O-Bon

## Introduction

お盆(ぼん):O-Bon or Bon is usually a tray which is a shallow platform designed for the carrying of items.

##### **トレイ : Tray**

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/トレイ

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tray

In Japan, it sometimes means a traditional custom to honor the spirits of our ancestors in summer. We usually have/had a summer holiday for O-bon event during a week which includes August 16. So that WSJ has a holiday week, too.

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/お盆

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon\_Festival

> *Obon (お盆) or just Bon (盆) is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist-Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed to revisit the household altars. It has been celebrated in Japan for more than 500 years and traditionally includes a dance, known as Bon-Odori.*
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As for Buddhist custom or service, O-Bon is sometimes called 盂蘭盆会(うらぼん-え[Urabon-E]). This "-え" is not a mild modality of Kyoto dialect. It means meeting, gathering, assembly, convention, etc.

##### **盂蘭盆会(うらぼん-え)**

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/盂蘭盆会

According to Kyoto corpus, 盂蘭盆(うらぼん[Urabon]) is;

> *The Urabon Festival (a festival of the dead of Buddhist All Souls' Day, around the 15th of July or August, depending on the local custom) (Buddhist rite).*
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>

##### **Weblio Examples : 盂蘭盆**

https://ejje.weblio.jp/sentence/content/盂蘭盆

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Speaking frankly, I had forgotten to visit our temple and grave to go to meet our ancestors because I had forgotten what day of the month it was. I had a telephone call from our temple.

Well, can we visit you for 棚経(たなぎょう[Tana-gyo]):chanting sutra at family Buddhist altar today? がちょーん。What's the date today? Auguest 12. がぼーん。Yes, yes, I, I, I, I'm home now. Can we invite them into our house before we will go to meet them at the temple? No problem. That's OK. You can visit there tomorrow if you want. Our service at the temple goes with another monk. Oh, thank you! Then, we'll invite them first.

That's really 倒懸(さかさ-かかり[Sakasa-Kakari]):upside down in reverse order, isn't it...?

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## Schedule of O-Bon in Summer (of our family)

This is a sample of schedules of O-bon in our family temple where our family grave stands.

##### **年中行事 : Annual Schedule**

http://heartblue885.wixsite.com/gyoganzi/blank-5

> 盆精霊迎回向　８月６日～９日　午前中
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> 盆棚経回向廻　８月10日～15日　終日
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> 盆施餓鬼法要　８月16日　　　　10時～
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> *August 6-9: Memorial service to invite spirits during O-Bon at the temple and the grave.*
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> *August 10-15: Memorial service to chant sutras in front of the offering shelf to spirits during O-Bon at home.*
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> *August 16: Joint service for the benefit of suffering spirits at the temple and the grave.*
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>

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##### **回向(えこう) : Transfer of merit**

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/回向

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer\_of\_merit

According to Kyoto corpus, 回向(えこう[Eko]);

> 回向（廻向、えこう、pariNaama、〈sanskrit〉）、「パリナーマ」とは「転回する」「変化する」「進む」などの意、その漢訳である｢回向｣は、｢回｣は回転（えてん）、｢向｣は趣向（しゅこう）の意で、大乗仏教の特徴をなす考え方である。
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> *"Eko" (回向, also written as 廻向) or pariNaama (sanskrit) means to 'turn,' 'change' or 'proceed,' and '回向' as its translation with Chinese characters shows the meaning of rotation in '回' and device in '向', which is a thought that Mahayana Buddhism features.*
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>

##### **Weblio Examples : 回向**

https://ejje.weblio.jp/sentence/content/回向

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##### **棚経(たなぎょう)**

https://en-park.net/words/5797

According to Kyoto corpus, 棚経(たなぎょう[Tana-gyo]) means;

> 供物を　供える　棚「精霊棚」の　前で　読む　経の　意味である。
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> くもつを　そなえる　たな「しょうりょう-だな」の　まえで　よむ　きょうの　いみである。
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> *The name comes from the sutra (kyo) read in front of the 'Shoryodana', a shelf on which offerings are placed.*
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>

##### **Weblio Examples : 棚経**

https://ejje.weblio.jp/sentence/content/棚経

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##### **施餓鬼(せがき)**

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/施餓鬼

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Segaki

According to Kyoto corpus, 施餓鬼（せがき[Se-Gaki]）is;

> 施餓鬼とは、仏教における法会の名称である。
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> せがきとは、ぶっきょうに　おける　ほうえの　めいしょうである。
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> *Segaki is a title of a Buddhist mass.*
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##### **Weblio Examples : 施餓鬼**

https://ejje.weblio.jp/sentence/content/施餓鬼

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## Kyoto Gozan-Okuribi (Bonfire)

In Kyoto, we have O-Bon event of fire on the five mountains at night on August 16.

