The Ten Thousand Whirling Lights Festival

Autumn (September～November) is the time when festivals abound in Japan “The Ten Thousand Whirling Lights Festival” at Okura Daiji Temple (located a short walk from where I live in Setagaya Ward Tokyo) is a dynamic vibrant festival celebrated annually to ensure the safety and continuing affluence of the residence and businesses in the area.

This boisterous festival is believed to bring down the protection of the Secret Laws of the Universe.

Groups representing different areas of the community enter through the temple gate to the accompaniment of rhythmical drumming and haunting pipe music.

The rhythm of the music is contagious and I find my feet dancing along as a hand-full of staff-bearers of both genders take turns at adroitly and skillfully whirling the staffs causing the skirt-like fringes to flair out and in; twisting and twirling as if they were the skirts of giant dancers towering above the heads of the onlooking crowd.

Once the dance whirls to it's conclusion the group gathers in front of the Temple and Chant in unison “Namu-Myo-Hou-Ren-Gei-Kyo” Then a blessing is bestowed on the group and onlookers in the form of a recitation of a portion of the "Lotus Sutra" chanted aloud by the presiding Monk.

Group after group appear at the temple, group after group preform their rights and in this manner the night is truly lit by a thousand whirling lights.

The chant “Namu-Myo-Hou-Ren-Gei-Kyo” encompasses the totality of meaning of these three laws. Laws realized and bought into secular belief by the later day Buddhist Saint Nichiren (1222～1282) through his study and dedication to the practice and understanding of the law of the universe (the law of cause and effect) which he realized through the lifelong study of the “Lotus Sutra”.

My understanding of the main idea behind Nichiren's teachings is that enlightenment is for everyone not just the elite and can be attained by the practice of chanting the Laws and by correct way of life. A concept worth further investigating.

The symbol of the Lotus is key here the roots of the lotus originate in the murky mud at the bottom of a stagnant pond or pool of water, here it gets its nourishment. Nourishment essential for the blossoming that is to follow when the plant forges it's way to the surface of the water.

In human live the idea is echoed in that we are able to grow and mature leading in the end to a flowering and self-realization not in-spite of but because of the struggle to be free of the mud at the bottom of the proverbial pond. This struggle is what nourishes us, the struggle is essential to give us the momentum to grow beyond what we think our capabilities are and align our-selves with our true purpose.

Nichiren’s life is a fascinating story. He was persecuted by the established religions of his time for his communistic ideas. He was once even abducted and sentenced to execution by decapitation but was sent him a timely deliverance with the advent of a meteor appearing in the sky above just as the executioner’s sword was raised to do the deed. The would be executioners fled in fear believing that Nichiren was indeed possession of the law of the universe.