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Guidance from Sixty-eighth High
Priest Nichinyo Shonin Good morning, everyone. On the occasion of the Kosen-rufu Shodai Ceremony conducted today at the Head Temple, I would like to express my appreciation to the large number of participants here who are visiting the Head Temple for their Hokkeko Chapter General Tozans and the Hokkeko Federation Monthly Tozan. I trust that all of you are working diligently day and night for the achievement of our pledge, as we have just one month left before the end of this year, “The Year to Stand Up and Take Resolute Action.” On November 28, a meeting was held for the committee of the Commemorative Department for the 750th Anniversary of Revealing the Truth and Upholding Justice through the Submission of the Rissho ankoku-ron. Concerning the objectives of “Doubling the number of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth” and the “Great Assembly,” the meaning of the Great Assembly is to commemorate the 750th Anniversary of Revealing the Truth and Upholding Justice through the Submission of the Rissho ankoku-ron in 2009. It was announced at the meeting that the Great Assembly of 75,000 believers will be held at Head Temple Taisekiji. This was the directive we received from the Honorable Retired High Priest Nikken Shonin, and the meaning of this Great Assembly is to gather at a certain place at a specific time. Therefore, the place to gather will be Head Temple Taisekiji, where the Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of the Essential Teaching is enshrined. Recognizing the significance of the 750th Anniversary, we have designated the number of believers for the gathering to be 75,000. In 1994, we celebrated the “Great Gathering of 60,000 Believers,” an objective given to us by Sixty-seventh High Priest, Nikken Shonin. The Hokkeko believers assembled at Head Temple Taisekiji, and counting from the year 1994, it will be exactly 15 years to the year 2009. 75,000 believers will gather before the Dai-Gohonzon of the High Sanctuary of the Essential Teaching, receiving its blessing and having seen the passing of fifteen years. This will be another starting point toward our renewed propagation efforts. We will pledge to put forth greater efforts from then on, in order to repay our debts of gratitude to the Three Treasures and to fulfill the profound guidance based on the directive received from Honorable Retired High Priest Nikken Shonin. Details on the date of the Great Assembly and other related matters will be announced at a later date after further consideration. Next, apart from the Great Assembly, we will solemnly celebrate the submission date of the Rissho ankoku-ron with the Commemorative Grand Ceremony for the 750th Anniversary. The Priesthood, representatives of the lay believers, and family members of the Priesthood will attend this Commemorative Grand Ceremony at the Head Temple. During the year 2009, I am considering making all pilgrimages to Head Temple Taisekiji for that year the Commemorative General Tozan. Further details about this will be announced at a later date after meetings have been held with the relevant parties. In summary, for the year 2009, we will: 1) Hold the “Great Assembly” for 75,000 believers at Head Temple Taisekiji. 2) Hold the “Commemorative Grand Ceremony” on July 16th to commemorate the submission date of the Rissho ankoku-ron. 3) Make all Tozan pilgrimages to Head Temple Taisekiji during the year 2009 the “Commemorative General Tozan.” I would like to pledge our further devotion to our practice from now on, in order to repay our debts of gratitude to the Three Treasures of the Buddha, the Law, and the Priesthood, by conducting the above three events commemorating the 750th Anniversary of Revealing the Truth and Upholding Justice through the Submission of the Rissho ankoku-ron. On November 28 at 9:00 AM, as we convened the meeting for the Commemorative Department Committee, the groundbreaking ceremony was conducted for the reconstruction of the Mieido (Image Hall). The ceremony for transferring the Gohonzon and the statue of Nichiren Daishonin was attended by representatives of the priesthood, lay believers, and family members of the priesthood. The Mieido was first built in the second year of Taiei (1522) by the Twelfth High Priest, Nitchin Shonin. The current building is a reconstruction built in the ninth year of Kanei (1632) during the time of Seventeenth High Priest Nissei Shonin. It was constructed with the offerings from Kyodai-in-den, wife of Hachisuka Yoshishige, the lord of Awa Tokushima Castle, during the year when the memorial ceremonies were held for the 300th anniversaries of the passing of Nikko Shonin and Nichimoku Shonin. Since then, over the next three hundred and seventy years or so, it has been renovated about four times. The Mieido, however, is damaged and in very bad condition. If we leave it in its present state, it will not be able to withstand the impact of future anticipated earthquakes. The Mieido is a building of historic value for Nichiren Shoshu and is also designated as a Prefectural Tangible Cultural Asset of Shizuoka Prefecture. Therefore, it is important to urgently address this issue, and we have designated the reconstruction of the Mieido as one of the commemorative projects for the 750th Anniversary of Revealing the Truth and Upholding Justice through the Submission of the Rissho ankoku-ron. The reconstruction of the Mieido will require a great deal of