The Great Compassion & Liberation
Ullambana Festival
16 Aug to 2 Sep 2023
The Ullambana Festival, observed in the 7th month of the Lunar calendar, holds deep significance in various East Asian cultures as an important occasion. It aims to bring liberation to all sentient beings, including our ancestors and departed loved ones. Throughout this period, we actively partake in acts of merit by making extensive offerings to the Triple Gem and engaging in mass prayer recitations. At the heart of Ullambana lies the mission of spreading the universal compassion of Buddha and amassing merit for the betterment of both the living and the departed, drawing strength from the power of the Triple Gems.
Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance
《慈悲三昧水忏》
Date:
Part 1 - 19 Aug (Sat), 2pm
Part 2 - 26 Aug (Sat), 2.30pm
Part 3 - 2 Sep (Sat), 2pm
The Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance was written in Tang Dynasty by Venerable Wuda for us to reflect and repent on the negative karma that we have accumulated over numerous lifetimes. Join us in this ritual to help the deceased abide in serenity and gain rebirth in Buddha’s Pureland.
Ocean of Offering Clouds Raining Down Good Fortune (Tib)
《祥云降宝香供法会》(藏)
Date:
1 Sep (Fri), 8am
By offering sublime incense through a sacred prayer passed down by lineage masters, this ritual helps to purify negativities and bring about wellbeing, auspicious conditions, and great wealth.
Registration is free for all. Fill in the names that you would like us to include in the prayer dedication here.
Four Tormas Puja (Tib)
《四朵玛法会》(藏)
Date:
1 Sep (Fri), 10am
This puja is beneficial for the healing of various types of illnesses caused by imbalance in the four elements. The ritual also helps us to resolve the vengeful hatred in our karmic creditors towards us.
Registration is free for all. Fill in the names that you would like us to include in the prayer dedication here.
The Grand Finale
法会圆满
Date:
2 Sep (Sat)
10am – Medicine Buddha Jangwa Puja (Tib)
2pm – Recitation of "Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance" Part 3 (Chi)
On this day, all offered tablets will be brought to our Main Hall for Grand Dedication of Merits. If you would like to pay respects to your dearly departed on this day, it's best to do so before 1pm.
Merit-Making on Buddha's Joyful Day
佛欢喜日
Date:
30 Aug (Wed), 11am
According to the Ullambana Sutra, one who makes offering to the noble Sanghas on Buddha’s Joyful Day can accumulate Vast merits for parents of this life and past seven livetimes. Offering of meals and daily necessities will be made to more than 200 Venerables from the following temples:
- Thekchen Choling Singapore
- Shelkar Cheode Ganden Legshedling (Nepal)
- Namgyal Jyangchub Choeling Monastery (Nepal)
- Chuwar Gadhen Drophen Ling Monastery (Nepal)
Merits will be dedicated in the respective temples for the names received.
Recitation of One Hundred Thousand Buddha Names
十万诸佛洪名法会
When all Buddhas throughout time and space achieve enlightenment, their names have the power of all their past cultivation and prayers. That is why reciting their names have so much power to purify our defilements and eons of negative karma.
Through offering and supporting our Sanghas in the recitation of this rare Sutra, brings bountiful merits and favourable conditions for abundance and the flourishing of Dharma. Merits will be dedicated before the Buddhas with a light offering, beneficial for the living or departed.
Grand Meritorious Offering and Charity
极乐堂超荐与普施功德
Experience Thekchen Choling's annual tradition of elegant food offerings, merging transmigratory prayers for ancestors, karmic creditors, and wandering spirits. This grand prayer ceremony generates wholesome merits, benefiting both the deceased and the living.
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Great Compassion & Liberation Tablets
慈航普渡牌位
By offering the tablets, merits generated from our collective prayers will be dedicated to your family ancestors/dearly departed/past creditors/unfortunate unborn/beings we have eaten and harmed.
Request Protection from Avalokitesvara
祈请观音大士护佑The names of devotees will be placed at the throne of Thousand-Arm Guanyin to request protection against sudden illnesses, unfortunate events and spirit disturbances in the lunar 7th month period.
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Compassion and Liberation Package
慈航配套Each package comes with 10 essential offerings for a dedication tablet of your choice. Our Venerable Sanghas will personally bless the offerings and recite a special prayer according to the name indicated on the tablet, praying for the departed to have swift rebirth in Amitabha’s Pureland.
Exquisite Ceremonial Offering
内坛御食五供We will be setting up elaborate shrine offerings in the main hall before the Dharma Throne with ceremonial wares holding light, incense, flowers, fruits and vegetarian delicacies. These will be offered to all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, realised masters, protectors and celestial beings. Through this offering, may you have a deep connection with Buddha and have all aspirations fulfilled!
Geshe Kangyur: Story of the Ullambana Sutra
持称格西:《佛说盂兰盆经》的故事
Ullambana Festival is one of the many names for this festival that takes place on the 15th day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar, celebrated by many Asian cultures.
Did you know? This festival has a Buddhist origin, and the most important practice on this day is actually to make offerings to the Sangha (ordained monks and nuns), as taught by Shakyamuni Buddha in ‘Ullambana Sutra’.
➤ Watch Geshe Kangyur's explanation on YouTube
➤ Read more about Ullambana here
Singha Rinpoche: How should we pray and dedicate on Buddha's Joyful Day
Ullambana Prayer Festival Finale 2021
Heart to Heart Talk Series - Sharing by Winnie Ang on Ullambana Offering
Praying to spirits vs praying for spirits, are they the same?
Who are "Karmic Creditors"?
Why do we pray for the unfortunate unborn?
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