Buddhist Thought .

Vu Lan signaling longitude .

LAN signals as VU BUSINESS.

 Vu Lan ceremony, traditional holiday of deep Buddhist harmony of peoples living in Vietnam for many generations. This ceremony has become a familiar thinking folk in the past saying: "July fifteenth day of death far".

We work together to find out if the spirit esteem and rewarded grace grace is expressed in days Vu Lan festival comes from. And monks, Buddhists we should hold Ullambana chucle how to properly approach the Buddha.

Vu Vu Lan Lan say enough is Bon, meaning that at legendary island. Vu Lan Vu Lan came from trading Bon (Ullumpana Sutra) by Dunhuang Bodhisattva France Truc Ho (Dharmaraksa) translated 265 years, life emperor, the Western Jin, China.

Contents of Vu Lan Bon recounted his story Moggallana attained paw through, use the label Favoured observed species fall into ngaquy mother. His mother offered to carry rice, but she could not eat; as she opened her mouth, the fire from the mouth overflow. Moggallana Buddha begged for help. Buddha taught Moggallana should wait on slowly, set Mass offerings for younger Increase lean on the new mantras of monks to save her mother.

Why Buddha taught to select date Tu Tu Vu Lan ceremony, prayer offerings? To understand the significance of this practice, to apply to achieve good results, we need to understand the meaning briefly settling differences and settling time, day of the monks slowly between two sects Buddhist Theravada and Mahayana.

Upstream history, in Buddha's time, in the first period, St. Increased row have a healthy body and strength beyond normal intelligence. With care, a bowl, they traveled under the Buddha, weathered beams accommodating, despite the rain and sun, hot and cold. Thus, the Buddha did not need to question settled for spiritual masters. That we see clearly in doing Ullambana tanks will be mentioned later.

However, the larger Sangha, many monks have a play is not the Holy Sangha. At that time, the health of the monks can not constantly traveled under Buddha; especially after the season we increase encounter floods, washed away y bowl loss. Buddha compassion launch, pause and he devised the legal foot retreat.

From there, they increase focus a spot in the four-month rainy season to nurturing the body, mind, several tons of practice. They review the work of the executive director in January labored day and passed on the experience of birth for each other to do the site for the next practice day.

Also, during the rainy season, many small creatures appear. Monks settled detention would avoid the stampede, killing them. That is the meaning of the settled pattern of Buddha in the world.

After Nirvana Buddha, Buddhism spread across five continents, settled dates and suicide have changed depending on the country. Yet in general, have settled sample by a factor of two Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism.

As we already know Theravada Buddhism advocates inherit identical form Theravada Buddhism in India at that time. Organizations retreat of Theravada from June until September and take full moon day in September as the date of suicide; Theravada monks because medicine keeps Indian calendar, a year three season, May to September is the rainy season.

In contrast, the Mahayana emphasis on ideological legacy. When Buddhism was introduced into the country, according to the traditional cultural activities such place where monks flexibility combined teachings to help people flourish, liberation. For the monks of Mahayana, how it forms, as long as the benefit for practice only. The change of date and retreat of monks slowly Mahayana Buddhism is no exception to this goal.

As Buddhism spread to China, the monks brought Buddhism Mahayana liberal, clearly got the core meaning of retreat during the rainy season and the goal of the day Vu Lan ceremony suicide. They observe reality of Chinese society at that time was influenced Taoist thought, Confucian, and the customary long available. For example, a year has three major holidays, which are traditionally held the ceremony at the former Shanghai fifteenth day of January, on the full moon festival Zhongyuan July and the ceremony of the full moon day in October.

The change immediately the objective existence is not a simple matter. Mahayana Buddhism has cleverly mixed with local life, to Buddhists do not practice against left with their national traditions. In the spirit of tolerance, such combined, Chinese Buddhist retreat held from April to July; instead follow Theravada from May to July 9. As in China has four seasons, not three seasons as India and China in the rainy season from April to July.

Therefore, the seasonal changes retreat of Chinese Buddhism to suit the local weather, which retains primary spiritual retreat detention invented by Buddha. In addition, the Chinese Buddhist Vu Lan ceremony held on July suicide, the full moon in July, instead of the full moon in September as Theravada, is to combine with holidays Vu Lan ceremony Zhongyuan Chinese tradition.

To see them as intellectual, to apply teachings for harmony with local traditions, Mahayana Buddhism was time to change the traditional local holidays into Buddhist ceremony with particular nuances, separate . In this spirit, Vu Lan ceremony, the full moon in July, according to the interpretation of Mahayana Buddhism is no different from the full moon in September of Theravada. Because primary law is not at issue time.

The objective of the Vu Lan festival that we need to do is to pray and make offerings to how to deceased and living people are benefiting. Generally, the countries Vietnam, Japan, Korea were influenced Chinese culture. Therefore, when Buddhism spread to these countries, Vu Lan ceremony requiem for interior permanent suspension group were also held on the full moon in July, the same as in China.

