Ullambana Sutra

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The Ullambana Sutra ( Chinese  盂蘭盆 經  /  盂兰盆 经 , Pinyin Yúlánpénjīng , W.-G. Yü-lan-p'en ching ; Kor. 우란분 경 Uranbun gyeong ; Japanese 盂蘭盆 経 Urabon kyō ; Vietnam . Vu lan bồn kinh ; "All Souls Sutra"; NJ 303; Taishō XVI, No. 685) is an apocryphal Mahayana sutra , from the 4th or 5th century, the alleged translation of which is Dharmarakṣa d. Ä. ( 竺 法 護  /  竺 法 护 , Zhú Fǎhù ) around 300. The Sanskrit -word ullambana and avalambana means "hung upside down to be" and to the sufferings of the lower realms symbolize.

Current research assumes that the sutra is not based on a Sanskrit text and therefore was not translated by Dharmarakṣa, but was probably created in China in the 6th century .

Ullambana as a festival

Through the sutra, the versatile Buddhist ceremonial of the All Souls Day (15th of the 7th month, later 13th to 16th) with All Souls Sacrifice ( 盂蘭盆 供養 urabon-kuyō ), especially for father and mother of the current and 7 previous generations, depicted as originating from Shakyamuni . A Japanese copy is from the 15th year Tempyō (743) 1 fascia. Taoist and Tantric scriptures had a great influence on the nature and content of the festival . It is traditionally celebrated on the full moon day of the seventh month according to the traditional lunar calendar (2010, on August 24th according to the Gregorian calendar ), in today's Japan since the calendar reform during the Meiji Restoration around July 15th as Obon .

The origins go to the Hindu Dīvalī festival (also Dīpāvalī ; literally "festival of lights"), merged with Avalambana, the preta feeding and the Daoist Zhōngyuán rites held on the same day , also obsolete Chung-yuen rites ( 中元節  /  中元节 ), back. The introduction of the "light component" of the O-Bon - referred to by Basil H. Chamberlain as the "Lantern Festival" - did not take place in Japan until 1230 by order of the Tenno Go-Horikawa . The “ burning of the pyre ”, often in the form of the character Dai ( 大 だ い , dt. “Big”) - hence Daimonji no hi , 大 文字 の 火 だ い も ん じ の 火 , dt. Literally called the “big character fire” - on the evening of the 16th is said to go back to Kōbō Daishi , at least it has its origin in the Shingon or Tendai rites. The Japanese tantric school has also created a variety of preta-feeding sacrificial rites (including Segaki-ho, Ikitama-e ).

Further, a connection to the will Parsi Fravardigan hard assumed in which the worship of the deceased souls (iran. Uravan is) of central importance.

In view of the tendency that this festival as a “ ghost festival ” - similar to the Anglo-Saxon Halloween - is increasingly used for amusement, Buddhist circles in China endeavor to preserve the religious content of the festival.

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