Thousands of Buddhist monks and nuns attend Vu Lan ceremony at Tam Chuc Pagoda

Thousands of candles were lit at Tam Chuc Pagoda during the Vu Lan Festival 2025, forming a map of Vietnam - a sacred symbol of parental gratitude associated with patriotism and national unity.

On the evening of August 30, at Tam Chuc Pagoda, Tam Chuc Ward, Ninh Binh Province, the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha and the Board of Directors of Tam Chuc Pagoda organized the Vu Lan Ceremony of filial piety for Buddhist calendar 2569 - Gregorian calendar 2025 with the theme "Vu Lan - Parents' grace, country's meaning."

Attending the event were Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu, Permanent Vice President of the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Abbot of Tam Chuc, Bai Dinh Pagoda; along with 500 students from universities across the country and nearly 2,000 Buddhist monks and nuns.

Most Venerable Thich Quang Ha, Vice President of the Central Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, Head of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Ninh Binh province, reviewed the tradition of the Vu Lan Festival.

Performing the flower offering ceremony and rose pinning ceremony to commemorate each person's parents. (Photo: Nguyen Chinh/VNA)

Accordingly, Vu Lan Festival originates from the story of Great Filial Piety Maudgalyayana Bodhisattva who, thanks to the combined efforts of monks from all ten directions, saved his mother from hell. Therefore, Vu Lan Festival is a day to remember the merits of parents and ancestors and is considered by Buddhism as an important holiday in the seventh lunar month every year.

Vu Lan Festival is an occasion for everyone to slow down, love more, express feelings and take practical actions to repay parents' gratitude, important favors and share with people around them.

Vu Lan is also a day to express the warm human affection in human life, imbued with spiritual and moral culture, human virtue culture, looking back to the sacred and noble origin, the closest of which is the image of father and mother.

The Vu Lan ceremony was attended by more than 500 students from universities across the country and nearly 2,000 Buddhist monks and nuns. (Photo: Nguyen Chinh/VNA)

Venerable Thich Quang Ha affirmed that this year's Vu Lan season takes place at the right time when the whole country is joyfully looking forward to the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day September 2 (September 2, 1945 - September 2, 2025).

This is an opportunity for every Vietnamese citizen to review together the brilliant historical milestones, deeply remember the contributions of generations of fathers and grandfathers who sacrificed for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland, affirming the will for independence, freedom and the strength of national unity.

In the context of the country entering a new era, an era of national growth, this year's Vu Lan season not only reminds us of the two words of filial piety and gratitude towards parents, the Fatherland, teachers, friends, and the masses, but also arouses the spirit of patriotism, love for the people, always dedicating oneself to the homeland, all for a Vietnam with rich people, strong country, fairness, democracy, civilization, soon standing shoulder to shoulder with the great powers of the five continents, Venerable Thich Quang Ha emphasized.

At the Vu Lan Ceremony, the Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, the Venerable leaders of the central institutes, along with the delegates, monks, nuns, and Buddhists performed traditional Buddhist rituals such as the Vu Lan and Maudgalyayana Repentance Sutras and the spiritual vows to follow the Buddha; the flower offering ceremony, the rose pinning ceremony to commemorate the parents of each person and the candle offering ceremony lit by thousands of candles, forming a map of Vietnam - as a prayer for national peace and prosperity, for the love of parents to always shine in the hearts of each person.

The organizing committee presented 30 gifts to Vietnamese heroic mothers, families with meritorious services, and wounded soldiers in Tam Chuc ward. (Photo: Nguyen Chinh/VNA)

The organizing committee presented 30 gifts to heroic Vietnamese mothers, families with meritorious services, and wounded soldiers in Tam Chuc ward./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/hang-nghin-tang-ni-phat-tu-tham-du-le-vu-lan-bao-hieu-tai-chua-tam-chuc-post1059010.vnp