San Luis Obispo Buddhist Temple OBON Festival
The annual Obon Festival will be celebrated at the Veteran’s Memorial Hall at 801 Grand Avenue in San Luis Obispo on August 1, 2009 beginning at 1:00 pm.

Music, Food, Crafts, Bonsai, Marshall Arts, Taiko, and items for sale from various vendors. At 6:45 begins Obon Odori and at 8:00 will begin the raffle with a grand prize of $1,000.00 and many other prizes including other cash prized. Tickets for the raffle or teriyaki chicken dinner are available in advance by calling the church or at the festival.

Obon is an annual Buddhist event for commemorating one's ancestors.
The Obon Festival can be traced to a Buddhist sutra that tells the story of Mogallana, a disciple of Budda who, in meditation, saw his deceased mother suffering in the realm of hungry ghosts. He tried giving her food but it turned into flames. Buddha advised him to engage in a “jishi”, or retreat, and make an offering for his fellow monks. This done, he saw his mother released from suffering and he danced for joy. Varying interpretations evolved over the years, including the belief that spirits of ancestors actually revisit this world. Pine torches are attached to bamboo to welcome spirits to the family home, and on the final day of the observance, spirits are said to return to the nether world, guided by candle-lit lanterns that are set adrift on water.
Obon remains one of the most important Buddhist observances. The typical Obon is a blend of somber reflection and celebration of those before us.

Schedule

1:00 - Vendors and Food booths open
2:00 - Ichimi Daiko Taiko Demo
2:30 - 5 Cities Judo    
3:30 - Daito Ryu Aiki Jujitsu
4:00 - Toyama-ryu (Swordsmanship)    
4:15 - Bonsai Demonstration
5:30 - Ichimi Daiko Performance    
6:45 - Obon Odori
8:00 – Raffle Drawing