For a long time, the Wu Lan festival has become a major holiday, which holds extremely important meanings of the year. The Wu Lan ceremony gives us the opportunity to repay our parents for their upbringing and birth. The day also clearly demonstrates the Vietnamese people’s tradition of remembering the source of water when drinking it. so What is the Wu Lan ceremony? On which day is it usually held? let’s go Buddhist objects Know its meaning through the article given below.
Wu Lan Festival – Season of Filial Piety and Parental Nurture
I. What is Wu Lan Ceremony?
The Wu Lan Festival is one of the major holidays of Northern Mahayana Buddhism and an important cultural custom of China. On this day, children will express their heartfelt gratitude to their ancestors for their nourishment. Furthermore, they will also spare animals or earn virtue so that their parents can enjoy virtue.
According to “Dai Viet Su Quy Toan Thu” written by scholar Ngo Si Lien, the Vu Lan ceremony began much earlier in Vietnam, when in 1072 King Lê Nhan Tong set up an altar to pray for his parents. Was done. In the past few years, the Vu Lan celebration of filial piety is not only a holiday reserved for Buddhists, but has become the patriotism day in Vietnam.
In Sanskrit, the word “Wu Lan” is an abbreviation of the word “Wu Lan Bon” (盂蘭盆), which is translated into the word “Ullambana” with the meaning of “liberation”, indicating liberation from suffering. Abode of ultimate hell.
Check out more articles on other related Buddhist wisdom:
- What are the nine mysterious seventh ancestors? How to Prepare Altars and Offerings to the Nine Mystical Seven Ancestors
- What is the Noble Eightfold Path? Contents of the Eight Main Components of the Noble Eightfold Path
Vu Lan Festival is a Buddhist holiday and gradually becomes an important holiday for Vietnamese people
Second. When is Wu Lan Patrimony Celebration in 2023?
The Wu Lan Festival occurs regularly every year on every full moon of the 7th month (i.e. the 15th day of the 7th lunar month). If calculated according to the solar calendar, the Wu Lan festival usually falls in mid, late August, or early September each year. The specific date of Wu Lan’s patrimony is as follows:
- Wu Lan Festival 2022: Friday (August 12 according to the solar calendar)
- Wu Lan Festival 2023: Wednesday (30 August according to the solar calendar)
- Wu Lan Festival 2024: Sunday (August 18 according to the solar calendar)
- Wu Lan Festival 2025: Saturday (September 6 according to the solar calendar)
Third. Meaning of Wu Lan Season of Devotion
1. Origin of the Wu Lan Holiday
The origin of the Wu Lan holiday is linked to the story of the Venerable Maudgalyayana using his filial piety to save his mother from the life of a hungry ghost.
The story goes that when Venerable Maudgalyayana successfully meditated, he remembered his dead mother, so he used magic to search around the world. Unexpectedly, he saw his mother exiled to become a hungry ghost. Deeply saddened, Venerable Maudgalyāyana immediately used magic to turn the rice into hell for his mother but he failed. Unable to stop himself, he immediately asked the Buddha for help. The Buddha immediately taught that the only way was to unite the strength of the monks in all ten directions. On the full moon day of the seventh month (July 15), prepare to make offerings to the Three Jewels to seek blessings for your mother.
The Buddha said, “If living beings wish to show filial piety toward their parents, they also use this method.” Since then, the Wu Lan ceremony was born to show filial piety to parents.
The story of Venerable Maudgalyayana saving his mother is linked to the birth of the annual Wu Lan festival
2. Meaning of Wu Lan ceremony to demonstrate filial piety
The Wu Lan Festival is an opportunity for people to show filial piety towards their ancestors, grandparents and parents (of this life and past lives). Parents are people who always make sacrifices for their children and make efforts to make them human beings. For Vietnamese people, patriotism always comes first, reminding us of those great sacrifices. People say “Birds have nests, people have ancestors”, “Drink water, remember the source” or “Father’s merit is like Thai Son Mountain, mother’s kindness is like water flowing from the source. “. No matter what, people should remember to maintain filial piety, always respecting and loving their ancestors, grandparents and parents.
The Wu Lan holiday is an opportunity to remind descendants of our merits, and at the same time help us reach the educational meanings of Buddhist culture: “compassion, joy and renunciation”, “non-self, altruism”. Excuse”.
Wu Lan season is an opportunity for children to express gratitude to their parents for their upbringing
3. Stick roses to your shirt during Wu Lan’s Patriotic Day
On the Wu Lan festival, people will wear roses on their chests to pay respect to their ancestors. This ritual of wearing flowers originated with Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh.
As early as 1962, during a visit by a Zen master to a bookstore in Japan on Mother’s Day, Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh was pinned to his robe by a girl for an unknown reason. On asking, it came to light that on this day, those people whose mother is still alive wear red roses and those whose mother is dead wear white flowers. This story is the starting point of the rose-pinning ritual of the Wu Lan season and became the subject of many later works of art.
On the Wu Lan festival, when you come to the temple, you should wear a rose flower on your chest. Rose on shirt is the most beautiful sentiment, filial devotion that children send to their parents.
