New Year’s Day (Shusho-e 修正会)

New Year's Day service is a time for us to gather at the temple and contemplate what we have learned over the previous year and how we can use these lessons to help guide us into the coming year. We also express gratitude for all of the encounters and activities that helped us to become who we are at this moment.

Shinran Shonin’s Memorial Service (Ho-onko 報恩講)

This is the memorial service for Shinran Shonin, the founder of our sect of Buddhism, Jodo Shinshu. As with all of our memorial services, this is a time for us to contemplate the truth of impermanence. It is also an occasion for us to contemplate interconnectedness and express gratitude to the one who has gone before us for helping us to learn about ourselves and our lives. At this occasion, we express our gratitude to Shinran for the teachings that he brought to us by chanting one of his major works, the Shoshinge, and reading his biography.

Nirvana Day (Nehan-e 涅槃会)

This is a memorial service for Shakyamuni Buddha, the founder of what we know today as Buddhism. Memorial services help us to contemplate impermanence, but they are also occasions for us to express gratitude to the one who has gone before us. This service is for us to express gratitude to the historical Buddha for his teachings that help us to understand the great truths of life.

Spring Ohigan (Higan-E)

Ohigan means “other shore” and is a metaphor for crossing from this shore of ignorance, anger and greed to the other shore of enlightenment.

This observance occurs two times of year, at the Spring and Autumn equinox. It is a time when the days and nights are of equal length and therefore we have more time to contemplate the Dharma (teachings).

Hanamatsuri (花祭)
This service celebrates the birth of Siddhartha Gautama, who would become the Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha. ‘Hanamatsuri’ means ‘flower festival’, which is a reference to the flowering Lumbini Garden where the Buddha was born. At this time, we put a flower decorated shrine in front of the altar space which houses a small statue of the baby Buddha standing in a bowl of sweet tea. Instead of offering incense at this time, we use a ladle to pour the sweet tea over the baby Buddha. This represents the gentle rain that fell on the Buddha after his birth.

Shinran Shonin’s Birth (Gotan-e 降誕会)

This service celebrates the birth of the founder of our Buddhist sect, Jodo Shinshu. Shinran spent his life in deep study and awakened a profound appreciation for the great wisdom/compassion that embraces us all no matter what our station in life is. He travelled for many years spreading the Buddha’s teaching and produced many great works based on his understanding of these teachings. We celebrate this occasion in order to express our gratitude for the path of life that he laid down for us to walk.

Obon (お盆)

Obon, also known as ‘kangi-e’ or ‘gathering of joy’, is a day to remember those who have gone before us. In doing so, we express gratitude to them for enabling us to exist and to encounter the Dharma. It is called the ‘gathering of joy’ because at this time, we are expressing our joy at having been shown the Truths of our lives; impermanence and interdependence. In addition to the services, we also have an outdoor dance festival (bon odori) to honor the memories of the deceased.

Fall Ohigan (Higan-E)

Ohigan means “other shore” and is a metaphor for crossing from this shore of ignorance, anger and greed to the other shore of enlightenment.

This observance occurs two times of year, at the Spring and Autumn equinox. It is a time when the days and nights are of equal length and therefore we have more time to contemplate the Dharma (teachings).

Eitaikyo (永代経)

This is the ‘perpetual chanting of sutras’ service. The act of chanting connects us to all those who came before us, to all those who exist with us now and to all those who are yet to come. Temples establish Eitaikyo Funds which are special funds used to support the temples in emergency situations. We chant to express our gratitude to those who have and continue to donate funds in order for us to be able to hear the Dharma.

Bodhi Day (Jodo-e 成道会)

Bodhi is the Sanskrit word for ‘enlightenment’. This service commemorates the day when Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment and became Shakyamuni Buddha. Having spent most of his life in the opulence of his palace, Siddhartha wanted to know what more was out in the world. He eventually left the palace and set out to find the Truth. After many years of seeking and extreme practices, he found that he wished to find a middle way between the opulence of the palace and the extreme denial of certain practices. He sat down beneath a Bodhi tree and did not move until he had come to be fully awakened, which he did on the early morning of Dec. 8th. We express gratitude on this day for the understanding that we all have potential for enlightenment.

New Year’s Eve (Joya-e 除夜会)
The last day of the year is an opportunity to reflect upon the past year in preparation for the year to come. It is a time to reflect on the interdependence of all life and those causes and conditions that have enabled our lives. On this night, we ring the large bell (bonsho) 108 times to represent the 108 blind passions that we carry with us throughout our lives. It is a reminder of the need to free ourselves from these entanglements as we face the new year.