Ullambana/Obon

Ullambana simply means celebration of the ritual of saving the deceased from torments after death. The holiday originated in Buddhist legend when the protagonist Mulien (also known as Mahamaudgalyayana) used his deva-eye (unlimited vision) and saw that his mother had fallen into the hands of hungry ghosts. The ghosts tortured her by starving and hanging her. Using his powers, Mulien went on a difficult journey to the underworld to bring his mother a bowl of rice to ease her hunger. After receiving the bowl of rice the first thing his mother did was hide it behind her back, as she did not want to share with the other hungry ghosts. This is representative of the kind of selfish attitude that caused her to be condemned to hell to begin with. When she finally went to eat the rice, it had turned to coal.
Desperate to help his mother, Mulien begged the Buddha to show him a way to bring salvation to his mother. Buddha tells him, "The past sins of your mother are too great for you alone to s...