Minister's Message

This month we will be holding the Obon Ancestor Memorial Service on July 17th. In Japan, Obon is a Buddhist custom of honoring the departed spirits of one's ancestors. Obon is an abbreviation of urabon, the Japanese transliteration of the Sanskrit word Ullambana, which literally means "to hang upside down." This implies the struggle of great suffering associated with the culmination of many delusive passions that consume us. It is traditionally observed during the hottest time of the year.

Through self-reflection and prayer towards our ancestors, those who have given us our precious life, we can begin to overcome our deepest attachments and delusions. For Buddhists in Japan, Obon is one of the most important traditions for recognizing the interdependent nature of all things. For our service, we will hold a ceremony reciting the posthumous names of our deceased relatives and friends, praying that their spirit will further progress along the path of Buddhahood. Please join us in our appreciation for our lives, in which we are able to serve as Bodhisattvas in this world, and live in mindfulness of the interconnected web of life that sustains us.

Gassho

Rev. Nick Ozuna