August 15 is not only the solemnity of the Assumption of Virgin Mary but also the day that Japan surrendered to end the war, and also the eve of the last day of O-Bon Festival in the Japanese Buddhism custom. Is it coincidental to have these on the same day - August 15? Or, is there a certain meaning behind and to be discerned? This blog article attempts to answer.
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August 15 is the solemn feast of the Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary, the Theotokos (the Mother of God). It is the day to remember that Mary was assumed (taken) into heaven, as also prayed in the fourth glorious mystery of the Rosary, followed by the her heavenly coronation in the fifth glorious mystery.
As Mary, who was conceived
immaculate, was assumed into heaven, with her body and soul altogether, when
her “tenure” on earth was over, her body was not subject to earthly decay.
Therefore, her full-of-grace status has never been compromised at all.
The feast day of Mary’s Assumption,
August 15, is also the day to mark the end of Japan’s imperialistic militarism,
as it was this day, 70 years ago, that Japan accepted the Potsdam Ultimatum and
surrendered to the Allied Forces.
Another significance of this day is
that it is the eve of the last day of the O-bon Festival, which runs from
August 13 through August 16, in the Japanese Buddhist custom, fused with old
Japanese indigenous ancestor veneration tradition, as well as Confucianism’s
filial piety tradition and Taoism’s concept of the word of the dead. This is
the period when the spirits of the deceased – the spirits of the ancestors
return to the world of living.
Perhaps, influenced by the Ullambana Sutra, in which
Buddha instructs his disciple, Maudgalyayana,
how he can help his mother’s suffering spirit to obtain some relief, Japaense
O-Bon Festival is the festival to bring some respite for the spirits of the
deceased from sufferings, especially if they have not attain the heavenly state
– Nirvana, by offering some food items on a plate (o-obon). In a way, Japanese O-Bon Festival is like a
combination of the All Souls Day, on which we pray for the souls of the
deceased in Purgatory (the Suffering Church) for indulgence, which is a
remission from temporal punishment so that they may join the saints in Heaven
(Triumphant Church).
The Assumption
of Blessed Virgin Mary, the end of Japan’s imperialistic militarism, and O-bon
Festival – all on August 15. Is this a
coincidence? Or, is there any significance that we can reflect on?
In light of the
Buddhist concept of causes and conditions, there is nothing coincidental, as
all phenomenon are associated with one other although we may not fully
understand with human wisdom and cognition.
In other words, nothing in the universe – no phenomena – is in isolation
or occurs by accident. Given this, the
Assumption, the end of Japan’s imperialistic militarism, and O-bon, are related
as in the manner of the causes and conditions, though it may be beyond our
comprehension.
One thing we can
reflect on is what may be discerned as a common factor that runs through the
Assumption, the end of Japan’s imperialistic militarism, and O-bon.
First, these are
to connect this world and Heaven.
The Assumption
of Blessed Virgin Mary is a hopeful reminder for us that we, too, may be raised
into heaven, as Mary was assumed, eschatologically, as long as we follow the
way of her Son, Jesus Christ. In fact,
Mary, who is also our mother ( John 19:27), wants us to do whatever her son
told to do (John 2:5).
Jesus’ mission
is to shepherd us into the ultimate Promised Land, Heaven. For us to be there,
we must be his sheep – his disciples. Among the disciples before, Mary is the
perfect one, as she is full of grace, which means that she is immaculate. Not only that she was perfectly obedient to
the will of the Father in heaven (i.e. Luke 1:38) but also she was a faithful
follower of the Son, as she was one of the few disciples who followed Jesus all
the way to the foot of his Cross, while other disciples scattered. If we can to find the best example of
following the way of Jesus – to understand what it means to follow his way, we
can look up to the way Mary lived on earth. Then, we know that we will be also
assumed into Heaven, as Mary was, when the time comes.
For most of us,
it is quite difficult to go straight to Heaven from the earth. Many of us will
spend some time in Purgatory, where our souls will be purified and refined, on
our way to Heaven.
