The Ullambana Festival(also known as the Feast of the Ullambana Bowl), a traditional Buddhist ceremony, originated during the reign of Emperor Wu of Liang, Xiao Yan, and is observed annually on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month.
Rooted in the Mahayana sutras, its purpose is to liberate ancestors and hungry ghosts from suffering through offerings, sutra recitations, and rituals like “land and water masses” and lantern lighting. However, Journey to the West reimagines this festival in a uniquely fantastical and symbolic manner.
Ullambana in Journey to the West
In the novel, the Ullambana Festival is first mentioned by Great Immortal Zhenyuan, the patriarch of earthbound immortals and guardian of the mystical Ginseng Fruit Tree.
“You should know,” said the Great Immortal, “that that monk happens to be the incarnate Gold Cicada, the second disciple of Tathāgata, the Aged Sage of the West. Five hundred years ago, I became acquainted with him during the Feast of the Ullambana Bowl, when he presented me tea with his own hands as the various sons of Buddha paid me their respect. That’s why I consider him an old friend.”
— Journey to the West, Chapter 24
Later, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva(Bodhisattva Pralamba) also references the festival, and the Daoist immortal Zi Yang is said to have attended it.
“Who told you that?” asked the Bodhisattva. “Since attending the Feast of Ullambana Bowl, I haven’t left my door for over three hundred years. With my name completely hidden, no one knows me. How did you know?”
— Journey to the West, Chapter 73
Notably, the novel omits explicit details about the rituals performed during these celestial gatherings, shrouding them in mystery.
The most pivotal depiction occurs during a grand assembly before the pilgrimage, where Tathagata Buddha uses the Ullambana context to propose his plan to “transmit the scriptures” to the East. This moment aligns the festival’s theme of salvation with the novel’s overarching mission—delivering Buddhist teachings to redeem both the living and the dead.
Symbolic Subversion
While the historical Ullambana focuses on ancestral veneration and ghostly liberation, Journey to the West repurposes it as a narrative device to highlight celestial politics, with the festival’s rituals were left never fully described in the novel.
Cultural Fusion
The inclusion of Daoist figures like Zhenyuan and Zi Yang in a Buddhist festival underscores Journey to the West’s syncretic worldview, blending Buddhist, Daoist, and folk traditions. This hybridity reflects Ming Dynasty China’s religious landscape, where rituals often transcended doctrinal boundaries to serve communal and imperial needs.
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