En la primera y segunda parte sobre la historia y creencias de Okinawa sobre el butsudan, se ha visto la parte histórica y práctica, pero enfocadas primordialmente en Okinawa. En esta tercera parte, se tratará de describir el uso y algo de historia de los diferentes elementos que conforman un butsudan casero desde un punto de vista personal, es decir, desde la experiencia de mi propia familia (peruano-nikkei) en atender un butsudan.
Se dice que no es aconsejable tener dos butsudan dentro de la misma casa, pero no siempre se puede cumplir al pie de la letra porque “no hay quien lo lleve” o simplemente, porque “no sabemos como llevar un butsudan”. Pero dicen que si a pesar de todo se tiene dos butsudan dentro de la misma casa (como en mi casa), estos altares deben estar en ambientes diferentes, separados por una pared (y siempre en las áreas principales de la casa, no en los dormitorios). Hay otras personas, que dicen que eso no es suficiente y que más bien, la casa debe tener dos puertas de ingreso (la puerta principal y la puerta falsa). En mi caso, no tengo dos puertas pero si están separados por una pared.
Aunque el butsudan parezca un simple mueble, no se debe mover de un lado a otro y como un altar de veneración, en caso que se necesite mover (por ejemplo, por mudanza), es necesario consultar a un yuta para saber qué fecha es apropiado hacerlo y en qué lugar.
El butsudan en sí es un altar de veneración, y aunque se profese la religión católica (en la mayoría de las casas nikkei en Perú), parece que se pide más al butsudan por protección, ayuda (quizás porque hemos conocido al difunto y la relación es más cercana) que a Dios, o a los santos. Se dice también que una casa está más protegida que una que no lo tiene. Conversando con algunos familiares, vecinos y amigos que tienen un butsudan en casa, coincidimos que un butsudan protege más a una familia cuando el fallecido ha dejado algo inconcluso antes de morir.
Por ejemplo, cuando un padre de familia muere joven dejando a su viuda y a sus pequeños hijos, se ha visto que ellos, especialmente los niños, no quedan totalmente desamparados y que el padre los sigue cuidando, incluso después de haber fallecido, a veces nos podemos dar cuenta de eso cuando ocurren algunos "milagros" o cosas que no podemos explicar.
Por ejemplo, una familia, cuyo cabeza de familia había fallecido, vivía en un barrio limeño un tanto peligroso. Una noche, entraron unos ladrones a la casa y cuando estos pretendían subir al segundo piso, donde se encontraban los niños durmiendo; y misteriosamente se cae una ventana, haciendo que los ladrones salgan despavoridos de la casa, quedando los niños a salvo. Lo curioso, o más bien, lo milagroso, era que esa ventana estaba muy cerca al butsudan de su padre.
Y aunque fuese una feliz coincidencia (una serie de eventos que no se pueden explicar fácilmente al mismo tiempo que tenemos un butsudan en la casa), no cabe duda que por el solo hecho de tener un butsudan no solamente estamos continuando con una tradición, sino que, seguimos manteniendo un vínculo con nuestros familiares fallecidos.
Nuestra veneración a nuestros familiares fallecidos no radica en la veneración al butsudan como tal, sino en su significado: es un lugar donde podemos sentir la presencia o podemos contactar con nuestros familiares fallecidos (a través de la oración).
Por eso, los distintos objetos que encontramos en un butsudan, llamados butsugu 仏具, tienen un significado, lo que se muestra a continuacion:
The historical and practical part about the butsudan were covered in the first and second part of the "History and Believes of Okinawa" series, but focused mainly on Okinawa. In this third part, some history and use of the different elements constituing a household butsudan are described from a personal point of view, that is, from my own family’s experience (Peruvian-Nikkei) in attending a butsudan.
It is said that having two butsudan inside the same house is not advisable, but it cannot be followed it to the letter, because “there is nobody who can attend it” or simply because “we do not know how to attend a butsudan”. But it is said that whether nevertheless two butsudan are held inside the same house (as at my home), these altars must be placed in different areas, divided by a wall (and always, its location must be in the main areas of the house, not in the bedrooms). There are some people, who said instead that this is not enough and the house must rather have two entrance door (the main door and the backdoor). In my case, I do not have two entrance doors but these altars are separated from each other by a wall.
