Enlightenment day

The day of enlightenment or Bodhi day ( Japanese 釈 迦 成 道 会 , Shaka-Jōdō-e , short: 成 道 会 , Jōdō-e ) is a memorial day in Mahayana Buddhism, which commemorates the enlightenment of Shakyamuni Buddha under the Bodhi tree in 525 BC Remembered.

According to the Chinese calendar , Enlightenment Day is celebrated on the eighth day of the twelfth moon and, according to Japanese tradition, on December 8th.

In some Zen institutions, Rohatsu Sesshins are offered in the week before enlightenment day , which tie in with the Buddha's enlightenment after a week of meditation.

Web links

• Documentation of a Rohatsu sesshin in the Shōgen-ji Koster by Toshimaro Ama NHK, Tokyo 1988, on YouTube