Wesak 2007 on Mt Kurama

On Thursday May 31st, The annual Mt Kurama Wesak festival held at the main temple  to celebrate the month Buddha was born, gained enlightenment and died. 

Every year on the full moon in May, this ancient style of Wesak celebration  is held in only a few places around the world.  Its name varies: Buddha Jayanti (also Baishak Purnima in Nepal), Saka Dawa (in the Himalaya, West Bengal)  and on Mt.  Kurama, Japan - Wesak

The actual date is somewhat flexible   As May in 2007 had two full moons ,  Wesak was held on May 8th in Sri Lanka, but interestingly on May 31st at Mt Kurama tera (temple) enabling the Sri Lankan guests of honour to attend two uplifting ceremonies.  The Monks at Mt Kurama considered that with the moon  in Taurus later in the month as it was when Buddha was born, gained enlightenment and died, it would be more auspicious to hold Wesak at this time. 

When we arrived the grounds before the honda had been transformed.  Rosy, glowing, candles in lotus cupped in glasses lined the temple terrace and on the fore court, a huge lotus shaped dish held a bonfire of fragrant pine.

People milled here and there in a prepatory way laying a patch work of ground sheets and picnic baskets around the grounds and buying their own lotus cupped candles.  A happy but chaotic muddle of sleeping bags, chatting groups and anticipation.  Beneath the seemingly simple and traditionally styled administration office, I discovered for the first time, was a subterranean world of meeting rooms and other facilities reaching down four floors into the mountain.  Here the same activity was going on.  On this night of the year, pilgrims are allowed to sleep and rest between the various rituals. 

The night's program consisted of 3 parts:

First            Purification (Kiyome)                    7pm

Second       encouragement (Hagemi)            10pm

Third           Awaking (Mezame)                       3am (next morning)

Kiyome

'Ordinarily worldly thoughts, cloud the spirit.  On this night let us purify the heart and cleanse the body, and unify them with a pure spirit'

                                                                                                                                                                            Wesak Festival Program 2007

The first ceremony began with a prayer of purification in which everyone chanted praise for the Mao son, this dedicated chanting according to the abbot, is a means of cleansing those present and the festival site.  What makes this celebration of Wesak unique is the emphasis on  Mao son, a regional deity as a pathway to Buddha.

My experience of the  actual experience of the kiyome ceremony was to feel that everyone present was weighed down with concerns. The leading priest rolled his juzu (Buddhist rosary) and I felt the weight and hardness and immediacy of human sins. Then as the priests began to light our candles with tapers,

 there seemed to be an energetic shift and the chanting created a tangible presence.  The ki in our heart expanded.  In the lotus imagery of the candles and lighting each of each one from the candle of a neighbour reminded us that we are all connected, share roots and bloom together.  As we continued to chant and raised our glowing candles in unison, more energy seemed to come up from the ground.

True to Buddhist teaching, by looking at our personal darkness, it seemed we were able to receive the greater universal. The drizzling rain stoped and there was a gasp from the crowd as the rising moon appeared from behind a cloud.  The energy from the sky seemed so peaceful, like bathing in love.  This joy lasted until the moon set again in the early morning.  It was a time when the universe seemed connected we were able to touch the invisible beyond the material world. 

'The lamps are held aloft to bestow the eternally strong power of the soul, the treasure staff of strength is received through and incantation'.

'Everyone, bathed in moonlight, partakes of the holy water and accepts the blessing of pure love into our hearts.'

                                                                               Wesak Festival Program 2007

In this newly cleansed state, all present walked in a procession down through the crypt and out again chanting;

Om basorua daruma

kirei sha manaya

Daruma Haramas

Obakihun sowaka

to finally emerge again outside and sip a thimble of pure water.   I have to say there was a strong spirit of prayer pervading the event but also lots of excited whispering.

Hagemi

At 9:50 the last cable car rumbled off into the distance, a deeper focus/ greater absorption became evident in the second part of the program.  Monks from the Bukyo Buddhist Centre Sri Lanka preformed Pirith chanting.  It was wonderfully melodic.

Pirith forms the basis of the most significant religion related cultural events in Sri Lanka.  It is a set of protective chants or rules selected from the book of Paritta (meaning protection).  The recitation of these Buddha’s teachings is regarded as having the ability to prevent all forms of evil and bad luck, diseases and evil spirits and more.

After wards the Japanese Monks lead a

'Silent meditation of earnest encouragement with heads bowed'

                                                                                                                                                                            Wesak Festival Program 2007

Mezame

'Symbolizing the deep awakening (mezane) to an authentic life which shines with the light of wisdom.'

                                                                                                       Wesak Festival Program 2007

This ceremony began shortly before the setting of the moon.  There was a rustle of gathering people indicating it was time to get up and we  gathered around the pyre assembled on the mandala which was ceremonially lit.

Despite all the harmony of the evening, I have to say I was pretty grumpy from lack of sleep at this point but it was lovely to watch the embers of the fire fade as the dawn came.  With day light, came a return to the everyday, knowing that there is a greater awareness possible.  In retrospect it seemed as if everyone had been humming to one lovely vibration or note. 

With the morning, I also had a chance to talk with some of the attendees.  Although many left with the first trains, it emerged talking with the remainder that, along with devout Buddhists, many people also interested in Reiki had stayed the night.  Some one played a didgeridoo as those that could explored the mountain mixing with the first tourists of the day.

By Jenny Lyons

Jenny Lyons is a Gendai Reiki Master formerly of Kyoto, Japan. 

She is on the Gendai Reiki Network Association Australia board and can be contacted at:

jennylyons9@yahoo.com.au

References:

Elcetronic Sources

Eco Trek (2000) Nepal [online] available: http;//www.guras.com/nepal/festival.htm [May 2007]

Niro (2007, March 5) Ayubowan [online available: http://aayubowan.blogspot.com/2007/03/pirith-chanting-ceremony.html [July 2007]

Project Himalaya (2007, March 18) Simikot Trek, Saga Sawa & the Zhangzhung Kingdom [onlione] available: http:www.project-himalaya.com/k-tibettrek-kailash-simikot.htm

[May 2007]

Trans-Himalaya Holidays (2005) The Full Moon of Saga dawa Festival [online] available: http:/www.visitwestchina.com/tibet/saga_dawa.php

Texts

Unknown (2003, January 1) Mt Kurama visitor’s pamphlet, Kyoto: unkown - available at the ticket offices.

Unknown (2007) Wesak Festival Program 2007 Kyoto: unknown - available from Mt Kurama Temple, Kurama, Kyoto fu, Japan