Obon Festival -- Living and Dying in Buddhism
By Alfred Bloom, Emeritus Professor, University of
Hawaii
The Obon observance has deep roots in
Asian ancestor cult from India to Japan. It is based on the legend of the
monk Mogallana's rescue of his mother from the hell of hungry ghosts. The
story dramatizes the son's anxiety for his mother's welfare after her death
and how it was resolved through Buddhist practice.
Practicing meditation, Mogallana gained
spiritual insight and vision, which enabled him to see his mother's true
condition. He then asked the Buddha how to free her from her suffering. The
Buddha advised him to practice compassion and to give offerings to the
monks. When his mother was released, Mogallana danced for joy. His response
is regarded as the origin of the Bon dance.
A variety of questions can be raised
about this story. Why was the mother in hell? Where was the father? How was
she ransomed? What is the nature of meditation? What is the significance of
Obon for Buddhism? Briefly, it appears that the mother is the focus of the
story which is shaped by the patriarchal perspective that dominates all
religious traditions, namely the view that women are the source of problems
and regarded as inferior to men. In ancient Buddhist tradition women were
considered to be more worldly and selfish than men, because they have deep
family attachments, putting their children and family before anything else.
We need to consider this carefully.
Mothers worldwide are devoted to their
children. They will do anything for them to protect and provide for their
welfare. Mothers engage in superstitious practices to keep their children
safe and healthy. The selfishness of women, from a monkish point of view, is
that they put the family above and before anything else, before even
attending to their own spiritual welfare which would mean giving up the
world and any form of attachment. In ancient patriarchal societies, such as
India, men, on reaching an advanced age and after fulfilling their social
obligations, could devote themselves totally to the pursuit of
enlightenment. However, women had to submit to the authority of their
fathers, husbands and eldest sons throughout their lives, never having the
opportunity for such pursuits.
The way to the mother's liberation from
hell was through offerings which appear to be a ransom. One might see it as
a means for the temples to raise money to maintain themselves. Services for
the dead have been a major source of support for Buddhist temples and have
focused the religion on death. In recent years the term Funeral Buddhism was
current in Japan. It was through the transfer of merit from good deeds done
by the living that Mogallana’s mother and other loved ones were able to be
freed from hell. This principle is still widely held today.
Mogallana came to see the suffering of
his mother through the practice of meditation. In contrast to modern people
who view meditation as a source of peace of mind and happiness, devotees of
Buddhism and other traditions also believe that meditation will bring them
wisdom and spiritual power. In Buddhist tradition a skilled meditator can
gain supernormal powers such as the ability to see past lives and know the
future. Through meditation one can alter reality. Mogallana’s visualization
of hell made it possible to change reality for his mother.
Another
implication of the story relates to the principle of
retribution for failing to treat the dead properly which is current
all through Asian religions and Buddhism. Various forms of disaster and
punishment may result from neglect of the dead.
It has been said that a person is more dangerous dead than alive,
because angry spirits may haunt the living.
However,
in this story we can observe that Mogallana’s mother does not return to
harm her son because he had not liberated her from hell. It was his effort
and spiritual insight that finally liberated her. We should take note that
Buddhism does not threaten people with such retribution for their
failures, but advocates a constant concern for the well-being of all
beings, whether dead or alive.
The story itself originated in ancient
India and by way of China came to influence Japanese Buddhism from earliest
times. Prince Shotoku established it as a major festival in Japan in the 7th
century, together with Hanamatsuri which commemorates the birth of Sakyamuni
Buddha. It was to be held on the 15th day of the 7th month in the lunar
calendar. With the onset of the Meiji period and shift to the solar calendar
Obon became July 15 and in some places August 15. Hanamatsuri became April
8.
These festivals marked central concerns
of ancient agrarian Japanese: ancestors and fertility. Because the ancestor
cult was so prevalent in Japan, all traditions had to include such practices
in their services. This can be seen clearly even in Shin Buddhism where
Shinran had declared that he never said Nembutsu once out of filial piety
for his parents. Nevertheless, Shin Buddhism developed memorial services to
show respect for the ancestors. After Shinran, the third Abbot Kakunyo had
counseled members not to make the funeral the central event in Shin
Buddhism. Yet like other sects funerals became a prominent feature among the
temple religious services. Shinran went so far as to disregard special
treatment for the dead when he declared that his body was to be thrown into
the Kamo river as food for the fish.
Shinran rejected the concept of ransom or
transfer of merit to liberate the dead. He trusted in the absolute,
boundless compassion of Amida Buddha to bring all beings to enlightenment no
matter how evil they have been. Nevertheless, Shin Buddhism reinterpreted
the services for the dead to respond to the need for spiritual consolation
in such critical moments. The emphasis in the services is how the deceased
has benefited our lives and expressed the compassion of Amida Buddha.
The purpose of religious life for Shinran
is to express gratitude for the great gift of life and for those who share
it with us.
For Shin Buddhism, as well as other
sects, the Buddha’s compassion reaches us in many ways, through nature,
family and community. According to Shin belief, rather than we liberating
the ancestors as in the story, it is the ancestors who liberate us through
their love and compassion in life.
Though we focus on this aspect of life
once in the year, it is really a matter for everyday reflection. According
to Japanese tradition, the ancestors return to commune with their
descendants during this season. However, in actuality, the ancestors, our
parents and loved ones, as well as the many others who shape our modern
life, have never left. We live in the light of their contributions. Obon is
consequently a time for recognizing our responsibility to life and not
merely the marking of death and separation.
The spirit of Obon expresses our
awareness of our connectedness to others in the web of human life and nature
which provide the foundations for our spiritual life. It challenges us to
nurture our faith and encourage a sense of responsibility and humility in
our responses to the awesome questions of life and death emerging from our
technocratic culture. As a sangha, a spiritual community, and as
individuals, we should seek the flexibility and compassion that will enhance
the life of all people.
