
Reverend Zuigaku Kodachi is Head Priest of the Buddhist congregation, Nichiren Shu Minori Kai, and Professor Emeritus at Lewis & Clark University. Reverend Kodachi first moved to the United States from his native Japan more than 60 years ago and has helped educate multiple generations on both Buddhism and Japanese culture writ large. Among the many acts of cultural diplomacy the Reverend has embarked on was the introduction of O-Bon (the Spirit Festival) to Portland Japanese Garden in 1976.
Prior to chanting, Reverend Kodachi walks guests through the significance of O-Bon as well as the etymology of the word O-Bon to deepen their understanding. Below is a summary of what he has shared over the years.
To learn more about Reverend Kodachi’s long history of collaboration with Portland Japanese Garden, click the button below.
O-Bon is an opportunity for people and communities to gather to honor our beloved ones who have passed and express our sincere appreciation and gratitude to them.
The O-Bon was officially introduced in Japan in 606 C.E. during the reign of the 33rd Japanese Emperor, Empress Suiko, but it originated in Central Asia.
O-Bon is the transliteration of the title of the Mahayana sutra, the Ullambana-Sutra. This sutra was very popular among Mahayana Buddhist texts. According to linguistic scholar Dr. Yutaka Iwamoto, the word Ullambana was derived from the ancient Iranian word Urvan, which means soul.
Through the transmigration this Buddhist text, we can observe the existence of international communication and diversity in the history of mankind.
Sogdiana (Sogdia) was an ancient Iranian state in the Old Persian Empire, spanning present-day Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Sogdiana was an important international trading hub between the East and West. Sogdiana’s capital city, Samarkand, was known as one of the major historical oasis cities on the Silk Road in Central Asia. It is through this vast network that the Sogdian people brought the tradition and custom of O-Bon to China in the fifth century before it would be transmitted to Japan.
The origin of O-Bon’s concept of Oneness has great influence on mankind and the history of peace in the world. Even though the tradition of O-Bon is closely related to Buddhism, its spirit is universal and widely appreciated by people, regardless of their beliefs or backgrounds.
