盂蘭盆節
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每年的農曆七月十五日為「盂蘭盆節」，也稱「盂蘭盆會」、「中元節」。
關於它的由來，有一個典故：
在佛陀時代，佛陀座下「神通第一」的弟子目犍連，他用天眼看到他的母親在地獄之中受著懲罰，到處都是刀山、火海、油鍋，非常痛苦、奄奄一息。他就給她飯吃，可當這個飯送到母親嘴裡就變成火炭了；給她喂水，水就變成火。
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他非常痛苦，很受刺激，就飛快地去找佛陀：「佛陀，請您趕快救救我母親吧，我母親在地獄受罪啊。」
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佛陀睜開祂的慧眼，看看之後說：「你真救不了，你母親應得的業報不是靠你的法力就能救的，你現在的德行幾乎不能代替母親應該承受的懲罰。」
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目犍連：「佛陀，我不能眼看著媽媽在那兒受罪啊。」
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佛陀：「我有個方法，就是用豐盛的食物誠心供養佛、菩薩、修行者，去感動佛菩薩、感動修行人，以他們大慈悲的加持力和大德行，去幫助抵消你母親的一切罪業。」
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目犍連按照佛陀教授的方法，終使母親得到解脫。
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之後，在每年的農曆七月十五這天，佛教徒都會舉行「盂蘭盆法會」，供奉佛陀和僧人，報答歷代父母的慈愛之恩，讓他們得解脫、得吉祥。他們吉祥了，那我們才能吉祥，我們的生命才會變得完美。
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佛陀通過教化目連尊者，其實給我們眾生指了一條路子，就是通過大慈大悲、有德行的人，協助我們消災、滅難，幫助我們獲得吉祥。這種借用外力當中最好的方法就是──真誠。
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Ullambana Festival
The Ullambana Festival, also known as the Ghost Festival, falls on the 15th day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar.
The origin of this festival can be traced back to the time of the Buddha. Maudgalyayana, a disciple of the Buddha, with his spiritual divine power saw his deceased mother tormented with hunger and starvation in hell. Saddened, he tried feeding her to ease her hunger. But before she could eat, the food turned into burnt charcoal and fire.
Maudgalyayana was deeply disturbed and begged the Buddha for help. The Buddha said to him, “Her past sins are too deep and huge for you alone to save. Your existing merits are not sufficient to release her from her sufferings.”
Maudgalyayana replied, “But Buddha, as a son, I can’t bear to see my mother suffer.”
The Buddha responded, “I have a way and that is to make food offerings to buddhas, bodhisattvas and cultivating practitioners. If you can move them with your sincerity, their compassionate blessings and merits will help redeem her of her karmic debts.”
Maudgalyayana took Buddha’s advice and was able to free his mother from sufferings.
From then on, Buddhists would hold Ullambana Festival every year on the 15th day of the seventh month. During the festival, offerings will be made to the Buddha and the Sangha to express gratitude towards our ancestors so that they will be relieved of suffering and be auspicious. Only when our ancestors are auspicious then will we be auspicious and lead a fulfilling life.
The Buddha, through his teaching to Maudgalyayana, actually showed us how we can avoid calamities and become auspicious through the help of compassionate and virtuous practitioners. All it takes is for us to have a sincere heart.
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