Yulanpen Sutra

Yulanpen Sutra
Mulian and his mother Madame Liu (19th century)
Traditional Chinese《盂蘭盆經》
Simplified Chinese《盂兰盆经》
Literal meaningSutra of the Yulan Bowl
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin《Yúlánpén jīng》
Wade–GilesYü-lan-p'ên Ching
Alternative name
Traditional Chinese《佛說盂蘭盆經》
Simplified Chinese《佛说盂兰盆经》
Literal meaningSutra of the Yulan Bowl Spoken by the Buddha
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin《Fú shuō Yúlánpén jīng》
Wade–GilesFo Shuo Yü-lan-p'ên Ching

The Yulanpen Sutra, also known as the Ullambana Sutra (traditional Chinese: 盂蘭盆經; ; pinyin: yúlánpén-jīng; Japanese pronunciation: urabon-kyō; Korean: 우란분경; Vietnamese: Kinh Vu Lan Bồn), is a Mahayana sutra concerning filial piety. It was translated from an Indic language (see History) and is found in Taisho 685 and Taisho 686 in Volume 16, the third volume of the Collected Sutra Section.[1] Taisho 685 was translated by Dharmarakṣa from 265-311 CE [2] and is entitled: 'The Buddha Speaks the Yulanpen Sutra'. Taisho 686 was translated by an unknown or lost translator during the Eastern Jin Dynasty and is entitled: 'The Buddha Speaks the Sutra of Offering Bowls to Repay Kindness'. According to Karashima, Taisho 686 is basically a more idiomatic adaptation of Taisho 685.[3] It records the events which followed after one of the disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha, Maudgalyayana, achieves Abhijñā and uses his newfound powers to search for his deceased parents. In the end, Maudgalyayana finds his mother in the preta (hungry ghost) world and with the assistance of the Buddha, is able to save her.[4] The East Asian Ghost Festival is based on this sutra.

  1. ^ Both Taisho 685 and 686 are found in Volume 16 of the Taisho Tripitaka."Taishō Shinshū Daizōkyō" 大正新脩大藏經 [Taishō Shinshū Tripitaka]. CBETA 漢文大藏經 (in Chinese). This is an index to the Taisho Tripitaka - nb Volume 16 is listed as 經集部 or Collected Sutra Section; it is where Taisho 685 (The Buddha Speaks the Yulanpen Sutra) and Taisho 686 (The Buddha Speaks the Sutra of Offering Bowls to Repay Kindness) are located.
  2. ^ Karashima Seishi (March 2013). "The Meaning of Yulanpen 盂蘭盆 "Rice Bowl" On Pravāraṇā Day" (PDF). Annual Report of the International Research Institute for Advance Buddhology at Soka University for the Academic Year 2012. XVI: 289.
  3. ^ 辛嶋静志 Karashima Seishi (October 2013). 「盂蘭盆」の本当の意味 ―千四百間の誤解を解く [The Real Meaning of Urabon [Yulanpen] –The Solution to a 1400 Year Misunderstanding]. 大法輪 (The Great Wheel of the Dharma) (in Japanese): 182. ほぼ同じ内容の「報恩奉盆経」という経典ものあるがこれは前者がいかにも直訳だったものを中国的に改めたものにすぎない。(see text for translation)
  4. ^ See also Six Realms