Every March 21 is お彼岸【OHIGAN】 of spring. People visit graves and pray for their ancestors.
ぼた餅【BOTA-MOCHI】;Rice dumplings covered by Anko Boiled Sweet Beans are offered.

 

What’s O-higan?

The middle day of HIGAN and 六波羅蜜【ROKUHARAMITSU】

OHIGAN of Automn 

How to make BOTAMOCHI and OHAGI

Medicine meal dishes master Takatsu Moromi make Medicine BOTAMOCHI/OHAGI

 

What’s O-HIGAN?

OHIGAN is seven days before and after the Vernal equinox day, March 21th.

People visit graves and offer ぼたもち【BOTAMOCHI】to their ancestors.

On the equinox day,  the length of day and night are the same.Therefore, it is considered that the day is the closest to paradise or nirvana.

. Equinox is one of the twenty-four seasons, and it is around March 20 or 21 every year.

This year was March 21.On this day, the sun rose from east and set to west,

Day and night lengths are about the same.

In Japan, it is believed that the paradise of the ancestors lives in the west,
There is a habit of visiting graves on this day as it is the easiest to communicate.

The spring equinox “spring equinox” has a backlash,
Along the same length of midnight, “Akihigashi” with a hagaki
I will visit you.

Religious meaning of Equinox Day

Gokuraku Jodo is a calm and happy place without any worries.
It is a human race’s desire to go there when he dies.

By the way, “Minami Muamida Buddha”
When he died, the paradise of Amida Buddha
Words that we wish to be born.

The Jodo Shinshu, which is very popular in Niigata under the influence of Shinran,
Anyway, just singing that memorial Buddha
You can go to paradise! It is a teaching.

But you need training to gain enlightenment!
Of course
(Enlightenment means living without trouble and suffering
It also means reaching the border of the paradise of paradise).

So three days before and after the equinoctial week,
For a total of 7 days including the day
By performing the training called “Rokuharamitsu”
There is a sect that preaches to make an effort to approach the frontier of enlightenment.

“Rokuharamitsu”, training in the spring equinox

1st day: Fuse / Apply to others
2nd day: Reprimand / Strict commandment
3rd day: insult (garlic) / enduring spicy and disgusting things
Pooohigan-
4th day: Shojin / Continuing to work hard
5th day: Zenjo / Maintaining the feelings of Zen
Sixth day: Wisdom of the Buddha and the universe

Before and after everyone’s Equinox Day,
When you spend consciously these
How is it (｀ ・ ω ・ ´）

 

World Equinox Events

By the way, the equinoctial week is a custom only in Japan
It is not found in the same Buddhist-speaking countries such as China and India.

In the Christian area, counting from the next full moon
The Easter Festival takes place on the first Sunday is A festival where the goddess of spring and the resurrection of Christ were crossed
Easter eggs, a symbol of life,
Chocolate and the like, which symbolize a prolific symbol rabbit, are exchanged.