The ordination ceremony to become a monk of the Otani-ha Shinshu sect (head temple: Higashi Honganji) was held on August 4, 2024, at Higashi Honganji Temple in Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto City. Children on summer vacation shaved their heads and took their first steps as monks.
Ordination ceremonies are generally held once a month, but in August, when there are many applicants, two ceremonies are held, including a special one. In the Otani-ha Shinshu sect, children can become a monk when they turn nine years old, in reference to the age at which the sect's founder, Shinran, became a monk.
79 men and women up to 65 years old, including 28 nine-year-old elementary school students (21 boys and seven girls), gathered from all over the country. They lined up in white jōe (purification robes) and entered the Goeido hall, which enshrines Shinran, at around 8:30 a.m. After undergoing the "teito no gi" ceremony in which a razor was placed on the head of the Otani Norihiro monk, the children were given black ink robes and Buddhist names, and then performed religious services in which they chanted the Shoshinge and Nembutsu.
The children looked nervous when they entered the hall, but they showed their innocent side by chatting with the child next to them and smiling for their parents' cameras when the commemorative photo was taken.
