A Simple and Complete Guide to the Vu Lan Festival Offering Tray

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1. Standard Vu Lan Festival Offering Tray According to Tradition

On the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, families prepare the Vu Lan offering tray to express reverence to the Buddha and their ancestors who have passed away. Refer to the simplest and most complete Vu Lan offering tray ritual below!

1. Standard Vu Lan Festival Offering Tray According to Tradition

The traditional Vu Lan offering tray typically includes: Thin porridge, rice, salt, white rice, soup, herbal tea, sticky rice, desserts (various types), boiled sweet potatoes, corn, fruits, cakes, betel leaves, cigarettes, floral incense, and clothing.

When performing the Vu Lan filial piety ritual at home, homeowners need to follow the following ritual steps: Offering to the Buddha, offering to deities, offering to ancestors, and finally offering to hungry spirits (also known as offering to wandering souls).

Vu Lan Ritual Tray Offering to the Buddha

For Buddhist families, a pure vegetarian feast on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month to offer to the Buddha is indispensable. Below are some vegetarian dishes that can be arranged in the Buddha offering tray on the Vu Lan festival:

- Steamed white glutinous rice with fragrant mushrooms/red sticky rice/ green bean sticky rice/ lotus seed sticky rice

- Vegetarian sausages and meatloaf

- Vegetarian spring rolls/ fruit spring rolls/ vegetable mushroom spring rolls

- Mixed vegetable salad/ banana blossom salad with lotus seeds

- Mushroom soup/ vegetable soup/ tofu ball soup

- Turnip, green banana stewed in vegetarian broth

- Chinese cabbage with mushroom sauce/ tofu with mushroom sauce

Offering Tray for Deities and Ancestors on Vu Lan Ritual

Below are the savory dishes that can be offered to the ancestral altar on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month:

- Festive chicken wings

- Sesame coconut sticky rice/ chicken sticky rice with scallion oil/ green bean sticky rice/ square glutinous rice cake

- Traditional fried spring rolls/ shrimp and meat fried spring rolls/ seafood fried spring rolls

- Assorted vegetable soup/ mushroom and lotus root soup

- Pork sausage/ cinnamon pork meatloaf

- Shredded chicken salad/ shredded papaya salad with dried beef/ banana blossom salad/ lotus stem salad

Offering Tray for Wandering Souls in the Seventh Lunar Month

The offering tray for wandering souls in the seventh lunar month, also known as offering to sentient beings, typically includes: Salted rice, thin porridge, fruits, sugar cane, clothing for sentient beings, popcorn, cakes, gold coins, water, three small cups, three incense sticks, two small candles. The offering to sentient beings should not include savory dishes as it is believed to stimulate greed, hatred, and delusion.

Note: Thin porridge is indispensable in the offering to wandering souls ritual. Folk belief holds that this dish is for souls enduring narrow, constricted realms unable to swallow regular food.

Arrange the ritual and offerings outdoors or in front of the main entrance of the house. Homeowners can recite traditional prayers or heartfelt invocations.

At the end of the wandering souls ritual, rice and salt are scattered in the yard, followed by burning paper money.

Here is the simplest and most complete Vu Lan offering tray according to tradition. It is hoped that this article will help you prepare the offering tray meticulously on this day for greater blessings.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What traditional foods are included in the Vu Lan offering tray?

The traditional Vu Lan offering tray includes thin porridge, rice, salt, white rice, soup, herbal tea, sticky rice, various desserts, fruits, cakes, and boiled sweet potatoes. These items are essential for honoring the Buddha, ancestors, and wandering souls during the ritual.

How do families prepare the Vu Lan offering tray?

To prepare the Vu Lan offering tray, families should arrange food offerings in a specific order: first for the Buddha, then for deities, followed by ancestors, and finally for wandering souls. Each offering has unique foods, emphasizing respect and reverence.

Is it necessary to include thin porridge in the offering for wandering souls?

Yes, including thin porridge in the offering for wandering souls is essential. It is believed to nourish souls trapped in narrow realms who cannot consume regular food, making it a vital component of the ritual.

What vegetarian dishes are suitable for the Vu Lan Buddha offering tray?

Suitable vegetarian dishes for the Vu Lan Buddha offering tray include steamed sticky rice with various ingredients, vegetarian spring rolls, mixed vegetable salad, and soups made with mushrooms or tofu. These dishes reflect respect and purity during the ritual.