The Ullambana (Yulanpen) Sutra 盂兰盆经

盂兰盆节的由来

The Origin of the Ullambana Festival

Chinese Buddhists usually celebrate the Ullambana (Yulanpen) Festival, also known as the Buddha’s Delight Day and Pravāraṇā Day (the Monastic Self‑Repentance Day), on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month. This festival is very important and is celebrated all over China. It is also called the Zhongyuan Festival in Taoism or the Ghost Festival in Chinese folk culture. The Buddhist Ullambana Festival is derived from the Ullambana Sutra.

This sutra records the time when Maudgalyāyana (a senior disciple of the Buddha, considered to be the foremost in spiritual powers) attained the six spiritual powers (abhijñā) and used his newfound powers to search for his deceased parents. Maudgalyāyana discovered that his deceased mother had been reborn into the hungry ghost (preta) realm. She was in a wasted condition, and Maudgalyāyana tried to help her by giving her a bowl of rice. Unfortunately, due to her karma as a preta, the rice was transformed into burning coal, so she was unable to eat it.

When Maudgalyāyana sought the Buddha's help, the Buddha explained how one can assist one's living and deceased parents from this life and one’s past seven lives by willingly offering food, etc., to the Sangha (monastic community) during Pravāraṇā[1], which is held at the end of the Sangha’s annual monsoon or “varṣa” retreat. By the end of the varṣa season, many monks will have significantly advanced in their spiritual cultivation.

On Pravāraṇā, the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the Sangha transfers their merit to deceased parents, ancestors, etc. If we, on this day, can cultivate good deeds and make offerings to the Sangha, we will obtain good merit. If we transfer this merit to our parents and deceased relatives, they will also receive benefits and be relieved of their suffering.

汉传佛教通常于农历七月十五日庆祝盂兰盆节，又称佛欢喜日、僧自恣日。这是在中国各地广为盛行的重要节日。该节日在道教中称为中元节，民间信仰里则叫作鬼节。佛教盂兰盆节源自《佛说盂兰盆经》。

经文记载，佛陀神通第一的大弟子目犍连（目连）证得六种神通之后，便运用神通之力寻觅逝去的双亲。目犍连发现，自己亡故的母亲投生到了饿鬼道。母亲身形枯槁，目犍连便端上一碗饭想要救济她。可身为饿鬼，她根本无法享用食物，米饭一到手中就化作了炽热的炭火。

目犍连于是向佛陀求助。佛陀就此开示：在僧团结夏安居圆满的自恣日，诚心供养饮食等物品予僧团，便可以利益现世父母，以及七世亡故父母。三个月的雨安居（结夏安居）结束之际，许多僧人的修行境界都得到提升。自恣（zì）日[2]一般为农历七月十五，僧众可将这份功德回向给亡故的父母、历代宗亲等。

在这一日，行善供僧，便能积累善功德。将这份功德回向给父母与亡亲，他们也能蒙受利益、脱离苦痛。

[1] The Sanskrit pravāraṇā broadly means “invitation,” “request,” or “inviting admonition. On this day, monks and nuns formally invite one another to point out any faults they may have committed during the retreat.

[2] 农历七月十五，是僧团结夏安居三个月圆满的最后一天，又叫解夏日。自恣 = 恣请大众随意举发自己的过失。安居九十天修行结束，僧众集合，主动请同参僧众，把看见、听见、怀疑自己犯的过失，毫无保留说出来；自己当众发露忏悔，改过清净，内心获得欢喜，这个仪式叫自恣。

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佛说盂兰盆经

The Buddha Speaks the Ullambana Sutra

西晋三藏法师竺法护译

闻如是。一时佛在舍卫国祇树给孤独园。大目犍连始得六通，欲度父母，报乳哺之恩。即以道眼观视世间，见其亡母生饿鬼中，不见饮食，皮骨连立。

Thus have I heard. At one time, the Buddha dwelt at Shravasti in the Garden of the Benefactor of Orphans and the Solitary. Mahamaudgalyayana had just obtained the six spiritual powers (abhijñā) and wished to liberate his father and mother to repay their kindness for raising him. Thus, using his Divine Eye, he saw that his deceased mother had been born among the hungry ghosts. Having neither food nor drink, she was but skin and bones.

