Spring Higan memorial service

The spring equinox is the three days before and after the middle day of the spring equinox (a total of seven days). During this period, Buddhist memorial services are held to comfort the spirits of ancestors.

The reason why Vernal Equinox Day is designated as a national holiday is to “honor nature and respect all living creatures.
On the far shore of spring, botamochi (rice cakes with red bean paste) are offered as an offering.

The word “To Higan” also has the meaning of “reaching the other shore. It refers to the practice of attaining enlightenment from the world of worldly desires.

Of the seven days of the far shore, the spring equinox, the middle day, is dedicated to remembering ancestors, and the other six days are dedicated to practicing the Roku-Haramitsu, one day at a time.

Roku-Haramitsu” refers to the six practices that one must perform in order to reach the other shore while still in this world.
Fuse-paramita: to do good deeds generously for others without asking for anything in return.
Jikai (precepts): to observe the precepts, to be modest, and not to cause trouble to others.
Ninjoku (Ninjitsu): to accept and endure misfortune that befalls you.
Shoshin (diligence): to continue to make a sincere effort.
Zensho (Zen meditation): to always have a quiet mind and not to be agitated.
Wisdom (chie): to correctly discern the truth of things without being caught up in anger, complaining, or greed.
The day of the Spring Equinox, when the sun rises in the true east and sets in the true west, is considered to be the day when this world (this shore) and the other world (the other shore) are most easily connected.