Although the butsudan looks like a plain furniture, it cannot be moved from one place to another and since it is an altar of veneration, in case it is required to moved it (for example, in a moving), a yuta is required to be consulted to determine when and where can be placed in the new house.
The butsudan itself is an altar of veneration, and although the Catholic religion is practiced (in most of the Nikkei houses in Peru), it seems that protection and help are sought mostly to the butsudan (maybe due to the fact we have met the deceased and so the relationship is closer) instead to God or to the saints. It is said also that a house is more protected than one without a butsudan. Chatting with some relatives, neighbors and friends who have a butsudan at home, we agreed that a family is more protected by a butsudan when the deceased had left something unconcluded before dying.
For example, when a father with family died young leaving a widow and his little children, it has seemed that them, especially these children, are not totally unprotected and their father still is taking care of them, even after death; and we sometimes cannot realize of that when some “miracles” or unexplainable things happen.
That happened to a family, whose head of the family died, lived in a Limenia somewhat -dangerous neighborhood. One night, some burglars entered into the house and when they tried to go to the 2nd floor, where the children were sleeping, mysteriously a window pane felt down, causing the burglars to leave scared and so the children were safe. The curious thing, or rather the miraculous thing is that such window was very closer to the father’s butsudan.
And although it is a happy coincidence (an easily-unexplainable series of events occurring at the same time we have a butsudan at home); and certainly by just owning a butsudan we are not only continuing a tradition, but also, we are continuing a link with our deceased relatives.
Our veneration to our deceased relatives does not lie on the veneration to the butsudan as such, but in its meaning: it is a place where we can feel the presence or we can contact to our deceased relatives (by our prayers).
For that, the several objects placed in a butsudan, called butsugu 仏具, have a meaning, as described as follows:
The historical and practical part about the butsudan were covered in the first and second part of the "History and Believes of Okinawa" series, but focused mainly on Okinawa. In this third part, some history and use of the different elements constituing a household butsudan are described from a personal point of view, that is, from my own family’s experience (Peruvian-Nikkei) in attending a butsudan.
It is said that having two butsudan inside the same house is not advisable, but it cannot be followed it to the letter, because “there is nobody who can attend it” or simply because “we do not know how to attend a butsudan”. But it is said that whether nevertheless two butsudan are held inside the same house (as at my home), these altars must be placed in different areas, divided by a wall (and always, its location must be in the main areas of the house, not in the bedrooms). There are some people, who said instead that this is not enough and the house must rather have two entrance door (the main door and the backdoor). In my case, I do not have two entrance doors but these altars are separated from each other by a wall.
Although the butsudan looks like a plain furniture, it cannot be moved from one place to another and since it is an altar of veneration, in case it is required to moved it (for example, in a moving), a yuta is required to be consulted to determine when and where can be placed in the new house.
The butsudan itself is an altar of veneration, and although the Catholic religion is practiced (in most of the Nikkei houses in Peru), it seems that protection and help are sought mostly to the butsudan (maybe due to the fact we have met the deceased and so the relationship is closer) instead to God or to the saints. It is said also that a house is more protected than one without a butsudan. Chatting with some relatives, neighbors and friends who have a butsudan at home, we agreed that a family is more protected by a butsudan when the deceased had left something unconcluded before dying.
For example, when a father with family died young leaving a widow and his little children, it has seemed that them, especially these children, are not totally unprotected and their father still is taking care of them, even after death; and we sometimes cannot realize of that when some “miracles” or unexplainable things happen.
That happened to a family, whose head of the family died, lived in a Limenia somewhat -dangerous neighborhood. One night, some burglars entered into the house and when they tried to go to the 2nd floor, where the children were sleeping, mysteriously a window pane felt down, causing the burglars to leave scared and so the children were safe. The curious thing, or rather the miraculous thing is that such window was very closer to the father’s butsudan.
