The Ullambana Sutra

In his Song of Victory , His Holiness Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche instructed students of his lineage that Dharma practice requires a virtuous personality; and that this is the foundation of the Dharma. This is not something new taught by His Holiness, but a very important teaching transmitted by the fundamental teacher, Shakyamuni Buddha, himself. Cultivating a virtuous personality is emphasized throughout the Buddhist Tripitaka. One of the essential characteristics that forms a virtuous personality is filial piety.

The Ullambana Sutra is a Mahayana sutra concerning filial piety. It records an event in which Maudgalyayana finds that his mother has been reborn in the preta realm, and the way he is able to save her with the assistance of the Buddha and the blessing of the Sangha. Filial piety is not only an Asian cultural tradition; its spirit is very much related to supreme Bodhicitta, which is indispensable for attaining enlightenment and being able to truly benefit other beings. Practicing filial piety is crucial to the ability to generate and stabilize Bodhicitta.