【Description】
Venerable Maudgalyayana was known for being the foremost in supernormal powers; so, why couldn’t he use his powers to save his mother? How did he ultimately free his mother from the Hungry Ghost Realm?
Through Grandmaster JinBodhi’s explanation of The Ullambana Sutra, you can gain a deep understanding of the difference between supernormal powers and ultimate enlightenment. From this understanding, you can learn how to liberate your parents of the present lifetime, as well as your parents of the seven previous lifetimes, from suffering. The result is happiness for all concerned.
If you wish to eliminate obstacles and live with joy and auspiciousness, please listen to the compassionate teachings of Grandmaster JinBodhi.
【You will learn】
- Grandmaster’s explanation of The Ullambana Sutra
- The origin of Ullambana Festival (Buddha’s Joyful Day)
- How to free your parents from sufferings and bring them into happiness
- Why supernormal powers are inferior to merits
【Featured aphorisms】
- Supernormal powers don’t represent merits.
- When making offerings becomes a habit, your merits will gradually accumulate, akin to gathering grains of sand to build a tower.
- One offering generates 10,000 times the blessings.
- Once you’ve accumulated merits as deep as the ocean, you’ll succeed no matter what you do, and therefore, you can live in true freedom.
【Text content】
Many friends want to know the meaning of Ullambana. I will now explain it to everyone. There’s a sutra called The Ullambana Sutra. I will use plain language to explain the content of this sutra.
Ananda, who was an important attendant and disciple of the Buddha, recorded the Buddha’s teachings and what had happened. Once, Sakyamuni Buddha was teaching dharma in Jetavana in the city of Sravasti. The venerable Maudgalyayana was one of the Buddha’s great disciples, known for his supreme supernormal powers. It happened when Maudgalyayana had just attained the Six Supernormal Powers.
Sakyamuni Buddha and other Buddhist self-cultivators who focus on meditation based practices can achieve advanced stages where they attain abilities that go beyond human potential, called Six Supernormal Powers. First, the Divine Eye; the Divine Ear; the ability to know others’ thoughts and past lives; move at will and eliminate all mental defilements. The higher the level, the deeper and more detailed the perception. For example, the Divine Eye. If I can’t find my car key, a master with Divine Eye may close his eyes and say, “It’s in this location,” or “It’s in that garden.” This is the Divine Eye. What is the Divine Ear? It means hearing sounds or conversations far away. It’s possible.
Venerable Maudgalyayana had just attained the Six Supernormal Powers. He wanted to be grateful to his parents. So he used his supernormal power to take a look. Because his mother had already passed away, he wanted to see whether his mother was in Heaven or hell. He used his Divine Eye and found his mother in the Hungry Ghost Realm. She was suffering from hunger and emaciation. The place was cold and gloomy, dirty and smelly. She was being bullied. “I must help my mother.”
Maudgalyayana saw how emaciated she was, “I’ll use my supernormal power to give her some delicious food.” He used his power to take a bowl. In the past, the monastics helped sentient beings and asked for alms with a small bowl or basin. It’s called an alms bowl. He used supernormal power to deliver a bowl of delicious food to his mother in hell. When his mother opened her mouth to eat, the delicious food turned into burning charcoal. How could this be swallowed? Once in her mouth, the food turned into fire, burning her. He tried many times but failed.
Although ghosts feared his powers, the food he sent turned into fire. His mother couldn’t eat, and he was desperate and helpless. So he went to the Buddha and told him everything in detail, “Using supernormal powers, I sent food to my suffering mother. But the food became burning fire before her mouth. She couldn’t eat it. I cannot be filial. Please, Buddha, help me. How can I feed my mother?”
The Buddha said, “Being filial is important. While you moved the Heaven and Earth, your mother’s karma is so severe that even the Four Heavenly Kings can’t help. It’s useless.” Upon hearing this, Maudgalyayana said, “Please show me a way out.” The Buddha said, “The solution is right here. “You must personally make offerings to the self-cultivators.”
