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New Year’s Gongyo Address Happy New Year to you, in the year 2006, the “Year to Stand Up and Take Resolute Action.” Our 68th High Priest Nichinyo Shonin and our retired 67th High Priest Nikken Shonin have both welcomed the new year in good health and high spirits. As priests and lay believers, we must sincerely appreciate them for their compassion and guidance. I have just completed the New Year’s gongyo, and I have offered my sincere prayers for you to put forth increased efforts in your activities; for you to redouble your faith; for you to perform successful shakubuku; for peace and harmony to reign in your home; and for the successful achievement of all your great objectives throughout this year. Since this marks the beginning of the year, the beginning of the month, and the beginning of the day, I would like to focus my sermon today on “vows.” My talk is based on the directions presented by our High Priest Nikken Shonin in Indonesia last year. When we look upon the conditions that prevail in the world today, we find that confusion and chaos are intensifying and that there are desperate people in various parts of the world who are clinging to some modicum of hope as they live their lives. Under such conditions, there is an incredible number of people who are completely lost. They are lost because each such individual has formed an attachment to insignificant hopes based on various imperfect teachings. They are unaware of the Great Way that encompasses the entirety of life in this world. This Great Way signifies a lifestyle based on upholding a sincere vow, as indicated by True Buddhism. There are four types of vows: 1. Vowing and praying for one’s own happiness and that of others. 2. Exerting forth one’s efforts to seek out a way to fundamentally eliminate illusions in his life, since they lead to his own unhappiness. 3. Seeking to study the true teachings – the teachings of Buddhism – in order to achieve happiness. 4. Seeking to attain the enlightenment of the Buddha, the supreme life condition in this world. These four types of vows represent major issues that encompass the entirety of Buddhism. However, those of us who were born into this world of evil and confusion of the Latter Day of the Law are unable to achieve even one of these four vows, even after a lifetime of assiduous efforts. It is absolutely impossible to successfully perform these vows, based on individual ideologies, various religious philosophies, and Buddhist expedients. However, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, propagated by Nichiren Daishonin, contains all the above virtues. Therefore, we are able to amass benefits encompassing the three existences, when we chant Daimoku. Of the four vows, the most important is the first item: “Propagating Myoho (the Mystic Law) for one’s own happiness and for that of others.” When we perform this vow, the virtues of the other three vows will naturally be manifested within us. In the “Orally Transmitted Teachings” (Ongi kuden), the Daishonin stated: Ultimately, the vow to save innumerable living beings is the most essential of the Four Universal Vows. Now, Nichiren and his disciples fundamentally seek only to save all people by none other than Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. This is the principle of “promptly acquiring the form of the Buddha.” No matter how extensively we may search the world, there is no religion other than Nichiren Shoshu that sets forth a vow, in this way, to achieve true happiness for all forms of life throughout the universe. With conviction and pride, we must uphold Nichiren Daishonin’s teaching – the supreme doctrine. Let us form a solid unity between priests and lay believers, characterized by different bodies but one mind, as we continue to forge ahead together in our performance of gongyo, Daimoku, and shakubuku Our High Priest has presented us with the following goals, the “Three Objectives for the Overseas Division,” to uphold in our practice throughout this year: 1. Let us carry out the practice of gongyo, chanting Daimoku, and shakubuku. 2. Let us participate in and encourage others to attend the Oko Ceremony and Kosenrufu Gongyo, and Shodai-kai Ceremony every month. 3. Let us promote the study of Buddhism, nurture active members, and foster itai-doshin. I ask you to establish solid vows that will enable you all to achieve the objectives that we have been presented. Furthermore, I ask you to renew your determinations, based on the directions that we received today from our High Priest and the guidance from Reverend Urushibata, the Director of the Overseas Bureau. Please uphold honest, unshakable faith, as you confidently forge ahead throughout this year. I would like to conclude my brief New Year’s address by sincerely praying for your continued good health and your increased devotion in your faith. Finally, I express my heartfelt regret to you for not being able to spend my entire time with you today, until the end of this ceremony. I must travel now to the Head Temple to attend the “Kick-off Meeting.” I am sincerely looking forward to seeing you all next week at the Oko Ceremony. I thank you all for your efforts in attending this ceremony. |