As the warm sunlight typical of the equinox shines from the side, visitors arrive one by one bearing flowers for the dead. The rather strong spring wind pushes on the backs of those who come, as if urging them to meet their ancestors.
The precious time we spend apart from the hustle and bustle of everyday life praying at the grave calms our minds. We cannot help but feel anew how important it is to have this quiet time to reflect on ourselves.
Those who participate in the Higan-e ceremony must first check in on the first floor of the main hall. Each of these steps may serve as a way of mentally preparing those who are participating for the ceremony.
Five minutes before the ceremony began, all 50 or so seats were filled. Everyone was quietly preparing themselves mentally.
At Shokoji Temple, we place great importance on chanting the Nembutsu to go to the Pure Land at the end of our lives, and on introspection in order to live our lives to the fullest until we reach that point. In order to place great importance on chanting the Nembutsu and introspection, it was announced before the ceremony that from this time onwards, only the chief priest would be offering incense.
During the ceremony, some people quietly reflect in their own way, such as closing their eyes and sitting upright, joining their hands in prayer, or simply gazing intently at the ceremony.
After the sutra reading, the head priest once again spoke about the importance of chanting the Nembutsu and introspection, and the ceremony came to a quiet end with everyone chanting the tenth prayer.
As they carried their stupas to visit the graves, their steps looked light and filled with determination for the new daily lives that would begin tomorrow.
I was sure that I would be able to see him again with a smile on his face at the next Buddhist service, and I felt like I had been energized by seeing him like that.
English 
Japanese