Two sugarcanes by the altar on Tet holiday

There are many explanations for this strange custom, such as people keeping the sweetness from the old year to the new year in the hope that everything in the year will be smooth and sweet; some people explain that each segment of sugarcane is like a ladder for the soul to climb to heaven to the realm of the supernatural; some places explain that there are two sticks for grandparents to lean on to find their way back to their children and grandchildren, etc. Every explanation shows the heart turning towards the source and towards goodness.

Those who follow and read Buddhism have other interpretations that need to be consulted. In general, funerals, offerings, and rituals of the Kinh people are a complex phenomenon, integrating many beliefs. The beliefs of ancient Vietnam (before the Common Era) were never recorded by the Vietnamese at that time, so it is difficult to find specific ones to compare. The image of sugarcane is not very clear, the image of reeds is only an estimate. The tool for pressing molasses to make sugar has not been excavated. For the Kinh people, in the integration, we can most easily recognize the strong Buddhist nature in this act of offering. Burning five parts of incense, displaying a tray of five fruits, chanting Amitabha... are all Buddhist, not only influencing the Kinh people but also the Chinese people since the time of Chinese domination, which means a very long time ago.

Indian Buddhism, according to the previous tradition, considered the ancestors of Sakya to be of the Sugarcane family, in Sanskrit Gautama, transliterated and written in Chinese as Cu Dam or also read as Co Dam. Regarding the origin of the Sugarcane family of Buddha, there are many theories recorded early in different scriptures, with great similarities and small differences. According to the book "Twelve Journeys", in a distant past life, there was a Bodhisattva who was a king, his parents died early, so he gave the throne to his younger brother and then studied with a Brahmin, living in a sugarcane garden, people called the Bodhisattva's teacher "Dai Cu Dam", and called the Bodhisattva "Tieu Cu Dam". At that time, there were 500 robbers who robbed the government, on the way to escape, ran through the sugarcane garden, dropped the stolen items in the garden, the pursuers followed and found the place, seeing this, they thought the Bodhisattva was a robber, then used arrows to shoot the Bodhisattva, blood flowed all over the ground. The Great Cù Đàm used his divine eye to see through everything, and with pity and tears, he scooped up the blood that was still on the ground, mixed it with mud, and put it in two small bowls, placed them on either side of the garden, and prayed: If Cù Đàm is sincere, the angels will turn the blood into a human being. Ten months later, the left bowl turned into a son, the right bowl turned into a daughter, and from then on, he took the surname Cù Đàm.

Sugarcane on the altar on Tet holiday

The book “Great Sun Sutra Commentary” volume 16 records that the immortal Gautama (Gurutama Immortal) committed adultery in the void, and a drop of dirty water fell to the ground, which grew into two sugarcane plants. Later, thanks to the photosynthesis of the sun, two sons were born, one of whom became king of the Shakya clan. Therefore, it is said that the immortal Gautama was the ancestor of Shakya, and the Shakya clan was also called the Cam Gia race, which means Sugarcane race.

Another legend about sugarcane is also recorded in the Buddhist canon about King Cam Gia, or King of Sugarcane. The “Buddhist Practice of the Original Practice” Sutra, volume 5, records that before King Cam Gia, there was a king named Dai Mao Thao Vuong, who abandoned the throne to become a monk and attained five supernatural powers, and was called Vuong Tien. Vuong Tien was old and weak and could not walk. His disciples went out to beg for food. Fearing that his teacher at home would be captured by tigers and wolves, they put him in a cage made of grass and hung him on a tree. At that time, a hunter mistook Vuong Tien for a white bird, so he drew his bow and shot him dead. Where Vuong Tien’s blood dripped, two sugarcane plants later grew. The sun was so hot that the two sugarcane plants split and gave birth to a boy and a girl. The high-ranking officials heard the news and brought them to the palace to raise. The boy was born because the sunlight cracked the sugarcane, so he was named Thien Gia Sinh; and because the sun heated him, he was called Nhat Chung; and the girl was named Thien Hien. Later, Thien Sinh was made king and Thien Hien was made queen. Thien Hien gave birth to a son. Later, the king took two more wives and had four children. Thien Hien wanted to make his son king, so he advised the king to expel the other four sons from the country. Those four sons built a country behind Tuyet mountain and established the Thich Ca family.

In Vietnam, when visiting a temple, that is, coming to the Buddha's place, one must climb a steep hill, people often sell sugarcane as a walking stick with the meaning of dedicating to the Buddha's land. So, according to tradition, worship is a ritual containing a strong inspiration of going back to the source and turning to the origin, the sugarcane here will symbolize the origin of the Buddha's family, worshiping sugarcane is also worshiping the origin of Buddhism.

In real life, many origins of behavior will gradually be forgotten, only customs are preserved as a cultural inertia. Then, the people, in turn, create many legends and anecdotes to explain, creating a rich and interesting community consciousness. This exists as a creative style of folk language art. However, the inspiration towards the origin is still especially strong when Tet comes, people reflect on the past, practice in the present and expect the future.

Sugarcane, which brings sweetness to life, is now worshiped, making it more sacred and meaningful.