Filled with emotion during Thay's sharing in the Ullambana ceremony - Let the "Filial Piety" be engraved in our hearts!
August 30, 2025 (the eighth day of the seventh lunar month, Year of the Snake), was a deeply moving day for all of the Buddhist participants as they joined the Ullambana ceremony held at Ba Vang Pagoda, guided and witnessed by Thay Thich Truc Thai Minh and the revered Sangha.
The entire Pagoda was filled with emotion as Thay shared the timeless teachings of the Buddha about the immeasurable love between parents and children. He reminded and taught everyone to cultivate themselves to become filial children, bringing to mind a powerful Buddhas teaching: “.. the mother's milk that we have drunk as we roamed and wandered on through Samsara (the cycle of reincarnation–this alone is more than the water in the four great oceans.” In such a heartfelt and solemn atmosphere, this teaching seemed to move everyone's hearts more than ever.
Following the noble virtue of Venerable Moggallāna—the great example of filial piety, in this ceremony, lay devotees also reverently offered pure items to Thay and the Sangha during the Rains Retreat. This was done to dedicate blessings to their parents—not just in this lifetime, but many lives ago. In addition, other meaningful activities such as gift-giving for the parents of Buddhists and elderly Buddhists, along with Buddhist rituals including the observance of the Eight Precepts, sutra chanting, and the prayer ceremony for the salvation of deceased ancestors, were solemnly conducted at the sincere request of Buddhists to the Sangha. Each of these virtuous actions came from the sincere vows of the Buddhists to repay the profound kindness of their parents.
“Let us all nurture our seeds of filial piety. I hope that all of you here will be filial children. May the spirit of filial piety be everlasting alongside the nation. Namo the Great Filial Piety of Moggallāna Bodhisattva.” — taught Thay.
Thay Thich Truc Thai Minh referenced the Buddha's teachings on how to repay the kindness of one's parents: “… If, when ones parents lack faith, one encourages, settles, and establishes them in faith; if, when ones parents are immoral, one encourages, settles, and establishes them in virtuous behavior; if, when ones parents are miserly, one encourages, settles, and establishes them in generosity; if, when ones parents are unwise, one encourages, settles, and establishes them in wisdom: in such a way, one has done enough for ones parents, repaid them, and done more than enough for them.” (Sutra on Filial piety – repaying gratitude to parents)
The seventh lunar month—the Ullamabana month—has come. It is time for everyone, particularly Buddhist practitioners, to turn their hearts towards their parents and engrave more of their parents great kindness
“Respect for ones mother brings happiness here as well as respect for ones father. Here happiness comes from respecting the monks and those of excellent virtue.” (The Dhammapada)
Buddhists listened attentively to Thays teachings
The ceremony took place in a solemn atmosphere, filled with many emotions
Buddhists made offerings to Thay and the Sangha of Ba Vang Pagoda during the Ullambana season
The prayer ceremony for the salvation of the deceased ancestors was solemnly performed in the afternoon
Hopefully, the filial piety of Buddhists will be constantly cultivated and upheld
Buddhist devotees joined the ceremony on the second floor of the Great Lecture Hall
