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Published on 07/15/1996 All articles from this issue

A gathering of joy

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By Margaret Abe

Special to the Town Crier

Mountain View Buddhist Temple celebrates 44th annual Obon Festival

This weekend, local families and friends will gather together to celebrate Obon, a mid-summer Buddhist holiday dedicated to feeling joy and gratitude for the gifts of life, heritage, and all good things believers have taken for granted or forgotten.

It is a time to share with family, friends and community the things of utmost value. Obon and Bon Odori are also the annual opportunities to remember those who have died.

The 44th annual Obon Festival and Bazaar will make tangible this sense of joy at a two-day event on Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m. and Sunday, from noon to 10 p.m. at the Mountain View Buddhist Temple, 575 N. Shoreline Blvd.

The festival, chaired by George Abey, Shozo Mayeda and Chuck Yoneda, will present food booths (both Japanese and American), cultural exhibits, a flower shop, bookstore and games for children and adults.

Highlighting the Obon Festival is a special appearance by Robert Corella Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the "Garden Stage." Corella, a 48-year old elementary school art teacher in Phoenix, holds black belts in judo, kendo and iaido, a 400-year-old form of swordsmanship mastered by samurai warriors. Enamored of Japanese culture since his two-year stay in Himeji (the sister city to Phoenix) and 15 visits to Japan, he also collects swords and is a bonsai gardening hobbyist.

"The sword," says Corella, "is a spiritual instrument of controlling the self. True devotion to the art of iaido can develop a strong spirit and better control over one's emotions." Corella holds a black belt in this distinctive martial art.

Also on Sunday, at 7 p.m., a demonstration of traditional "Bon Odori" dancing will be led by instructor Marilyn Ozawa, professionally known as Sanjo Kanyoshi. Gratitude for the goodness of life is the source of dancing during Obon.

In the Jodoshinshu tradition, "Obon" is also called "Kangi-e," or the "season of gathering joy." In addition to enjoying the company of good friends and teachers, Japanese Buddhists observing Obon also visit cemeteries and conduct memorial services.

According to members of the Buddhist Temple, the Obon Festival and Bazaar is attended each year by more than 30,000 people. The festival is open to the general public, and both admission and parking, on the temple grounds, are free.

For more information, call the Mountain View Buddhist Temple at 964-9426.

Abe, a longtime Los Altos resident, handles publicity for the Obon Festival.