New Year’s Address
Reverend Gyoyu Urushibata
Nichiren Shoshu Overseas Bureau Chief
January 1, 2007
Happy New Year to all of you, the Nichiren Shoshu believers around the world, as we welcome the early spring of 2007.
As we begin the new year, I would like to join the priests residing abroad and the Nichiren Shoshu believers in various countries around the world in pledging to increase our efforts to double the number of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth and to gather at the Great Assembly in 2009 for the 750th Anniversary of Revealing the Truth and Upholding Justice through the Submission of the Rissho ankoku-ron. Furthermore, let’s pledge together to advance toward worldwide Kosen-rufu.
Last year, based on the guidance of our Sixty-eighth High Priest Nichinyo Shonin, Nichiren Shoshu announced the commemorative projects that are planned for the celebration of the 750th Anniversary in 2009. An outline of events for the scheduled commemorative ceremonies and Tozan pilgrimages for 2009 was also announced.
From this time forward, all individuals in the priesthood and laity of Nichiren Shoshu must continue to work assiduously for the completion of these projects and for the great success of the commemorative ceremonies and Tozan pilgrimages.
This year has been designated as the “Year of Action,” as we advance toward the year 2009. Based on this designation, the Overseas Department has set forth the following three objectives:
- To enrich the powers of our faith and practice with consistent Gongyo and Daimoku
- To resolutely do shakubuku based on solid unity between priesthood and laity
- To diligently cultivate capable believers based on the bond of true itai doshin
In March of last year, High Priest Nichinyo Shonin gave us the following directions:
The most important issue is that it is meaningless to entertain any cerebral notion of what great benefits we may gain from performing shakubuku. We must proceed a step beyond the realm of theory into that of actual action. It is most essential for us to experience the benefits based on our actual performance of shakubuku. … How should we proceed? We must move and act. Indeed, if we do not act, we will accomplish nothing. (43rd General Meeting of the Hokkeko Federation)
Without action, there can be no results. Indeed, the essential significance of the “Year of Action” rests on the efforts of all of us, the priests and lay believers around the world, to strengthen our powers of faith and practice through consistent Gongyo and Daimoku, as we vigorously forge ahead to achieve our designated objectives.
Nichiren Daishonin teaches in “On Embracing the Lotus Sutra” (Jimyo hokke mondo-sho):
Single-mindedly chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo and urge others to do the same; that will remain as the only memory of your present life in this human world. (Gosho, p. 300; MW-5, p.38)
I ask all of you to build the solid unity of itai doshin between priesthood and laity, and devote yourselves to carrying out shakubuku.
As you are aware, the following three commemorative projects are underway for our celebration in 2009:
- Restoring the Mieido Hall
- Reconstructing Temples along the Tatchu area of the Head Temple
- Providing commemorative publications
The purpose of the restoration of the Mieido and the reconstruction of the temples along the Tatchu is to prepare ourselves for a substantial earthquake which, in all certainty, has been predicted to occur in the near future, in the Pacific Ocean to the south of the Head Temple. It has been 100 years since the last complete restoration of the Mieido Temple. The building will be completely dismantled, and the entire process of these repairs is expected to take approximately seven years.
The commemorative publications will consist of the English and Chinese versions of the Gosho, Rissho ankoku-ron (“On Securing the Peace of the Land through the Propagation of True Buddhism”). Also scheduled for publication is an English book of essential Gosho terminology.
In your respective countries, you will hear about opportunities to offer Gokuyo to support these commemorative projects. I hope that you will offer your support based on your faith. I ask you to offer what you can, without causing a strain in your lives.
The following plans for the commemorative ceremonies in 2009 have been announced:
- Ceremonies to be held on July 15th and 16th, to commemorate the dates on which the Rissho ankoku-ron was submitted
- A Tozan to the Head Temple by the Great Assembly of 75,000 Believers
- Multiple Commemorative Tozans throughout the year of 2009
In addition to these events, the Overseas Department is planning several Overseas Believers’ Commemorative Tozan pilgrimages during 2009. You will be notified of the details as soon as they are determined. Nichiren Daishonin expounds the following in “The True Entity of Life” (Shoho jisso-sho):
Nichiren alone began to carry out the task of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth. He may even be one of them. If Nichiren should be a Bodhisattva of the Earth, then so must his disciples. (Gosho, p. 666; MW-1 p. 92)
Now is the time that we, the followers of the Bodhisattvas of the Earth, must embrace and cultivate a sincere awareness of the spirit of Nichiren Daishonin, who admonished the feudal government with single-minded determination 750 years ago. Let us advance forth throughout this year, based on this awareness.
I would like to conclude my New Year’s address by sincerely praying for the happiness of each and every one of you, for the advancement of the propagation of the True Law in all countries, and for peace to reign in every nation.