Higan service.

[Guest]

Hi

I am at Higan service.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Higan

Please read detail.

Share photos and write detail later.





Nine bows.


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[Jundo]

For those who do not know what it O-Higan (お彼岸), it is the holiday in Japanese Buddhism celebrated at the Spring and Fall Equinox. It is said that the etymology of the name, the "other shore", is from "the other shore of the Sanzu River" which river traditionally is said to separate this life from the world of the afterlife, much as the River Hades. The "other short" can also mean the world of Enlightenment. On this day, when the seasons change, the spirits of the dead ancestors are said to be close, and it is a time for communion and remembrance. As during the summer holiday of Obon, many Japanese people will often return to their hometowns during the holiday season to pay respects to their ancestors, and Japanese Buddhist priests are busy visiting the homes of their temple parishioners to chant for the ancestors in front of the family Buddhist altar.

Here is part of how the Japanese Soto school describes O-Higan ...

On the day before Higan, it is the custom in a Japanese home to clean the [home] Buddha altar, to straighten up the various Buddha implements, and to change the flowers on the altar. It is also customary to make offerings of rice dumplings on the first day of the week. On the equinox (the middle day of this week) rice cakes covered with bean jam called ohagi or botamochi are offered. And once again on the final day of the week, dumplings made from rice flour are offered. During this time, offerings of food, special sweets, and fruit are also made.

It is customary at this time to visit the temple to present offerings of pounded-rice cakes (mochi), sweets, fruit, and so on to the principal image of Buddha as well as the family ancestors.
It is also the custom at Higan to visit the family grave to express our gratitude to the family ancestors. For those people living far away from the family grave, it is especially good to visit the temple and family grave during Higan. This is a good way to learn the warm-heartedness customarily expressed during Higan of giving rice cakes covered with bean jam to the neighbors and one’s relatives.

Here in Tsukuba, where I live, many of the local Japanese people celebrate this way (written by my friend) ...

It is the week of the vernal equinox and you might catch a whiff of incense in the air as you are strolling about the old neighborhoods of Tsukuba. Don’t worry, you are not having olfactory hallucinations. You might also notice that the local graveyards have been adorned with fresh flowers and fruits. This is because the 3 days before and after the equinox days in Japan make up the one week periods called O-Higan (お彼岸), which literally means the Other Shore. This is a Buddhist expression refering to the other world, which contrasts with this one, shikan (此岸). ... According to Japanese Buddhist belief, the Pure Land Paradise (極楽浄土,gokuraku jodo) lies in the west, and since the sun sets directly to the west on the vernal equinox, around that day a window of opportunity is opened for contact with departed spirits (the same happens in autumn when the suns sets directly east). That is why this week is a time for the Japanese to continue their ongoing relations and show of affection for their deceased relatives and ancestors. ...

...

The Japanese never go very long without taking care of their ancestors or departed loved ones. In fact, there are many who pray and make offerings at their family altar (butsudan) every single day. In addition, as part of the annual cycle of events, there are four times a year (besides individual memorial days) for special ceremonies in which extra efforts are made for family members who have passed on: New Years, O-Bon (in August) and then the week around (three days before and three days after) the equinox days. In fact, there are national holidays in March and September making it possible for anyone who wishes to do so to visit their family graves for O-Higan ...

Walking around Tsukuba today, I saw many signs of this autumn`s higan-iri (彼岸入）, the first day of O-Higan. First, the graves in all the old neighborhood cemeteries have been swept and decorated with offerings of seasonal flowers. ... At convenience stores, department stores and traditional sweet shops, O-Hagi are on sale. These are oval shaped mochi-rice cakes, covered with a layer of sweet beans, soy bean powder, or black sesame. You can buy them individually, or in sets. The name of these traditional cakes during the autumn o-higan is o-hagi because hagi are a typical flower of this season, while the same sweet cake in spring is called botan-mochi, after the peony, a typical spring flower.

http://blog.alientimes.org/2010/09/the-japanese-custom-of-o-higan-remembering-ancestors-are-on-and-around-the-equinox-days-o-higan-revisited/

http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/03/in-line-with-the-far-side/

At Treeleaf, we do not follow this custom with all the Japanese traditions, but I marked today with a talk on Summer turning to Fall, Birth and Death, which I will post later today. It is a good time (always a good time) to remember the preciousness of this life, and the deep interconnection of all the world which brought us to this life.

Gassho, J

SatTodayLAH

[Myogan]

Blessing and respect to your family

合掌
座りました

[Kakunen]

I do Higan service for customers of my temple.




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[Mp]

Thank you Jundo and Kakunen. =)

Gassho
Shingen

SatToday/LAH

[Jundo]

I do Higan service for customers of my temple.




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Don't say "customers!" Although some of those "bad" Buddhist priests you sometimes mention might think of them exactly that way! Kakunen, please say "parishioners."

I posted my O-Higan Talk ...

SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Enter in Spring, Exit in Fall

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?15639-SIT-A-LONG-with-JUNDO-Enter-in-Spring-Exit-in-Fall

Gassho, J

SatTodayLAH

[Kakunen]

Don't say "customers!" Although some of those "bad" Buddhist priests you sometimes mention might think of them exactly that way! Kakunen, please say "parishioners."

I posted my O-Higan Talk ...

SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Enter in Spring, Exit in Fall

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?15639-SIT-A-LONG-with-JUNDO-Enter-in-Spring-Exit-in-Fall

Gassho, J

SatTodayLAH

OK^_^


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[Kokuu]

Lovely to hear about this traditional ceremony, Kakunen.

I look forward to seeing pictures.

Gassho
Kokuu
-sattoday/lah-

[KellyRok]

Wonderful Kakunen! Thank you for sharing this with us.

Gassho,
Kelly/Jinmei
sattoday

[Kakunen]

Don't say "customers!" Although some of those "bad" Buddhist priests you sometimes mention might think of them exactly that way! Kakunen, please say "parishioners."

I posted my O-Higan Talk ...

SIT-A-LONG with JUNDO: Enter in Spring, Exit in Fall

http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?15639-SIT-A-LONG-with-JUNDO-Enter-in-Spring-Exit-in-Fall

Gassho, J

SatTodayLAH

わたしは適当な英訳が見つからなかっただけで、特に意味はありませんでした。Jundoありが とう^_^


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[Myogan]

わたしは適当な英訳が見つからなかっただけで、特に意味はありませんでした。Jundoありが とう^_^


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? 教区民 = parishioner


合掌
座りました

[Meitou]

This is so interesting Kakunen, and thanks Jundo for enlightening those of us who have never heard of this. I love this idea of the distant shore - where the sea and sky meet has a particular resonance for me on many levels.
What fascinates me is that despite geographical distance and despite cultural, social and religious differences, something here strongly echoes how Christian, particularly Catholic practitioners celebrate All Saints and Halloween at the end of October. Our cemeteries here are very popular places anyway, people often go to chat with their departed ones, but over the 31st October and 1st November, there are huge numbers of people visiting the cemetery to clean the resting places and put flowers and candles around them. It's not so different is it and in that autumnal period too.

Thank you again.
Gassho
Frankie

satwithyoualltoday/lah.

[Kyonin]

Hi Kakunen!

Happy Higan

Sounds like an interesting practice. I will sit zazen for you.

Gassho,

Kyonin
Sat/LAH

[Kakunen]

Lots of donation!!!




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[Kakunen]

? 教区民 = parishioner


合掌
座りました

檀家さん^_^


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