Ullambana 2008
Today began with last night.
The Phat Hue Sangha and community friends began setting up chairs and benches, tables and stands, a dozen small and one gigantic white tent. Monks and nuns decorated the upstairs for the 30 ordained guests to come and set up the downstairs for the thousands of expected community members. The Buddha Hall was heavily furnished with fragrant blooms and golden fabric, the work reached climax at around midnight.
The next day, people started coming in at around breakfast time and didn’t stop for the next 15 hours. The Fest began with a full Pagoda. Ceremonies in the Buddha Hall, food stands with eating tables out front, meeting rooms for monks and nuns upstairs, and many cheerful people just walking through. As the day progressed the delicious smell of Asian cooking was pungent in the air. More smiling crowds poured in to the Pagoda, eager to give prostrations and offerings in the colorfully adorned Buddha Hall. The sweet and sandy smell of incense thickened in the Hall as the large drum and bell tolled to invite the monks and nuns. There were many children abound.
The main ceremony took place at 2:00 and the Buddha Hall was full. After a short ceremony, the story of Ullambana was retold in German and Vietnamese. Then came the flowers. Large silver trays were carried through the congregation that were assorted with piles of red and white flowers. The people picked their appropriate colors which were red if the mother is still living and white if not. The Venerable Thich Thien Son and Thich Nhu Dien then spoke to the community about the meaning of family and thankfulness. The feeling of three hundred people simultaneously recollecting their mothers with thankfulness was deeply touching. Smiles and tears were shared as the ceremony commenced to await the evening program.
The giant tent came alive at around 7. The audience filled the seats and readied themselves for a full night of community performances, traditional dancem and famous Vietnamese singers. Multicolored lights rayed through the smoke-machined air and booming basses filled the cavernous space. The cheering fans and rythmics beats carried melodious vocals late into the remaining night.
The count for the day was around 5000 with an ever increasing number of interested local German visitors. Both touching and fun, Ullambana was a great had by all.
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