grateful for the Buddha's grace that he encouraged people in the world to hold the Vu Lan ceremony every year on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, make offerings to the monks from all directions, and recite the Vu Lan Bon Sutra to show filial piety to their parents and ancestors.

Continuing that tradition, from ancient times to the present, Vietnamese people consider July as an occasion to show filial piety to their parents, grandparents, and ancestors. On this occasion, pagodas also organize Vu Lan ceremony with many meaningful activities such as: wearing roses on the lapel, preaching filial piety, offering vegetarian meals... These activities aim to support Buddhists and people to express their wishes for the deceased to be reborn in a good realm, and for their living parents to be healthy and safe.

PV: The full moon of the seventh lunar month is associated with filial piety, so how is the word "filial piety" fully understood in today's life, Venerable?

Venerable Thich Chuc Giac : The ancients have a saying "Hieu nghia vi tien" - meaning "Take filial piety as the first". Filial piety to parents is not only limited to the full moon festival of the seventh lunar month but it must be a regular activity in daily life. This occasion reminds everyone to cherish what they have, always remember the upbringing of their parents and do filial deeds to fulfill their duty as children.

The full moon of July is associated with filial piety and gratitude to one's roots.

Unfortunately, many people do not understand the profound meaning of filial piety. When their parents are still alive, they neglect and treat them meanly, but they think that on holidays, they only need to go to the temple to pray, and on death anniversaries, they complete their filial piety. Filial piety to parents includes the concepts of "filial piety" (nurturing parents) and "filial piety" (loving and respecting parents). A day when one's father and mother are still alive is a day of happiness and peace, and children must first fulfill their filial piety to fulfill their responsibilities in life.

That gratitude and filial piety also comes from the morality of “When drinking water, remember its source”, which is the sacred cultural flow of the Vietnamese people. Not only is it to repay the birth and upbringing of parents, but it is also to show gratitude for the teachings of teachers, and for the ancestors who sacrificed to protect the Fatherland and build the country. That gratitude and filial piety is also the foundation for building morality for people, families, and society, contributing to a more peaceful and holy world.

PV: In the process of people practicing their beliefs on the occasion of the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, there are still limitations. What is the Venerable's opinion on this issue?

Venerable Thich Chuc Giac: In addition to the meaning of Vu Lan festival, many people also consider the full moon of the seventh lunar month as a day of pardon for the dead. In Buddhist teachings, there is no concept of a day of pardon for the dead, but this is a custom originating from Chinese Taoism. People believe that on the full moon of the seventh lunar month, the souls are pardoned, the gates of hell open for them to return to the earthly world, wandering around the world. Therefore, people call the seventh lunar month the "ghost month" and offer thin porridge, rice, popcorn, salt... to the homeless souls and hope that they will be reborn and not disturb the lives of the living.

It is necessary to have understanding in practicing spiritual beliefs to avoid wasteful and superstitious behaviors...

Vu Lan Festival emphasizes filial piety and gratitude, while the concept of forgiveness for the deceased emphasizes blessings. Thus, it can be seen that Vu Lan Festival and the day of forgiveness for the deceased do not have the same meaning. The concept of forgiveness for the deceased is ultimately a spiritual belief of the people, however, in the process of practicing the belief, many people due to lack of understanding have turned it into superstition; spreading and creating negative psychology, insecurity in the community.

The 15th day of the 7th lunar month, whether considered as Vu Lan festival or the day of pardoning the deceased, has the meaning of showing respect and gratitude to parents, promoting filial piety and doing good deeds. Therefore, instead of investing too much in worshiping and burning votive paper, people should fulfill their filial piety to their parents and ancestors; actively do good deeds, share spiritually, and help materially those in difficult circumstances. These are also the actions that demonstrate the humanity of the Vietnamese people.

Kieu Minh (performed)

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/van-hoa-giai-tri/ram-thang-bay-va-quan-niem-ve-dao-hieu/253349.htm