Ulambana Ceremony in Foggy Land

On Aug 20, 2017, with the support of Senior Venerable Thich Chan Tinh and Hoang Phap monks, Sen. Ven. Thich Le Nguyen, President of Vietnamese Buddhist Association in UK, solemnly held Ulambana ceremony for overseas Vietnamese there.

The ceremony official took place at 11:30 local time in a dignified and respectful atmosphere with the witness of Sen. Ven. Thich Chan Tinh, Abbot of Hoang Phap Pagoda in Vietnam, his clergy delegation, Sen. Ven. Thich Le Nguyen and more than 200 overseas Vietnamese Buddhists. This is the great ceremony for Vietnamese Buddhist Association in UK with the attendance of many members in the community. The festival bore the beauty of traditional Vietnamese culture about filial piety, children’s duty and responsibility taking care of parent due to their great merits and sacrifice in the whole life.

The main rite of the ceremony made participants move to tears with the explanation of the meaning of roses that people wear in Ulambana, and (children’s) repentant words with the warm voices of Ven. Thich Tam Trong and Ven. Thich Tam Huy that were interferenced with softly sobs from the mass. It seemed that everyone movingly cried thinking of parents’ compassion/good memories and parents’ images/affection were always available in children’s mind regardless how long time passes and how old people are.

The ceremony closed with the Dharma talk from Sen. Ven. Thich Chan Tinh encouraging and reminding the duty that children should perform to parents. He told Buddha’s story including the process of Prince Siddhartha from royal palace, monastic practice to Buddhism preaching, asserting that filial piety is the first and foremost practice, the core and basic virtue of all.

Sen. Ven. Thich Le Nguyen opened the season with the recitation of Ulambana Sutra offering good and meaningful moment to the mass. The organizer sent participants Dharma gift from Sen. Ven. Thich Chan Tinh including booklets “Tam su Dau Nam”, “Hoa Phuoc Khon Luong” and Dhammapada sutra. The ceremony ended in the joy of all.

Following are the recorded photographs:

BBT Website