Obon! Obon! It’s festival time! For Jodo Shinshu Buddhists, Obon is a time for family and friends to gather, eat, and dance to remember and give thanks to our loved ones who have passed on before us.
This year, West Los Angeles Buddhist Temple has decided to observe all our Obon festivities online. We will have three weekends of various online events, all via Zoom. All events are open to the public! We hope you will be able to join us!
Sunday, July 11, 10 a.m.: Obon and Hatsubon Dharma Service
Join us for this special Dharma service as we remember and thank all those who have passed away before us.
English Dharma message: Rev. Candice Shibata, Stockton Buddhist Temple
Japanese Dharma message: Rev. Koho Takata, WLABT
To receive a Zoom link, email: WLADharmaCenter@gmail.com
Sunday, July 18, 10 a.m.: Obon and Hatsubon Memorial Service for COVID-19 Victims
Join us for this special Dharma service as we remember all those who have lost their lives to COVID-19.
English and Japanese Dharma message:
Rev. Marvin Harada, bishop, Buddhist Churches of America
To receive a Zoom link, email: WLADharmaCenter@gmail.com or register at: https://tinyurl.com/Obon2021Memorial
Sunday, July 18, 11 a.m.: Webinar: The Meaning of Obon and Its Dance
Do you ever wonder why we observe Obon and why we dance? Come find out with us as we explore the meaning and history behind this annual event!
Presented by: Rev. Masao Kodani, minister emeritus, Buddhist Churches of America
To receive a Zoom link, email: WLADharmaCenter@gmail.com or register: https://tinyurl.com/Obon21-History
Saturday, July 25, 10 a.m.: Virtual Obon Dancing and Taiko Performance
We can’t dance all together in the street this year, but dance along at home being led by our= WLABT dance teachers on Zoom and watch the WLABT Taiko group perform!
To receive a Zoom link, email: WLADharmaCenter@gmail.com or register at: https://tinyurl.com/WLABT-Obon2021
Obon Memorial Lanterns: Ongoing through July 25
Remember your loved ones at our Virtual Obon this year with an Obon Memorial Lantern! The Obon Memorial Lantern is a way to express our gratitude and appreciation to our family members and friends who have left this existence and became a Buddha. The Obon Memorial Lanterns will be displayed throughout our Obon season on our temple website with the name of your loved one.
For more information on how to receive a lantern with your loved one’s name, contact: WLADharmaCenter@gmail.com or visit: https://www.wlabt.org/virtual-obon-2021
Obon Obento: Pre-order by July 15 / Pick up on July 24 between 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
In an effort to support our local community restaurants in the Sawtelle neighborhood and Westside, we are offering various dishes provided by Shin-Sen-Gumi, Aki Restaurant, Harajuku Taproom, Rutt’s Hawaiian Cafe, and B-Sweet Dessert Bar. All proceeds will go towards the respective restaurants.
To see the menu and for more information on how to order, visit: https://www.wlabt.org/virtual-obon-2021
We look forward to seeing you all at West LA Buddhist Temple’s Virtual Obon 2021!