Ullumbana Ceremony at Quoc Thoi Pagoda, Ben Tre Province.

On the permission from Senior Ven. Thich Chan Tinh, the monks and Buddhists of Hoang Phap pagoda came to Quoc Thoi pagoda of the Abbot Thich Tam Hung, An Hoa hamlet, Long Thoi commune, Cho Lach district, Ben Tre province on the August 23rd 2015 (on July 10th, Lunar Goat year) in order to support the work for Ullambana celebration.

The July is coming, while the slight autumn leaves are spattering down on streets. The Buddhists’ mind is a little sad, always remember to their parents’ merit of birth and bringing upthat express their gratitude and repayment.

 

If Westerners have “The Mother’s Day”, the Asian Easterners also have the Ullambana Ceremony – the festival of parents’ merit repaying – being the chance that children display their gratitude mind to their parents. Therefore, although they go and stay anywhere, or do anything, when the days of lunar July come, they will spend a little time listening to a poem or verses of sutra which remind their parents’ boundless love.

In the spirit of that meaning, the ceremony became solemn and formal under the witness of the Most, Senior Venerables as the demonstrators of Board of Buddhism at Cho Lach District, abbot monks, nuns from local pagodas, delegates of government levels at Long Thoi commune Cho Lach District, visitors, HCMC and local Buddhists attended the ceremony.

 

After to introducing of the ceremony was the ritual of making offers to the Buddha by the Quoc Thoi pagoda‘s Buddhist families. Next, the mass were filled with various emotions about their parental love when listening to the meaning of pinning red roses on the shirt along with the melody of “Long Me” song. Then, the white or red roses were pinned on the shirts of the children who were toward their minds to their parents. Although the roses were white or red, how significative it was! because it warmed completely up the parents‘ love saving for all of us. Therefore, we should pin flowers and vow the best things to our parents.

Following the filial piety example of Venerable Moggallana, after pinning of red flowers, the Buddhist teenagers of Quốc Thá»›i Pagoda granted offerings to the honored monks. The Most Venerable Thich Giac Huong who was the witness of the Administrative Board of the Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation of Cho Lach District, represented all Sangha and had some teachings in the ceremony. After his speech, all the mass believed and obeyed in the Most Venerable ‘s Dharma words to become filial piety people who repay their parents’ merit when they still exist in this life.

In the end, all the Ven. monks and the attendees together offered incence to Buddhas and chanted the sutra named Ullumbana, which prayed ancestors to be reborn and current parents to have blessings, the realm whole of human and heaven together toward Dharma Buddha.

In the program, there were many songs performed by the singers Linh Truc, Kim Phuong, Baby Thien Kim

The Ceremony was finished in everybody's delight.

Following photos are taken: