Vu Lan (Obon)
This week we are Celebrating the Vu Lan. or as the Japanese Buddhists call it the Obon. The Ullambana Sutta is recited every evening this week.
The Story of Obon
By REV. DEAN KOYAMA
Although often looked upon as a Japanese cultural festival,
Obon is actually a deeply religious tradition. The origins of Obon can be
traced to the Ullambana Sutra.
“Ulla” literally means “to hang upside down.” If we look at
the world while hanging upside down, we are not seeing things as they truly
are. We have an inverted-view of the world and because of this. Ulla refers to
the unbearable suffering that one has to bear, whether mentally, spiritually or
physically, when being hung upside down.
“Bana” refers to a bowl. In ancient India , monks
used bowls to beg for food as part of their religious practice to deflate one’s
ego and pride. It also was used to help signify that one’s existence is
dependent upon an infinite number of lives. Thus the bowl symbolizes salvation.
Combined the word ‘Ullambana’ can then mean to rescue those
who are suffering because they hang upside down.
In this sutra, Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha, tells the
story of one of his most gifted disciples, Mogallana, who was most talented in
the area of meditation. Most- people today look at meditation as a source of
peace of mind and happiness. In Buddhism, meditation is looked upon as the
method of attaining wisdom and spiritual powers. In certain traditions a
skilled meditator can gain supernormal powers such as the ability to see past
lives and know the future.
One day, Mogallana used his extraordinary psychic powers and
discovered that his deceased mother was suffering in the realm of hungry ghosts.
The realm of Hungry Ghost represents the sufferings due to greed and cravings.
In this realm, all the inhabitants have large wide mouths and tiny narrow
throats. Their arms are short and stubby and do not even reach to the level of
their mouths thus making it nearly impossible for them to eat any food. Thus
they are constantly hungry and craving anything to eat or drink.
Mogallana was moved with his great compassionate heart and-
again using his extraordinary powers he filled a bowl with rice and food for
his mother to eat. The first thing his mother did upon receiving the bowl was
to use her left hand to hide the bowl so that all the other hungry ghosts did
not know she had it and therefore she couldn’t have to share it with anyone
else. However, just as she was about to put the food to her mouth, it suddenly
burst into flames leaving only charcoal ashes.
Finding himself helpless, Mogallana ran to seek advice from
the
Buddha.
Upon finding the Buddha, Mogallana explained about the
situation of his mother. “Why is she in such torment and suffering?” asked
Mogallana. The Buddha explained that although his mother appeared be kind,
generous and devoted her child, in reality she did so forsaking all other
people who needed help. As a result, she had to pay for the consequences of her
past actions by suffering in the realm of the hungry ghosts. Mogallana then
asked how can he help end the sufferings for his mother.
The Buddha told him that it would be impossible to save his
mother by himself for her offenses were very great and serious. However, with
the combined help of all beings, it would be possible to help his mother. He
was told to make offerings in a bowl containing rice, fruit, and other
delicacies to the monks finishing their retreat on the 15th day of the 7th
month. After doing so, his mother was immediately freed from her suffering as
well as seven generations of ancestors. Mogallana was so very grateful to the
Buddha that he clapped his hands and danced for joy. This is said to be the
beginning of Obon.
This tale was transmitted into China and was combined with Taoist and
Confucian influence, especially that of filial piety. Later it was carried into
Japan
and was combined with the custom of welcoming and sending off lanterns that
were lit for the spirits of ones ancestors. It seems that it is this last
custom that Obon is particularly associated with.
In our Jodo Shinshu Buddhist tradition, we do not look upon
Obon as the time when the “souls” of our ancestors return, and that the
services, offerings, dancing, and lanterns are for the benefit of one’s dead
relatives. However, in actuality, our ancestors, parents and loved ones have
never left.
In this story, it is through the actions of Mogallana that
he has liberated his mother from the realm of suffering. But according to our
Shin Buddhist understanding, it is rather that our ancestors in reality are
liberating us from our sufferings through their love and compassion in life.
Obon is a time to remember and honor all those who have
passed on before us, appreciated all that they have done for us, and recognize
the continuation of their deeds upon our lives. In other words, Obon is a time
for self-reflection, an important Buddhist practice, for it is only when we
become aware of our imperfections and insufficiency, and think of others
instead of our ego-pride-filled selves that we are able to fully appreciate a
deeper meaning of Life.
