It all began, according to legend, with...

It all began, according to legend, with a Buddhist monk named Mogallana who had a dream about the suffering of his deceased mother.

Distressed, he sought the counsel of the Buddha, who advised him to perform compassionate deeds and be charitable to all living things. The monk followed the Buddha’s teachings and his mother, in her death, entered a state of peace.

In his joy, Mogallana began to dance. Onlookers joined in, forming a large circle. Today, their dance of gratitude is known as the Bon Odori, the highlight of Saturday’s 23rd annual Obon Festival at the East San Gabriel Valley Japanese Community Center in West Covina.

“We dance in the memory of our people who passed on,” said

Janet Ito, whose husband is the priest of the West Covina Buddhist Temple. “It doesn’t matter how you look, or whether you know the steps or not. The point is to just be out there and do it in their spirit.”

The free festival, which is open to the public, runs from 1 to 10 p.m. at the center, located at 1203 W. Puente Ave.

Apart from the Bon Odori, which begins at 7 p.m., there will be demonstrations of Taiko drumming, miniature bonsai trees, Japanese tea ceremonies, calligraphy and martial arts. Food will be sold, including teriyaki plates, sushi, gyoza and noodles, as well as non-Japanese dishes such as tamales, taquitos and snow cones.