Loading
We held memorial services for loved ones at Byodoji, a temple of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage.
Obon is the time each year when the departed and our ancestors come home. Families gather to welcome their ancestors, host them with care, and see them off on the 16th (the dates may differ by region). Obon was once observed throughout Japan, but as families and households have changed, so has the way people spend it.
In those years especially, the COVID-19 pandemic made long-distance travel difficult. The temple heard from people in many situations: some could not return to their family homes, and others wished to visit the family grave but could not travel back.
In response, Byodoji has held remote memorial services for ancestors since fiscal 2020 (Reiwa 2). Even from far away, people could share the same time of prayer through the screen.
The memorial period lasted one week. Beginning with the morning service on August 10, names were read aloud in memorial every day until the 16th at the 6:00 AM morning service, the 4:00 PM evening service, and the 8:00 PM Segaki service.
Certificates of dedication, wooden plaques (kifuda), and stupa (sotoba) memorials could also be requested online. After the eye-opening rite and a week of memorial services, they were shipped from August 17 onward. Please enshrine the items you received with care.
The Obon memorial was held as follows
Special prayer requests received for Obon
Obon memorial service reading only
A memorial service will be held for a week.
Obon memorial certificate set
It is a set with a memorial service certificate attached to the readout service during the period. You can select this service certificate from the Shingon sect version (Kobo Daishi) and the whole sect version (Lotus flower).
Obon memorial wooden bill small set
Read aloud during the period and set a 24 cm wooden tag.
Obon memorial special wooden tag set
A period to remember our ancestors
お盆は、盂蘭盆会（うらぼんえ）という仏教の法会の通称です。古代インドの高僧、目連（もくれん、モッガラーナ）尊者が、亡き母の供養のために営んだ法会がお盆の始まりです。
その後、仏教がインドから中国、日本へと伝わるなかで、日本では8月13日から16日までを、ご先祖さまが家に帰ってくる期間とする信仰が広まりました。
「盆と正月が一緒に来たよう」という言い回しが生まれるほど、お盆は伝統行事として定着していました。しかし家族や家のあり方が変わり、お盆に帰省しない方も増えてきました。
さらに新型コロナウイルス感染症の流行で、帰省やお墓参りをしたくてもできない状況になりました。
こうした状況を受けて、平等寺はリモートでのお盆供養を行うことにしました。
本来は、日本の伝統に則って、家族が揃ってご先祖さまをお迎えし、おもてなしし、お見送りするところです。けれども近年は、そうできないご家庭が大半を占めていると考えました。
加えて新型コロナウイルス感染症が広がるなか、これまでどおりのお盆行事だけでは、ご先祖さまを供養したいという皆さまのお気持ちにお応えできないと考え、この年からお盆供養をリモートでも受け付けることにしました。
供養はこのページの上に記したとおりです。8月10日の護摩でお迎えし、1日3回、1週間で合計21回の読み上げ供養を営み、8月16日夜の護摩でお見送りしました。
朝夕の勤行の後には住職の法話もあり、いずれもライブ配信でお参りいただけました。
Read aloud during the period and set a special 30 cm wooden tag (gold letters).
Obon memorial certificate, stupa
This set includes a memorial service certificate, the memorial stupa erection, and the readout during the period. Byodoji Temple will place this stupa on the sacred trellis and burn it after the memorial service on 16.
Obon memorial All included
This set includes a memorial service certificate, the memorial stupa erection, a special wooden tag (golden characters), and the readout during the period. Byodoji Temple will place this stupa on the sacred trellis and burn it after the memorial service on 16.
Obon memorial stupa erected
We will read the memorial service and erect a stupa during the Obon period. Byodoji Temple will place the stupa on a sacred trellis and burn it after the memorial on 16.