And although it is a happy coincidence (an easily-unexplainable series of events occurring at the same time we have a butsudan at home); and certainly by just owning a butsudan we are not only continuing a tradition, but also, we are continuing a link with our deceased relatives.
Our veneration to our deceased relatives does not lie on the veneration to the butsudan as such, but in its meaning: it is a place where we can feel the presence or we can contact to our deceased relatives (by our prayers).
For that, the several objects placed in a butsudan, called butsugu 仏具, have a meaning, as described as follows:
El butsudan 仏壇
El butsudan o altar de Buda es un altar casero de veneración a la memoria de los parientes, que en Okinawa se denomina buchidan o también, kamtana (en japonés de llama kamidana 神棚 o estante para las divinidades) o gushindan 御神壇 y guriijin (del japonés goreizen 御霊前) ; o también tuku 床.
Se cree que los ritos para venerar a los muertos fueron traídos de China por los monjes budistas en el siglo XIV, los que a su vez, fueron traídos de la India, que es la cuna del budismo. (el sánscrito, la lengua antigua de la India, también ha tenido influencias dentro del aspecto religioso japonés, como en el caso de los nombres que se les daban a los burakumin cuando fallecían, véase la imagen de una lápida de un burakumin).
A partir del siglo XV al XVI se popularizó la realización de ritos funerarios budistas en Japón, es decir, con el uso del butsudan.
The Butsudan 仏壇
The butsudan or Buddha’s altar is a household altar of veneration in memory of the deceased relatives, that in Okinawa is called buchidan or also, kamtana (in Japanese is called kamidana 神棚 or divinities stand) or gushindan 御神壇 and guriijin (from Japanese goreizen 御霊前) ; or also tuku 床.
It is believed that the rites for venerating dead people were brought from China by the Buddhist monks in the 14th century, which were in turn brought from India, where Buddhism was born. (the Sanskrit, the ancient India’s language had also some influence in the Japanese religious aspect, as in the case of the names given to the Burakumin when died, see the image of a tomb of a Burakumin).
Since the 15th and 16th century the performance of funeral rites in Japan was popularized, that is, with the use of the butsudan.
El Ihai 位牌
La tablilla de madera en donde está inscrito el nombre del fallecido se denomina ihai (en uchinaguchi se pronuncia ihee, iihee, ifee o iifee, ipai, toutoumee, shinju ganashii).
En Okinawa aún se utilizan tres tipos de ihai: del tipo okinawense (en uchinaguchi llamado uchinaa iihee 沖縄位牌), del tipo japonés (en uchinaguchi yamatu iihee 大和位, que significa “las tablas ancestrales de Yamato") y del tipo chino (too iihee 唐位, literalmente “tablillas ancestrales de Tang").
El ihai que se ve en los butsudan no es el mismo que el que se coloca cuando una persona recién fallece. En este caso, se coloca una tablilla o ihai temporal de madera sin pintar (en casi todas las ceremonias budistas a las que he ido en Lima, he visto que son hechas de cartón y forradas con papel blanco) y el nombre del fallecido (en japonés) se escribe en ella. En Okinawa, se preparan dos ihai temporales, una se coloca en la tumba y la otra, en el butsudan de la casa, en el lado izquierdo del butsudan, pero no cerca del ihai que ya se encuentra ahí, sino en la parte más baja.
Este ihai temporal que está en la tumba, se quema en el día número 49 y el que está en el butsudan, se retira y se coloca el ihai permanente (que es de color rojo laqueado y en donde están escritos en tinta dorada los nombres de los familiares fallecidos y también del que recién ha muerto). Y cuando se realiza la misa No 33, algunos acostumbran a borrar el nombre del fallecido o a voltear el ihai (para que no se vea el nombre); aunque hay varias personas que lo dejan tal como está.
The Ihai 位牌
The wooden table in where the name of the deceased is written is called ihai (in uchinaguchi is pronounced ihee, iihee, ifee o iifee, ipai, toutoumee, shinju ganashii).