    According to the reception of Goma-gi for Daimonji;

### **Gozan Okuribi**

#### **What is it?**

> *Gozan Okuribi is a festival in Kyoto, Japan.*
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> *The name means Five Montains (Gozan) Send-off Fire (Okuribi), commonly called Daimonji. It began more than 400 years ago, with residents making offerings or experessions of gratitude ot the spitites of deceased relatives, thought to visit the world of the living during O-Bon. Send-off bonfires for the spirits are lit on the side of mountains in the shape of giant Chinese characters.*
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#### ***Formerly there were then mountains, but at present there are five:***

> *- Daimonji meaning "large"*
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> *- Myohou "mysterious" "dharma"*
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> *- Funagata the shape of a boat*
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> *- The shape of a "tori-i" (shrine gate)*
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> *Expressions of gratitude ot the deceased, messages to living family members, or simply one's own hopes, dreams, or wishes are written on pieces of wood (gomaki, see photo above), which are then carried to the montains, put in stacks (about 130cm), and burned in the fires (right photo), sending the messages to the spirit world.*
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#### ***Lighting times (August 16th):***

> *- 20:00 Daimonji*
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> *- 20:05 Myohou*
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> *- 20:10 Funagata*
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> *- 20:15 Hidari Daimonji*
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> *- 20:20 Toriigata*
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##### **送り火ムービー : Movies - 京都新聞**

https://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/kp/koto/gozan/gallery/movie.html

##### **見どころマップ : Map (PDF) - 京都新聞**

https://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/kp/koto/gozan/view/files/pdf/map.pdf

##### **京都新聞 : The Kyoto Shimbun**

https://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/

https://e.kyoto-np.jp/news/

##### **五山送り火 : Gozan no Okuribi**

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/五山送り火

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gozan\_no\_Okuribi

##### **Weblio Examples : 送り火**

https://ejje.weblio.jp/sentence/content/送り火

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## Goma-gi (Homa Sticks)

I usually go offering of 護摩木(ごま-ぎ[Goma-gi] / ごま-き[Goma-ki]) to each mountain with my old family before marriage on August 15.

### **Offering of Goma-gi**

##### **護摩木の受付 : Receptions of Goma-gi - 京都観光Navi**

http://kanko.city.kyoto.lg.jp/feature/okuribi.php#ogomagi

##### **京都観光Navi : Kyoto City Official Travel Guide**

http://kanko.city.kyoto.lg.jp/

https://kyoto.travel/en

##### **護摩木について : Goma-gi - 京都新聞**

https://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/kp/koto/gozan/view/gomagi.html

##### **「五山送り火」護摩木の奉納（2017年8月15日）: Movie @ Aug. 15, 2017**

https://www.kyoto-np.co.jp/kp/movie/?r=news&y=2017&v=qGw3FzhN

##### **護摩 : Homa**

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/護摩

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homa\_(ritual)

##### **Weblio Examples : 護摩木**

https://ejje.weblio.jp/sentence/content/護摩木

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According to the reception of Gomagi for 鳥居(とりい[Torii]);

> *At Gozan Okuribi (bonfire) in Kyoto, people will write ancestors retirement and their wishes on a forged tree (Gomagi) and dedicate them.*
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### **Reception, Sale of Torii-shaped (Shirine Gate) Gomagi**

> *Anyone can dedicate the homa stick of bonfire.*
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> *Will you (Let's) write a memorial service of ancestors and your wishes on this homa stick?*
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> *The homa stick wchich you put stops by towards bonfire preservation society is got up to the firebed on the mountain and it is burnt as a spirits bonfire and is sent to the best of heaver.*
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#### **Entry Example :**

> *- The name of your ancestors, Be peaceful from your name.*
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> *- So that whole family finds happiness from your name.*
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#### **Meaning of Gomagi**

> *1) homa stick*
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> *2) stick on which prayers are written*
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> *3)The wooden tag which is burnt in a ceremony to ask for blessings*
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## Jizo-Bon (Jizo Festival)

### **What is Jizo-Bon?**

Today, we usually hold Jizo-Bon, as a short festival for children to enjoy summer holidays with their parents, grandparents and their neighborhood, on the next Saturday (and/or Sunday) of August 16 in Kyoto.