Maudgalyayana had great supernormal powers and was like a leader among the disciples. He asked, “Why make offerings to them? Are they more powerful than Buddha? Wouldn’t a word from Buddha allow me to feed my mother?” Buddha replied, “I cannot. You must make offerings to them, and you can definitely resolve this matter. There’s no other way. If you don’t believe me, try again, but it will surely turn into charcoal.”
The Buddha said, “This is the way to save your mother. It’s because your mother has heavy evil karma. By making offerings to the practitioners and monastics, their merits will eliminate your mother’s karma and thereby liberate her. Giving her food is a minor issue. She needs to leave hell and ascend to Heaven, right? She can leave hell and attain a higher realm of existence, like Heavenly beings.”
He said, “Wow, is it possible?” The Buddha said, “Of course. The 15th day of the 7th lunar month is a special day for Buddhist disciples who are self-cultivating. It’s completion day of their summer retreat.” It’s also called Buddha’s Joyful Day. Why is the Buddha joyful? More people have attained Buddhahood. So, it’s Buddha’s Joyful Day. More practitioners have become enlightened. For the monastics who are enlightened, they’re joyful for their Buddhahood. So, it’s Buddha’s Joyful Day.
“The more offerings you make to the monastics on that day, the faster your mother will be saved.” The Buddha said, “It will liberate your parents in this life and your parents of the past 7 lifetimes. You will receive merits that can fulfill your wishes.” So, how do you do it? “You need to prepare delicious food in advance.” For example, I like to eat noodles. Then, there will be people who offer noodles. I also like cucumbers and green beans, they would offer those too. I like persimmons, apples and pineapples. There would be people offering those as well. Those would understand this will offer what they think is good.
“You can offer various delicious food and daily necessities.” You can offer towels if it’s needed. If it’s cold, you can offer clothes and cushions. You can offer incense burners, incense and other necessary things for daily life and self-cultivation. Also, offer oil. What was oil used for? Lighting lamps. In ancient times, oil is used to light lamps for a long time. Usually, an edible oil is used as it’s nontoxic and harmless. Some say, “I have no time to shop, can I give money?” You can offer valuable items, like jewelry or gold, that can be easily turned into money.
“After preparation, put the offerings in a large vessel.” This large vessel is used to offer alms to the Buddhist monastic community and it is called an Ullambana bowl. It’s also called an offering bowl or a merit bowl. “Make these offerings to the virtuous monastics of the Ten Directions and the self-cultivators.” So, it’s called an Ullambana bowl. This is the origin of the Ullambana Festival – a great opportunity to liberate all ghosts and sentient beings from hell. It’s the day that Buddhist self-cultivators complete their retreat.
“On this day, various people will receive your offering. Some who practice in deep mountain forests; some who practice in caves, and some who practice under a bodhi tree. Of course, some of them have attained the stage of arhat or bodhisattva. Some may appear like a human, but are, in fact, tenth stage Bodhisattvas. They are almost Buddhas. By making offerings to them, all your troubles, misfortunes, and karma will be eliminated. They possess immense merits and power.” Their offeror’s karma will be eliminated. We will receive all kinds of reasonable and expected benefits.
“If we make offerings to these practitioners, we can help our parents of this life and past 7 lives, and other relatives suffering from sinful karma, to leave the 3 evil realms.” It usually refers to the Hell Realm, Hungry Ghost Realm and Animal Realm. We can quickly rescue our parents of this life and past 7 lives from the three evil realms. “Help them be liberated, have an abundance of food and clothing, and live at ease.”
“If the offerors’ parents are alive, they’ll receive even more blessings from Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, obtaining health and longevity, and enjoy a life full of peace and ease. If their parents of the past 7 lives were in an evil realm, they’ll instantly be reborn in the Heaven Realm, such as the Trayastrimsa Heaven or the Tusita Heaven, enjoying joyful and wondrous things in Heaven.” Venerable Maudgalyayana followed the Buddha’s instruction carefully and made great offerings in person. He made offerings to all the monastics.
Then the Buddha told the monastics of the Ten Directions about the donors. If you make an offering, you are a donor. “The monastics, self-cultivators, should first pray to eliminate the donors’ disasters.” Self-cultivators, who are at the level of arhats and bodhisattvas, usually their thoughts will come true. They usually have no desires. So once they have a thought, it comes true. If they pray that you will have a peaceful life without car accidents and you say “Received”; you will never have a car accident in this life. Do not doubt it.
