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Ullambana simply means celebration of the ritual of saving the deceased from torments after death. The holiday originated in Buddhist legend when the protagonist Mulien (also known as Mahamaudgalyayana) used his deva-eye (unlimited vision) and saw that his mother had fallen into the hands of hungry ghosts. The ghosts tortured her by starving and hanging her. Using his powers, Mulien went on a difficult journey to the underworld to bring his mother a bowl of rice to ease her hunger. After receiving the bowl of rice the first thing his mother did was hide it behind her back, as she did not want to share with the other hungry ghosts. This is representative of the kind of selfish attitude that caused her to be condemned to hell to begin with. When she finally went to eat the rice, it had turned to coal.
Desperate to help his mother, Mulien begged the Buddha to show him a way to bring salvation to his mother. Buddha tells him, The past sins of your mother are too great for you alone to save her. You must find ten monks and pray together on the 15th day of the seventh moon. The Buddha also advised that he make offerings in a bowl containing rice, fruits and other delicacies. Following the Buddha's instructions, Mulien began a ritual of fasting and chanting until finally his mother was released. Mulien then asked the Buddha if future followers of his could also practice the Ullambana offerings. The Buddha, pleased by his question, replied that all followers should follow the practice. This legend has been passed down through the ages and today it is celebrated by Buddhists around the world, who hold ceremonies so that outcast and famished ghosts may cross over to salvation.
The Taoists version of this holiday is called the Ghost Festival (Festival of Hungry Ghosts) or "Chung Yuan" They believe that the gates of hell are flung open on this day to allow ghosts and spirits into the world of the living for a month. To pacify them, all kinds of extraordinary food offerings are made. These offerings include, vegetables, fruits, noodles, biscuits, rice, oil, etc. Others have been known to offer things such as Chinese opera; puppet shows or pop concerts as well. The holiday reaches its most significant aspect on the fifteenth day when chants and rituals are performed. More offerings are made of incense, paper money and sweets. Basically it is a big party since this is believed to be the day that the ghosts and spirits suffering ends and they are released into heaven.
Another similar version of this holiday celebrated by Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Orthodox Christians is called All Souls Day. On this day they honor the souls of recently deceased who are waiting in purgatory to enter heaven. During the middle ages, people would walk from door to door offering prayers for the dead and in return they would receive soul cakes. According to the legend whenever a soul cake was eaten a soul was released into heaven. On this day churches hold services and prayers are said for the dead. Individuals also clean graves and decorate them with flowers, crosses and wreaths. Candles and lanterns are burned all night to help brighten the darkness for the souls.
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Yet another holiday that is similar to the Ullambana is The Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) celebrated November 1st and nd in Mexico and in Mexican communities all over the world. The Day of the Dead is celebrated as a time when the souls return to their homes in order to check that everything is going well and make sure that they have not been forgotten. In some areas of Mexico the celebration is during the time of the migration of the Monarch butterfly. It is believed that the butterflies carry the spirits of the dead.
To prepare for the day, families prepare alters in their home to welcome the dead back into their lives. The altars are decorated with flowers, candles and colorful pictures. Sometimes the altars can include items that are familiar to the dead person, such as photographs, articles of clothing or a favorite keepsake. Incense made of sage and copal (a sap from a Mexican tree) is burned. Offerings are left on the altar such as platters of rice, beans, chicken or red meat. A washbasin and towel are also included so that the spirit can wash up before the meal.
The main part of the holiday is the family trip to the cemetery. There families tend to the graves by pulling weeds and raking up around them. People also decorate the graves with flowers, wreathes and ribbons. People often bring picnics and leave part of the food behind as an offering. At times a mariachi band has been know to play in the cemetery as celebrants sing along.
In the United States where some may not be able to attend family celebrations back home, many Mexican-Americans hold a special ceremony. They pay tribute in four directions, each of which pays tribute to a different group of people that has died the north honors the elderly and all ancestors; the west honors women; the south honors infants and children; and the east honors men. As people remember family members and friends who have died, they say their names, rattle instruments and set down a marigold blossom wreath. Children celebrate by running through the street where people give them fruit, candy and money. They especially enjoy receiving special candy such as chocolate shaped like skulls and sugar coffins.
Although there are many holidays that emulate Ullambana, the Japanese version of this national holiday called the Obon is my favorite. It begins July 1th and lasts for three-days. On this day businesses close, some even hand out bonuses, and people travel home to be with their families. Before the holiday, families clean their homes from top to bottom. They buy evergreen branches, flowers, incense, fruits, and vegetables.
When the festival begins, the family lights sticks of incense. The family places fruit and vegetables before a small family alter as an offering to the spirits and then the family goes to the cemetery. There they clean their ancestors' tombs, place flowers and rice cakes on them and pour water over them. At night lanterns or torches are placed along the path connecting the cemetery to the family house to invite their ancestors to join them. Another popular ritual is the Chankoko Matsuri, which is when groups of Chankoko dancers go around town dancing. People who have lost relatives during the year will invite the Chankoko to dance in their garden or by their family graves.
The festival is highlighted on the third night with the Toro Nagashi (Lantern Floating). During the festival, participants can decorate purchased lanterns and place messages to deceased loved ones; the lanterns will be set afloat on the water as the sun sets. This ritual symbolizes the journey of the spirits back to the other world. Families who have experienced death in the past year may float elaborately decorated boats to transport their recently deceased to the other side for the first time.
Last summer I visited the Obon festival in Concord. The festival featured taiko drumming, bonsai exhibits and martial arts demonstrations. Because there is no river or sea close by in Concord on the third day when traditional lanterns are floated, the festival was closed with the bon-odori. During the bon-odori dancers move in a circle to the beat of the taiko drum. Dancers will wear traditional kimonos or yujkatas, which are made of thinner cotton and are shorter than a kimono. The dance, which consists of four or five repeated movements, often tells traditional stories and legends. Sometimes the dancers perform with fans and kachi-kachi, pieces of bamboo that they click together to the beat of the taiko. Although it was fun to watch the other demonstrations, the dance was the part of the festival that I enjoyed the most.
Whatever your religious or personal experiences may be, perhaps there is meaning to be found in this festival. Looked at in the right light, the Festival celebrates filial piety. Moreover, it is a ritual of compassion where we extend love and kindness to all beings. By observing such a tradition in the mindful way that the Buddhists do, we can start to develop our own spiritual practice. We may not create our own holiday, but we can certainly find our own way to honor our past.
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