It allows us this opportunity to realize and awaken to the
true nature and ultimate potential of our lives.
Rev. Dean Koyama is the resident minister of the Mountain View Buddhist Temple
Kinh Vu Lan Bồn
Ullambana Sutta
1. Phật nói Kinh Vu Lan Bồn
Ta từng nghe lời tạc như vầy:
Một thuở nọ Thế-tôn an-trụ
Xá-vệ thành Kỳ-thụ viên trung, Mục-liên mới đặng lục-thông, Muốn cho cha mẹ khỏi vòng trầm-luân.
Công dưỡng-dục thâm-ân dốc trả,
Nghĩa sanh thành đạo cả mong đền, Làm con hiếu-hạnh vi tiên, Bèn dùng huệ-nhãn dưới trên kiếm tầm.
Thấy vong-mẫu sanh làm ngạ-quỷ,
Không uống ăn tiều-tụy hình-hài. Mục-liên thấy vậy bi-ai, Biết mẹ đói khát ai-hoài tình thâm. |
1. The Yu-lan-p'en Sutra
Thus have I heard.
Once, the Buddha resided in the
He saw his departed mother reborn among the hungry
ghosts: she never saw food or drink, and her skin hung off her bones.
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2. Lo phẩm-vật đem dâng từ-mẫu,
Ðặng đỡ lòng cực khổ bấy lâu. Thấy cơm mẹ rất lo âu,
Lòng bỏn-xẻn tiền-căn chưa dứt,
Sợ chúng ma cướp dựt của bà. Cơm đưa chưa tới miệng đà, Hóa thành than lửa nuốt mà đặng đâu.
Thấy như vậy âu-sầu thê-thảm,
Mục-kiền-liên bi-cảm xót thương, Mau mau về đến giảng-đường, Bạch cùng sư-phụ tìm phương giải nàn. |
2. Mu-lien took pity, filled his
bowl with rice, and sent it to his mother as an offering. When his mother
received the bowl of rice, she used her left hand to guard the bowl and her
right hand to gather up the rice, but before the food entered her mouth it
changed into flaming coals, so in the end she could not eat.
Mu-lien cried out in grief and wept tears. He rushed back
to tell the Buddha and laid out everything as it has happened.
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3. Phật mới bảo rõ ràng căn-cội,
Rằng mẹ ông gốc tội rất sâu. Dầu ông thần-lực nhiệm-mầu, Một mình không thể ai cầu được đâu.
Lòng hiếu-thảo của ông dầu lớn,
Tiếng vang đồn thấu đến cửu-thiên Cùng là các bực Thần-kỳ Tà, ma, ngoại-đạo, bốn vì Thiên-vương
Cộng ba cõi sáu phương tu-tập,
Cũng không phương cứu-tế mẹ ngươị Muốn cho cứu đặng mạng người, Phải nhờ thần-lực của mười phương Tăng. |
3. The Buddha said, "The
roots of your mother's sins are deep and tenacious. It is not within your
power as a single individual to do anything about it. Even though the fame of
your filial devotion moves heaven and earth, still spirits of heaven and
spirits of earth, harmful demons and masters of the outer paths, monks and
the four spirit kings of heaven cannot do anything about it.
You must rely on the mighty spiritual power of the
assembled monks of the ten directions in order to obtain her deliverance.
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4. Pháp cứu-tế ta toan giải nói
Cho mọi người thoát khỏi ách-nàn Bèn kêu Mục-thị đến gần, Truyền cho diệu-pháp ân-cần thiết thi
Rằm tháng bảy là ngày Tự-tứ
Mười phương Tăng đều dự lễ này Phải toan sắm sửa chớ chầy Thức ăn trăm món trái cây năm màu
Lại phải sắm giường nằm nệm lót
Cùng thau, bồn, đèn đuốc, nhang, dầu, Món ăn tinh-sạch báu mầu Ðựng trong bình-bát vọng-cầu kính dâng Trong bảy đời sẽ đặng siêu thiên Lại thêm cha mẹ hiện-tiền Ðặng nhờ phước-lực tiêu-khiên ách-nàn. |
4. I shall now preach for you
the method of salvation, so that all beings in trouble may leave sadness and
suffering, and the impediments caused by sin be wiped away."