So that, our group of neighborhood held Jizo-Bon on August 19 in 2017, and will hold it on August 18 in 2018, maybe because the period of summer holidays among schools has changed.

##### **地蔵盆(じぞう-ぼん)**

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/地蔵盆

According to Kyoto corpus, 地蔵盆(じぞう-ぼん[Jizo-Bon]) is;

> *Jizo-bon is the day of the festival of Jizo Bosatsu (24th of each month), or the period of three days before the evening festival on July 24 of the old calendar in the Obon festival, or it also means the day of the festival of Jizo Bosatsu, which is chosen from the days of the festival.*
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> *Jizo-bon is a custom celebrated in all over Japan, it is especially popular in the Kinki region, such as Shiga, Kyoto and Osaka Prefectures.*
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*Nowadays Jizo-bon can mean a festival for children, after they pray for Jizo they were given some sweets or home made foods prepared for service for dead people in the area where children gathered around Jizo.*

> *In the morning on the first day of the festival, Jizo-bon is prepared, there will be sutra recitation by monks, distribution of sweets to children (once or twice a day), and events at night time (dancing or fireworks) are organized.*
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> *In some areas, 'Juzumawashi' is held in the morning of the day of Jizo-bon.*
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##### **Weblio Examples : 地蔵盆**

https://ejje.weblio.jp/sentence/content/地蔵盆

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### **Who is Jizo?**

##### **地蔵菩薩 : Kṣitigarbha**

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/地蔵菩薩

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kṣitigarbha

> *a bodhisattva primarily revered in East Asian Buddhism and usually depicted as a Buddhist monk. His name may be translated as "Earth Treasury", "Earth Store", "Earth Matrix", or "Earth Womb". Kṣitigarbha is known for his vow to take responsibility for the instruction of all beings in the six worlds between the death of Gautama Buddha and the rise of Maitreya, as well as his vow not to achieve Buddhahood until all hells are emptied.*
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> *He is therefore often regarded as the bodhisattva of hell-beings, as well as the guardian of children and patron deity of deceased children and aborted fetuses in Japanese culture, where he is known as Jizō or Ojizō-sama, as a protector of children.*
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There are various kind of Jizo Bodhisattva in Japan.

##### **Weblio Examples : 地蔵**

https://ejje.weblio.jp/sentence/content/地蔵

By the way, Jizo-Bon does not generally celebrate Jizo Bodhisattva enshrined in temples.

> *It represents Jizo seen on waysides or street corners, and Jizo is related to the belief of Doso-shin (traveler's guardian deity).*
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##### **Weblio Examples : 辻地蔵**

https://ejje.weblio.jp/sentence/content/辻地蔵

##### **道祖神 : Dōsojin**

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/道祖神

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dōsojin

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Now, we are ready for our festival of Jizo-Bon!

So, we can restart watching ONE PIECE tonight!

Hooray!!!

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## Bon-Odori (Bon Dance)

### **What is Bon-Orori?**

    According to Kyoto corpus, 盆踊り(ぼん-おどり[Bon-Odori]);

> *The Bon festival dance is an event enjoyed in groups at night during the season of Bon, the Buddhist festival for the dead held around the fifteenth of August (or July in some regions).*
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> *A temporary tower-style structure is sometimes set up in a field to be used as a special place for a festival or a Bon Festival Dance.*
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##### **Weblio Examples : 盆踊り**

https://ejje.weblio.jp/sentence/content/盆踊り

##### **盆踊り : Bon Dance**

https://www.bonodori.net/

https://www.bonodori.net/en/obon/

##### **盆踊り**

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/盆踊り

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon\_Festival#Bon\_Odori

We used to enjoy dancing outside at night wearing 浴衣（ゆかた[Yukata]）during Jizo-Bon festival in Kyoto when we were children. There used to be much more children than elders in Kyoto. So that the elders were busy to take care of their children.

Today, children are busy to take care of us...

##### **YUMEYAKATA Kyoto Kimono Rental Shop Gojo Shop**

https://www.kyoto.yumeyakata.com/yukata

https://www.en-kyoto.yumeyakata.com/

##### **浴衣 : Yukata**

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/浴衣

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukata

We sometimes enjoy Bon-Odori at care houses for elders or school grounds in summer, with students, residents or travelers from abroad.

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