If I’m praying for you; you should say “Received.” Your doubt will ruin it. Let’s try it now. If you are a donor, you’ll have safe and peaceful travels throughout your life. (Received.) Never have a car accident. (Received.) Sincerely say: “I have received it.” Then, your life will be safe and peaceful. You may say, “It’s weird, I feel divided. I want the blessings, but why do I have doubt at this time?” You should offer more lights because a bad thing might happen. That’s why you hesitated at that moment. To avoid future disasters, you need to gain merits by making more offerings.
“After the monastics receive offerings, they first pray for the donors and then enjoy the food and items offered. Venerable Maudgalyayana and the great Bodhisattvas all felt very happy. Maudgalyayana was no longer sad because his mother left the Hungry Ghost Realm instantly on the day of the offering instead of suffering for an eon.” She was reborn in the Heaven Realm, experiencing the joys of Heavenly beings.
Maudgalyayana said to the Buddha, “My parents have left suffering, thanks to the meritorious power of the Three Jewels. If people in the future want to be filial to their parents and help their parents escape from the sea of suffering, can they also use this method?”
The Buddha said, “Yes, very good. Whether you are a self-cultivator, a king, a high-ranking official, a wealthy person or an ordinary citizen, this method will work wonders. For your parents of this life and the past 7 lives, you can make offerings of the food and treasures as mentioned to the monastics of the Ten Directions on Buddha’s Joyful Day. Your present parents will definitely be healthy, happy and long-lived. Your parents of the past 7 lifetimes will be liberated from the 3 evil realms and will quickly be reborn in the Human Realm or Heavenly Realm, enjoying boundless happiness forever.”
The Buddha told everyone, “If people want to be filial, they should always remember the kindness of their parents of this and the past 7 lifetimes. On Buddha’s Joyful Day, besides gratitude to parents of this and past 7 lifetimes, we must hold Ullambana Festival for them and make offerings to the Three Jewels. This is the best way to repay the kindness of parents for raising and nurturing us. All Buddhist disciples should believe, accept and practice this method.”
Venerable Maudgalyayana and all disciples heard the Buddha’s teachings, and they were very happy and deeply moved. The Buddha taught us how to help our parents leave sufferings and attain happiness. This is the true origin of Ullambana Festival and Buddha’s Joyful Day.
(Master, thank you for explaining The Ullambana Sutra. We have learned a lot. I’ve a question. In this sutra: Venerable Maudgalyayana had attained supernormal powers and was the foremost in supernormal powers. Why couldn’t he use his supernormal powers to save his mother? Why was making offerings to the Three Jewels effective?)
From attaining supernormal powers to achieving ultimate enlightenment, which is complete perfection, there’s still a long way to go. Attaining the supernormal powers doesn’t equal achieving Buddhahood. You have only attained supernormal powers. Say, I’m able of precognition. I feel like I’m going to see someone soon, and soon enough, I see that person. Having this ability is different from having great merit. Although you have some supernormal powers, you don’t have enough karmic foundation. There’s not enough merits and virtues.
In Buddhism, only the complete and perfect one who benefits all sentient beings is a Buddha. Others, such as Bodhisattvas, arhats and even the solitary buddhas, haven’t achieved the goal of liberating countless beings. In the Earth Store Sutra, we learned that Earth Store Bodhisattva has liberated countless beings. Even the wisest Manjusri Bodhisattva couldn’t count all of them. The Buddha said, “I can’t count them either. It’s more than the grains of sand in the Ganges River.” In a state like this, he could attain Buddhahood because he had accumulated great merits from benefiting countless beings.
I think there are quite a few difficulties. Attaining some minor supernormal powers is difficult; however, compared to attaining merit, that’s relatively easy. Let me put it another way. The Ming dynasty novel Journey to the West is well-known among Chinese. Even if some haven’t read the book, they’ve watched the TV drama. Many adults and children enjoy the story.
