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Festival of Liberation - Ullambana Festival Blessing Ceremony (Recording available) & Online Meditations
Ullambana — deliverance from suffering
On the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, we celebrate Ullambana Festival, also called Zhongyuan Festival or Ghost Festival, one of the most popular Buddhist festivals. It is also regarded as the Sangha Day and the day of the Buddha’s delight. On this day every year, it is believed that the gateways of upper, living, and lower realms are wide open and all the energies from different realms commingle. It is a day to venerate and pray to help liberate the deceased, and absolve the sufferings of the deceased through ritualistic activities. During this festival, ritualistic food and incense offerings are made by the Sangha to the spirits of the deceased and to the hungry ghosts in the lower realms in order to grant salvation to the tormented souls. Prayers are also offered to all departed ancestors and our living parents and elders. The positive power and effect of a group ritual is mentioned in the Ullambana Sutra. The text begins with: “Thus have I heard. At one time, the Buddha dwelt in the kingdom of Sravasti in the Garden of Anathapindika, the Benefactor of Orphans and the Solitary. Maudgalyāyana had just obtained the six penetrations. Wishing to repay the kindness of his parents for raising him, Maudgalyāyana used his Way Eye to observe the world and saw that his deceased mother had been reborn among the hungry ghosts. Not being able to consume any food nor drink, she was but skin and bones. …” — Ullambana Sutra Maudgalyāyana is a historical figure associated with Ullambana. He is considered the second of the Buddha's two foremost male disciples, together with Śāriputra. The Ullambana Sutra gives an account of how the Buddha gave teachings to Maudgalyāyana to help his mother who was suffering in the lower realm of the Hungry Ghosts. Maudgalyāyana embodies the pure quality of filial piety and compassion. His story can be read on our website: Newsletter & Member Blog. Due to our ongoing construction projects at Jinyin Temple’s property, the Temple will remain closed to the public until further notice. Therefore, this year’s Ullambana rituals and blessing ceremony will be held by our Temple residents and an account of the event and a recording will be available on our website and YouTube channel the same evening on August 12th (15th day of the 7th lunar month) or in the following week. If you would like to contribute to our ritualistic food and incense offerings for sentient beings in suffering, please make a generous donation here.
愿以此功德，普及于一切。
May the merit of this practice spread everywhere to all.
我等与众生，皆共成佛道。
May I and sentient beings all attain Buddhahood.
十方三世一切佛，一切菩萨摩诃萨，
To all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the Ten Directions and Three Times,
摩诃般若波罗蜜，能断一切波罗蜜!
and maha-prajnaparamita, The perfection that cuts through all illusions!
安可樂，耶克索！
Ankele Yekesuo! [Guru heart mantra]
Jinyin Temple 🙏
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