Obon: A Festival of Memory
by Alfred Bloom, Emeritus Professor, University of Hawai'i
The Obon commemoration is one of the most significant events in the ritual
calendar of Buddhism in East Asia. It is a time for families to recall the
recent passing of a loved one and the ancestors from generations before.
In
the case of the recently bereaved, the grieving process may only just be
completed and the memories of their loved one are fresh in their minds.
Because our memories play such a great role particularly at the time of Obon,
I call this observance a "Festival of Memory" because it is during this
season that we remember and celebrate the lives of all our departed loved
ones who have nurtured, influenced and shaped our lives, whether family or
friends, over the generations and the years.
While for many it is an especially sad time, it is also an occasion for
recollecting our heritage, for appreciating the benefits we have received
materially, as well as spiritually, from our parents, families and
community. We contemplate the social and cultural advantages which we
possess in our freedoms, and our faith. It is a time for recalling the
Buddhist teachings which enable us to understand life and give us hope for
the future.
Human beings are animals biologically. Our bodies function like other
animals and we have similar needs for food, shelter, and preservation of the
species. It has been said that human beings are merely forked animals.
Nevertheless, we have abilities that separate us from the larger mass of
animals. We walk upright. Our hands make possible the use of tools.
More important we have the abilities to reason, remember and communicate in
speech or writing. Philosophers have generally regarded reason as the
primary feature of being human, since they focus on reason in their
discussions. Nevertheless, it is really memory that makes human life
possible. Today, as we face the awful and awesome Alzheimer's disease, we
see the absolutely devastating result of the loss of memory and with it the
loss of significant connections. We all know someone who has experienced
this degrading disease, degrading for the individual who was once vibrant
with life and memories, and for the family members who must face the gradual
decline and virtual disappearance of the person.
Without memory, reason cannot function and communication becomes impossible.
On the broad scope, when we compare with other animals, only human beings
produce culture, arts, science philosophy and religion. Memory means that we
learn from experience, and this knowledge can be handed on from generation
to generation. Knowledge can be increased through the ages, refining and
improving life. Our modern civilization has emerged today and continues to
develop as a result of the accumulated experiences and memories of countless
generations of scholars, teachers and explorers. The key to everything human
is memory.
Shinran, founder of the Hongwanji tradition, recognized the importance of
memory. He constantly recalled his indebtedness and obligation to his
predecessors in the Dharma whose teachings and insights opened the path of
faith for him. He left his memories in his collection of writings where he
constantly draws upon the insights of his predecessors in the Pure Land
Buddhist tradition. Shinran constantly recalled the compassion of the Buddha
and the great teachers who shared the Dharma with the people of their ages,
while leaving their writings for later generations. In the preface of his
major work, the "The Treatise on Teaching, Practice, Faith and Realization
(Kyogyoshinsho)" Shinran exclaimed:
"How joyous I am, Gutoku Shinran, disciple of Sakyamuni! Rare is it to come
upon the sacred scriptures from the westward land of India and the
commentaries of the master of China and Japan, but now I have been able to
encounter them. Rare it is to hear them, but already I have been able to
hear. Reverently entrusting myself to the teaching, practice, and
realization that are the true essence of the Pure Land way, I am especially
aware of the profundity of the Tathagata's benevolence. Here I rejoice in
what I have heard and extol what I have attained."
In
Buddhism, every tradition organizes its memories of the past and represented
in the lineage which clarifies the heritage of that school. As a consequence
of Shinran's memory of the past, he organized Pure Land history around seven
great teachers, spanning India, China and Japan. These were Nagarjuna and
Vasubandhu in India, Donran, Doshaku and Zendo in China and Genshin and
Honen in Japan. Each teacher contributed a significant insight that inspired
and shaped the Pure Land tradition, as well as Shinran's own understanding.
In
gratitude for what he had learned he composed the
Hymn on the Nembutsu of
True Faith. The Chinese teacher Donran declared that the bodhisattva,
the person aspiring to Buddhahood, "is aware of the Buddha's benevolence and
responds in gratitude to his virtue." In the conclusion of his treatise,
Shinran exults:
"I
am deeply aware of the Tathagata's immense compassion, and I sincerely
revere the benevolent care behind the master's teaching activity. My joy
grows even fuller, my gratitude and indebtedness ever more compelling.
