How do the Japanese pay homage to their deceased ancestors?
Every culture has its unique faith and belief system which leads to its typical rituals, customs and festivals. Paying tribute to deceased ancestors is a tradition in almost every culture. In Japan, the tradition of honouring them is known as Obon. It is held between the 13th 1o 15th of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, that is August. However, in some parts of the country, where the solar calendar is followed, Obon is celebrated in July. Wondering what the term Obon means, how this ritual originated and how it is celebrated? Read on.
Decoding the term Obon
Obon is derived from the term ‘urabon’ which has three origin theories. The most accepted theory suggests that it hails from the Sanskrit word ‘ullambana’ where ullam refers to ‘hanging upside down’ and bana means ‘to rescue from being hung upside down or immense suffering.’ In this context, ullambana refers to the ritual of liberating the souls of ancestors from the pain of hell. According to the second theory, Obon originates from an ancient Iranian word urvan which means ‘spirit’. The third theory is that ‘bon’ in urabon means ‘tray’ and ‘ura’ comes from odana or olaha, the Sanskrit words for rice and food. So, urabon refers to a tray that serves food or rice to monks. The significance and symbolism of the term Obon will be easier to understand if we look at the origin of the tradition.
The origin of Obon
The exact origins of Obon are unclear. However, the origin story of this ritual, it is believed, originated in India, finally spreading to China and other parts of the world including Japan. The story talks about Gautama Buddha, who lived in India some 2,500 years ago, and one of his disciples Moggallana who had supernatural powers. Using this power, Moggallana wanted to visualise his deceased mother. He was surprised by what he saw: His mother was suffering in the realm of hungry ghosts. Only jealous and greedy souls are sent to this realm, where they are unable to eat or drink as foods and drinks are turned into fire before consumption. When Moggallana tried to feed his mother, it changed into fire. Feeling helpless, he resorted to the Buddha for help. The Buddha suggested Moggallana to offer food and bedding to monks, which finally freed his mother from the torments of the realm of hungry ghosts. This is how, the tradition of Obon is believed to have started.
How is Obon celebrated?
On August 13, the first day of Obon, people make offerings of food and flowers at shrines. Like Christmas decorations in the west, home shrines are decorated with unique dishes and lanterns. People also light incense sticks and perform a ritual known as mukae-bon at their ancestors’ graves to welcome them home. And there is more. To signify the ancestors’ journey to the family home, people make ‘spirit horses’ (shouryouma) out of whole cucumbers and ‘cows’ out of aubergines!
They also express gratitude to the departed ancestors and family members and offer prayers for peace and health. Finally, they thank their ancestors on the following days, share meals and strengthen family relationships.
People often take extra care to clean their family memorials during Obon. What does cleaning signify? Cleaning is done with the desire to purify one’s heart and intellect! Following the cleaning, they leave tributes such as flowers, sweets or the deceased’s favourite meals and also serve vegetarian foods and sticky rice balls (ohagi and odango). On the last day of the festival, people conduct the okuri-bon ritual. In this ritual, people guide the spirits back to their world, using chochin lanterns.