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「盂蘭」是梵語，意思是「解倒懸」。這就好像我們人倒掛起來一樣，是很辛苦的，所以現在給他解開。給誰解開呢？給我們過去的父母、祖先解開這個倒懸。我們誰也不知道，過去的父母、祖先是有功，或者是有過？有功的，固然是或者生到極樂世界，或者生到天上去，或者又生到人間作總統、作皇帝，這都不一定的。那麼要是有過呢？就或者墮地獄，或者轉餓鬼，或者變成畜生，這也都不一定的。
農曆七月十五日是摩訶目犍連超度他母親的一個紀念日。他母親在生時，不信三寶，殺了許多魚虌蝦蟹，又慳吝不肯施捨，因為這些罪過，而墮餓鬼地獄。目犍連尊者趕快送飯給母親吃，她左手遮著飯，右手將飯放進口中；但飯一入口就馬上變為火炭，不能吞食。尊者往求於佛，佛告訴他應設齋供養十方自恣僧（自恣是在僧團結夏安居的最後一天，對眾懺悔的儀式。）。因為他們德行大，有威神力能使現在父母、七世父母和六親眷屬得出三途。
任何人，若覺得自己脾氣很大，無明火太重，由這就知道你的過去父母、祖先沒有離苦得樂，所以他整天幫著你發脾氣，叫你造罪業，好快一點和他在一起。那麼你有這種感覺，就應該在這一天，做功德，來超度他們。超度他們，可使一切難，皆離憂苦，罪障消除。我們在這一天要能供養三寶，這功德是勝過平日好幾百萬倍。
那麼在西方，過去很少有這種的道場，我們每一個人都要為過去父母、祖先做一個孝順的後人。
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Ullambana is Sanskrit. It means "rescuing those who are hanging upside down." It's very painful to be hanging upside down, and so now we are going to rescue those who are that way. Rescue whom? We are going to rescue our parents and other ancestors from previous lives. We don't know whether our past relatives created merit, in which case they may have been reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss, or in the heavens, or among people as presidents or emperors; or whether they created offenses in which case they may have fallen into the hells, into the realm of hungry ghosts, or into the animal realm.
The fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month is the anniversary of the day when the Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana saved his mother from the hells. When his mother was alive, she didn't believe in the Triple Jewel. She killed many fish, turtles, shrimp and crabs and she was stingy and unwilling to give to those in need. Because of these offenses she fell into a hell of hungry ghosts. The Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana quickly sent her a bowl of food. She shielded the bowl with her left hand and used her right hand to take the food. However, once in her mouth, the food turned into burning coals which were impossible to eat. The Venerable One went to seek the Buddhas's help, and the Buddha told him to make offerings to the Sangha of the ten directions during the Pravarana (the last day of the summer retreat when Sangha members repent of their offenses before the assembly). Because of the Sangha's great virtue and awesome spiritual power, if one makes offerings to the Sangha, his parents and close kin in this life and seven lives past, will escape the three evil paths.
If you feel you have a big temper and too much "fire of ignorance," it is because your parents and other relatives from the past have not left suffering and attained bliss. Every day they help you get angry, and encourage you to commit offenses so that you can hurry up and join them. If you feel that this may be the case, you should take advantage of this opportunity to do merit and virtue to cross them over; and will cause all those in difficulty to leave worry and suffering and to eradicate obstacles from offenses. Moreover, on this day the merit and virtue derived from making offerings to the Triple Jewel is several million times greater than that on ordinary days.
In the West, there has rarely been a Way-place which held this kind of celebration. Every one of us should act as a filial descendant for our parents and ancestors of former lives.
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