Comments on: The “Six Days” in the Japanese Calendar http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/12/13/the-six-days-in-the-japanese-calendar/ My life as a father, Buddhist and Japanophile. Sat, 11 Jun 2011 01:53:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Doug http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/12/13/the-six-days-in-the-japanese-calendar/#comment-3657 Doug Mon, 21 Dec 2009 22:51:02 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=5759#comment-3657 Thanks much Stephen. :) Thanks much Stephen. :)

]]> By: Stephen http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/12/13/the-six-days-in-the-japanese-calendar/#comment-3639 Stephen Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:45:37 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=5759#comment-3639 Just a note- Rokuyo is based on the old Japanese calendar so in the modern day calendar, for example 15th of August this year is 赤口, 1st January is 大安. The old calendar would have the 26th of January as the first day of the year 先勝, and what was August 15th is now October 3rd this year 仏滅. Stephen Just a note- Rokuyo is based on the old Japanese calendar so in the modern day calendar, for example 15th of August this year is 赤口, 1st January is 大安. The old calendar would have the 26th of January as the first day of the year 先勝, and what was August 15th is now October 3rd this year 仏滅.
Stephen

]]> By: Doug http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/12/13/the-six-days-in-the-japanese-calendar/#comment-3638 Doug Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:18:25 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=5759#comment-3638 Hi guys: <strong>Adam:</strong> Very interesting that planner only highlights the most "significant" of the days. I guess the others are kind of mixed-luck and not worth calling out, whereas the ones listed are either really auspicious or really inauspicious. :) <strong>NellaLou:</strong> Wow, that's a big help, thank you. This is interesting given that Japan doesn't observe the Ghost Festival (though Obon is around the same time and vaguely analogous), so this must be a left-over from Chinese culture. Japan has a funny way of being a museum of Asian cultural bits lost elsewhere (e.g. use of Siddham sanskrit in liturgy, not used elsewhere). Thanks very much. :) Hi guys:

Adam: Very interesting that planner only highlights the most “significant” of the days. I guess the others are kind of mixed-luck and not worth calling out, whereas the ones listed are either really auspicious or really inauspicious. :)

NellaLou: Wow, that’s a big help, thank you. This is interesting given that Japan doesn’t observe the Ghost Festival (though Obon is around the same time and vaguely analogous), so this must be a left-over from Chinese culture. Japan has a funny way of being a museum of Asian cultural bits lost elsewhere (e.g. use of Siddham sanskrit in liturgy, not used elsewhere). Thanks very much. :)

]]> By: NellaLou http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/12/13/the-six-days-in-the-japanese-calendar/#comment-3637 NellaLou Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:58:54 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=5759#comment-3637 Hi Doug About this: "there are some exceptions to this pattern, for example, August 15th, is always butsumetsu, though I don’t have much information as to why." Since the calendar has origins back to China it may be related to one of the two prominent days of year when the dead are honored. The first date is in the spring sometime and homage is paid to the ancestors (an infusion of Confucian tradition) and the second is this August date when the dead are believed to come out and visit the living (a combination of Popular Taoism and Folk Religion) The date is called 中元節 zhōngyuánjié Wikipedia has a fairly comprehensive description of the Ghost Festival here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Festival I had a chance to see some of the practices in Taiwan that go on during these festivals. There are a lot of spirit mediums who get a lot of work around that time as they "allow" the dead to become embodied. Burning of symbolic goods, spirit money and other offerings happen all over the cities and towns in the temples and sometimes just outdoors. On certain other special days throughout the year(calculated astrologically) there are related though less elaborate ceremonies and practices as well. I have seen some of these others being conducted by Buddhist priests. So there is quite a lot of cross-over between the Popular Taoism, Folk Religion and Popular Buddhist practices, in Taiwan anyways. I think this has hit a resurgence in Hong Kong as well as beginning to move back into mainland China. Very interesting post (as usual!) Hi Doug

About this:

“there are some exceptions to this pattern, for example, August 15th, is always butsumetsu, though I don’t have much information as to why.”

Since the calendar has origins back to China it may be related to one of the two prominent days of year when the dead are honored. The first date is in the spring sometime and homage is paid to the ancestors (an infusion of Confucian tradition) and the second is this August date when the dead are believed to come out and visit the living (a combination of Popular Taoism and Folk Religion) The date is called 中元節 zhōngyuánjié

Wikipedia has a fairly comprehensive description of the Ghost Festival here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_Festival

I had a chance to see some of the practices in Taiwan that go on during these festivals. There are a lot of spirit mediums who get a lot of work around that time as they “allow” the dead to become embodied.

Burning of symbolic goods, spirit money and other offerings happen all over the cities and towns in the temples and sometimes just outdoors.

On certain other special days throughout the year(calculated astrologically) there are related though less elaborate ceremonies and practices as well. I have seen some of these others being conducted by Buddhist priests. So there is quite a lot of cross-over between the Popular Taoism, Folk Religion and Popular Buddhist practices, in Taiwan anyways. I think this has hit a resurgence in Hong Kong as well as beginning to move back into mainland China.

Very interesting post (as usual!)

]]> By: Adam http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/12/13/the-six-days-in-the-japanese-calendar/#comment-3635 Adam Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:52:33 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=5759#comment-3635 Amazing! I too have wondered about this. But here's another twist to the story. My Japanese day planner only marks days that are 仏滅、大安 and 友引, while my Japanese wall calender dutifully marks all six. Does this mean that the three my day calendar lists are the most important to keep in mind when planning events? Amazing! I too have wondered about this. But here’s another twist to the story. My Japanese day planner only marks days that are 仏滅、大安 and 友引, while my Japanese wall calender dutifully marks all six. Does this mean that the three my day calendar lists are the most important to keep in mind when planning events?

]]> By: Doug http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/12/13/the-six-days-in-the-japanese-calendar/#comment-3634 Doug Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:54:47 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=5759#comment-3634 Hi Julie and welcome! Glad you enjoyed. Hi Julie and welcome! Glad you enjoyed.

]]> By: Julie http://japanlifeandreligion.com/2009/12/13/the-six-days-in-the-japanese-calendar/#comment-3632 Julie Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:59:21 +0000 http://nihonshukyo.wordpress.com/?p=5759#comment-3632 I haven't seen these characters, as I haven't seen a Japanese calendar, but it was interesting to read about! :) I haven’t seen these characters, as I haven’t seen a Japanese calendar, but it was interesting to read about! :)

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