To organize prayers and offerings of the day for lawful Vu Lan ceremony, we should review the experience Ullambana tanks. In doing this, the Buddha taught him Moggallana that he could not save her mother alone, though unseen class. Must Increase by ten prayers; because we like customs virtue, purity trendy day slowly, can save.

"... Want to save lives, right by the force of ten Increase ... he called Section Thi approached, passed the necessary exam grace Dhamma. Full moon in July is the day slowly, ten Increases were this ceremony. Must endeavor overdrive prepared food dish hundred, five colored fruits ... "

Then the Buddha explained the reasons offered in day slowly: "... Since that day the Holy Increases were enough, oil everywhere gather. Meditation as complicated paint, avoid negativity, take on Zen na. Or unto the four buildings attainment of agreed unborn voluntary practice. Or lowering of operating life, no desire Elites, Hidden Forest accomplice. Or news release unto continent and every Pratyekabuddha, bar text. Or Bodhisattvas ten monks present in close formation as beings ... "

Through the above passage of the Buddha showed us introduce St. Increased row are Arhats, Pratyeka Buddha, bodhisattvas. They are cylindrical in mountains Meditation, meditation or reflection teachings, or is instructive beings. They are not present in every Sangha is retreat with the Buddha. So the Buddha told Maudgalyayana wait to suicide, to have enough of the religious status of this virtue. When fully public morality, dignity, chastity, prayer new results.

The aforementioned saint represents the Buddha's disciples of every model in life. However, though the bar text Pratyekabuddhas or bodhisattvas, every cube quarterfinals this effect have a common trait of virtue is "very sound Đều very pure morality, ethics chon thick concentration. All Saints mortal life leaders unanimously harmoniously rice bowl ".

Thus, the form that Buddha renouncers launched, with the ability to work is to pray to the didactic level, purification and liberation. Because the defilement of sin, virtue is not perfect, could not convince the people in the human world. Much more comes to them eligible for the credit on behalf of the owner, to make offerings, contact the Buddhas in the spiritual world.

While the retreat, the monks end dues body and mind, to cultivate virtue, the effort to learn. Thanks to clarify, rid of greed, suffering, emotional clarity and discipline to live properly; they are liberated, calm, lucid intellectual. Settling for three months, on day to immerse myself in the teachings, reflecting the Buddha's teachings, morality and wisdom of the mass sublimation, high accumulation in the day time to commit suicide. Now, the saint monks and ordinary monks together very pure, and radial on the deceased are suffering; human form to guide them back using state welfare.

In addition, to the Vu Lan festival offerings achievements, not only monks solemn moral purity, but also Buddhists offerings wholeheartedly sincere prayer: "Mass faithfully relief arrangements, so cozy Buddhas, monks ".

With all devotion, Buddhists celebrate Mass offerings, prayers. However, it should be noted, for monks also brought normal five aggregates, the donations received is inevitable. But for Buddhas, or Hien Thanh Tang without physical sustenance. They live in meditation, dwell in the spiritual world. Then, pure devotion of Buddhists rose offerings become important.

Buddha's neck has its say please, no real use, or use of Virtue Buddha, opening karma onion pecuniary advantage. Buddha means not to eat, not for money. He was using Virtue center, our honest. If people do things in the currency of sin and that sin offering to the Buddha, the Buddha is like defamation.

Not the pure worship of the heart, but also offerings to purify; do not need expensive, cumbersome. Money comes from underhanded deeds, theft, deception, just as unclean things. Never the Sages and Buddhas to care about, let alone what they received.

Want to pray, make offerings, from offering themselves to have a good life, the moral right to every Buddha's teaching laypeople. If you do not meet the three conditions mentioned above, prayer, offered in day Ullambana signaling not only unhelpful, but creating more guilt.

In summary, the full implementation of profound spiritual experience Ullambana tub, to combine pure virtue, liberation of the monks with the media hearts of people donated, with the object of offering pure, at the the purity of the day slowly. If so, will bring real benefit results as Buddha taught: "Those who purchase the real thing, to give offerings to slowly increase the time, relatives of people out of money, her children are all relatives of grace. Three servitude sure out, enjoy peaceful natural life. As parents are out of money, thus also promoting school-aged life. As parents deceased seventh realms God will reincarnate of supply, the handsome people imagine, halo illumination around the continent itself. "

We hope that in the season for calendar 2559 signaling Buddha, monks, Buddhists should set as legal Vu Lan ceremony Buddha, thanks to intensive independent German reformatory From Religion.END=VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=THICH TAM GIAC.( VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN PRAYED BUDDHIST NUN MONASTERY ).THICH CHAN TANH.( VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN GOLDEN LOTUS MONASTERY ).AUSTRALIA,ADELAIDE,SYDNEY.24/7/2015.