#terapalms

Special update! Yesterday I went to see Buddhist idols perform live in a small family-owned temple called Ryuganji.

There was a regular ( I think) service before the music, which was very interesting. The resident priest chanted sutra and at one point, the whole audience (maybe 20-30 people, it wasn’t a large space) beat the mokugyou bells in unison with the “namuamidabutsu”. I understood a single word here and there, but I wonder if even the native speakers can catch that all. All in all, very different from the Christian services back home!

The first performer was Idol Bosatsu, who is apparently somewhat famous. Her skills were certainly up there. Her speaks reminded me very much of Christian sermons, but the feel is somehow quite different with the sparkly gold Amida Buddha in the background... XD Sadly, my Japanese skills weren’t enough to get the point of her jokes. Everyone else laughed... But really, I was strongly reminded of my high school days, going to see Christian rock/pop bands with my pals. So unfamiliar, but also nostalgic?

The main event I suppose was the brand new idol group てらぱるむす (Terapalms). I haven’t been to see any regular idol lives, but I would imagine they’re somewhat similar, with the main difference being the venue. Terapalms consists of 5 young women with different boddhisattva themes. There was Miroku Bosatsu (Maitreiya Buddha), Kannon (Avalokitesvara), and others I didn’t actually know beforehand. : D All in all, they were Very Cute. My favorite was the yellow-themed Henki-chan. Her outfit actually comes with a little tail...I asked about it, and apparently it’s because her theme is Fugen Bosatsu/Henkitsu (Samantabhadra Boddhisatva), who often appears riding a white elephant. I was told he’s an ally of women, and in a time when people thought only men can attain enlightenment, he claimed that women can just as well.