In the Buddhist philosophy of Vu Lan, a clear distinction is made between different levels of practicing filial pietyIn the Buddhist philosophy of Vu Lan, a clear distinction is made between different levels of practicing filial piety. “Lesser filial piety” refers to providing for one’s parents in material terms ensuring they have food and clothing, and caring for them when they are ill. Great filial piety (transcendental filial piety) entails a higher spiritual responsibility. Beyond merely caring for their parents’ physical well-being, a child has the duty to guide them toward taking refuge in the Three Jewels, abandoning unwholesome actions, living joyfully within the true Dharma, and cultivating virtuous seeds for future lives.
Unlike some folk beliefs which often view the full moon of the seventh lunar month merely as an occasion for rituals to seek good fortune or settle “spiritual debts”, Buddhism approaches the Ullambana (Vu Lan) festival from the perspective of transforming one’s consciousness. Buddhist philosophy asserts that liberation or spiritual deliverance arises from the synergy between the power of prayers offered by a pure monastic community (following their three-month summer retreat) and the sincere, diligent devotion of one’s descendants. When Buddhists offer alms to seek blessings, engage in charitable acts, or chant sutras and dedicate the merit, they are, in essence, purifying their own minds generating a source of wholesome energy that serves to support the spirits of their ancestors and bring peace to their living parents.
Buddhists reflect deeply during the Filial Piety festival at Khanh An Monastery, Ho Chi Minh city On the path of the Bodhisattva, the spirit of Ullambana (Vu Lan) expands into a profound aspiration to liberate all sentient beings. Viewed through the lens of karma and the beginningless cycle of birth and death, the “Brahmajala Sutra” (Net of Brahma Sutra) emphasizes the contemplation that all sentient beings have, at some point across countless lifetimes, been our own parents, relatives, or loved ones. This transformation elevates filial piety, originally rooted in blood ties into a comprehensive worldview centered on the “Fourfold Gratitude”: gratitude toward one’s parents; toward the Three Jewels (the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha) and one’s teachers; toward the nation and society; and toward all sentient beings.
The grace of parents: Rooted in the love of kin.
The grace of the Three Jewels and one’s teachers/lineage: Wisdom that illuminates the spiritual path.
Gratitude toward the nation/society: A sense of responsibility toward the community, appreciation for the generations of predecessors who built and defended the country. Gratitude toward all living beings: A sense of harmony with and appreciation for, all things and the surrounding environment.
It is this comprehensive perspective that helps Buddhists cultivate compassion, transcend a narrow sense of self and foster a spirit of responsibility toward the community.
In the modern context, Ullambana (Vu Lan) serves as an anchor for spiritual awakening. Observing Ullambana (Vu Lan) helps Buddhists maintain mindfulness, reminding them that caring for one’s parents is equivalent to making offerings to the Buddhas, and that the family is the primary temple in which to practice the teachings.
A practical and rational aspect of the Ullambana (Vu Lan) tradition is the concept of “filial piety in accordance with the Dharma”. Buddhism does not encourage expressing filial devotion through ostentatious feasts or the costly practice of burning joss paper, customs that are environmentally harmful and rooted in superstition. True filial piety requires a balance between providing material support and offering spiritual encouragement to one’s parents while they are alive. For ancestors who have passed away, the most meaningful action is to cultivate merit, through charitable deeds, offerings and the practice of an ethical life and then dedicate that merit to them.
In short, Ullambana (Vu Lan) - filial piety in the life of Buddhists is the thread connecting classic philosophy with practical action. This cultural-religious current not only preserves the nation’s tradition of “when drinking water, remember its source”, a profound expression of gratitude but also elevates this sentiment into a spiritual practice for personal transformation, serving as a solid foundation for the sustainable development of both the family and society./.
