Ullambana, the Hungry Ghost Festival and the Dhamma: Remembering the Departed with Gratitude and Compassion in a Malaysian Buddhist Way
- Lee Lin Jun
- 1 day ago
- 9 min read
Written by Rain Lee Lin Jun
Every year during the Seventh Lunar Month, many Buddhists across Malaysia gather to remember departed parents, grandparents, relatives, friends and other beings through chanting, offerings, acts of generosity and the sharing of merits.
Among Malaysian Chinese communities, including many Baba Nyonya families, this period is commonly known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, Perayaan Hantu Lapar, Zhōngyuán Jié 中元节, or Yúlánpén Jié 盂兰盆节. Vietnamese Buddhists may recognise the closely related observance as Vu Lan or Vu Lan Báo Hiếu.
Yet what exactly is Buddhist about the Hungry Ghost Festival? Where does culture end and the Dhamma begin?
The answer is more interesting than simply classifying the festival as either “religious” or “cultural”. Over many centuries, Buddhist teachings about gratitude, generosity, kamma and the sharing of merit became intertwined with older and evolving East Asian customs of remembering ancestors and the departed.
For Buddhists, the most important question is therefore not whether every Seventh-Month custom came directly from the Buddha’s time. It is whether our practice today helps cultivate wholesome qualities of mind.
Ullambana and the story of a disciple’s gratitude
In the East Asian Buddhist tradition, Ullambana is closely associated with the Yulanpen Sutra, commonly called the Ullambana Sutra. It tells the story of the Buddha’s great disciple Mahāmaudgalyāyana, also known as Mahā Moggallāna in Pāli and 目犍连 or 目连 in the Chinese tradition, seeking to help his deceased mother after discovering that she was experiencing an extremely painful state of rebirth.
Unable to relieve her suffering by his own abilities, he sought the Buddha’s guidance. The story teaches that wholesome actions and offerings made to the Sangha, together with the dedication of those merits, become a means of expressing compassion and filial gratitude. The narrative became one of the major Buddhist foundations of the Ullambana observance in East Asia.
This is why the Buddhist meaning of Ullambana is much deeper than simply being afraid of ghosts. At its heart is the recognition of a debt of gratitude: remembering those whose lives, care and sacrifices made our own lives possible.
Kṣitigarbha: The Great Vow of Compassion
Another important figure associated with remembrance of the departed in East Asian Buddhism is Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, known in Chinese as Dìzàng Púsà 地藏菩薩.
Kṣitigarbha is not the central figure of the Ullambana Sūtra itself. The Ullambana narrative centres on the Buddha’s disciple Maudgalyāyana and his attempt to help his deceased mother. Kṣitigarbha belongs to a related but distinct Buddhist tradition that became especially associated with compassion for deceased beings, unfortunate states of rebirth, the hell realms and filial gratitude.
Kṣitigarbha is especially renowned for his Great Vow, traditionally expressed in Chinese as: 地獄未空，誓不成佛；眾生度盡，方證菩提。Until the hells are empty, I vow not to attain Buddhahood; only when all beings have been liberated will I realise Bodhi.
This famous formulation expresses Kṣitigarbha’s extraordinary bodhisattva aspiration: rather than seeking liberation for himself alone, he vows to continue assisting suffering beings for as long as they remain trapped in painful states of existence. Dharma Drum Mountain describes this as the defining expression of Kṣitigarbha’s compassionate Great Vow.
The Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva Pūrvapraṇidhāna Sūtra (地藏菩薩本願經), commonly known as the Sutra of the Fundamental Vows of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, develops this theme through accounts of Kṣitigarbha’s previous lives. In one passage, he vows to spend immeasurable future aeons using skilful means to liberate suffering beings throughout the six realms, attaining Buddhahood himself only after they have been liberated.
Several narratives in the sūtra also connect this universal compassion with filial gratitude.
Kṣitigarbha is depicted in previous lives undertaking meritorious actions out of concern for deceased mothers who had experienced painful rebirths. Concern for one’s own parent thus becomes the starting point for something much larger: the bodhisattva aspiration to relieve the suffering of innumerable beings.
Over the development of medieval Chinese Buddhism, Kṣitigarbha became one of the most prominent bodhisattvas associated with the Buddhist afterlife, remembrance of the deceased and compassionate assistance to beings in states of suffering. Zhiru Ng’s historical study traces how Kṣitigarbha’s narratives, imagery and devotional significance developed in medieval China.
His relationship with Ullambana should therefore be understood as closely related in theme rather than identical in origin. The Maudgalyāyana story and Kṣitigarbha traditions arise from different Buddhist texts, but both emphasise filial gratitude, concern for departed parents, merit-making and compassion for beings undergoing suffering.
Within Ti-Ratana, rūpas of Kṣitigarbha can be found at several centres, including Ti-Ratana Lumbini Garden, Puchong; Ti-Ratana Cheras; and Ti-Ratana Heights, Seri Kembangan. Their presence reflects the wider East Asian Buddhist traditions practised alongside Theravāda and other Buddhist traditions within the Society.
Petas, pretas and the Theravāda connection
The idea of beings existing in suffering states after death is also found throughout Buddhist traditions.
The Pāli term peta, corresponding to the Sanskrit preta, is commonly used for beings in a deprived spirit realm and is often translated in English as “hungry ghost”.
The Tirokuṭṭa Sutta of the Pāli Canon describes departed relatives and teaches the value of performing generosity and dedicating the resulting merit to them. The Petavatthu, another text of the Khuddaka Nikāya, contains similar accounts of beings in peta states benefiting when relatives perform meritorious deeds and share those merits with them.
This is closely related to the Theravāda practice of pattidāna, or sharing and dedicating merit.
Therefore, a Sinhalese or Burmese Theravāda Buddhist may not traditionally speak about a Chinese “Ghost Month”, while a Malaysian Chinese or Vietnamese Buddhist may recognise the Seventh Lunar Month immediately. Nevertheless, the Buddhist practices underlying the observance: dāna, remembrance of departed relatives, compassion and the sharing of merit, are familiar across traditions. That is particularly meaningful within the diverse Ti-Ratana Buddhist community.
Ullambana is therefore neither simply “Chinese superstition” nor a ritual found in identical form throughout Buddhism. It represents a distinct East Asian Buddhist tradition built around themes that are much wider within Buddhism itself: gratitude towards parents, generosity to the Saṅgha, remembrance of the departed, compassion for beings in unfortunate states of rebirth, and the dedication or sharing of merit.
What Buddhism does (and does not) require us to believe
It is useful to distinguish Buddhist teachings from cultural tradition without disrespecting either.
For example, the familiar belief that the gates of the hells open during the Seventh Lunar Month and that spirits are temporarily released to roam among the living is deeply embedded in Chinese popular culture.
However, Buddhism does not require a Buddhist to believe that every deceased person returns to Earth during one particular month of the year. Likewise, burning paper money, paper houses, cars or other symbolic goods for the deceased is a cultural custom rather than a requirement of Buddhist practice.
Buddhist teachings instead direct attention towards kamma and intentional action. What follows us is not paper wealth but the consequences of our wholesome and unwholesome actions.
Nor should the sharing of merit be understood as purchasing a better rebirth for another being or somehow cancelling another person’s kamma.
We create wholesome kamma through generosity, ethical conduct, meditation and other skilful deeds. We may then dedicate or share that merit with departed beings. In traditional Buddhist understanding, beings capable of receiving or rejoicing in that merit may benefit from it.
This shifts the emphasis from fear to compassion. Rather than asking, “How do we prevent ghosts from disturbing us?”, the Buddhist question becomes: “What wholesome action can we perform for the welfare of ourselves and others?”
Filial gratitude is a living practice
Ullambana is also commonly understood as a festival of filial gratitude. Remembering one’s parents or guardians does not begin only after they have passed away. The Dhamma repeatedly values gratitude towards those who have supported us. Accordingly, honouring departed parents or guardians while neglecting living parents or guardians would miss much of the point.
Ullambana can therefore remind us to express gratitude while people are still here: spend time with parents and grandparents, speak kindly, provide care when they need it and reconcile conflicts where possible.
For those whose loved ones have already passed away, remembrance need not remain only as grief. We can transform remembrance into generosity. We may offer food to the Sangha, support a charitable cause, help someone in need, keep the precepts, meditate, chant, practise mettā or perform another wholesome action and dedicate that goodness to departed relatives. In this way, memory becomes practice.
One Buddhist community, many cultural traditions
Ti-Ratana Buddhist Society serves a particularly diverse Malaysian Buddhist community.
Some devotees come from Malaysian Chinese traditions in which Qing Ming, Ullambana and the lunar calendar form a familiar part of family life. Vietnamese Buddhists may recognise the same season through the tradition of Vu Lan. Sinhalese and Burmese Buddhists may approach remembrance of the departed through Theravāda teachings concerning petas, dāna and the sharing of merits.
These traditions do not have to be made artificially identical. Their languages, customs and liturgies can be different while pointing towards shared Buddhist values: generosity, gratitude, loving-kindness, compassion, mindfulness of kamma and the wish that suffering beings may be free from suffering.
Ti-Ratana itself describes Ullambana Pattidāna as part of its annual practice of sharing merits with the departed and petas, alongside other Buddhist observances throughout the year. This is one reason cultural Buddhist observances continue to have a meaningful place in modern Buddhism. Culture can become a doorway into the Dhamma. The Buddha historically taught the Dhamma in whatever language was understood by the local community, using skilful means even in communication.
A fruit offering may become an act of dāna. Remembering an ancestor may become contemplation of impermanence. Chanting for a deceased family member may awaken compassion. A familiar family festival may encourage somebody to enter a Buddhist temple and hear the Dhamma for the first time. What matters is the understanding we bring to the practice.
Ullambana 2026 In 2026, the Seventh Lunar Month begins on Thursday, 13 August. The traditional fifteenth day, associated with Ullambana and Zhongyuan observances, falls on Thursday, 27 August 2026. The Seventh Lunar Month concludes on 10 September, before the Eighth Lunar Month begins on 11 September.
These are the specific schedules and timings for Ullambana 2026 with all the active Ti-Ratana Buddhist Society branches, updated as of 10th August 2026. Schedules that list "TBC" will be updated as soon as relevant information is provided by the branch.
Ti-Ratana Buddhist Society Branch, Location & Website | Ullambana 2026 Schedule |
Ti-Ratana Bangsar Level G @ Wisma Ti-Ratana 17, Lorong Maarof 59000 Bangsar Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur bangsar.ti-ratana.org | 23 August 2026, 10:00am - 1:30pm |
Ti-Ratana Lumbini Garden 36 & 38, Jalan Puteri 4/2, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong Selangor Darul Ehsan puchong.ti-ratana.org | 29 August, 8:00 - 10:00pm; 30 August, 10:00am - 12:00pm & 8:00 - 10:00pm |
Ti-Ratana Vihara Lot 57313, Persiaran Aman Perdana 2 Aman Perdana, 41050, Klang Selangor Darul Ehsan klang.ti-ratana.org | Throughout the Seventh Lunar Month (programme/details TBC) |
Ti-Ratana Sukha Dhamma School @ Ti-Ratana Tmn Bukit Anggerik Lot 6711, Jalan 5/154 Taman Bukit Anggerik, 56000 Cheras Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur | TBC |
Ti-Ratana Heights Lot 8604, Jalan Taming 2, Kaw Perusahaan Taman Taming Jaya, 43300 Seri Kembangan, Selangor heights.ti-ratana.org | 5 to 6 September 2026: Ti-Ratana Buddhist Society and Malaysian Buddhist Meditation collaboration and special Ullambana Festival Celebration. |
No Ullambana programme presently announced | |
Ti-Ratana Bentong, Pahang Lot 26103, Batu 7, Jalan Kuala Lumpur Lama (Fed. Rt. 68) 28700 Bentong, Pahang Darul Makmur bentong.ti-ratana.org | Centre currently under construction, no programme |
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