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Vu Lan - Coggle Diagram
Vu Lan
Legend about Vu Lan festival
The origin of this festival came from the legend of Bodhisattva Maudgalyayana who saved his mother from suffering tortures in hell.
According to that the mother of Muc Kien Lien has commited many crimes in her previous life. So after died she had been suffered from hell’s tortures and became a starving ghost.
Following Buddha’s advice, he collected a group of monks and did a pray for his mother on the 7th full moon day of the year.
Thanks to the piety of Muc Lien Lien and pray of the monks his mother was released and no longer suffered from hell’s tortures.
What is the Vu Lan festival?
Taking place on the 15th of the lunar July
Vu Lan is one of the most popular festivals of Asian culture such as China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
Originating from Taoist & Buddhist, this festival is a way of honoring the dead, that is why it is called the festival of wandering souls.
The common spirits of the Vu Lan festival are related to compassion, kindness, gratitude, and filial piety.
The ceremony of Vu Lan festival is also the chance for people to visit the ancestor graves, ask about relatives’ life and most importantly to hold birthday parties for senior members.
Activities in Vu Lan Festival
People will go to pagodas, make offerings to Buddha and the monks, pray and pay tribute to parents.
They also listen to the lecture about the responsibility of children to parents from monks as well.
Moreover people will prepare a tray with various delicious dishes and votive as well to put on ancestral altar at home.
The householder will burn incense and invite ancestors as well as homeless souls to come and celebrate the festival with family.
Vegetarian food is most popular on this occasion.
They also do some volunteer works or give the poor rice, noodles, soy sauce… as well. Or release birds, fishes, help them come back to the natural environment. All of those things are to send besh wishes to their parents.
That is to light small lanterns for our loved ones and set them afloat. It is supposed that light will lead the way for wandering souls.