Re: Obon (盂蘭盆), an Important Event for Welcoming Our Ancestors Back

I think that a similar event is held for welcoming their ancestors’ soul back everywhere in the world, but we (Buddhists in Japan) have a custom to do it, too in the middle of scorching summer, on the 13th of Aug.
We went to our family tomb in the afternoon today, bringing a set of offering flowers, candles, incense sticks, small foods for the ancestors such as rice dumpling and seasonal vegetables, together with a lantern and a sutra book. Here, (my late mom used to say that) the smell of incense sticks is a “feast” for the God, and the lantern is for bringing the God’s soul back to our home, since the soul resides in the candle flame. After coming back to our home, we have to chant the sutra in front of our family alter. We believe that the ancestors will stay at our home from today to 15th. So, the family members, including our sons, daughters, grandkids gather together for Obon days in usual years, chatting and eating among the re-united members. (But, it’s a pity that our children and grandkids cannot come back in the last couple of years due to COVID-19’s spread. (😑) )

Our family tomb.
According to our family register of deaths, the oldest ancestors dates back to 1655, 367 years ago
All of our family’s ancestors have just come back to our family’s Buddhist Alter
  • Comment: 0

Related posts

  1. Re: I noticed today that autumnal foliage is so pretty; Not only the leaves still on the trees but also fallen ones (未だ木に残っている色づいた葉もさることながら、落葉もまた味がある)

  2. Re: Five Secrets for Overcoming the Wall of 90 Years Old, with Energy 「90歳の壁」を元気に乗り越える5つの極意

  3. Re: The Fireworks in Heavily Snowing Sky (Jan., 19, 2022)

  4. Re: I became weepy again when the small message I had posted appeared today (以前の投稿記事を見たときに私はまた涙ぐんでしまった…)

  5. Re: A tour guide has to study continuously in order to explain wherever and whatever we visit in his / her own words (通訳ガイドはいつまでたっても勉強をし続ける必要があります)

  6. Re: How to Spend My Own Time in the “Golden Week Holidays” (黄金週間休暇の過ごし方)

  1. No comments yet.

  1. No trackbacks yet.