The tradition of filial piety, remembering one's roots on Vu Lan day - filial piety

Today, on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, every Vietnamese family prepares offerings to their ancestors, and at the same time shows their respect in the Vu Lan season of filial piety. Associated with the sacred 15th day of the 7th lunar month, Vu Lan is not only a Buddhist ritual but has long been a cultural custom, symbolizing filial piety - the source of the nation's morality.

Good moral tradition

According to Buddhist scriptures, the Vu Lan festival originated from the story of Bodhisattva Maudgalyayana saving his mother from suffering in hell. With a filial heart, he relied on the power of the Sangha to create a special festival to save his mother. From there, the Vu Lan festival (Vu Lan Bon - Giai Dao Huyen) was born, becoming an occasion for people to remember and show gratitude to their parents.

Vu Lan Festival - filial piety is a beautiful tradition of the Vietnamese people. Photo: MH

According to the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, the Vu Lan Festival of Buddhism has long been blended with the philosophy, cultural tradition of filial piety, remembering the source of the nation's water and the custom of worshiping on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, forming the Vu Lan Festival - Gratitude season. This is the time for each person to practice and deepen the vow of filial piety to parents, grandparents and loved ones, and at the same time, it is also the time to remember and show gratitude to ancestors, national heroes, heroic martyrs, and ancestors of the Vietnamese people.

In Vietnam, Vu Lan festival is combined with the Full Moon Festival in July - Trung Nguyen Festival, the day of pardoning the dead, when people believe that the gates of hell are opened to allow the souls to return to the earth. Therefore, in the Vietnamese mind, the Full Moon Festival in July is both a day of pardoning sins and a season of filial piety. The two spiritual streams meet, forging a cultural tradition imbued with humanity.

Therefore, on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, along with the ancestral worshiping tray, Vietnamese people also perform the ghost worshiping ceremony, release flower lanterns on the river, and give alms to the poor. Vietnamese people believe that worshiping on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month is not only to remember ancestors, but also to share with homeless souls. That demonstrates the humanistic philosophy: not only being filial to parents, but also opening one's heart to compassion for all.

On the full moon day, every Vietnamese person has different ways to express their filial piety to their parents, remember their parents' kindness in giving birth and raising them, and remember their grandparents and ancestors. Vietnamese people often go to the temple to pray for their living parents and prepare offerings to their ancestors to remember their ancestors and roots.

The offering tray for Vu Lan festival - Full moon of July depends on the conditions and needs of each family. Some families prepare savory offerings with all the traditional dishes like Tet dishes; some families prepare simple vegetarian offerings. Whether elaborate or frugal and simple, the arrangement and display of the ancestral offering tray are always neat and tidy, showing the sincerity towards ancestors and family.

Many activities on Vu Lan Festival

As a folk belief associated with Buddhist philosophy, during the Vu Lan festival, pagodas organize many solemn and dignified activities and rituals. Monks, nuns and Buddhists chant Vu Lan sutras together, praying for the peace of living parents and the liberation of deceased parents.

To prepare well for the Vu Lan - Filial Piety Festival 2025, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha has issued Circular No. 374/TB-HDTS to the Central Committees, Institutes, the Executive Committees of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in provinces and cities; monks, nuns, Buddhists of pagodas, monasteries about the Vu Lan - Filial Piety Festival. Accordingly, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha requests that local Buddhist Sangha organize the Vu Lan - Filial Piety Festival; commemorate, pay tribute, and pray for the souls of heroic martyrs at martyrs' cemeteries; cultural sites, and community activities when approved by authorities at all levels.

The Church recommends that monks and nuns actively participate in "gratitude" activities, visit and give gifts to those who have contributed to the country, Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, wounded and sick soldiers, and families of martyrs in the area; organize a grand mass, light candles in memory and pay tribute to heroic martyrs; chant Vu Lan sutra, Bao filial piety sutra for parents... to pray for the souls of heroic martyrs, preach the meaning of Vu Lan - Bao filial piety; the rose pinning ceremony to show gratitude for the birth of parents; the art program "Father's merit and mother's virtue".

The Central Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha requested the provincial and municipal Executive Committees of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha to have a plan to guide and assist the temples in organizing the Vu Lan - Filial Piety Festival. All temples and pagodas will fly the national flag on Independence Day and Vu Lan - Filial Piety this year. The Central Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha also noted that in the organization, it must be solemn and economical; no forms of services and ceremonies that are not in accordance with the Dharma and traditional rituals; and fire prevention and fighting must be carried out well.

According to records, on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month this year, the number of people coming to the pagoda to pray for peace and salvation was quite large. At the Khuong Trung communal house - pagoda relic complex, Ms. Nguyen Tuyet Lan (Khuong Dinh ward) said that according to her family's tradition, from early morning on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, she and her children went to the pagoda to pray for peace, then went to the market to buy food to make a tray of food to offer to their ancestors. "I maintain this habit so that my children and grandchildren can remember the tradition of filial piety and remember their ancestors," Ms. Lan said.

Nowadays, Vu Lan Day is also of interest to young people. On social networks, many campaigns call for writing words of gratitude, posting photos with parents, and sending wishes of peace. Schools and organizations integrate filial piety education into this occasion. These actions show that filial piety is not outdated but is still the red thread connecting generations.

It can be seen that Vu Lan festival is gradually being understood with a broader meaning, an occasion to increase social awareness of the spirit of gratitude, encouraging people to show gratitude and repay their parents, teachers, predecessors, heroes and martyrs who have contributed to building the country... The humanistic values ​​of Vu Lan festival are increasingly spreading and becoming a good tradition of the Vietnamese people.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/truyen-thong-hieu-hanh-nho-ve-coi-nguon-trong-ngay-vu-lan-bao-hieu-715287.html