Vu Lan reminds us of filial piety.

The Vu Lan Festival is an occasion to remind people of the gratitude they owe to their ancestors, grandparents, and parents for giving them life and raising them.

Vu Lan is an important traditional festival, reflecting the spirit of filial piety deeply rooted in Buddhist culture. The Vu Lan festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, is an occasion to remind people of the gratitude owed to their ancestors, grandparents, parents, and those who have contributed to the nation.

In the hustle and bustle of life, filled with sad stories about family relationships, the Vu Lan festival serves as a reminder, helping many young people slow down, find inner peace, and reflect more on the meaning of "filial piety."

This year, during the Vu Lan Festival, Bang A Pagoda in Hoang Liet Ward, Hanoi, once again opened its doors to welcome young people to participate in the "Vu Lan Filial Piety" retreat. Without noise, commotion, or crowding, in just one morning, more than 300 young people, including students from across Hanoi, volunteered to stay at the pagoda for two days.



Buddhist devotees sincerely pray for the souls of fallen heroes, martyrs, and deceased loved ones.

Turn off all phones, temporarily disconnect from audiovisual media or the Internet, and begin a new day at 5 am with chanting, reciting Buddhist prayers, and listening to the monk's lecture on filial piety.

“If we have a father, we feel embraced and protected. If we have a mother, we know we are still loved, pampered, and cared for attentively,” or “Throughout the world, no one is as good as a mother; no one suffers as much as a father bearing the burdens of life…” The monk’s voice continued steadily in the quiet space, and many young people could not hold back their tears.

Pham Thi Hue, a student at Hanoi College of Education, expressed: “The lessons the teacher taught us have given us much-needed tools to navigate life, and I am grateful to everyone. Because my hometown is far away, I can't visit my parents right away, but I will write a letter and express my feelings to them.”

For Pham Duy Khoa, a third-year student at the Military Technical Academy, he realized that the Vu Lan festival is an opportunity to rekindle filial piety towards his parents. From this, he learned to cherish and appreciate the love his parents have for him. Wearing a red rose on his chest during the "Rose Pinning Ceremony," the most important ritual of the Vu Lan festival, Khoa felt fortunate to still have both his father and mother, to be loved and protected. Khoa also understood that the spirit of filial piety should be shown 365 days a year and throughout one's life, not just on Vu Lan day.

The concept of "filial piety" in the Vu Lan festival represents sincere respect for parents while they are still alive, expressed through humane communication and behavior towards others. The spirit of the Vu Lan festival will have a powerful effect, encouraging young people to live more responsibly towards themselves and those around them.

Venerable Thich Bao Nghiem, Vice Chairman of the Central Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and Head of the Central Propagation Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, said: “We want to focus on young people, because there is a gap in their understanding of filial piety. Sometimes sad things happen, such as children arguing with their parents, abandoning them, or even physically abusing them. In this retreat, we want to instill in young people the spirit of gratitude towards their parents, by obeying them through the Buddha's teachings; filial piety towards parents is a great merit. Besides that, we educate them about the four great debts: the debt to the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha); the debt to the nation and society; the debt to their parents who gave them life and their teachers; and the debt to everyone in society.”

Life continues to rush by. In that hectic pace, countless fathers, mothers, grandfathers, and grandmothers have had to hide their tears when treated badly by their children and grandchildren.

But if someone has ever attended a "Vu Lan Festival" retreat or worn a red rose on their chest during the Vu Lan festival, they might quiet their hearts, reflect more on the meaning of "filial piety," and appreciate what they have.

According to VOV - TH