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One of the most human emotions is an enduring concern for relatives, which even persists after death. The Obon festival (alternatively called Bon festival) of Japan is a poignant and profound expression of that sentiment. In this article the history and the practices associated with the custom will be examined.
Obon: Festival of Souls
According to the Ullambana Sutra, one of the Buddha's disciples - Maudgalyāyana - scanned all existence for his mother. When he located his mother in hell, he saw that she had been transformed into a skeleton, but the food he set out for her was always burned before she could eat it. The Buddha became aware of this and instructed him to set food and drink out for his departed parents on the 15th day of the seventh moon. Through a show of respect and gratitude, his parents could apparently be freed from their infernal torment, and upon doing so, Maudgalyāyana's mother was freed. All in all, this text is believed to have served as the inspiration for the Japanese custom.
The name for the festival, Obon, is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word "ullambana", which means "to hang upside down". This term captures the suffering of the souls, which relatives wanted to put to an end. The religious custom originally hailed from China and was introduced to Japan in 606 CE, during the reign of Empress Suiko (554 - 628 CE). It was only during the Heian period (794 - 1185 CE) that the festival became popular among the populace and took on a different character; originally the service was intended as an occasion to pray for the prosperity of both the living and dead, however during the Heian period people were entreated only to pray for deceased relatives, changing the focus significantly. The introduction of lanterns into the festival, on the other hand, can be traced to the Kamakura period (1185 - 1333 CE).
The Obon festival lasts for three days but the date of the festivities isn't uniform: in some regions of eastern Japan it is celebrated around the 15th of July (Shichigatsu Bon), whilst others deem it to be the 15th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar (Kyū Bon). These days the most common date is the 15th of August, named Hachigatsu Bon. The festivities typically begin with mukaebi on the first day - the time when fires are lit to guide the departed souls home. Another practice part of the initial stages is the decoration of deceased's altar with flowers, fruits and sweets. On the first day, the family will usually visit a cemetery as well and take part in ohaka-mairi, the cleaning and decoration of an ancestor's tomb. Afterwards, food-offerings such as mizunoko are left on tombs.
On the second and third days the family performs a memorial service at a Buddhist shrine and temple, or alternatively they invite a Buddhist priest to their home. After the sutra recitation a vegetarian meal is enjoyed, the shojin ryori (without flesh), because ritual related food of Buddhism typically avoids the killing of animals. A famous event in the festival is the bon odori, a traditional folk dance intended to welcome the dead, with unique variations in the different regions of Japan. The Obon festival concludes at the end of the third day with the lighting of a bonfire and lanterns, okuribi, which is intended to lead the souls back to the netherworld.
The Obon Festival is a way for the living to interact with the dearly departed as well as get a form of closure. Survivors have the opportunity to remember the lives of those that came before and renew a connection with them.
Thank you for reading!
One of the most human emotions is an enduring concern for relatives, which even persists after death. The Obon festival (alternatively called Bon festival) of Japan is a poignant and profound expression of that sentiment. In this article the history and the practices associated with the custom will be examined.
Obon: Festival of Souls
According to the Ullambana Sutra, one of the Buddha's disciples - Maudgalyāyana - scanned all existence for his mother. When he located his mother in hell, he saw that she had been transformed into a skeleton, but the food he set out for her was always burned before she could eat it. The Buddha became aware of this and instructed him to set food and drink out for his departed parents on the 15th day of the seventh moon. Through a show of respect and gratitude, his parents could apparently be freed from their infernal torment, and upon doing so, Maudgalyāyana's mother was freed. All in all, this text is believed to have served as the inspiration for the Japanese custom.
The name for the festival, Obon, is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word "ullambana", which means "to hang upside down". This term captures the suffering of the souls, which relatives wanted to put to an end. The religious custom originally hailed from China and was introduced to Japan in 606 CE, during the reign of Empress Suiko (554 - 628 CE). It was only during the Heian period (794 - 1185 CE) that the festival became popular among the populace and took on a different character; originally the service was intended as an occasion to pray for the prosperity of both the living and dead, however during the Heian period people were entreated only to pray for deceased relatives, changing the focus significantly. The introduction of lanterns into the festival, on the other hand, can be traced to the Kamakura period (1185 - 1333 CE).
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| Yoshitoshi Tsukioka, Obon, Matsuri, Japanese Festival, Dance, One Hundred Aspects of the Moon. |
The Obon festival lasts for three days but the date of the festivities isn't uniform: in some regions of eastern Japan it is celebrated around the 15th of July (Shichigatsu Bon), whilst others deem it to be the 15th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar (Kyū Bon). These days the most common date is the 15th of August, named Hachigatsu Bon. The festivities typically begin with mukaebi on the first day - the time when fires are lit to guide the departed souls home. Another practice part of the initial stages is the decoration of deceased's altar with flowers, fruits and sweets. On the first day, the family will usually visit a cemetery as well and take part in ohaka-mairi, the cleaning and decoration of an ancestor's tomb. Afterwards, food-offerings such as mizunoko are left on tombs.
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| Obon food offering (Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bluelotus/). |
On the second and third days the family performs a memorial service at a Buddhist shrine and temple, or alternatively they invite a Buddhist priest to their home. After the sutra recitation a vegetarian meal is enjoyed, the shojin ryori (without flesh), because ritual related food of Buddhism typically avoids the killing of animals. A famous event in the festival is the bon odori, a traditional folk dance intended to welcome the dead, with unique variations in the different regions of Japan. The Obon festival concludes at the end of the third day with the lighting of a bonfire and lanterns, okuribi, which is intended to lead the souls back to the netherworld.
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| Candlelit lanterns being placed into the Sasebo River during the annual Obon festival. |
The Obon Festival is a way for the living to interact with the dearly departed as well as get a form of closure. Survivors have the opportunity to remember the lives of those that came before and renew a connection with them.
Thank you for reading!
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