The Ullambana Festival is held on the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar annually according to the “Ullambana Sutra”. It dedicates the merits of the Three Jewels to the present parents for good health and longevity, surpassing the past dynasties to test concubines and clansmen, so that they can quickly surpass the holy land and increase the lotus quality. Buddhist ceremony. “Yu Lan” means hanging upside down, which means that the suffering of hungry ghosts is like hanging upside down; and “pen” is a rescue vessel, so the Yulan basin has the meaning of “rescue the hanging” and “relieve the pain”, which means using a basin or the like. The utensils are filled with food and offered to Buddha and monks to save the suffering of hanging upside down.
According to the “Ullambana Sutra”: Venerable Ananda, one of the ten main disciples of the Buddha, saw with his heavenly eyes that his mother was being reborn in the realm of the hungry ghosts and looking emaciated. Because his mother was suffering from bad karma, all the food was turned into coals of fire before she could consume it. In order to save his mother from suffering, Venerable Ananda asked the Buddha for instructions on how to save her.
The Buddha told Venerable Ananda to make offerings of food, clothings and linens to the Three Jewels on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, after all the monks have ended their annual summer respite. The merits of such offerings will enable one’s parents to enjoy good health, no worries and at ease. It can even benefit one’s deceased parent(s) and parents from the past seven lifetimes to escape the misery of the hungry ghost realm, to be born in heaven, and to enjoy happiness.
By following, the Buddha’s compassionate instructions, Venerable Ananda was able to freed his mother from the misery of a hungry ghost. The grateful Venerable Ananda asked the Buddha whether Buddhist disciples should practice filial piety through vy making these kind of offerings to the three Jewels in the future. The Buddha expounded compassionately: “Those who practice filial piety as the disciples of the Buddha should always remember their parents, including parents from the past seven lifetimes. On the 15th day of the seventh month every year, one should show filial piety and repay one’s gratitude towards one’s parents in the present and the past seven lifetimes through the making offerings to the Buddha and the Sangha. This act of offerings is known as the Ullambana.” This is how Ullambana ceremony carried out on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month was evolved.