Hanamatsuri Brings Island Buddhists Together

April 9, 2007

Author: Dennis Fujimoto

Source: The Buddhist Channel/The Garden

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=65,3934,0,0,1,0

Kaua'i, Hawaii (USA) -- For youngsters, the pouring of the sweet tea over the figure of the Buddha was the highlight Sunday, when more than 300 Buddhists from around the island celebrated Hanamatsuri.

“It’s not very often that Hanamatsuri and Easter fall on the same day,” said Brian Yamamoto of the Kapa‘a Hongwanji Mission. “Last year I think the two events were a week apart, but this year it falls on the same day.”

Organizers of the islandwide event took that into consideration, setting up enough seats for about 300 people at the Kaua‘i Veterans Center.

Hosted by the Kaua‘i Buddhist Council, which consists of several different sects of Buddhist churches, the congregation melded together as notes from the combined West Kaua‘i Hongwanji singers and the Lihu‘e Hongwanji Mission choir opened the festivities in song.