盂蘭盆

Chinese

		phonetic
trad. (盂蘭盆)		盂	蘭	盆
simp. (盂兰盆)		盂	兰	盆

Etymology

Commonly thought to have been derived from Sanskrit उल्लम्बन (ullambana, “hanging upside down”), a word that was sparsely, if at all, attested (Ashikaga, 1951).

Alternatively, Junjirō Takakusu (apud Ashikaga, 1951) propounded that the origin was in fact Pali ullumbana, a colloquial corruption of Pali ullumpana (“raising up; saving; helping”), and that the etymology was mistakenly attributed to Sanskrit.

The second sense is a result of rebracketing of the word as 盂蘭 + 盆 (“basin”).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yúlánpén

  (Zhuyin): ㄩˊ ㄌㄢˊ ㄆㄣˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jyu⁴ laan⁴ pun⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yúlánpén
    • Zhuyin: ㄩˊ ㄌㄢˊ ㄆㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yúlánpén
    • Wade–Giles: yü²-lan²-pʻên²
    • Yale: yú-lán-pén
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yulanpern
    • Palladius: юйланьпэнь (jujlanʹpɛnʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /y³⁵ län³⁵ pʰən³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jyu⁴ laan⁴ pun⁴
    • Yale: yùh làahn pùhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jy⁴ laan⁴ pun⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: yu⁴ lan⁴ pun⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jyː²¹ laːn²¹ pʰuːn²¹/

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• Middle Chinese: hju lan bwon

Rime
Character	盂	蘭	盆
Reading #	1/1	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	云 (35)	來 (37)	並 (3)
Final (韻)	虞 (24)	寒 (61)	魂 (55)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Open	Closed
Division (等)	III	I	I
Fanqie	羽俱切	落干切	蒲奔切
Baxter	hju	lan	bwon
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɦɨo/	/lɑn/	/buən/
Pan Wuyun	/ɦio/	/lɑn/	/buon/
Shao Rongfen	/ɣio/	/lɑn/	/buən/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɦuə̆/	/lan/	/bwən/
Li Rong	/ɣio/	/lɑn/	/buən/
Wang Li	/ɣĭu/	/lɑn/	/buən/
Bernard Karlgren	/i̯u/	/lɑn/	/bʱuən/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yú	lán	pén
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jyu4	laan4	pun4

Noun

盂蘭盆

1. (Buddhism) helping hungry ghosts who are suffering by offering them food
2. basin for holding offerings to the deceased

Derived terms

• 盂蘭盆會／盂兰盆会 (Yúlánpénhuì)
• 盂蘭盆節／盂兰盆节 (Yúlánpénjié)
• 盂蘭盆經／盂兰盆经

 

Further reading

• Ding, Fubao (丁福保) (1922), “盂蘭盆” in 佛學大辭典 [A Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms].

Japanese

Kanji in this term
盂	蘭	盆
う Hyōgai	らん > ら Jinmeiyō	ぼん Grade: S
on'yomi	irregular	goon

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 盂蘭盆 (hju lan bwon) or 盂蘭盆會 (hju lan bwon hwaj^H) (compare modern Mandarin 盂蘭盆／盂兰盆 (yúlánpén) or 盂蘭盆會／盂兰盆会 (yúlánpénhuì)), a transcription of Pali ullumpana (“raising, helping”), present participle of Pali verb ullumpati (“to raise up, to help”).

A number of Japanese dictionaries state that this term derives from Sanskrit उल्लम्बन (ullambana), purportedly meaning “hanging upside-down” in reference to the souls of the dead being tortured in hell by being strung up by their feet. However, the Sanskrit word was sparsely, if at all, attested (Ashikaga, 1951); in addition, it would be the present participle of verb उल्लम्ब् (ullamb, “to hang”, intransitive), with no inherent “upside-down” meaning.

Moreover, neither the purported meaning of “hanging upside-down” nor the verifiable meaning of “hanging” match the semantics very well, given that the urabon ceremonies are about helping the dead, closer in meaning to the “helping” sense of the Pali verb. This suggests that explanations of the dead hanging upside-down in hell are more likely to be folk etymologies based on a mistaken connection to the Sanskrit verb, rather than a more direct semantic link to the Pali. Alternatively, Junjirō Takakusu (apud Ashikaga, 1951) propounded that the origin was in fact Pali ullumbana, a colloquial corruption of Pali ullumpana (“raising up; saving; helping”), and that the etymology was mistakenly attributed to Sanskrit.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) うらぼん [ùrábóń] (Heiban – [0])
• (Tokyo) うらぼん [ùráꜜbòǹ] (Nakadaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [ɯ̟ɾa̠bõ̞ɴ]

Noun

盂(う)蘭(ら)盆(ぼん) • (urabon) 

1. a Buddhist observance honoring the spirits of ancestors

Usage notes

More commonly referred to as お盆 (Obon) or 盆 (Bon).