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Bon Festival is an event to welcome back the
spirits of ancestors who visit their old home once a year,
with all members of a family, and express gratitude for the
kindness while they were in life. There are customs that
various events are held according to the regions in Bon Festival.
Among the various events, particularly famous ones are “Daimonji
Yaki (the Great Bonfire event)” in Kyoto and “Shoryo
Nagashi (floating lanterns for the spirits of the dead) in
Nagasaki. It is an important meaning of the event of Bon
Festival that all members of a family get together to share
wisdom with a warm mind each other on how to welcome and
entertain the spirits of their ancestors who are now dead
but return to their birthplace. Bon Festival is held in July
in Tokyo and the nearby areas, and it is usually held in
August in the other regions. |
The Beginning of the Bon Festival |
There
was a person named Mokuren who was one of the best pupils
of Buddha. He was a gentle-minded person, and could not forget
his deceased mother, and he always kept the kindness of his
mother who has brought himself up in mind. One day he obtained
a supernatural power, and, with the power, he tried to seek
his mother who was now in the other world. Then, he found
his mother suffering in the Buddhist hell of starvation.
Mokuren, who was almost crushed with grief, tried to offer
a bowl of rice to his mother, but the offered bowl of rice
has burnt up in fire just before entering her mouth.
When Mokuren implored Buddha to save his mother, Buddha then
said to him as following. “As your mother's sin committed
in a past existence was serious, you cannot save her by your
own power alone, even if you deeply cared about your mother
as her son. July 15 is the day when training monks gather at
a temple, and they will reflect on and repent of the past,
and will work hard at Buddhism training. Offer the treat to
every monk on this day, and implore them for their help in
extracting the pain of your parents and giving them comfort.
The blessings of the sutra, which many monks recite from the
bottom of their heart, will surely save the deceased mother
from the Buddhist hell of starvation.”
When Mokuren held a memorial service in a way that Buddha told,
his mother was saved from the suffering of the hell, and has
gone to the heaven. It is said that this is the origin of Bon
Festival. The events of Bon Festival is held for about one
week, starting from “Bon Hajime (preparation for Bon
Festival)”on August 7 to “Okuri Bon (sending off
the spirits of ancestors)” on August 16. The following
is the outline of Bon Festival. |
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Date
August
7th |
“Bon
Hajime (preparation for Bon Festival)”
August 7th is called Nanuka
Bon (Nanuka means the date of 7) or Bon Hajime, and it
is the day when the preparation for Bon festival is started. |
Date
August
7th to 12th |
Cemetery cleaning
Weed
the cemetery, and wash tombstones. |
Date
August
12th （or
7th） |
Tana-tsuri (preparation for a shelf)
A Shoryo-dana, a shelf for the spirits of the dead, is prepared at each home.
A Buddhist altar and Buddhist alter fittings are cleaned. In some regions,
people invite the spirits of the ancestors by the Buddhist alter at each home,
and in other regions, people invite the spirit of the ancestors by installing
the Shoryo-dana, the shelf for the spirits of the dead. To make Shoryo-dana
and decorate it is called “Tana-tsuri.” The Shoryo-dana is installed
in front of the Buddhist altar or in the drawing room, and it is a usual practice
to install it facing the direction of south or east. |
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Date
August
11th to 16th |
Tanagyo
It is called Tanagyo that a priest of a Buddhist temple
recites a sutra in front of the Shoryo-dana. At this
time, the entire family gathers and prays for the spirits
of the dead all together. |
Date
August
13th （or 12th） |
Mukae Bon
Each family welcomes back the spirits of the dead who
died within the past year (Nii-Bon, or First Bon Festival)
and the spirits of our ancestors on the evening of August
13th.
In the beginning, each family picks the spirits of the
ancestors up in the cemetery bringing a lantern. Offerings
and flowers are brought from the house. In the cemetery,
flowers are put in front of tombstones, offerings are placed,
and they pray while burning sticks of incense. Then, they
light the lantern, and take the spirits of the dead to
their house guiding them with the light of the lantern.
After having arrived at their home, they light a small
fire at the entrance or in the garden using the light of
the lantern to welcome back the spirits of the dead. They
enter the house, and move the light of the lantern to the
Shoryo-dana, and all members of the family pray while burning
the sticks of incense. |
Date
August
13th to 16th |
Memorial
service at Bon Festival
During the days of Bon Festival, each family visits the
houses of the relatives and the houses of those whom they
had very much indebted in the past, greets the people of
those houses, and prays in front of the Buddhist altar
of each house. At the time of Bon Festival, they try to
make small children hear the story of how such a wonderful
person he or she was, or as how such a splendid person
he or she was, from among the memories of the deceased
or ancestors. |
Date
August
16th（or 15th） |
Okuri Bon
(sending off the spirits of ancestors)
In the evening of August 16th, people make a fire at the
same place where they had made a fire to welcome the spirits
of the dead, and send off the spirits. |
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| The Bon Festival is the very important customs
of Japan, which has deeply rooted in the people’s heart,
thinking of their ancestors, and welcoming back our ancestors.
We should value this beautiful traditional event of Japan,
even from now on. |
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Customs
of Bon Festival |
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