๐๐THE DEAD RETURN๐ชฆ๐
For a few days in August, with the simple ringing of a temple bell, our ancestors are once again invited back to the world of the living for a brief vacation.
It is a happy reunion of remembrance, lanterns, dance and (in Kyลto) giant mountain bonfires.
Obon starts early in Kyลto and lasts longer than many places.
The ringing of Rokudo Chinnล-ji's (ๅ
ญ้็็ๅฏบ) bell 'Mukae-gane' (่ฟใ้) welcomes the spirits of the dead back to this world on August 7th.
On August 16th the Gozan-no-Okuribi (ไบๅฑฑ้ใ็ซ) guides them back to the Netherworld.
But why does Rokudo Chinnล-ji play such an important role at this time of year?
Long believed to stand on the borderland between the realms of the living and the dead, the temple is home to the 'Hell King' Enma Dai-ล (้ป้ญๅคง็), judge of the deceased.
Considered the crossroads to the 6 Buddhist Realms (ๅ ญ้), at death people were judged and reborn onto 1 of 6 roads that would take them to the realms of:
1-Heavenly Beings (ๅคฉ้)
2-Humans (ไบบ้้)
3-Asuras (ไฟฎ็พ
้)
4-Animals (็็้)
5-Hungry Ghosts (้ค้ฌผ้)
6-Hell (ๅฐ็้)
night of dancing
Bon Festival, just today
and tomorrow
ใใฉใๅคใ็ใใใต็ฟใฐใใๅ
-Kobayashi Issa (ๅฐๆไธ่ถ), 1815.
Trans. David Lanoue.
Obon may seem like a sombre time, but for many it's a celebration, a return of their loved-ones for a brief holiday in this world.
Traditionally the Obon period lasts for 3 days.
Many local communities celebrate Obon (ใ็) with a special kind of folk dance called Bon Odori (็่ธใ).
Although each area has its own particular music and dance style, people typically gather in a large circle about a 'yagura' (ๆซ), a wooden scaffold that acts as bandstand.
๐ฅDANCING FOR THE DEAD๐
The origin of Bon Odori (็่ธใ the 'Bon Dance') comes from the story of Mokuren (็ฎ็้ฃ), a disciple of Buddha who used his supernatural powers to see the spirit of his dead mother.
Discovering she had fallen into a hellish realm he consulted Buddha.
'Obon' is a shortening of 'urabon-e' (็่ญ็ๆ), the Japanese name for 'ullambana' (เคเคฒเฅเคฒเคฎเฅเคฌเคจ), a Sanskrit phrase which can be translated as 'hanging upside down. It referred to spirits suffering in death.
The festival developed as a means to ease the suffering of these ullambana.
What we know as Bon Odori likely began in early Muromachi times as a form of religious entertainment performed at various points in the year.
Gradually the religious elements faded, and it became associated almost solely with the Obon period.
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