It's Halloween season. It is a celebration of the autumn harvest, a welcoming of ancestral spirits, and the warding off of evil spirits. Similar customs are found all over the world. In Mexico, there's 'Día de los Muertos,' which translates to 'Day of the Dead.' In Japan, there's 'Obon,' a festival where the souls of the deceased are welcomed back. Now, do ancestral spirits really come back? Let me share Master Okawa's experience.
A year after grandmother passed away, or perhaps it was the year she died, the following event happened. When I returned home [Tokushima Prefecture] to attend the yearly Obon season [custom related to ancestral memorial], my mother suddenly started experiencing abnormalities in her body. She started to breathe heavily and as she broke out in a greasy sweat, she lay facing up, claiming that she had pain in her heart. It appeared as though she could die any minute.
Looking at the situation objectively, we would have needed to call an ambulance, but because it was the Obon season, I thought to myself, “Wait a minute. This is strange. Maybe some spirit is here” and decided to put some spiritual power in my mother. As I assumed, a possessing spirit appeared and that was my grandmother who passed away only recently. My grandmother's spirit said, “I am only able to return home during Obon season, because it is the only time the gates of Hell open. The gatekeeper takes a summer vacation and because he left, the gate of Hell just opened. I could come out of Hell and that is why I have returned.” Then my mother started experiencing exactly the same symptoms my grandmother had before she passed away.
Since I understood the reason for my mother's abnormalities, I gave a short preach to my grandmother, recited “The Dharma of the Right Mind” and sent her back to the other world. She has now returned to Heaven, but she was in Hell at the time because it hadn't been long since she passed away. Although my mother was almost out of breath and everybody was about to call an ambulance, as soon as my grandmother's spirit dispelled, she calmly stood up and started working in the kitchen within five minutes. This change was so drastic that it would appear unbelievable.
Looking at the situation objectively, we would have needed to call an ambulance, but because it was the Obon season, I thought to myself, “Wait a minute. This is strange. Maybe some spirit is here” and decided to put some spiritual power in my mother. As I assumed, a possessing spirit appeared and that was my grandmother who passed away only recently. My grandmother's spirit said, “I am only able to return home during Obon season, because it is the only time the gates of Hell open. The gatekeeper takes a summer vacation and because he left, the gate of Hell just opened. I could come out of Hell and that is why I have returned.” Then my mother started experiencing exactly the same symptoms my grandmother had before she passed away.
Since I understood the reason for my mother's abnormalities, I gave a short preach to my grandmother, recited “The Dharma of the Right Mind” and sent her back to the other world. She has now returned to Heaven, but she was in Hell at the time because it hadn't been long since she passed away. Although my mother was almost out of breath and everybody was about to call an ambulance, as soon as my grandmother's spirit dispelled, she calmly stood up and started working in the kitchen within five minutes. This change was so drastic that it would appear unbelievable.
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In other sources, Master Okawa has been quoted as saying the following:
The spirits in the other world become more eager and desperate to return because in Japan, many people conduct memorial services during this time of the year. Those spirits start thinking that descendants will surely come to visit their cemetery in Obon season. As a result, strong thoughts from both sides create a bridge between the two, making it easier for the spirits to come out.
It can be said that during the Halloween season, there is a heightened spiritual influence. IRHpress hope that you'll take the opportunity to not only enjoy it as a celebration but also contemplate the deeper spiritual meaning behind it. Have a wonderful Halloween!