Autumn Equinox Ceremony

About this event

The Autumn Equinox Ceremony at Shitennoji Temple is a Higan observance during which monks perform memorial services for deceased ancestors and pray for all beings to attain spiritual liberation. According to Buddhist belief, the equinox is when the worlds of the living and the dead are most closely aligned, making it the ideal time for prayers of passage. The ancient, atmospheric precincts of Shitennoji lend the ceremony a deep solemnity.