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Ten Night Chanting (juya-e) is a Jodo Shu tradition of followers gathering together to chant the nembutsu through the nights of ten days. It is considered a time of Special Nembutsu (betsuji-nembutsu) in homage of Amida Buddha. Nowadays, it usually lasts for only a few days. New Year Practice (shusho-e) is a common ceremony held in Japanese Buddhism to commemorate the New Year. In Jodo Shu, we gather together to recite the nembutsu. Just before 12:00 midnight on New Year's, the temple bell is rung 108 times (joya-no-kane), symbolizing the washing away of the 108 human defilements and the beginning of a purified new year. Chanting of the Buddhas' Names (butsumyo-e) is a ceremony for followers to gather at the end of the year to chant the Buddhas' names, and in Jodo Shu especially, Amida's name. Honen's Memorial Day (gyoki) January 25 Founder's Day, Honen's Birthday (shusokotan-e) April 7 Shakyamuni Buddha's Memorial Day (nehan-e) February 15 Shakyamuni Buddha's Birthday (hanamatsuri) April 8 Shakyamuni Buddha's Enlightenment (jodo-e) December 8 Enshrinement (kaigen) means literally "opening the eye of truth or wisdom". This term refers to the ceremonial enshrining of a Buddha image, a memorial tablet (ihai), or a grave stone (haka). The symbolism of the ceremony is to imbue the image or tablet with spiritual power and have it be an image for awakening the wisdom of those who pay homage to it. When an image is old and needs to be replaced, the opposite ceremony is held, a desacralizing ceremony (hakken-shiki). This ceremony removes the spiritual power from the image or tablet, so that it can be properly disposed of in an immolation ceremony (jobon-shiki). Ground breaking ceremony (jichin-shiki) is almost always done in Japan as a Shinto rite, but for temples and other specifically Buddhist constructions this rite is held. Ritual purification (shasui) is performed throughout the Buddhist world. A priest purifies and creates a sacred area or space for a ceremonial occasion like an enshrinement. The word shasui means literally "water and incense", which the priest uses to purify the ceremonial area. Water rite or Abhiseka Ceremony (kanjo) is the ancient Abhiseka Ceremony in which a priest sprinkles water on the heads of lay followers to purify and confer status and merit upon them. Veneration or memorial service (kuyo) is especially to venerate the Triple Gem: the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, but also refers to memorial services for the dead. |
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Copyright(c) by 1996-2000 Jodo Shu Research Institute |
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