The Buddha told Mu-lien, "On the fifteenth day of
the seventh month, when the assembled monks of the ten directions release
themselves, for the sake of seven generations of ancestors, your current
parents, and those in distress, you should gather food of the one hundred
flavors and five kinds of fruit, basins for washing and rinsing, incense, oil
lamps and candles, and mattresses and beđing; take the sweetest, prettiest
things in the world and place them in a bowl and offer it to the assembled
monks, those of great virtue of the ten directions.
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5. Vì ngày ấy Thánh-tăng đều đủ
Dầu ở đâu cũng tụ-hội về. Như người Thiền-định sơn-khê Tránh điều phiền-não chăm về thiền-na
Hoặc người đặng bốn tòa đạo quả
Công tu-hành nguyện thỏa vô-sanh Hoặc người thọ hạ kinh-hành Chẳng ham quyền-quý ẩn-danh lâm-tòng
Hoặc người đặng lục-thông tấn-phát
Và những hàng Duyên-giác, Thanh-văn Hoặc chư Bồ-tát mười phương Hiện hình làm sãi ở gần chúng-sanh
Ðều trì giới rất thanh, rất tịnh
Ðạo-đức dày, chánh-định chơn-tâm Tất cả các bực Thánh, Phàm Ðồng lòng thọ-lãnh bát cơm lục-hòa |
5. On this day, the entire
assembly of saints - those in the mountains practicing meditation and
concentration; those who have attained the fruit of the four paths; those who
practice pacing under trees; those who use the six penetrations to be free;
those who convert others, hear preaching, and awaken to causality; and the
great men, those bodhisattvas of the ten stages who provisionally manifest
the form of a bhiksu - all of those who are part of the great assembly shall
with one mind receive the patra [bowl] of rice.
[A monk who] possesses fully the purity of the precepts
and the Way of the assembly of saints - his virtue is vast indeed.
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6. Người nào có sắm ra vật-thực
Ðặng cúng-dường Tự-tứ Tăng thời Hiện-tiền phụ-mẫu của người Bà con quyến-thuộc thảy đều nhờ ơn
Tam-đồ khổ chắc rằng ra khỏi
Cảnh thanh-nhàn hưởng-thọ tự-nhiên. Như còn cha mẹ hiện-tiền Ðó nhờ cũng đặng bá niên thọ-trường
Như cha mẹ bảy đời quá-vãng
Sẽ hóa-sanh về cõi thiên-cung Người thời tuấn-tú hình-dung Hào-quang chiếu sáng khắp cùng châu-thân |
6. When you make offerings to
these kinds of monks as they release themselves, then your current parents,
seven generations of ancestors, and six kinds of relatives will obtain
release from suffering in the three evil paths of rebirth; at that moment
they will be liberated and clothed and fed naturally.
If one's parents are living, they will have one hundred
years of joy and happiness. If they are deceased, then seven generations of
ancestors will be reborn in the heavens; born freely through transformation,
they will enter into the light of heavenly flowers and receive unlimited
joy."
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7. Phật dạy bảo mười phương
Tăng-chúng
Phải tuân theo thể-thức sau này: Trước khi thọ thực đàn chay Phải cầu chú-nguyện cho người tín-gia.
Cầu thất-thế mẹ cha thí-chủ
Ðịnh tâm-thần quán đủ đừng quên Cho xong ý-định hành-thiền Mới dùng phẩm-vật đàn-tiền hiến-dâng.
Khi thọ-dụng nên an vật-thực
Trước Phật-đài hoặc tự tháp trung: Chư Tăng chú nguyện viên dung Sau rồi tự-tiện thọ dùng bữa trưa |
7. Then the Buddha decreed that
the assembled monks of the ten directions should first chant prayers on
behalf of the family of the donor for seven generations of ancestors, that
they should practice meditation and concentrate their thoughts, and that they
should then receive the food.
In receiving the bowls, they should first place them in
front of the Buddha's stupa; when the assembled monks have finished chanting
prayers, they may then individually partake of the food.
