O
bon season is here. Throughout the summer, across the island, people of all ages and walks
of life will take part in the colorful, musical and culturally significant tradition of Bon
Odori or “Bon Dance,” which is directly related to Japanese and Buddhist cultures.
Bon Odori originated in Japan around 500 years ago during the Muromachi period (1336-
1573,) though according to a June 2006 newsletter by the Honpa Hongwanjii Mission of Hawaii, h)
Obon services were being practiced as early as 600-620 A.D.
hurc
Obon refers to the actual religious service that is held specifically to honor one’s ancestors. An
enc
Obon service generally takes place directly before the Obon festivities like Bon Dance begin.
Many sources say that the origins of the dance are due to the story of Mokuren, a disciple of
Buddha. For those of you that have not heard the story, it goes something like this: essica (F
Photo: J
eed me!”
fering indescribable pain, “F
M
He off
ered her tw
o rice balls. She held one in her
elieving
Mokur
en was something of a ghost hunter. Buts
hand and dev
our
ed the other. But instead of r
ow her head back TERMS
unlik
e the modern day cable television ghost hunter
her pain, the f
ood caused her to thr
ed in flames. Obon-
A three day Buddhist festival
armed with E
VP monitor
s, digital v
oice r
ecor
der
s and
and scr
eam out. Her body became engulf
that takes place in the summer months to
dowsing r
ods, he attempted to contact the dead
en’s
main objectiv
e was to find
Mokur
en could smell her flesh burning and hear her celebrate ancestors that began around 500
through visions. Mokur
terlif
e.
skin cr
ackling. T
otally fr
eaking out, he tried to douse
e to
years ago in Japan.
his deceased mother in the af
her with water, but in doing so only caused the fir
He sear
ched f
or her, but could not find her. When Bon Odori-
ealm of Hungry
ong
er.
burn hotter and str
an to the
The dance that takes place
during Obon festivities to celebrate ancestors
he finally did find her it was in the R
eams haunting him, he r
’t a pr
etty sight.
With her undying scr
and soothe visiting spirits.
Ghosts and to put it mildly, it wasn
Buddha and ask
ed what to do. Buddha explained (one
en’s
mother had been
Her once g
org
eous and silky black hair was matted
would hope quickly) that Mokur self ov
er other
s Mokuren-
A disciple of Buddha that freed
and dull; it look
ed lik
e an old Halloween wig, tossed in
ter a his mother from the Realm of Suffering with gifts
ained on months af materialistic in lif
e, that she had put her
the back of the truck and r
of food to the Buddhist T
ront Str
eet. Her almond
and that the horrifying state was simply her debt.
etty sur
e
emple
drunk
en Halloween on F
While he didn
’t come out and say it, I’m pr
Yagura-
The wooden scaffold in the center
shaped eyes still burned bright, but now with the des-
the messag
e was, “Y
ep, karma’
s a bitch.”
ed him if of the circle where people dance in celebration of
per
ation of extr
eme hung
er and pain instead of laugh-
Mokur
en pleaded with Buddha and ask their ancestors.
ter. T
her
e wer
e ghoulish pits under her eyes caused by
ered in sor
es
eamy skin was cov
ther
e was something, anything that he could do to help
o to the priests and
Lighting of the Lanterns-
emaciation. Her once cr
his mother. Buddha told him to g
ood. Mokur
en did and the
Typically
and burns. Her arms, the same arms that she had
, lanterns are lit and floated away to
e stick thin and her stom- mak
e g
ener
ous off
erings of f
close Obon and guide spirits back to their world.
rock
ed him in as a child, wer ed lik
e a
om the R
ealm of Hungry
act r
eleased his mother fr en was so
ach was so bloated and distended that it look
st.
Ghosts and suff
ering. It’
s said that Mokur
eleased
simple touch w
ould cause it to bur
ed and was
over
come with happiness that his mother was rood son
In shor
t, his mother, whom he had lov
from her suff
ering, that he did what any g
loved by in lif
e, look
ed lik
e she’d g
o all zombie and eat
or joy.
would do. He danced f
brains if giv
en the oppor
tunity.
oice of someone suf-
She called out to him with the v
I
t’s believed by many that during the time of Obon, spirits are free to come back to the
physical world to check in with their families and commune with them. At the end of
Obon, the spirits are required to go back to the ethereal plane.
The festival always takes place in the summer months. In Japan, depending on the
region, it takes place from either July 13-15 or Augusts 13-15. Here on Maui, we’ll be cel-
ebrating Obon from June through August.
12 JULY 3, 2008 MAUI TIME WEEKLY
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