One day I had guests from the USA, and I showed them Zojoji Temple. This is famous as the family temple of the Tokugawa shogunate. The family mausoleum here contains the tombs of six Tokugawa shoguns.

I took the couple to the temple bell, where I explained our custom: a temple monk rings the bell 108 times on the last night of the year. The purpose is to cast away our 108 sins, clear the mind, and welcome the New Year.

The American guest immediately said, “Do you have 108 sins? We have only seven!” I realized my translation of “sins” was wrong, but I couldn’t find the right word for “BONNO.”

“BONNO” is a Buddhist term for mental afflictions, emotions that disturb the mind, including desire, anger, and confusion. 108 isn’t an exact number; it means there are many ways our mind gets distracted.

On the other hand, “Seven Deadly Sins” in Christianity means Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, and Sloth. They are moral or ethical sins.

Now I can proudly say the bell clears 108 mental distractions, so we start the new year with a calm mind.