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8. Pháp cứu-tế Phật vừa nói dứt
Mục-liên cùng Bồ-tát chư Tăng Ðồng nhau tỏ dạ vui mừng Mục-liên cũng hết khóc thương rầu buồn
Mục-liên mẫu cũng trong ngày ấy
Kiếp khổ về ngạ-quỷ được tan Mục-liên bạch với Phật rằng: "Mẹ con nhờ sức Thánh-Tăng khỏi nàn
Lại cũng nhờ oai thần Tam-bảo
Bằng chẳng thì nạn khổ khó ra Như sau đệ-tử xuất-gia Vu-lan-bồn pháp dùng mà độ sanh
Ðộ cha mẹ còn đương tại thế
Hoặc bảy đời có thể đặng không ?" Phật rằng: "Lời hỏi rất thông Ta vừa muốn nói con dùng hỏi theo |
8. At this time the bhiksu
Mu-lien and the assembly of great bodhisattvas rejoiced. Mu-lien's sorrowful
tears ended and the sound of his crying died out.
Then, on that very day, Mu-lien's mother gained release
from a kalpa of suffering as a hungry ghost.
Then Mu-lien told the Buddha, "The parents who gave
birth to me, your disciple, are able to receive the power of the merit of the
Three Jewels because of the mighty spiritual power of the assembly of monks.
But all of the future disciples of the Buddha who practice filial devotion,
may they or may they not also present yu-lan bowls as required to save their
parents as well as seven generations of ancestors?"
The Buddha said, "Excellent! This question pleases
me very much. It is just what I would like to preach, so listen well!
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9. Thiện-nam-tử, tỳ-kheo nam nữ
Cùng quốc-vương, thái-tử, đại-thần Tam-công, tể-tướng, bá-quan Cùng hàng lê-thứ vạn dân cõi trần
Như chí muốn đền ơn cha mẹ
Hiện-tại cùng thất-thế tình thâm Ðến rằm tháng bảy mỗi năm Sau khi kiết-hạ chư Tăng tựu về
Chính ngày ấy Phật đà hoan-hỉ
Phải sắm sanh bá vị cơm canh Ðựng trong bình-bát tinh-anh Chờ giờ Tự-tứ chúng Tăng cúng-dường
Ðặng cầu-nguyện song-đường trường-thọ
Chẳng ốm đau, cũng chẳng khổ chi Cùng cầu thất-thế đồng thì Lìa nơi ngạ-quỷ sanh về nhơn, thiên
Ðặng hưởng phước nhân duyên vui đẹp
Lại xa lìa nạn khổ cực thân Môn-sanh Phật-tử ân-cần Hạnh tu hiếu-thuận phải cần phải chuyên |
9. My good sons, if there are
bhiksus, bhiksunis, kings of states, princes, sons of kings, great ministers,
counselors, dignitaries of the three ranks, any government officials, or the
majority of common people who practice filial compassion, then on behalf of
their current parents and the past seven generations of ancestors, on the
fifteenth day of the seventh month, the day on which Buddhas rejoice, the day
on which monks release themselves, they must all place food and drink of the
one hundred flavors inside the yu-lan bowl and donate it to monks of the ten
directions who are releasing themselves.
When the prayers are finished, one's present parents will
attain long life, passing one hundred years without sickness and without any
of the torments of suffering, while seven generations of ancestors will leave
the sufferings of hungry ghosthood, attaining rebirth among gods and humans
and blessings without limit."
The Buddha told all of the good sons and good daughters,
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10. Thường cầu-nguyện
thung-huyên an-hảo
Cùng bảy đời phụ-mẫu siêu-sanh Ngày rằm tháng bảy mỗi năm Vì lòng hiếu-thảo thâm-ân phải đền
Lễ cứu-tế chí-thành sắp đặt
Ngỏ cúng-dường chư Phật chư Tăng Ấy là báo đáp thù ân Sanh-thành dưỡng-dục song-thân buổi đầu
Ðệ-tử Phật lo âu gìn-giữ
Mới phải là Thích-tử Thiền-môn Vừa nghe dứt pháp Lan-bồn Môn-sanh tứ-chúng thảy đồng hỉ-hoan
Mục-liên với bốn ban Phật-tử
Nguyện một lòng tín-sự phụng-hành ! |
10. "Those disciples of the
Buddha who practice filial devotion must in every moment of consciousness
maintain the thought of their parents, including seven generations of
ancestors. Each year on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, out of filial
devotion and compassionate consideration for the parents who gave birth to them
and for seven generations of ancestors, they should always make a yu-lan bowl
and donate it to the Buddha and Sangha to repay the kindness bestowed by
parents in nurturing and caring for them. All disciples of the Buddha must
carry out this law."
Upon hearing what the Buddha preached, the bhiksu Mu-lien
and the four classes of disciples rejoiced and put it into practice.
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