The Pure Land Ullambana Sutra is an apocryphal sutra that was very popular in the Tang Dynasty and exerted a profound influence on the rituals and documents surrounding Ullambana beliefs. This influence is apparent in the following three aspects: first, the sutra provided a scriptural basis for the extravagant Ullambana offerings practiced by lay practitioners of the Tang dynasty; secondly, it shifted public focus from Ullambana beliefs to the Buddhist figure of Maudgalyayana, after which Ullambana culture became focused on a grand annual gathering that promoted filial piety; finally, the story about the marriage of Luobu and Qingti in the sutra became the foundation of a popular literature telling the story of Maudgalyayana saving his mother. The Pure Land Ullambana Sutra served as a bridge connecting the canonical Ullambana Sutra with popular literature portraying the filial piety of Maudgalyayana.
