Obon Festival: Japanese Annual Festival in Buddhist Temples - Narrative Essay

Obon Festival is a colorful Japanese annual festival that takes place in Buddhist Temples. The festival marks a celebration of Japanese life where food is served, and people participate in dancing. The festival has a particular focus on dancing, incorporating simple repetitive dance steps accompanied by taiko drumming, one gets to experience the Japanese culture. The festival occurs on July the 23rd on an annual note. I got to experience the festival in Vista Buddhist Temple in Vista, California. With the anxiety to relax and experience a new culture, I attended the annual Obon Festival on July 23rd, 2016. Obon festival was held at the Buddhist temple at 150 Cedar Road in Vista. I arrived half an hour before noon when the festival is supposed to begin usually the festival starts at noon and ends at 8 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

I attended the event in the company of my friend. I was a little concerned about my dressing; however, this festival did not require any special clothing and was open to all. We were both nervous not knowing what happens in a temple, so we slowly walked up to the entrance. A man stood by the door and shook our hands warmly asking us if it was our first time. He requested us to take off our shoes before accessing the temple and gave us directions to a sitting place which was a circular brown carpet. The temple's main color was red however there were gold coatings.

First on the schedule was a service that was led by the Buddhist Monk. There was a request from the monk that all sit up and make three bows as was the norm. Books which contained their songs were distributed with Japanese getting books in their language while we got those that had English translations. As part of the service, we recited a paragraph from the book which was called the Lotus Sutra from the words I could tell it was a devotion they made to this Sutra. I recited it despite not knowing to whom I was devoting. The Monk gave teachings on being ourselves and ensuring our actions does not hurt others. He also informed us that to have a fulfilling life it was important to identify our goals, make decisions on how to achieve them and have a positive impact on others. The leader was done with his message in forty minutes, and people were free to participate in the rest of the activities.

I did not have the courage to ask questions about Buddhists; however, I got encouragement from my friend who also wanted to know more. We walked outside to the Monk who gave time to pick a few questions from the newcomers. The Monk identified himself as Bedhis and told as he had been in the service for five years. Bedhis also had a wife and two children. Buddhism does not allow monks to marry however those from Japan get married (Jaffe 145). Bedhis informed as that Buddha was a term used to refer to a great teacher whose writings were the basis of their religion. There was an erection of Buddha's statue with open hands on the outside which he said was a sign of welcoming everyone in the temple. Also, he told as that Buddhism emphasizes more on an individual bringing their own salvation as Christians' claim Jesus Christ as their savior.

The other part of the festival had ceremonial dances that involved colorful Japanese Bon Odori dancing. In this dancing, the participants made simple repetitive movements that were accompanied by a form of drumming known as taiko. Newcomers were welcomed to join the ceremonial dance at 6 pm on both days while others Buddhists told tales of early farmers and fishers who existed in ancient times. The Japanese food was fantastic though neither of us had an experience of this type of cuisine. As we ate, we made interactions with other first time visitors and Buddhists, and I got to learn much about their culture and their great love for the people. Further, I learned that the festival marked a celebration of the ancestors a period during which people return to their ancestral homes and visit the ancestral graves and clean them.

The dancing activities and the drumbeats maintained the festival lively and entertaining. To an extent, one would suggest that this festival has evolved to become a service of celebration and love between people around the globe. The experience was a reflection of what Buddhism teaches as a whole. In fact, the ceremonial dances whose performance was on a raised platform signify the ancient dance believed to have originated from the disciple of Buddha known as Mokuren (Needham 75). Bright colors used during the festival signify the value of Buddhism towards peace, love, and tranquility among all nations. As a reflection, the service and festival got me a positive experience though I may not join the religion.

The amount of love and vigor that described the temple was enough to affirm that the religion is a peaceful and loving way of life. The festival provided an excellent platform for learning and experiencing the Japanese culture and the Buddhist faith. Not only is the religion welcoming but also allows one to reflect on his life and that of ancestors. From experience, I learned to respect other people's religion and culture irrespective of how different it is from mine. Also, I met new people and made new friends while the tips on living from the Monk were helpful since they apply in our daily lives. The festival was value adding and the Vista Buddhist Temple is a place I will visit more frequently since I left a better person as it expanded my knowledge.

Works Cited

Jaffe, Richard M. Neither Monk nor Layman: Clerical Marriage in Modern Japanese Buddhism. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2001. Print.

Needham, Maureen. I See America Dancing. Chicago: Illinois UP, 2002. Print.