Sunday, October 12, 2025
Oeshiki Celebration
Location: Penang Nichiren Shu Buddhist Association
Time: 10.00 AM – 11.30 AM
The Oeshiki ceremony commemorates a miracle: the moment Nichiren Shonin passed away in October (autumn), the cherry trees at the residence where he stayed suddenly burst into full bloom. This out-of-season blossoming symbolizes the eternal truth of the Lotus Sutra, which remains vibrant, alive, and in “spring,” regardless of the seasons or the physical passing of the founder.
Wednesday, December 31, 2025
New Year’s Eve Bell (除夜の鐘)
Location: Nichiren Shu Penang Buddhist Association
Time: 8.00 PM – 10.00 PM
Joya no Kane (“New Year’s Eve Bell”) is a profound Buddhist ceremony observed across Japan every New Year’s Eve (December 31st). Temple bells are solemnly rung 108 times to symbolize the cleansing of the 108 worldly desires (bonnō) believed to cause human suffering. By listening to the bells as the old year ends and the final toll rings in the new, participants symbolically shed their past troubles and begin the New Year with a purified spirit and a fresh start.