Vu Lan - the season of filial piety

• September 2, 2009 17:15

(Baonghean) -Every year, on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, Buddhist monks and nuns go to the temple to worship. More special than other full moon days of the year, the 15th day of the 7th lunar month is also called Vu Lan Day, the traditional day of filial piety.

The temple yard is crowded with people coming to make offerings on Vu Lan day. Photo: Phan Tu

Since Buddhism was introduced into our country's cultural life, Vu Lan Festival has become a traditional festival of the nation. On this day, our people, whether Buddhist or not, have the custom of going to the pagoda, offering their sincere hearts to pray for the deceased to be liberated, and the living to be freed from their worries.

Vu Lan Festival is recognized by our people as a cultural festival of humanity, so this day also has a sacred humanistic meaning with the name of Forgiveness for the Dead, with the meaning of connecting love between ancestors, grandparents, parents, children, etc. Thus, Vu Lan is the day we turn to our roots with filial piety and gratitude. The roots of Vu Lan Festival come from human love, as Buddha taught: "A filial heart is a Buddha's heart, filial conduct is Buddha's conduct".

On Vu Lan Festival, large pagodas in Nghe An such as Can Linh, Hong Son, Hoang Muoi... are often crowded with believers coming to offer filial piety, organize vegetarian meals, wear roses, listen to sermons about compassion, love for all species, and cherish life...

With these sacred meanings, Vu Lan has truly entered the spiritual life of Vietnamese people. The greatest value of Vu Lan Festival is to build filial piety - a life attitude, a beautiful way of life throughout the year. That is the true meaning of Vu Lan all year round, Vu Lan forever, Vu Lan comes every day, every hour to filial children!

Phan Tu