The formal name of O-Bon is “Urabon-e.” This name comes from the Sanskrit “Ullambana.” It means “Extreme suffering like hanging upside down.” There is a well-known story about one of the Buddha’s disciples, which explains how and why O-Bon originated.

“2500 years ago, when the Buddha was still alive, there was one disciple who had supernatural powers. He was the disciple who was said to be foremost in supernatural powers, and it was said that he could see the future and the past, even all spiritual worlds, including Hell. His name was Mokuren (Sanskrit: Maudgalyayana). Unfortunately his mother had died when he was young. After he obtained his supernatural powers under the Buddha’s training, as he was concerned about his mother, he tried to check where she had been reborn. First he searched the top level, the Enlightened-World, but he could not find her. Then he searched the middle level, and he still could not find her. Finally, he found his mother in a lower level, the Gaki Suffering World, just above Hell. He was so upset, because she was hanging upside-down and suffering. She looked miserable. Her stomach was swollen, her face was dark and the muscles and skin drooped. Her eyes were sunken because of starvation. Seeing the state of suffering she was in, he tried to feed her some food using his supernatural powers. He tried to give her some food, but when she brought the food to her mouth it turned into fire and she got burned. He was terribly upset and tried to give her cold water, but just as before, when she tried putting the water to her mouth it turned to fire, and she was burned more seriously. Mokuren rushed to the Buddha to consult Him about his mother’s situation, and the Buddha asked him, ‘Did you offer food or water to anyone else?’ Mokuren replied, ‘No, just my mother.’ The Buddha said, ‘Your mother dropped into the Gaki Suffering World because she was very stingy and did not share with others. If you want to save your mother, you should feed not only her, but all suffering spirits.’ The Buddha advised Mokuren to invite as many monks as he could to come, prepare as much food and water as he could, and then hold a service for all suffering spirits. Mokuren invited the monks when their summer training was completed on July 15, and they offered food and water, and chanted the Buddha’s teachings for the spirits. Once Mokuren followed the Buddha’s advice, his mother was able to receive water and food, and she also moved up to a better level of the spiritual world.”

Since that episode, July 15 has been an important day to save all suffering spirits, and became known as O-bon. In Buddhism we are able to save all suffering spirits – even spirits who have dropped into Hell.