Ullambana Ceremony at Dong Cao pagoda – Thanh Hoa Province

In the atmosphere of being grateful of Buddhists to benefactors on August 14th 2016 (July 12th Monkey lunar year), at Dong Cao pagoda – Yen Thoai Village – Nga Yen Ward, Nga Son District – Thanh Hoa Province hold the Ullumbana Festival.

After enjoying the praising parents’ merit performances by Dong Cao Pagoda’s Buddhist teenagers . At 9 A.M., all the Buddhists solemnly, respectfully welcomed all the honored Monks and Nuns visiting amphitheater to prove and celebrate the ceremony. After announcing the reason, introducing the program, participants, all young Buddhists of  Dong Cao pagoda represented Bodhi-mandalato offer six offerings to The three Germs in ten directions and precious ones to create good fate in this ceremony.

Thereafter was the ceremony of pinning the rose, Bodhi-mandala’s people listened to Ms. Dieu Tam who read the meaning of pinning roses. At the meaningful moment, people spent one minute’s silence in memory of the merit of Buddhas, parents’ teaching and bringing up, commemorating the country and compatriot, living beings, hallowing memory soldiers who sacrificed themselves for peace and happiness for all beings.

With the sweet and profound lyrics of Bong Hong Cai Ao’s song. Duy Manh singer started the ceremony in parents’ grateful bowling instructed by Senior Ven. Thich Tam Quy. This was one of way to help people look back parents’ huge merit before receiving the rose fastened in their shirts.

And the most important part that could not be lacked was clothes offering ceremony, teenage Buddhists of Tay Khanh pagoda represented all the honored ones who associated  wholeheartedly offering products to Zen group. One behalf of them, the section head Junior Ven. Thich Tam Hung glorified Buddhists’ filial piety and dutiful spirits of Buddhists and promised to receiving the offerings. He also persuaded people in the occasion of Ullambana season. After that, all the Buddhists began to pray the Ullambana.

In the afternoon, the Bodhi-mandala also invited all the honored ones to chant Ksitigarbhapranidhana-Sutra and gave 200 gifts including one noddle bucket and ten kilograms of rice to all the difficult and solitary Buddhists inside and outside of District.

In the afternoon, to end the ceremony, all the elders were representative of the village welcoming all the honored ones to amphitheater  with all the Bodhi-mandala to be single-minded to recite prayers to gentlemen of “ancestors of many lives”, martyrs and innocent embryos that was offered the blessing in this sacred occasion.

In the ceremony, the organization sent to all the Buddhists a VCD of “Dharma light - period 56.”

These are some photos about this activities: