Traditionally, this month marks the Tet Trung Nguyen (Wandering Souls' Day) – Dia quan xa toi (when the Earth God grants amnesty), a day of rejoicing for Buddhists and the end of the summer retreat for monks and nuns. In Buddhism, this is the Vu Lan festival, a time for expressing gratitude to ancestors and praying for the salvation of parents, grandparents, and relatives. Taoism also considers the full moon of the seventh month as the day when the "Earth God" and other deities distinguish between good and evil, granting amnesty to wandering souls and helping them escape suffering.

Stemming from the story of "Maudgalyayana Rescuing His Mother," the Vu Lan festival is also known as Vu Lan bao hieu (Vu Lan Filial Piety), emphasizing filial piety as the root of all beings. Therefore, according to researcher Pham Dinh Hai of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations, the most important aspect of the seventh month is remembering and honoring ancestors.

An offering for wandering souls prepared by a family in TP HCM, 2023. Photo: Quynh Tran

Regarding offerings for wandering souls, Hai suggests that this ritual, being an act of merit, should ideally be conducted through a Buddhist temple to ensure its full significance. Wandering souls and hungry ghosts are suffering beings in need of salvation. However, if performing the ritual at home, many lack the necessary knowledge of rituals, scriptures, and mantras for proper execution.

Buddhist temples typically hold ceremonies for wandering souls and hungry ghosts in the late afternoon or evening, or sometimes twice a day, morning and evening. If families still wish to perform the ritual at home, they should consider the following points:

Offerings: Plain rice porridge, popcorn, sweets, rice and salt, joss paper clothing, incense, flowers, and water. The porridge is usually divided into 12 bowls, and bodhi leaves can be used instead of bowls and plates. Boiled meat, eggs, shrimp, fish, and fruit can also be added.

Time: There's no strict time requirement. However, if a specific time is preferred, the 1st day of the month suggests times between 11 am - 1 pm or 3 pm - 7 pm; the full moon of the seventh month suggests 7 am - 11 am, 1 pm - 3 pm, or 7 pm - 9 pm.

Ritual: Those performing the ritual should dress respectfully, cultivate compassion, recite the names of Buddhas, and chant mantras and scriptures such as Khai yet hau, Tam muoi da gioi, Cam lo thuy chan ngon, That Phat danh hieu, Bat Nha tam kinh, and Vang sinh chu.

Conclusion: When the incense burns out, scatter rice and salt, burn the joss paper, and sprinkle water in four directions. The offerings should be disposed of in a pond, lake, or river, and not reused.

"Given the meaning and rituals involved, if you feel compassion and want to make offerings to wandering souls and hungry ghosts, it's best to have a Buddhist temple perform the ceremony," Hai said.

Nhat Minh