目连悲哀，即以钵盛饭，往饷[1]（xiǎng）其母，母得钵饭，即以左手障钵，右手搏食，食未入口，化成火炭，遂不得食。目连大叫，悲号涕泣，驰还白佛，具陈如此。

Mahamaudgalyayana, feeling deep pity and sadness, filled a bowl with food and went to provide for his mother. She got the bowl, screened it with her left hand, and with her right hand made a fist of food. But before it entered her mouth, it turned into burning coals which could not be eaten. Mahamaudgalyayana cried out, wept sorrowfully, and hastened to return to the Buddha to inform him of all of this.

佛言：‘汝母罪根深结，非汝一人力所奈何。汝虽孝顺，声动天地、天神地祇（qí）[2]、邪魔外道、道士四天王神，亦不能奈何。当须十方众僧威神之力乃得解脱。吾今当说救济之法，令一切难皆离忧苦。’

The Buddha said, "Your mother's offences are deep and firmly rooted. You alone do not have enough power. Although the sound of your filial piety moves heaven and earth, the heaven spirits, the earth spirits, heretical demons and those outside the Way, Brahmans, and the Four Heavenly King Gods are also without sufficient strength. The awesome spiritual power of the assembled Sangha of the ten directions is necessary for liberation to be attained. I shall now speak a Dharma of deliverance which enables all those in distress to be freed from worry and suffering.”

佛告目连：‘十方众生，七月十五日，僧自恣时，当为七世父母及现在父母厄难中者，具饭、百味五果、汲灌盆器、香油锭（dìng）烛、床敷（fū）卧具、尽世甘美以著盆中，供养十方大德众僧。

The Buddha told Maudgalyayana, "The fifteenth day of the seventh month is the Pravarana Day[3] (the Monastic Self‑Repentance Day) for the assembled Sangha of the ten directions. For the sake of fathers and mothers of seven lives past, as well as for fathers and mothers of the present who are in distress, you should prepare an offering of clean basins full of hundreds of flavors and the five fruits, and other offerings of incense, oil, lamps, candles, beds, and bedding, all the best of the world, to the greatly virtuous assembled Sangha of the ten directions.

当此之日，一切圣众，或在山间禅定、或得四道果[4]、或在树下经行、或六通自在教化声闻缘觉、或十地菩萨大人，权现比丘，在大众中，皆同一心，受钵和罗饭[5]，具清净戒，圣众之道，其德汪洋。其有供养此等自恣僧者，现世父母、六亲眷属，得出三涂之苦应时解脱，衣食自然；若父母现在者，福乐百年；若七世父母生天，自在化生，入天华光[6]。’

On that day, all the holy assembly—whether in the mountains practising dhyana-samadhi, or obtaining the four fruits of the Way[7], or walking beneath trees, or using the independence of the six spiritual powers to teach and transform Sound-hearers and Pratyekabuddhas, or provisionally manifesting as Bhikshus when in fact they are Great Bodhisattvas on the Tenth Ground—all complete with pure precepts and the ocean-like virtue of the holy Way, should gather in a great assembly and all of like mind receive the Pravarana food.

If one thus makes offerings to these Pravarana Sanghans, one's present father and mother, parents of seven lives past, as well as the six kinds of close relatives will escape from the three paths of suffering, and at that time attain release. Their clothing and food will spontaneously appear. If the parents are still alive, they will have wealth and blessings for a hundred years. Parents of seven lives past will be born in the heavens. Born freely and with ease through transformation, they will enter the splendour and radiance of the heavens.”

时佛敕十方众僧，皆先为施主家咒愿，愿七世父母行禅定意，然后受食。初受食时，先安在佛前，塔寺中佛前，众僧咒愿竟，便自受食。

At that time the Buddha commanded the assembled Sangha of the ten directions to recite mantras and aspirations of blessing for the donor’s household, wishing that the donor’s parents of seven past lives may dwell in the mind of dhyana‑samadhi; only then could they receive the food offerings. When they first received the basin, they placed it before the Buddha in the stupa. When the assembled Sangha had finished the mantras and aspirations, they received the food.