The history of the ihai in Okinawa dates back to the 15th century, when the Royal family of the kingdom of Ryukyu brought it from China. In the 17th century, it was popularized between the aristocracy and just since the second half of the 17th century and the 19th century its use was spread among the peasants.
In Okinawa three types of ihai are still used: the Okinawan type (in uchinaguchi called uchinaa iihee 沖縄位牌), the Japanese type (in uchinaguchi yamatu iihee 大和位, meaning “the ancestral tables of Yamato") and the Chinese type (too iihee 唐位, literally “ancestral tables of Tang").
The ihai that we see in the butsudan is not the same as that placed when one person dead recently. In this case, a painless table or temporal ihai is placed (in almost all Buddhist ceremonies I have gone, I have seen that these tables are made up of cardboard and wrapped with white paper) and the decesased’s name (in Japanese) is written on it. In Okinawa, two temporal ihai, one is placed in the tomb and the other, in butsudan at home, at the left side of the butsudan, but not closer to the ihai placed previously , and in the lower part.
This temporal ihai that is in the tomb, is burned on the 49th day, and that one placed in the butsudan is removed and the permanent ihai is placed instead (which is lacquered-red coloured and where the names of the deceased relative, and also of the newly dead, are written in gold ink). And when the 33th mass is held some people uses to erase the deceased’s name or to turn th ihai (so the name is not visible), although there are many people who leave it unchanged.
The Ihai 位牌
The wooden table in where the name of the deceased is written is called ihai (in uchinaguchi is pronounced ihee, iihee, ifee o iifee, ipai, toutoumee, shinju ganashii).
The history of the ihai in Okinawa dates back to the 15th century, when the Royal family of the kingdom of Ryukyu brought it from China. In the 17th century, it was popularized between the aristocracy and just since the second half of the 17th century and the 19th century its use was spread among the peasants.
In Okinawa three types of ihai are still used: the Okinawan type (in uchinaguchi called uchinaa iihee 沖縄位牌), the Japanese type (in uchinaguchi yamatu iihee 大和位, meaning “the ancestral tables of Yamato") and the Chinese type (too iihee 唐位, literally “ancestral tables of Tang").
The ihai that we see in the butsudan is not the same as that placed when one person dead recently. In this case, a painless table or temporal ihai is placed (in almost all Buddhist ceremonies I have gone, I have seen that these tables are made up of cardboard and wrapped with white paper) and the decesased’s name (in Japanese) is written on it. In Okinawa, two temporal ihai, one is placed in the tomb and the other, in butsudan at home, at the left side of the butsudan, but not closer to the ihai placed previously , and in the lower part.
This temporal ihai that is in the tomb, is burned on the 49th day, and that one placed in the butsudan is removed and the permanent ihai is placed instead (which is lacquered-red coloured and where the names of the deceased relative, and also of the newly dead, are written in gold ink). And when the 33th mass is held some people uses to erase the deceased’s name or to turn th ihai (so the name is not visible), although there are many people who leave it unchanged.
El Senko 線香
El senko(en uchinaguchi suukoo) es el incienso que se quema cuando se está orando delante del butsudan o altar o se coloca ofrendas. Se cree que antes de la llegada de los ihai o tablillas mortuarias ya se usaban los senko. La fragancia que se desprende el senko, es usado para purificar el butsudan, del mismo modo en muchas personas usan queman inciensos en la casa para renovar el ambiente y perfumarlo.
Se acostumbra a colocar un senko (incienso) cuando la persona recién fallece y 3, cuando ya pasó el periodo de luto. Aunque muchos dicen que si la familia continúa con el estilo de Okinawa, se coloca 3 y si es al estilo naichi (como se denomina a los que no son de Okinawa, sino japoneses, se coloca 1). Lo que siempre me han aconsejado, es que nunca se debe soplar el senko para apagarlo antes de colocarlo en el senkotate 線香立て o recipiente para el senko, porque se cree que el humo que desprende de estos inciensos es como una conexión o guía con el alma del fallecido; por lo que se aconseja apagarlo con la mano, es decir, moviendo suavemente la mano izquierda sobre el senko hasta que se apague.
