Memorial Service for Shinran, founder of Jodoshinshu

Memorial services are held regularly to bring families and friends together for a Dharma talk. It is less of an "ancestral worship" that most people, even Japanese think, in the Jodoshinshu Buddhism tradition. The increments increase until it reaches 50 years, and then for someone like Shinran, every 50 years thereafter.

This year it is the 750th year after Shinran's passing that began the process of establishing the Hongwanji as a major Buddhist temple in Japan. And a very special service takes place at the Hongwanji for a whole year, to accommodate visitors from all over Japan and around the world.

We were fortunate to be able to attend one of the services in October.

But before the group came to the Hongwanji for this service, four of us woke up early to attend the daily morning service at 6 am. Not necessarily heeding any advice, we left at 5:30am to get there in time to stand outside the Amida-do (the Amida Hall), because there was no room inside one of the two temples where the morning service begins. Because of the 750th Memorial service, there are a lot of people coming to this service. So we waited outside, and then when it was ready to travel to the Goei-do (Founder's Hall - also where the Shinran memorial services were to be held), we were practically first in line.



The Goei-do.


It amazes us that people know what to do at the morning service, although this is common practice at all Hongwanji temples in Japan. We thought we will try again the next morning but leave earlier. We found out that the gates to Hongwanji opens at 5:30am.

So we walked back to the hotel for breakfast and then returned at 8:30 with our group. We met the International Center staff who helped us to our seats (chairs were put into the Goei-do and the front of the hall was extended so to accommodate nearly 4,000 chairs! And because you have to take your shoes off to enter the temple, the Hongwanji gave everyone attending a bag that included a shoe bag so that each person can carry his or her own shoes. For this service, we did not have to move between the two halls.

The Amida-do was renovated in time for this occasion, and it was beautifully done - with new gold-leafing and lacquer.

We were given receivers to heat commentary and translation by Rev. Sekiya. He and the rest of the International staff took us to our seats - which happened to be in the front!



The Go-Monshu (the head of the Hongwanji) led the service for Shinran alongside his son, the Shin-Monshu, who is likely to be leading the service in 50 years with his own son, who was just born this year. We were familiar with the basic format as we had been "practicing" at home. There were so many participants, including the traditional and modern musicians.

It was a beautiful and meaningful service to behold.

Afterwards, we took a tour of the Hongwanji which includes buildings that are part of the World Cultural Heritage - facilities that were brought to Hongwanji by Hideyoshi Toyotomi, the benefactor of the Hongwanji in Kyoto at the end of the 17th C. One of which this gate, known as the Karamon, and for its colors and depictions of the mythical beast known as the "kirin."



After a vegetarian lunch in a temporary facility across the street, it started to rain.





We went across the street to see artifacts in the Hongwanji collection of Buddha and Shinran in the newly-built Ryukoku Museum.



Then a walk through the "teramachi" where there were stores catering to pilgrims and a special hall set up by the Hongwanji before returning to our hotel that evening.