时目连比丘及大菩萨众皆大欢喜，目连悲啼泣声释然除灭。时目连母即于是日，得脱一劫饿鬼之苦。

At that time the Bhikshu Maudgalyayana and the assembly of Great Bodhisattvas were all extremely delighted, and the sorrowful sound of Maudgalyayana's crying ceased. At that time, Maudgalyayana's mother obtained liberation from one kalpa of suffering as a hungry ghost.

目连复白佛言：‘弟子所生母，得蒙三宝功德之力，众僧威神力故。若未来世，一切佛弟子，亦应奉盂兰盆，救度现在父母，乃至七世父母，可为尔否？’

Maudgalyayana addressed the Buddha and said, "This disciple's parents have received the power of the merit and virtue of the Triple Jewel, because of the awesome spiritual power of the assembled Sangha. If in the future the Buddha's disciples practise filiality by offering up the Ullambana basins, will they be able to liberate their present fathers and mothers as well us those of seven lives past?"

佛言：‘大善快问！我正欲说，汝今复问。善男子！若比丘比丘尼、国王太子、大臣宰相、三公百官、万民庶人，行慈孝者，皆应先为所生现在父母、过去七世父母，于七月十五日，佛欢喜日，僧自恣日，以百味饭食，安盂兰盆中，施十方自恣僧，愿使现在父母，寿命百年无病、无一切苦恼之患，乃至七世父母离恶鬼苦，生人天中，福乐无极。

The Buddha replied, "Good indeed! I am happy you asked that question. I just wanted to speak about that, and now you have also asked about it. Good man, if Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, kings, crown princes, great ministers, great officials, cabinet members, the hundred ministers, and the tens of thousands of citizens wish to practice compassionate filial conduct, for the sake of the parents who bore them, as well as for the sake of fathers and mothers of seven lives past—on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the day of the Buddha's Delight, the day of the Sangha's Pravarana, they should all place hundreds of flavors of foods in the Ullambana basins, and offer them to the Pravarana Sangha of the ten directions. They should vow to cause the length of their present fathers' and mothers' lives to reach a hundred years without illnesses, without sufferings, afflictions, or worries, and also vow to cause seven lifetimes of fathers and mothers to leave the sufferings of the hungry ghosts, to be born among humans and gods, and to have blessings and bliss without limit.

是佛弟子修孝顺者，应念念中，常忆父母，乃至七世父母。年年七月十五日，常以孝慈，忆所生父母，为作盂兰盆，施佛及僧，以报父母长养慈爱之恩。若一切佛弟子，应常奉持是法。’

Those disciples of the Buddha who cultivate filial piety should, in thought after thought, constantly recall their parents, even the parents of seven lives past. Every year on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, out of filial compassion, one should remember the parents who gave birth to oneself, perform the Ullambana offering to the Buddha and the Sangha, in order to repay the kindness of one’s parents for raising and nurturing one with loving‑care. All disciples of the Buddha should always uphold this Dharma.”

时目连比丘、四辈弟子[8]，欢喜奉行。

At that time the Bhikshu Maudgalyayana and the fourfold assembly of disciples[9], hearing what the Buddha said, practised it with delight.

《佛说盂兰盆经》讫

End of the Buddha Speaks the Ullambana Sutra.

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[1] 饷：送饭、 施饭、供养。

[2]天神地祇 = 天地间一切神明。

[3] The Sanskrit pravāraṇā broadly means “invitation,” “request,” or “inviting admonition. On this day, monks and nuns formally invite one another to point out any faults they may have committed during the retreat.

[4] 四果 Four Fruits of the Way：须陀洹 Srota‑āpanna、斯陀含Sakadāgāmi、阿那含Anāgāmi、阿罗汉Arhat

[5] 梵语 Pōvaraṇa / Pravāraṇa，就是自恣饭，盂兰盆自恣日当天的供僧饭食。

[6] 投身天界，沐浴在天上华美光明之中

[7] The Four Fruits of the Way: (1) Stream‑enterer (Srota‑āpanna), (2) Once‑returner (Sakadāgāmi), (3) Non‑returner (Anāgāmi), (3) Arhat.

[8] 四众弟子：比丘、比丘尼、优婆塞、优婆夷

[9] The Fourfold Assembly: monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen (Bhikshus, Bhikshunis, Upasakas, Upasikas)

You can download a pdf copy here.

The Ullambana (Yulanpen) Sutra