effort. The structure will be dismantled and rebuilt, and in order to make sure that construction goes smoothly, it will take at least 6 years to finish. We plan to complete it by the year 2012. Therefore, until the Mieido Temple is completed, we will keep the Mieido’s Gohonzon and the statue of Nichiren Daishonin in the Hoanden, which will function as a temporary Image Hall where we will conduct various ceremonies. In addition to the Mieido, we have already started rebuilding four of the temples along the Tatchu pathway as part of the commemorative projects for the 750th Anniversary. From the results of the earthquake-resistance examination, we found that there is a need to rebuild the affected temples along the Tatchu, one after another. I would like to have these 13 temples completely rebuilt by the year 2009. We have deemed it necessary to rebuild the lodging temples as an earthquake-resistance measure, and this is incorporated as part of the commemorative projects, as it is important to ensure the safety of the believers who come on pilgrimages to Head Temple Taisekiji Furthermore, due to the results of earthquake-resistance inspections, we decided that the Sessen-bo and the Tokohi-bo buildings, which are built of reinforced concrete, will both have to be rebuilt. This will be carried out on a smaller scale, with plans for the two buildings to be completed by the year 2009. These projects may bring about various inconveniences during the construction period; however, your kind understanding and cooperation will be greatly appreciated. I have discussed various objectives, such as the Great Assembly, the Commemorative Grand Ceremony, the Commemorative General Tozan, and the comprehensive project to upgrade the Head Temple. In order for these objectives to be realized, I expect your sincere contributions and great assistance, and I sincerely ask for your kind support and cooperation. As I mentioned earlier, among the commemorative projects, the comprehensive project to upgrade the Head Temple is already progressing as planned. However, in order to be able to welcome the year 2009 by fulfilling our objectives of the Great Assembly and Doubling the number of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, both in name and in reality, we must push ahead with strong efforts. This is especially true for the objective of Doubling the number of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. We can see that the three powerful poisons of greed, anger, and stupidity are disrupting the hearts of the people in this evil age of the Latter Day of the Law, creating chaos both inside and outside the country. We know that all of this confusion is caused by heretical teachings and incorrect views. Thus, we must try to save many as people as possible. We must save those who are suffering from the poison of the Soka Gakkai, which denigrates the Three Treasures, and those who are suffering from all other heretical teachings. We must combine our efforts and powerfully progress in doing shakubuku, in order to build true happiness and realize the Buddha’s Land. Therefore, we must do our best up to the last day of this remaining one month without giving up. It is crucial that the results of the efforts we make this month tie in to next year, which is designated as the “Year of Action.” When next year comes, the results will not manifest through hastened efforts. If we do our best this year, the path for next year will naturally open up for us. As we continue to do our best, each and every one of us must remember to never easily waver. Let’s make the determination to vigorously stand up on our own. Nichiren Daishonin states in the Gosho, “Letter to Myomitsu Shonin” (“The Blessings of the Lotus Sutra”): If we inquire into the origin of Mount Sumeru, we find that it began with a single speck of dust, and likewise the great ocean began with a single drop of dew. One added to one becomes two; two becomes three, and so on to make ten, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand, or an asogi. Yet one is the mother of all. (MW-5, p. 190) The great Mount Sumeru was formed from a single speck of dust, and the great ocean was formed from a single drop of dew. Each single speck of dust or single drop of drew becomes two, and two becomes three, and then tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of millions, and asogis. The origin of all these living beings comes from a single source. I hope that all of you who have gathered here today for the Shodai ceremony will be able to always keep in mind these golden words of Nichiren Daishonin and stand up and do shakubuku, having no doubts. One person can stand up, and that number becomes double, then triple, and then tens, or hundreds, or thousands, or tens of thousands, or even hundreds of millions and more. This is the way the Law will be able to spread. We should not think, “Let others do it, and then I’ll do it.” First, it is we, ourselves, who must start the ball rolling by taking action first. I hope that each and every one of you will be able to achieve a crowning victory, have the power of the lion king, put forth your best efforts, and push forward all the way toward the objective of Doubling the number of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth without giving up. I would like to conclude my address today at this last Kosen-rufu Shodai Ceremony of the year by praying that all of you will be able to obtain tremendous benefits based on the blessings of the Dai-Gohonzon. |