Therefore, I have selected [passages expressing] the core of the Pure Land
way and gathered here its essentials."
Above all, Shinran remembered Honen, his direct teacher, who led him to the
deeper understanding of Amida Buddha's Vow. Through Honen, Shinran achieved
the trust and spiritual peace for which he had struggled fruitlessly for
twenty years in the Tendai monastery on Mount Hiei.
Shinran came to realize that, as he said, "Amida's Vow was made for me,
Shinran, alone." Inspired by his personal realization, he undertook to share
the Dharma and assist others to experience the same realization. While the
way of faith is often regarded as a way for weak people, Shinran saw that it
was a source of strength. Taking his guide from the pioneers of faith he was
able to face the many challenges of the world in which he lived. Remembering
the past is the doorway to the future.
For Shinran and other Buddhist teachers memory expresses itself in
gratitude. Remembering and gratitude are the heart and essence of religious
faith. Without memory, there is no gratitude, no devotion, no commitment.
Gratitude gives shape and reality to memory. We may recall that Nichiren
wrote an essay on "The Four Debts of Gratitude" --
to one's father and
mother, to all sentient beings, to the ruler of the country (rather than a
specific "ruler" as in ancient times, we might view this today as our
natural and social environment), and to the Three Treasures [Buddha, Dharma
and Sangha]. When
we are grateful, the past, our predecessors, our parents and friends all
gain new life as they once again live in and through us. Shinran expressed
his understanding poignantly in the
Hymn of
Grateful Dedication:
Such is the benevolence of the Tathagata's great
Compassion,
That we must strive to return it, even to the breaking of
our bodies;
Such is the benevolence of the masters and true teachers,
That we must endeavor to repay it, even to our bones'
becoming dust.
Gratitude is the recognition of the interconnectedness of all things, what
we call interdependence in Buddhism. It is the awareness that our lives are
like a tapestry with many threads of various colors and patterns that make
up the design of our life tapestry. We are part of the great chain of life
and our existence represents the focal point of many factors coming together
from nature, our parents and our community. There is an old folk tale about
a fox who stole some milk from a farmer. The farmer cut off his tail as
punishment. When the fox asked for the tail back, the farmer said, he could
have it, if he would give back the milk. So he goes to the cow for milk and
the cow says, bring me some grass, and the grass said, bring me some water,
and the stream said give me a jug. The list goes on and on until finally, he
was able to fulfill all the requests and get his tail back. The story
indicates that we are part of a vast system of life and nature and do not
live isolated and independent.
We
are grateful for our ancestors, the teachings, and the life we receive
through nature. We are a node in the web of life, receiving both its
benefits and support. We also have the responsibility to support the web. In
Pure Land terms, gratitude is the other side of the understanding of Other
Power. It is the recognition that whatever we do is done through and by
others.
Obon is a time of remembering our departed loved ones. It causes us to
reflect on our own life, its fragility and fleeting character. Many people
are concerned for their survival after death. This is an important issue.
However, our real survival after death and those of our loved ones is
achieved when we share our memories, faith and dedication with those that
follow us. Physically we share our genes and heredity. More important is the
spiritual and intellectual influence that we have on the values and thought
of our family members and friends. We all live on through the lives of those
who follow and keep the memories fresh.
In
traditional Japanese Obon in Japan, it has been believed that the spirits of
the dead come back from the world of the dead to us to assist the fertility
and growth of crops by bringing rain. The festival was to see them off again
with the lanterns and toro nagashi ritual, in order to light their
way to the other world for another year. In a deep sense, the ancestors have
never returned, nor have they ever really departed. They are always
enshrined in our memories and embodied in our thoughts, words and deeds.
Obon, as a time for rededication to the spirit of those gone before, we give
them new life by acknowledging their influence and presence in our lives.
Above all, it is an occasion for recalling the compassion and wisdom of the
Buddha, which gave vitality to the faith of those who have gone before. When
we do this, Obon will truly be a festival of memory.
(This article appeared in Hawaii Pacific Press, July 2007)