El agua, el licor, las flores, las velas
El agua es muy importante en el butsudan, porque, al igual que el fuego (representado por las velas, además de purificar, también representa la luz en la oscuridad), tiene la cualidad de purificar y también porque se cree que en el lugar en donde descansan las almas, no existe el agua.
En mi familia siempre ha usado el pisco peruano, aunque en Okinawa se usa el awamori, y al igual que el té japonés u ocha que se coloca junto con el agua, su propósito es la de servir como ofrendas; y en mi casa, así como en casi todas las casas nikkei, se cambian los días 1ro y 15 de cada mes, auqnue en Okinawa se cambia diariamente.
Las flores, que son el símbolo de la vida, nunca deberían estra marchitas dentro del butsudan, ni tampoco deberían reemplazarse con flores artificiales o de plástico; porque serían una ofensa para buda y sobre todo, para nuestros parientes. Aunque he visto que en los templos budistas colocan hojas de una planta llamada Shikimi 樒 (porque duran más).
A simple vista, se podría pensar que el mantenimiento de un butsudan implica la adopción de una doble religiosidad (en caso que ya profesemos el catolicismo u otra religión fuera del budismo), pero lo cierto es que constituye una manera de continuar una de las tradiciones religiosas de Japón, y en caso concreto, de Okinawa; en donde el butsudan está estrechamente relacionado con la figura del yuta.
Muchas veces, el hecho de cuidar un butsudan en casa, es una forma de mantener viva nuestra fe en un mundo después de la muerte, que en casi todas las religiones del mundo, se le equipara con un mundo mejor, con el paraíso. En fín, a pesar de todas las diferencias existentes en las diferentes religiones, siempre existe un común denominador: la existencia de alguien supremo creador de todo.
The Senko 線香
The senko(in uchinaguchi suukoo) is the incense that is burned when praying in front of the butsudan or altar or when offerings are placed. It is believed that before the ihai or mortuary tables arrived, the senko were already in use. The fragrance coming out from the senko, is used to purify the butsudan, in the same way that many people burn incense at home to renew and perfume the environment.
It is used to put one senko (inciense) when the person dead recently, and 3, after the mourning period. Although many people say that whether the family continue the Okinawan style, 3 are placed and whether in the Naichi style (as Non Okinawan are called, that is, Japanese, only 1 is placed). What I have been always adviced is never to blow out he senko in order to extinguish it before placing it in the senkotate 線香立て or senko holder, because it is believed that the smoke coming out from these senko is like a connection or guide with the deceased¡s soul; so it is advisable to extinguish it with the hand, that is, moving softly the left hand on the senko until it is extinguished.
The water, the liquor, the flowers, the candless
Water is very important in the butsudan, because as fire, (represented by the candles, besides purifying, also represents light in the dark), it has the quality of purifying and also it is believed that in the place where the souls rest, there is no water.
My family always have used the Peruvian pisco, although in Okinawa awamori is used, likewise the Japanese tea or ocha that are placed along with the water, its purpose is serving offerings, and at home as well as in almost all Nikkei homes, every 1st and 15th of each mont they are changed, although in Okinawa are changed every day.
Flowers, which are the symbol of life, must never be wilted inside the butsudan neither they must be replaced with artificial or plastic flowers; because it may be an offense for Buddha and mostly for our relatives. Although I have seen that in the Buddhist temples a plant called Shikimi 樒 are placed (because they live more).
At first glance, some might think that the maintenance of a butsudan implies the adoption of a double religiosity (in case that we profess the Catholicism or other religion besides the Buddhism), but the truth is that constitutes one of the religious traditions of Japan and, in particular Okinawa, where the bustudan is closely related to the role of the yuta.
Often the fact of attending a butsudan at home, is a way of keeping alive our faith in a world after death, which, in almost all religions of the world, it is equal to a btter wor;d, with the paradise. In short, despite of all the existing differences in the different religions, there is always a common denominator: the existence of someone supreme creator of everything.
FUENTES/SOURCES:
BAKSHEEV, Evgeny S. Becoming Kami? Discourse on Postmortem Ritual Deification in the Ryukyus
