Indian Cultural Elements on the Ullambana Festival

Abstract

Ullambana Festival (Buddha’s joyful day), known as Yú-lán-pén Jié (盂兰盆节), or Zhōng-yuán Jié (中元节) in Chinese, is the last day (15^th of July, Chinese lunar calendar) of the Saṃgha community’s three-month Vaārsika (summer retreat or rainy season). It is an activity with great merits that allows the Saṃgha community to perform ritual practices without obstructions, rescuing spirits of the deceased ancestors, parents and relatives from suffering. The distinctive features of Buddhism in China result from a process of absorption and assimilation between Buddhism and China’s hitherto existing cultural peculiarities. The Ullambana Service of Chinese Buddhism is a glittering example of this historically peerless amalgamation of two of the world’s most remarkable ancient civilizations. It is observed that from time to time, scholars have busied themselves with the study of the Ullambana Festival since the Ullambana Sūtra was introduced from India into China. This paper attempts to investigate the Indian cultural elements of the Ullambana Festival, as a case study further to explore the transformation of the Ullambana Festival in China by utilizing the available primary sources. The sinicization of the Ullambana Festival could be considered a miniature of the transformation of Buddhism in China.