I attended Toro Nagashi 灯籠流しon the last day of Obon in Arashiyama, Kyoto. 'Toro' means lantern, while 'Nagashi' means flow or cruise. In this case, Toro Nagashi literally translates as the flowing of lanterns along the river. These decorated paper lanterns were lit one by one before they were released into the Katsura river, at Togetsu bridge 渡月橋 from the vantage point at Nakanoshima Park to commemorate the souls of ancestors. The lanterns bobbed up and down in the river, gently collided with each other and then floated together in clusters. Obon お盆 is a Japanese Buddhist custom, in which it honours the spirits of one's ancestors. This custom has involved into a family reunion of sorts, when the Japanese return to their ancestral family homes to clean their graves. It is also the time when the spirits revisit their family homes. It was a gloomy summer afternoon in Arashiyama, dark clouds lingered above that brought intermittent showers and compounded to the humidity that pervaded the surroundings. In retrospect, the Element of Water played a significant role in the grand scheme of events that happened - the episodes of rain a few hours before the festival and the river that carried the lanterns. The rain came as a blessing in disguise. It helped to clear my mind and embrace new perspectives. The lanterns were led by the natural flow of water, which is constantly changing but also, a constant pulse of life. It seemed to me that we are like the lanterns, sometimes going with the flow, sometimes floating aimlessly, at times gathered in groups because that's when we are most comfortable. With the ebb and flow of the tide, there are periods in time when we find ourselves on an emotional high or low. There are also times when we know that our current situations are temporary and that they will get better if we learn to persevere through them. I sat there watching comtemplatively, feeling blessed to have such an opportunity to partake in this spiritually enriching festival in Japan.
To me, Obon feels like a time for remembering our roots, celebrating our past and also, a period of hope and self-renewal.
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