What is The Ullambana Festival?

The Ullambana Festival, also known as the Yulanpen Festival or the Ghost Festival, is celebrated primarily in East Asia on the 15th day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar (typically, around mid-August).

Ullambana means “deliverance from suffering” in Sanskrit and it is a significant occasion in Buddhist culture with deep spiritual and cultural importance. It is an auspicious time to honour ancestors, alleviate the suffering of the departed, and generate merit through acts of compassion and generosity, such as partaking in extensive offerings to the Triple Gem and engaging in mass prayer recitations. Rooted in ancient traditions and stories, Ullambana offers us Buddhists a meaningful opportunity to practice our faith.

Why Do We Celebrate Ullambana?

The story of Ullambana originates from the tale of Maudgalyayana, one of Buddha’s chief disciples known for his mystical powers. According to the legend, Maudgalyayana used his psychic powers to search for his deceased parents to see where they had been reborn. He found his father in heaven but not his mother. He then sought Buddha’s help, who showed him that his mother had been reborn as a hungry ghost due to her past misdeeds. Overwhelmed with grief and compassion, he implored Buddha for guidance to ease her suffering.

The Buddha advised Maudgalyayana to make offerings to the Sangha (ordained Buddhist monks and nuns) on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month. Doing so would generate merit, which would be transferred to his mother, liberating her from her torment. Maudgalyayana heeded the Buddha's advice to make generous offerings and perform the prescribed rituals, eventually alleviating his mother’s suffering. This act of filial piety and compassion became the foundation of the Ullambana Festival, a day to honour the memory of our loved ones.

Maudgalyayana’s story highlights the importance of filial piety, compassion, and the power of collective merit in Buddhist practice. In addition to benefitting ancestors and loved ones who have passed, it is also a time to accumulate merits for our living parents and practice compassion towards beings who are suffering in the lower realms.

There is a quote as stated in the sutra that testifies towards the benefits of merit-making for the deceased and the living: "If one's family members practice virtuous deeds to gain merit for the deceased after their passing, the deceased can have one-seventh of all the merit, while the six-sevenths of the remaining merit will benefit the living themselves." 

From this quote, we can certainly see how the deceased will benefit from merit-making activities by their family members. We also learn how precious this human rebirth is in giving us an opportunity to make merits for the benefit of our future lives.

Ullambana reminds us that all beings are interconnected and how our actions can profoundly impact not only our lives but also the lives of our loved ones, even beyond death.

Practices and Creating Merits

A key practice of the Ullambana Festival is offering the Sangha or the monastic community food, robes, and other necessities. Making offerings to them is important and beneficial because the monks and nuns have renounced their secular life and enjoyments to uphold their precepts. They have therefore dedicated their entire lives to the preservation and propagation of Dharma. Due to their upholding of numerous vows, it is a selfless act that makes them a powerful merit-field for us to offer to. Therefore, such offerings generate immense merit and good karma.

Both the living and the deceased benefit from merit-making. For the living, it cultivates generosity, compassion towards all beings, and our faith in the Triple Gems. In addition, they are blessed with good fortune, well-being, and happiness. For the deceased, the accumulated merit helps to liberate them from their suffering for a more fortunate rebirth.

During Ullambana, Buddhists also engage in other activities such as Sutra recitations, purification practices, and doing acts of charity. The recitation of the Ullambana Sutra, which tells the story of Maudgalyayana and his mother, is commonly recited during this festival because it emphasises the importance of filial piety and the power of merit transfer. Aside from honouring our ancestors and departed loved ones, we also extend compassion towards unseen beings and wandering spirits. Food offering and prayers are made for them to be liberated from their suffering. This is also an act of kindness towards them.

In celebration of Ullambana this year, Thekchen Choling will run various activities from 4th August to 18th August 2024, such as the Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance Ceremony, prayer dedications, and offerings at our temple. During the recitations, Singha Rinpoche will be giving teachings to deepen our understanding of the Dharma and the meaning of engaging in collective merit-making.

As the Ullambana Festival approaches, consider participating in the celebrations at our Thekchen Choling temple. We offer both learned practitioners and beginners opportunities to engage in meaningful rituals and connect with the essence of Ullambana. By participating in this festival, you venerate the Sangha, honour ancestors, and cultivate a deeper sense of compassion and generosity.

Conclusion

The Ullambana Festival is more than just a cultural event; it is a profound expression of Buddhist values and a reminder of our interconnectedness with all beings. Buddhists make offerings to the Sangha, honour ancestors, and show compassion and generosity, participating in a timeless tradition. We are reminded of the enduring bond between the living and the deceased and the transformative power of merit and compassion.

Come celebrate the festival with us at Thekchen Choling and participate in meaningful merit-making activities!