Happy Ohigan!
Posted: March 20, 2008 | Author: Doug | Filed under: Buddhism, Japan, Religion, Travel | 2 Comments »Hello Everyone,
In Japan, during the Spring and Fall Equinox, people celebrate the Buddhist holiday of Ohigan (お彼岸). The idea in the olden days was that the weather was more mild at these times, so people had more time to reflect on things like Buddhism, life and other matters. Even today, people in Japan often visit ancestral graves among other things.
The word ohigan means “other shore”, and is an important Buddhist metaphor. It refers to the idea that we stand on this shore (of ignorance) when we could cross over to the shore of Enlightenment and liberation. This is expressed very nicely in a mantra found in the famous Heart Sutra:
- English: Gone, gone, gone over, [everyone] completely gone [to the Other Shore], Awakening hail!
- Sanskrit: Gate gate pāragate pārasamgate bodhi svāhā
- Chinese: 揭諦 揭諦 波羅揭諦 波羅僧揭諦 菩提 薩婆訶
- Japanese: Gya-tei, gya-tei, ha-ra-gya-tei, ha-ra-so-gya-tei bo-ji so-wa-ka
By the way, you can see the same mantra in Sanskrit calligraphy (Siddham) here.
In any case, this is probably the most famous mantra in Buddhism, and is spoken by the Bodhisattva Kannon (Guan-yin, Avalokitesvara) as an expression of the intention to bring not just one’s self, but all beings across to the Shore of Awakening (Enlightenment). This metaphor is used though in a wide variety of texts, but since the Heart Sutra is one of the most widely chanted, this is where you’ll be likely to see it first.
However, there is a second meaning to Ohigan. Ohigan also refers to the Six Perfections, or Six Pāramitā. Buddhism loves numbered lists, and the Six Perfections are qualities that Buddhists try to cultivate and perfect. The Perfections, in Sanskrit, Chinese and English are:
- Dāna (布施波羅蜜): Generosity
- Śīla (持戒波羅蜜): Moral Conduct (the Five Moral Precepts fall within here)
- Kṣānti (忍辱波羅蜜): Patience, Tolerance, Endurance
- Vīrya (精進波羅蜜): Diligence
- Dhyāna (禪定波羅蜜): Mindfulness
- Prajñā (智慧波羅蜜): Wisdom, Insight
So, on Ohigan, Buddhists stop to contemplate their progress, and make a renewed effort. I like the Six Perfections because of their positive outlook, rather than “don’t do X, Y and Z”. No matter who we are, or where we start from, it’s a great set of goals to work on, no matter how big or small the effort. And of course, no matter who we are, the Perfections are always a work in progress. 
Happy and Peaceful Ohigan everyone!
Hello, this blog is about my life as a father, Buddhist and Japanophile. Any useful information I can pass along will hopefully make the 
Aw, you did understand that I was starting anew.
I’ve been rather disappointed in myself lately. I set up a website where a large group of people chatted regularly. Unfortunately, some of the group splintered off and began to gossip about others in the group. This was hurtful to me since I look at everyone as a friend. Although I tried to set a good example by being nice to everyone, the gossip continued. So today I had a small self-pity party (sorry I didn’t invite you- it was a party of one). I forgave those who said the hurtful things and myself for being an active listener of the gossip for so long, and then I moved on.
Sigh…I’ll be a busy little Buddhist this Ohigan, but I’m truly grateful for the opportunity.
Happy Ohigan to you too! Namu Kannon Bosatsu.
“The word paaramii derives from parama, “supreme,” and thus suggests the eminence of the qualities which must be fulfilled by a bodhisattva in the long course of his spiritual development. But the cognate paaramitaa, the word preferred by the Mahaayaana texts and also used by Paali writers, is sometimes explained as paaram + ita, “gone to the beyond,” thereby indicating the transcendental direction of these qualities. ”
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/wheel409.html