Good morning.  Thank you, Reverend Kimura, for conducting this morning’s Okyobi ceremony.   We safely and peacefully completed the 4^th Overseas General Tozan.  I saw that the members supported and encouraged each other during Tozan.  It is great to see the Myoshinji unity.  In addition, concerning Itai-doshin, I had the experience of acknowledging the greatness and preciousness of the harmonious unity between the priesthood and laity.  I also found that our personal wish is realized when the priests chant for them together with us.

About a year ago, Rev. Kimura created a prayer sheet for the Achievement of our Shakubuku objectives.  Then priests pray for such achievement, during our daily Shodai kai prayer sessions.  I turned in the sheet with names of my family members and relatives because I did not have specific objectives at that time.  One of names on the list is my older brother.  He practiced actively as a young adult of Sokaggakai and after we left Sokagakkai, he participated in Oko and Tozan occasionally. 

However, his faith in Gohonzon got weaker and finally he stopped the practice by the time he married.  Moreover, several serious arguments occurred between he and my family due to different viewpoint of religion and other reasons.  My parents disowned him then.  As time went by the relationship between my parents and older brother got better.  Although I prayed for his happiness, I did not want to see him when I went back to Japan because I could not forgive him.  This February when I went back to Japan I chanted for being able to contact him.  That night I received a phone call from my brother and talked with him a lot for the first time since he married.  This is a great step for me to Shakubuku him.   

I appreciated the Gohonzon for being able to talk with my brother and found that the prayer sheet brought the result.  I also realized that there was a big difference between the power of prayer by our chief priest for us and just by ourselves.  I told my story to other members and many members have similar experiences, in fact a member has already accomplished Shakubuku.  I thought before, that the harmonious unity between the priesthood and laity was to achieve the same goal together. 

Through my experience I acknowledge that the harmonious unity between the priesthood and laity is that we follow the path our chief priest goes, by leaving our spiritual mind to him and then our personal goals will be accomplished.  We have about 40 Shakubuku to go before the year ends.  If you just look at the number it sounds difficult to accomplish within seven months.  However, I believe that we can see the result if each of us here today take action such as call members who are not here today to come to the Oko next Sunday.  I would like to keep following Reverend Kimura with honest faith. 

Thank you for listening.