お盆休み
日本は仏教国。昔は、お盆の3日間は大概の企業が休日としたものだが、最近は、夏季休暇と称し１週間近く休むところも少なく無い様であるが、一斉に休むのでは無く、個々人バラバラにと云う企業が増えている。
弊社もその例にならい、8月の期間バラバラにという事にしている。小生はここ何年かは、お盆を挟んで１週間ほど、故郷隠岐の島に帰って、一人暮らしを楽しんでいた。ところが今年は、8月初旬に天風会の修練会があったと云う事もあり、帰郷は取りやめ。よって、夏休みが有ったような無かったような・・と云った感じ。それでも、盆の1４日は東京にいる娘も1日だけ帰り、嫁いだ娘２人も顔を見せてくれたので、何となくお盆らしいひと時を過ごすことができた。
そんな時、京都の知人からファックスが来た、「京都の東寺の近く、京都みなみ会館で『永遠のヨギー』という映画を上映していますよ・・、」との内容。これを見逃す手はない。16日にその映画を観賞、そのまま京都5山の送り火を・・と思い立っ。何時もの事ながら、当日16日の朝、その計画を女房に話すと、「もう、あんたは何時もなんだから・・」と小言を言いながら、それでもまんざらでもなさそう。
「永遠のヨギー」は、ヨガナンダの生涯を映画化したものであったが、小生の最近の関心事でもあり、一見の価値はあった。女房も「もう一度見たい感じ・・」との事であったので、思い付きにしては上出来。その後、京都駅近くで食事をし、タクシーで出町柳近くの河川敷へと向かった。ところが下車する頃に雨がポツポツ、「あれー、これはやばいな・・」と思いつつ、駅近でタクシーを降りた。河川敷から駅近くはヒト・ヒト・ヒト。場所は何処にしよいうかと歩き出した途端に大粒の雨。傘も無し・・、これはと思い、すぐに出町柳の駅地下に潜りこむ。人ごみの中、待つこと一時間。しかし雨足は激しくなるばかり。結局「送り火」を見ることなく、帰途につくはめとなった。
此処に「五山の送り火」の写真を張り付けたいところであるが、残念・・。
Japan is a Buddhist country. In the past, the three days of the Obon season used to be a holiday for most companies, but nowadays there are many companies that call it a summer vacation and take a week or so off, but the number of companies that do not take a day off at once is increasing.
We are following the example of our company, and we have decided to split up the month of August. For the past few years, I went back to my hometown, Oki Island, for about a week after the Obon Festival and enjoyed living alone. This year, however, I cancelled my return to my hometown because of the Tenpukai training session in early August. So, it’s as if there was no summer vacation… Nevertheless, on the 14th of Obon, my daughters in Tokyo went home for one day and my two daughters-in-law also came to see me, so I was able to spend some time as if it were Obon.
Then I received a fax from an acquaintance in Kyoto saying, “There’s a movie called ‘Eternal Yogi’ being screened at Kyoto Minami Kaikan near Toji Temple in Kyoto…”. I watched the movie on the 16th and decided to watch the bonfire of Kyoto’s five mountains. As always, when I told my wife about the plan on the morning of the 16th, “Because you are always …,” she quipped, but still didn’t seem to be satisfied.
The Eternal Yogi, a film adaptation of Yogananda’s life, was worth a look, as it was my latest interest. My wife also said, “I want to see it again,” so it was good to make an idea. Afterwards, we had a meal near Kyoto Station and took a taxi to the riverbank near Demachiyanagi. However, when I got off the train, it started to rain a little bit, and I got off the taxi near the station. From the riverbed, near the station is human, human, human. As soon as we started walking to find a place, it rained heavily. I didn’t have an umbrella, so I went into the basement of the Demachiyanagi station right away. We waited for an hour in a crowd of people. However, the rain kept getting heavier and heavier. In the end, we had to go home without seeing the “bonfire”.
I would like to post a picture of the “Bonfire of the Five Mountains” here, but it’s a pity.