When you receive a flower on your chest, you will realize that you should slow down, love more, take care of your parents and repay them for their upbringing.
The story of the monk Thich Nhat Hanh wearing flowers on his shirt and the essay “Roses on His Shirt”
IV. wu lan season worship ceremony
1. Wu Lan offers the tray to show filial piety
When preparing the Wu Lan offering tray, we should show our sincerity, without paying too much attention to the form. Wu Lan’s offerings typically include:
- den
- Rice
- Salt
- Rice
- Water
- stock
- Sticky rice and different types of tea
- Steamed Taro and Sweet Potatoes
- Popcorn
- Fruit
- sweet shop
- betel and betel nut
- Cigarette
- Fragrance of flowers, votive clothes
You should prepare a simple, pure but complete offering tray for Wu Lan
2. Order of worship of Wu Lan
The worship of Wu Lan usually occurs in the following order: worship of the Buddha, worship of the gods, worship of the ancestors, and offering food to sentient beings.
- worship buddha
Householders must prepare a tray of vegetarian rice or a tray of five fruits for the worship of the Buddha. While performing the puja, the householder should read a course of the Wu Lan Sutra (also known as the Wu Lan Sutra) to clearly understand the Wu Lan ceremony as well as the merits for the soon-to-be-liberated past relatives. Should pray for.
- worship the gods
Offerings to the deities often include whole boiled chicken or sticky rice. In addition, the homeowner may also offer leaf-peeled banh chung, a bottle of wine, fresh flowers, fruits, and tea.
- worshiping ancestors
The ancestral prasad tray should contain a tray of salty or vegetarian rice, depending on whether your family and grandparents are vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Additionally, you should offer gold coins and some objects to the deceased with the hope that the deceased will have a full and prosperous life like the one on earth. Some of the commonly offered items include: clothing, shoes, textiles, jewellery, etc.
- Offer food to sentient beings
Householders should give alms to living beings outside and should not worship at the ancestral altar. While performing the puja, the householder burns gold coins and clothes and then spreads rice and salt in all four directions. Trays of food offered for sensitive creatures typically include:
- rice salt
- Fruit
- 12 cups thin oatmeal
- 12 pieces of rock sugar
- Clothes
- Popcorn
- sweet shop
- gold money
- Water
- Sunlight
- Candle
- Boiled Sweet Potatoes, Corn and Cassava
- tight
3. Prayer to worship Wu Lan
Wish you Amitabh Buddha
Wish you Amitabh Buddha
Wish you Amitabh Buddha
I respectfully bow to the Nine Heavens, the Buddhas of the Ten Directions, and the Buddhas of the Ten Directions
I respectfully bow to the venerable Maudgalyayana, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
Today is the full moon of the seventh lunar month (year…)
My believer is… lives in…
We sincerely prepare incense, flowers, naivedya and naivedya and decorate it and present it before the judge.
We sincerely invite Venerable Maudgalyayana, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.
We sincerely invite you, the city god, the great kings, Kim Nien Duong, the ruler of Thai Tuy, Ton Thanh, Tao Quan of the Ban family, the local gods and ruling deities of the earth. Area. , I beg you to come down and sit for investigation and testify.
On the day of Wu Lan, the sins of the deceased are forgiven. We are grateful to the Buddha, the Three Jewels, and the protecting gods. We do not know how to repay this great virtue.
Therefore, we respectfully make an offering of silver, express our sincerity, wish to accept and bless that we and our families will always be healthy, live young and old, live in peace, remain dedicated to the Dharma path, good fortune And be prosperous in the family. Hanged for a long time.
Express your sincerity, bow to the witness!
Wish you Amitabh Buddha
Wish you Amitabh Buddha
Wish you Amitabh Buddha
Prayer to worship Wu Lan
4. Meaningful Wishes on the Wu Lan Holiday
During the Wu Lan holiday, there is no need to wish children flowery words. Simple but big-hearted wishes from children to their parents will make a great gift for parents on this Wu Lan holiday. The best wishes should include each child’s true thoughts, feelings and wishes for their parent’s upbringing.
5. Gift for parents on the occasion of Wu Lan holiday
Gifts on the occasion of Wu Lan festival instill faith in children in filial piety
- functional product
The health of parents is the happiness of children. Therefore, do not forget to nourish your parents with nutritious and tonic products like calcium-fortified milk or nutritious bird’s nest.
- health aid equipment
As adults grow older, they often suffer from diseases like high blood pressure, joint pain, etc. Therefore, a blood pressure monitor helps parents check their blood pressure or a full-body massager helps parents feel comfortable and relax their bones and muscles. It is also an appropriate and meaningful gift.
- shop for new clothes
Parents will be very happy and proud to receive new clothes from their children. However, be careful to choose clothes that suit your parents’ interests and age.
- cook delicious food yourself
A meal that is both sentimental and nutritious will make a simple yet meaningful gift for parents. Food will strengthen family bonds, helping parents realize their children’s feelings towards them.
Above is an article that answers questions about Wu Lan Day, its origin, meaning and worship on this special day. Buddhist objects Hopefully readers will better understand the Wu Lan season as well as enjoy a peaceful and warm holiday with their families.
Wish you Amitabh Buddha.