O-bon Festival,
like All Souls Day, is for the spirits of the deceased, who may be still
suffering and may not put to the eternal rest in peace. O-bon Festival is to give a respite from suffering
through offerings, while All Souls Day is to offer prayers for the poor souls
in Purgatory to be released into Heaven so that they can join saints there.
As reflected
both in the Japanese Emperor’s remarks and the Japanese Prime Minister’s
remarks in commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of the war
that Japan had fought in its imperialistic militarism, August 15 is a day to
pray for the spirits of those who were killed and those who had suffered before they died through the war and as a
result of the war, in the countries where Japan engaged in battles and ruled
with its military government, as well as in Japan, where many cities were
incinerated by air-raids and by atomic bombings, and in Okinawa, where bloody
land battles took place. This is a day
to show that we do not forget so many lives that have suffered and lost during
and as a result of the war that Japan’s imperialistic militarism was involved.
In remembering
August 15, as the day that the war ended with Japan’s surrender, though the
land battles in Okinawa and Soviet forces’ invasion of Manchuria, Sakhalin, and
the Kuril Islands (then-Japanese territories)
still continued on and resulted in more bloody deaths, it is also a day
that a relief from the war. At least,
except for these areas, no more firings and bombings, as Japanese soldiers laid
their weapons as the Emperor of Japan announced the end of the war on this day,
1945.
The Japanese
Emperor’s announcement to end the war and command to surrender to the terms of
the Allied Forces sure meant a relief, though it also brought a new anxiety as
to what would happen to Japan and how the survivors of the war would be treated
as the Allied Forces would occupy Japan. To address this anxiety, the Emperor
encouraged to endure with hope for a better and peaceful future of Japan in
harmony with the rest of the world, as letting the imperialistic militarism go.
In a way, August
15, 1945, as the end of a hell on earth that Japan’s imperialistic militarism
brought not only to many nations in Asia but also to Japan. It was also the
beginning of the post-war, post-imperialistic-militarism “purgatory” as Japan
began to move to rebuild itself and the war-ravaged Asian nations also began to
rebuild themselves. Through these “purgatory” years after the war, Japan has
not only transformed into a new peaceful nation but also reconciled with almost
all Asian nations and Allied Forces nations. At the same time, Western colonialism, which
had been oppressing Asia and to which Japan challenged during the war, has been
replaced by full sovereignties of the Asian nations. In this post-war world
today, Japan is no longer a threat to Asia and the Western nations are no
longer colonizers.
It is hoped that
the way Japan has transformed itself throughout these “purgatory” years helps
the spirits and souls to have some respite, if not necessarily a complete
relief or indulgence yet, from suffering, especially those suffering spirits
and souls from the war, due to anger and hatred, as O-bon is to give some
relief from suffering to the spirits of the deceased and the ancestors – if not
yet to attain eternal peace - Nirvana.
It is also hoped that all the spirits and souls of the deceased and our
ancestors will be led to Heaven from wherever they may be now so that there is
no more suffering not only here on earth
but also in the world of the deceased. For those who believe in Jesus’
promise of the resurrection (John 6:40), made during his Bread of Life
Discourse, it is our hope that Japan’s surrender to end the war prompts all of
us on earth and in Purgatory to be raised our bodies and souls altogether into
Heaven, as Mary was assumed with her body and soul.
The Assumption
of Mary also symbolizes a farewell. In
Hebrew tradition, in bidding a farewell, the word, “shalom”, which means peace,
is given. In other words, in sending a
person off and departing, we wish peace. Mary was a Jewish woman. So, we can see Mary
wishing us peace on earth in leaving into Heaven.
After all, it
was Jesus, the Son of God the Father, Mary’s son, as well, who said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I
give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be
troubled, nor let it be fearful (John 14:27), to
prepare his disciples for his departure during the Last Supper.
As O-bon Festival completes on the
day after August 15, as Mary left this world with her Assumption, all the
spirits and souls, who enjoyed the benefits of our offerings for relief, leave
us in this world. As we strive to make this earth more peaceful place, we can
exchange a farewell greetings of “shalom”, as they leave and return to their
places beyond this world, hopefully getting closer to Heaven or Nirvana.
Let us mark August 15 as a day for “shalom”.
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