Buddhist Holidays Archives – Higashi Honganji USA https://higashihonganjiusa.org/category/buddhist-holidays/ Jodo Shinshu Buddhism for everyone Tue, 24 May 2022 19:04:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://higashihonganjiusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cropped-cropped-mon-tw-300x300-32x32.jpg Buddhist Holidays Archives – Higashi Honganji USA https://higashihonganjiusa.org/category/buddhist-holidays/ 32 32 Memorial Day: A Time for Dharma https://higashihonganjiusa.org/2022/05/24/memorial-day-a-time-for-dharma/ Tue, 24 May 2022 19:03:44 +0000 https://higashihonganjiusa.org/?p=2375 By Rev. Kenjun Kawawata Memorial Day is an important occasion to remember the deceased, but also a time to think about one’s life. In this country, the origin of Memorial Day started in 1861, when the first grave of a Civil War soldier was decorated with flowers in Warren, Virginia. After World War I, this …

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]]> Remembering Mother’s Day https://higashihonganjiusa.org/2022/05/05/remembering-mothers-day/ Thu, 05 May 2022 17:10:55 +0000 https://higashihonganjiusa.org/?p=2317 By Rev. Kenjun Kawawata This Sunday we celebrate Mother’s Day, a time to think about mom, but also about the life we live. Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. Isn’t it interesting that Mother’s Day actually …

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]]> This Week: Hanamatsuri (Buddha’s birthday) https://higashihonganjiusa.org/2022/04/06/this-week-hanamatsuri-buddhas-birthday/ Wed, 06 Apr 2022 17:33:30 +0000 https://higashihonganjiusa.org/?p=2295   By Rev. Kenjun Kawawata This week, we celebrate the Buddha’s birth, which in Japanese is called “Hanamatsuri” (festival of flowers). It’s a time to think about the importance and preciousness of individual life. It also reminds me of a story called “The King and His Four Wives.”     It’s said when the Buddha was …

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]]> Higan and Hongan https://higashihonganjiusa.org/2022/03/25/higan-and-hongan/ Fri, 25 Mar 2022 17:51:17 +0000 https://higashihonganjiusa.org/?p=2278 By Rev. Marcos Sawada This month, our temples hold a special service called “Ohigan,” observing the Spring Equinox. The Japanese word “higan” means “Crossing to the Other Shore,” which suggests a world after death. But it means much more. You could say that before our ancestors passed away, they lived in a world of human …

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]]> Buddhist Tradition: New Year’s Day https://higashihonganjiusa.org/2022/01/01/buddhist-tradition-new-years-day/ Sat, 01 Jan 2022 22:18:10 +0000 https://higashihonganjiusa.org/?p=2158 Fireworks may traditionally celebrate the year’s first day, but for many Buddhists, a bell rings in the New Year. The bell is an important symbol, because it tells us something important is about to happen, usually a service, but it also represents the sound of “dharma” or great truth. In Japan, an annual tradition at …

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]]> Year End: A Time to Reflect https://higashihonganjiusa.org/2021/12/28/year-end-a-time-to-reflect/ Tue, 28 Dec 2021 21:09:28 +0000 https://higashihonganjiusa.org/?p=2149 By Rev. Ken Yamada As the year ends, let’s reflect on the importance of time. This week, there are two important Buddhist services marking time—the Year End service and New Year’s Day service. I stress the term “Year End” (instead of New Year’s eve) because it’s a time to look back on the past year …

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]]> Hoonko: A Very Special Service https://higashihonganjiusa.org/2021/11/04/hoonko-a-very-special-service/ Thu, 04 Nov 2021 21:52:41 +0000 https://higashihonganjiusa.org/?p=2055 By Rev. Ken Yamada If there’s only one service a year you can attend, then go to Hoonko, Shinran Shonin’s memorial held in November. Hoonko (pronounced Hō-onkō) is the most important service for us because it honors Shinran Shonin, founder of the Jodo Shinshu sect of Buddhism. At our Higashi Honganji mother temple in Kyoto, …

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]]> Nirvana Day: World of Awakening https://higashihonganjiusa.org/2021/02/03/light-to-a-world-of-awakening/ https://higashihonganjiusa.org/2021/02/03/light-to-a-world-of-awakening/#respond Wed, 03 Feb 2021 18:30:30 +0000 http://daishinkai.com.br/?p=36 By Bishop Kenjun Kawawata Traditionally, many people on February 15 observe Nirvana Day, the day when Shakyamuni Buddha passed away. When we hear about the Buddha, we often think he was not like us, but rather someone more like a super human being. We should not forget he really was the same as you and …

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]]> https://higashihonganjiusa.org/2021/02/03/light-to-a-world-of-awakening/feed/ 0 New Year’s Day Service https://higashihonganjiusa.org/2020/12/28/new-years-day-service/ https://higashihonganjiusa.org/2020/12/28/new-years-day-service/#respond Mon, 28 Dec 2020 18:00:27 +0000 https://higashihonganjiusa.org/?p=520 Ring in the new year with an online New Year’s Day service. An annual tradition at the start of the New Year is visiting a Buddhist temple and reflecting on life’s great meaning. Unfortunately because of the pandemic, visitors currently aren’t allowed at temples, but you can still observe a New Year’s Day service online. …

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]]> https://higashihonganjiusa.org/2020/12/28/new-years-day-service/feed/ 0 Mochi Time https://higashihonganjiusa.org/2020/12/11/mochi-time/ https://higashihonganjiusa.org/2020/12/11/mochi-time/#respond Fri, 11 Dec 2020 22:32:06 +0000 https://higashihonganjiusa.org/?p=503   This month typically many of our temples make “mochi,” traditional Japanese rice cakes. They hold “mochitsuki,” a special day for making mochi. Unfortunately because of the pandemic, we’ve put this activity on hold. Nevertheless, please enjoy this description of a timeless tradition. Mochi is made from a “sweet” rice that’s stickier than regular rice. …

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