法事

• 読み: ほうじ
• ローマ字: hoji
• 漢字の分解: 法 (ho) — dharma, Buddhist law; 事 (ji) — affair, ceremony
• 発音: /hoː.dʑi/

意味

Buddhist memorial service; religious ceremony. A Buddhist ritual held to pray for the repose of the deceased, typically on fixed anniversaries after death.

A compound of 法 (dharma, Buddhist teaching) and 事 (affair, ceremony). 法事 is a central feature of Japanese Buddhist practice, held on the 49th day after death (四十九日), then at one year (一周忌), three years (三回忌), seven years (七回忌), and at various other intervals up to 50 years or beyond. Family members gather, monks chant sutras, and food is offered to the deceased's spirit. Attendance at a relative's 法事 is considered a strong social obligation.

例文

1. 祖母の三回忌の法事が週末に菩提寺で営まれるため、家族全員が地元に集まることになった。
2. 法事の後には参列者が一堂に会して精進料理を囲み、故人の思い出を語り合う時間が設けられた。
3. 遠方に住んでいるからといって法事を欠席することは、親族間での不義理につながりかねない。

使い方ガイド

場面: Buddhism, funerary customs, family, religion, traditional culture

トーン: solemn, traditional

起源と歴史

Sino-Japanese Buddhist compound: 法 (ho — dharma, Buddhist law) + 事 (ji — affair, matter). 法 in this context refers to the Buddhist dharma rather than secular law. The practice of holding memorial services on fixed anniversaries is grounded in Buddhist belief that the deceased passes through stages of the afterlife requiring continued prayers.

文化的背景

時代: Traditional-Modern

世代: Middle-aged to Elderly

社会的背景: Universal