AS THE YEAR TURNS: Dec. 31 and Jan. 1

Midnight Bell Ringing, or Joya-no-kane, at Shelter Island. Photo courtesy of Joyce Teague.

Three opportunities for peace & calm

Services and Events continue on New Year’s Eve and Day

We have two services at our Temple, and one at the Shelter Island San Diego-Yokohama Friendship Bell, to ease into a New Year of peace and calm. Please choose the event that’s right for you.

sunday, December 31, Morning and night

MORNING: At 11 a.m. join us for Joya-E at the Temple. When December 31 falls on a Sunday, we schedule Joya-E earlier in the day to accommodate our members, even those who don’t drive at night.

Join us for a short service in the Hondo (main hall) and a chance to help us ring in the New Year. After paying our respects to Amida Buddha, attendees are invited to ring our Kansho (bell) 108 times, a Japanese Buddhist tradition. Everyone in attendance gets a chance to ring the bell one or more times.

NIGHT: At 11:30 p.m., join us for Joya-no-Kane at the Yokohama Friendship Bell. , we get a chance to ring this large Bonsho-style bell, weighing two tons in cast bronze, similar to the huge Temple Bells in Japan. To strike the bell, we use a hanging log on a lanyard! Before we ring the bell we present a super-brief chant and discuss the history of the Yokohama Friendship Bell. Most of the year, the bell is unavailable to the public. We are grateful to the Port Commission for providing us the opportunity to make it available to the public.

Monday, January 1, Morning

At 10 a.m. at the Temple, Shuso-E. In this short service we welcome the New Year by paying our respects to Amida Buddha and dedicate ourselves to the Dharma for another year.

We hope you can join us for at least one of these events or services to help you start the New Year with a clean slate and a light step.

 

Ring Our Online Bell. If you can’t make it to one of our end of year bell-ringings, you can still ring the bell online with this post from the Covid years when we were unable to meet in person.

Online Bell Ringing Here.

 

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

Translations and Traditions

  • Joya-E. Jo (除) means “to throw out” and Ya (夜) means “night,” and most New Year’s Eves this is a night-time service, but can be held in daylight as well. We take advantage of this service to cast out the troubles of the past year and begin the new year with new resolutions and a clear head. We assemble before the shrine of Amida Buddha to quietly recollect the happenings of the year and to rejoice in the blessings of Amida. (Edited from explanation by Seattle Buddhist Temple.)

  • Joya no Kane. As shown above, Jo (除) means “to throw out” and Ya (夜) means “night.” Kane (鐘) means “bell.” The particle no (の) links Joya to Kane. So Joya no Kane refers specifically to the ritual ringing of the bell to allow us to ring out the old and ring in the new. The ritual specifies 108 times.

  • Shuso-E. Originally a gathering to hope for a good harvest for the coming year, the observance was adapted within the Jodo Shinshu tradition for focusing on the Buddha’s teachings, as a way for us to correct our path or rededicate ourselves as needed.

  • The Number 108. For an explanation of the symbolism, behind the number 108, see here.

BT SD