盂蘭盆法會

Ullambana Ceremony

七月十五日，即圓滿解夏是佛歡喜日，又稱僧自恣日，這時供養十方自恣僧眾，以此功德回向報答父母之恩，能令現在父母福增無量，過去七世父母，皆蒙超昇。

You and your family are cordially invited to attend the ceremony and share in the Dharma joy!

盂蘭盆的意義

(一)盂蘭盆起源：

佛在世時，有弟子目犍連尊者，精進用功，勇猛辦道。出家一個月便証果位，得六種神通。 ( 天眼、天耳，他心、宿命、神足、漏盡 )。尊者為報母親生育之恩，以

天眼看見母親在餓鬼道，不聞漿水之名，皮骨相連，日夜受飢餓之苦。於是取一缽

飯往餉其母，由於慳貪惡業受報之故，飯未入口已化成火炭。目犍連尊者知道自力不能救拔母親，悲痛萬分，便求助於佛陀。佛陀教示他於七月十五僧自恣這日供養十方自恣僧，仗眾僧禪定之力，能救拔其母之苦。目犍連尊者依教奉行，即做盂蘭盆器，以百味飯食，床敷臥具等物盛於盆中，供養眾自恣僧，其母得脫餓鬼之苦，並生天得勝妙樂。此為盂蘭盆起源。

(二)盂蘭盆的流傳：

自此以後，印度的頻婆沙羅王及須達長者，還有末利夫人等皆依佛陀所說，更造五百個金盆，營辦飲食、衣服、臥具、湯藥，置於盆中，供養佛及僧眾，滅除七世父母之罪業。隨後印度佛教徒年年七月十五日 ，都啟建盂蘭法會。

流傳至我國，最早舉行盂蘭法會是在南北朝大同四年，梁武帝在同泰寺（即現在南京雞鳴寺）設盂蘭盆齋。每年七月十五，梁武帝更以盂蘭盆供普施到其他寺院，其後蔚成風氣。歷代帝王臣民亦多行此法，以報父母恩德。如唐朝諸帝，太宗、德宗等，皆極重視盂蘭盆供。到了宋朝更將過去於寺院普施盂蘭盆供的儀式用到宮殿內，各樣供養器皿更加莊嚴隆重。此風繼而漸漸流傳民間，當時百姓有作紙花、紙燭、餅及各種飲食鋪設於佛殿前，供養三寶，全城士民皆得隨喜參加。

傳至宋末，供養三寶日漸衰微，一般寺院於七月十五會集施主的財，米等物，舉行超度祖先宗親等的荐亡儀式，其後演變成寺院每年重要法事之一。至清朝則寺院綜合其義，白日供養三寶，夜間誦經普度鬼神，但普及遵行不廣。

現今一般寺院每年都會舉辦盂蘭盆法會，除誦經施食外，應當以供養僧寶為主。當知要念父母之恩，孤魂之苦，切勿殺生拜祭及燒銀紙、演目連戲等，亡魂實得不到利益，而間接令亡者增添殺生的罪業，不但浪費金錢，且增加過失。

(三)盂蘭盆的功德：

「盂蘭」譯作倒懸，指餓鬼之苦如人被倒懸，痛苦之極。盆譯作救護器，是設齋之器具。將百味飲食、衣服、臥具、湯藥置於盆中，供養十方自恣僧。仗眾僧禪定之功，救護地獄餓鬼之痛苦。「盂蘭盆」即為救倒懸之苦。佛制弟子四月十五至七月十五為結夏安居之期，僧眾集會一處，或在山林樹下，嚴行戒法，一心辦道，剋期取証。七月十五，即圓滿解夏是佛歡喜日，又僧自恣日，僧眾功德汪洋，有無量之威力，這時供養十方自恣僧眾，以此功德回向報答父母長養慈愛之恩，令現在父母福增無量，過去七世父母，皆蒙超昇。

The origin of Ullambana (Yu-Lan-Pan)

Mahamaudgalyayana (Mogallana or Moelin) was a disciple of the Buddha.  After renouncing his mundane life, he had vigorously cultivated the Way and obtained the six spiritual penetrations(heavenly eye, heavenly ear, reading others' minds, knowing past lives, being free of outflows and the spiritual fulfillment). With the power of his Heavenly Eye, he found his deceased mother, suffering days and nights in the Realm of Hungry Ghosts without any food.  Mahamaudgalyayana tried to bring a bowl of food to his mother, but it turned into charcoal before reaching her mouth due to the karmic retribution of her greediness.  In grief, Mahamaudgalyayana went seeking help from the Buddha. The Buddha instructed Mahamaudgalyayana to make an offering to the Sangha members (monks) in all directions on the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar (the last day of the rainy-season retreat). With their meditative power, his mother could be saved. Mahamaudgalyayana followed the Buddha's instruction and made an offering of a bowl filled with delicacies to the Sangha members who have completed the retreat.  As a result his mother was reborn to the heavens.

The development of Ullambana

Since then, during the Buddha's time, Binbisara, sudatta, Mallikā and others in India had followed the same practice. They made five hundred golden bowls and used them to carry food, clothing, bedding, and medicine for offering to the Buddha and the Sangha. Such an act had helped practictioners' ancestors in the past seven lives from suffering in the lower realms. This activity had further developed into the Ullambana ceremony that was later performed annually by the Buddhists in India.

 The Ullambana Ceremory first reached and was conducted in China in the fourth year of Nan-Bei Dynasty when Emperor Liang performed a vegetarian offering in the current Jie-Min Temple in Nanjing.  After that, on July 15 of each year, Emperor Liang had promoted such an act in all temples through out the country.  The Ullambana Ceremony had then become a popular communal event, sincerely observed by emperors and people of all levels in many dynasties following. During the Sung Dynasty, the ceremony was even carried out as an important event in the Palace and the entire county observed it with great respect.  However, the observance of Ullambana had gradually degenerated at the end of Sung Dynasty as the offering to the Three Jewels was not popularly practiced. By the Ching dynasty, the Ullambana was only partially practiced. Nowadays, most Buddhist temples perform Ullambana Ceremony annually.  Aside from chanting and feeding hungry ghosts, making offerings to the Sangha plays an important part of the ceremony. As Buddhists, we should all develop gratitude for our parents, be compassionate for those suffering in the lower realms, and refrain from killing.  We should not conduct Chinese folk customs such as burning paper money or stage street operas, as such actions would not benefit but only create more karmic hindrances to the departed ones.

 The virtues of practicing Ullambana:

Ullambana is a Sanskrit word which means "rescuing those who are hanging upside-down." This refers to the extreme suffering of the ghosts in the hells who are as tormented as one hanging upside-down would be. So the Ullambana is performed specially for releasing those undergoing the painful suffering of being hungry ghosts and enabling them to be reborn in the heavens.

The fifteenth day of the seventh month is the last day of the 3-month ainy Season Retreat (Vassa in Sanskrit). During the retreat, the Sangha members stay in one location where they strictly observe the precepts, establish their purity of conduct and devote fully to cultivating the Way.  The last day of the Retreat is also known as the Buddha's Rejoicing Day and the day of the Sangha's pravarana, when they engage in voluntary mutual confession and repentance of their monastic errors and improper acts. So on that day, the merit and virtue derived from making offerings to the Sangha is much greater than that derived from offerings made on ordinary days. By transferring such merits to our present parents and departed ancestors as a filial act to repay their kindness would bless the well-being of our parents and liberate our ancestors in the past seven lives to be reborn to better Realms.

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