In Journey to the West, among Master Tang Sanzang and his 4 disciples, who has the strongest individual ability? Sun Wukong. Most people may think the Master is the most capable. Why is his disciple more capable? According to the novel, what kind of person was Master Tang Sanzang? He was a great monk who had been practicing Buddhism for lifetimes with a life state similar to that of a Buddha. He came to this world and took on disciples difficult to handle. Being their master was very difficult.
As the master, Tang Sanzang relied on his merits rather than supernormal powers. His senior disciple Sun Wukong had many supernormal powers, which were told in the story. But no matter how powerful he was, he’s still a disciple. What did the master rely on? How did he hold on to these 4 monsters as his disciples? It’s the energy of compassionate merits. So supernormal powers indeed have a certain amount of merit, powers and methods; but compared to attaining that kind of immense merit, it still falls far short. For Venerable Maudgalyayana, we used to call him Great Maudgalyayana. “Great,” as he was foremost in supernormal powers. But he was certainly not the foremost in merits.
Why do academically gifted students not necessarily have the best future? You may have a genius brain, good at calculations and exams, but may not have people skills. Lack of merit makes you fail at the critical moment. A blessed person scores average in exams, but everything goes smoothly. He has big promotions or makes a fortune. Such people have merits and blessings. Thus, power doesn’t equal to merits. I believe that one needs merits to attain special powers, especially in Buddhism. But, special powers don’t equal merits.
Why can we gain such great benefits from offering to the Three Jewels? As some practitioners have high attainments, such as arhat or a stage similar to arhat, they have lots of merits and energy. Compared to ordinary people, they are like huge mountains, and we’re just incomparable small peanuts. The more you make offerings, the greater the merits and energy you will receive. So, it’ll be easy to save your parents. Maudgalyayana had powers, but didn’t have great merits. So, he couldn’t help his suffering mother.
We should make it a habit to offer more on Buddha’s Joyful Day and other major Buddhist festivals. It’s like “building a tower with grains of sand.” It’s a bit like saving money. Say, you save 10% of your monthly salary. No matter how much you earn, you commit to saving 10% of it. After 10 years, it’ll be a huge sum. Some expenses in your life are unnecessary, right? You can spend them or save them. It might help you after 10 years or save you from a life-threatening disaster.
Therefore, we accumulate merits gradually. Offerings are like drops of water accumulating into an ocean. Water flows from small creeks into rivers, rivers flow into an ocean. This energy circulates endlessly. A drop of water eventually becomes an ocean. Great merits are accumulated by doing small good deeds frequently and continually.
Making offerings to the Three Jewels and self-cultivators usually results in 10,000 times the blessings. The benefits you receive can’t be calculated precisely using a calculator. Say, how do you value longevity? Or, your children getting married at the right time with a good partner? Can you solve it with money? It’s not easy to solve, right? After getting married, you can have a boy or girl, whichever you wish; and you can’t solve this with money.
In the Earth Store Sutra, we learned how sentient beings can be liberated by making offerings to Buddhas and virtuous self-cultivators. It stresses that making offerings is a way to attain ultimate liberation. This is the best and safest method. So when you have such supreme merits, your wishes will be fulfilled, like having children or any food you want. These blessings can’t be measured by the amount of money. Yes, when your merit and virtues are as deep and vast as the ocean, you’ll succeed no matter what you do. You can live in true freedom.
Today everyone should have learned new knowledge. We learned The Ullambana Sutra. If we want to genuinely show filial piety to our parents of the present life and past 7 lifetimes, what should we do? Accumulate merits. Make more offerings to the Three Jewels, the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. May our parents of past 7 lifetimes be auspicious. Then we can live a healthy, long, and happy life in this world.
Our ancestors’ wellness, fate and feelings, definitely will affect our fate. If they are well, we will be better. If they’re unwell, we’ll suffer and have many obstacles. I hope you can believe the Buddha’s teaching without doubt. On this Buddha’s Joyful Day, let’s accumulate more merits for our parents. For our parents who are still alive, we wish them good health, longevity, joy and happiness. This is the way for children to be filial. And, do more merits to benefit your deceased parents.
We have completed today’s teaching. Thank you very much, everyone.