“Persons of the Pure Land tradition attain birth in the Pure Land by becoming their foolish selves.”

—Shinran Shōnin, quoting his great teacher Hōnen Shōnin, founder of Jōdo-shū, in Lamp for the Latter Ages, Fascicle 6, CWS, Vol 1, page 531

Did you know the English phrase “bon dance” is unique to Hawaii? In Japan, “bon” is used by itself, as in “bon mairi” (the service that a priest typically officiates in the family home during the Bon Season), or with the honorific “o-“ to indicate respect, as in “obon” (“honorific bon”).

As a kotonk growing up in Los Angeles of the 1960s and 1970s, I knew it as “Obon” in because BCA Minister Emeritus Rev. Masao Kodani emphasized that Obon must first be a religious experience, an opportunity for spiritual growth, a time of reflection leading to awareness of self.

And then, it’s time to have fun!

In my childhood, the Temple would host an Obon “Carnival”, with plenty food and games in addition to dancing, which many people saw as the “entertainment,” something to be watched. Temple members were often so “busy” with food prep, selling, and running games, that they never found the time to dance. The “dancers” tended to be the very “serious” dancers who practiced and perfected their dance moves according to specific traditions and under the guidance of strict teachers.

Rev. Kodani flipped this model upside by insisting the whole point to Obon was to dance, just as you are, to truly become aware of the Ego-Self, which either (1) wants to show off their dance moves (and you’re not that good!); or (2) is so worried about what others think, they find reasons not to dance (and no one is watching anyways!).

The bon dance at Senshin’s Obon always begins with the Awa Odori, the “sea foam dance”, whose opening lyrics can be translated as:

Rev. Kodani would officiate the First Bon Memorial Hatsubon Service, then lead off the dancers with a tenugui towel half-covering his face, yukata hitched up, and show off his own unique take on the dance moves! Rev. Kodani insisted that everyone must dance, no excuses, and over time, the carnival and food booths shrunk down to only hot dogs and sodas being served during the Bon Dance, and replaced by somen noodles being served free after the bon dance and before the Hōraku and Taiko performances in the social hall.

The dance moves are easy to learn, and there is no way to dance the Awa Odori without looking silly. In fact, the whole point is to look silly.

Actually, that’s not true! In Japan, the Awa Odori festival of Tokushima is a massive, nationally televised event, with thousands of dancers organized into dozens of dance troupes, which add their own flourishes, choreography, and costume designs to create a truly spectacular parade through the streets of the city. In Japan, “Bon Dance” is a spectator sport, something you watch, not necessarily something you do, unless you join one of the dance troupes, where perfection is demanded.

When Mimy and I moved to Hawaii in 2013, we were stunned to discover that “Bon Dance” is a major event for all locals, not just Japanese-Americans or Buddhists, but literally everyone in the community, regardless of skin color, religion, or community—everybody just wants to have fun eating, talking story, and dancing, even if you don’t know the moves. The less traditional Bon Dance songs like “Beautiful Sunday” or “Pokemon Ondo” are very, very popular, much to the chagrin of traditionalists. One’s entire summer can be spent going from bon dance to bon dance across the state of Hawaii!

Mimy loves to dance, and will happily bon dance the night away. Me? My Ego makes me so self-conscious that either (1) I will be the “best” dancer on the floor and everyone will notice; or (2) I won’t dance! There is no Buddhist “middle way” in terms of my Ego-Self and bon dancing! That’s why I spend four hours in the Temple Hall, greeting people, giving tours, and answering questions…but not dancing, hahaha! Okay, there’s plenty of good reasons to do that as the resident minister of the temple but shouldn’t I be setting an example?

When we reflect upon the quotation of Hōnen, new layers of meaning emerge.

“Persons of the Pure Land tradition attain birth in the Pure Land by becoming their foolish selves.”

—Shinran Shōnin, quoting his great teacher Hōnen Shōnin, founder of Jōdo-shū, in Lamp for the Latter Ages, Fascicle 6, CWS, Vol 1, page 531

Birth into the Pure Land results in the realization of Supreme Awakening, becoming Buddha, and returning to this samsara world of human confusion and delusion in Oneness with Amida to guide all sentient beings to their Birth into the Pure Land. But what does Hōnen mean when he says, “by becoming their foolish selves” and why does Shinran emphasize this by quoting his teacher?

In the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji tradition, the working of Amida in our unrepeatable lives brings us to an acute awareness of our Ego dominating and driving our thoughts, words, and actions. When you are forced to truly see yourself putting on airs of religious understanding, pretending to be “busy” to avoid the Ego-Self feeling “silly” in front of others, you realize that you are the fool embraced by Amida’s Compassion!

It’s all-too-human to point to others and say, “he/she/they are so egotistical and self-centered”—which we often do to deflect our attention from ourselves and our own selfish thoughts, words, and actions, and thus make ourselves feel better. The human ego will go to great lengths to avoid confronting the Truth.

And thus, Rev. Kodani’s insistence upon dancing at a Bon Dance and the truth revealed by the opening lines of the Awa Odori.

Are you a fool who sits and watches (while secretly wanting to dance)? Or are you a dancin’ fool whose Ego is so big you know everyone is watching you? Or are you a fool who hides in the temple hall behind robes and vestments? (that would be ME)

It doesn’t matter, we are all fools!

Amida’s Great Compassionate Vow, the Primal Vow, the Vow to Save All is intended, from the start, for “fools” in the sense of ordinary, unexceptional, utterly human beings dominated by our Ego-Selves.

And thus, Hōnen is reminding us to make the effort to see through our Ego-Self, to truly understand we are not exceptional, we are not special, we are simply the fool that Amida is compelled to save, no matter how long it takes!

When you internalize this truth, you can dance like a fool, or watch like a fool, but you don’t have to put on airs or pretend you are anything but a fool!

Makawao Hongwanji’s Bon Dance 2023 is the perfect opportunity to confront your Ego-Self and realize the magnitude of Amida’s Compassion that embraces you, just as you are, foolish delusions and all. What are you waiting for? Just dance!

NamoAmidaButsu,

Kerry