This service is held on New Year’s Eve to express gratitude for the past year and to reflect on the interdependency of all life, and on all things that have made it possible for one to life through the year. At the conclusion of the service, attendees ring the kansho...

Bodhi Day celebrates the enlightenment of the historical Buddha (Shakyamuni) under the Bodhi Tree. Temples hold special services around this time.

Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on September 21st. The United Nations General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. In 2007, Hawaii became the first state to recognize...

The word Higan means the “Other Shore” of enlightenment. Higan is a week-long observance, held during the weeks of the vernal equinox and autumnal equinox. Hongwanji temples hold special services during this time. Traditionally, Amida Buddha’s Pure Land is regarded as being in the west. On both equinoxes, the length...