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New Year’s Eve Gongyo Address Good evening everyone. Together with you, I have just performed the last gongyo of the “Year of Action.” I thank you all for traveling long distances to attend this ceremony here at Myoshinji Temple tonight, in spite of your busy schedules on New Year’s Eve. At the Kosenrufu Daimoku Meeting (Kofu shodai kai) on January 14th of this year, our High Priest Nichinyo Shonin presented us with the following directions: I ask each individual assembled here today to embrace the following golden words of the Daishonin: “I hope my disciples will ponder this matter, cutting short their sleep by night and curtailing their leisure time by day.” (Gosho, p. 1169; MWND-5, p. 173) I ask you to make this “Year of Action” a year of no regrets, as you struggle forth vigorously and meticulously, like the invincible lion. As the saying goes, “Even a journey that is thousands of miles long starts with a single step.” Likewise, a gradual building process, a step at a time, is essential in all your dealings in life. A single step taken by one person may be insignificant; however, that same step taken by two, three, ten, and a hundred individuals would represent great progress. We would be able to successfully achieve great objectives set forth before us, without fail, if the entire Hokkeko forms a solid unity, characterized by many bodies but one mind (itai doshin), and takes resolute action. (Dai-Nichiren, No. 732, p. 54) Based on these directions, we started this year by taking a small first step as individuals. Those steps enabled us to make solid progress, and I am convinced that the entirety of Myoshinji Temple was able to achieve tremendous advancement throughout the year. The shakubuku results from this year underscore our achievement. While our target was to shakubuku fifty persons, we were able o shakubuku 57 individuals. This is, indeed, a manifestation of our progress, as individual priests and lay believers of Myoshinji Temple, who have sincerely upheld the directions of our High Priest and have advanced forth in total unity based on the principle of “many in body, one in mind” (itai doshin). As a matter of course, there is more to shakubuku than mere numbers. What is most precious is the solid unity, characterized by “many in body, one in mind” (itai doshin), formed by the priests and lay believers, as they advance forth together towards achieving this goal. Therein lies tremendous benefits. The coming year represents the grand finale – a time when we place the finishing touches on our efforts to achieve the objectives set forth for 2009, to double the number of believers, the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, and to achieve the great assembly. Our High Priest Nichinyo Shonin has designated 2009 the “Year of Great Advancement.” Some of you may have been able to achieve your goals for this year, while others may have been unable to do so. Starting tomorrow, let us all uphold new goals. Moreover, let us advance forth with ever more devotion in response to our High Priest’s expectations and make the year a time of great fulfillment and enrichment. With this, I would like to conclude my brief last address for this year. I thank you all for your great efforts in attending this ceremony. |