Nichiren Shu News Published by the Head Office of Nichiren Shu Buddhism & NOPPA
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Nichiren Shu News Published by the Head Office of Nichiren Shu Buddhism & NOPPA No. 233 August 1, 2019 1 FORMER ARCHBISHOP SAKAI PASSES AWAY AT 100 By Sandra Seki. The 51st Archbishop of Nichiren Shu A center was established and called people would come to get a new fukubato Prefecture. Rev. Sakai started a number and the 82nd Chief Abbot of Ikegami the Roshi Club, a cultural center for for their homes. of new annual events at Guboji Temple Honmonji Temple, Rev. Nichiji Sakai, the local people. The first project was After his service atIkegami Honmonji which to this day draw crowds. passed away in his sleep in the early to build the Ikegami Sports Club, a Temple, Rev. Sakai was chosen to serve Nine years later, Rev. Sakai returned to hours of May 28, 2019. Rev. Sakai had facility where young children could as Bishop of Guboji Temple, one of the Ikegami Honmonji Temple, this time as just celebrated his 100th birthday on participate in different kinds of sports. main Nichiren Shu Temples in Chiba the Chief Abbot. He went on to become May 6th. Then the Ikegami Boy SHIMBUN SHU NICHIREN the 51st Archbishop of Nichiren Shu in An informal wake and funeral service Scouts, a chorus club, 2006 and retired in 2010. officiated by Rev. Nissho Kanno, the and various other Rev. Sakai was a man who loved to current Archbishop of Nichiren Shu, clubs emerged from spend time around people. He would was held on May 31 and June 1. Many the cultural center. socialize with priests of differentorders, priests, followers, and friends came from After Rev. Kaneko saying that the different Buddhist orders near and far to pay their last respects to retired, Rev. Sakai should mingle and exchange ideas for the Rev. Sakai. took over the position betterment of society. He helped establish Born at Jissoji Temple in Ikegami as Chief Manager of “Namu no Kai,” an organization made in 1919, he was the only son of the Ikegami Honmonji up of priests from different Buddhist Sakai family and grew up with three Temple, Rev. Sakai orders. The organization still holds sisters. Rev. Sakai was a man who had came up with new lectures and workshops to help people interests in various fields and had a ideas. One of them understand the basics of Buddhism and career as an actor-producer as well as was the fukubato, is open to the public. a talented writer. After returning from (a good luck pigeon Rev. Sakai was an outspoken man with the battlefields of World War II, Rev. amulet) sold at the a strong character, but he was loved by Sakai returned to a war-scarred and temple during the all who got to know him. He was warm devastated Tokyo. month of January, and loving, and he cared very much The Chief Manager of Ikegami which is said to bring about the future of Nichiren Shu. Honmonji Temple at the time, Rev. good fortune to fami- A formal funeral service will be held Nichiji Kaneko, felt the need to build lies throughout the for Rev. Sakai on September 4, 2019 at Rev. Nichiji Sakai was Archbishop of Nichiren Shu from 2006 to 2010. a propagation center at the temple. year. Each New Year, Ikegami Honmonji Temple. THE OBON AND SEGAKI CEREMONIES By Rev. Ryuei McCormick dedicated to freeing those who had fallen TheUllambana Sutra was supposedly into the three evil destinies of the hells, translated into Chinese by Dharmaraksa The Ullambana (called Obon in Japan) hungry ghosts, and animals, so they can (233-310), but most scholars feel that is a ceremony for presenting offerings be reborn in the heavens. When this it was a Chinese work written as a of pure water, food, sweets, fruits, and was done, Maudgalyayana’s mother was response to criticism that Buddhism other things to our ancestors. It is based liberated. As the summer retreat ended undermined filial piety. The Ghost upon the story of the Buddha’s disciple, in the middle of the seventh month of Festival that was derived from it was Maudgalyayana, whose mother had been the lunar calendar, the 13-15th of the first celebrated in China in the year reborn as a hungry ghost. According to month became the dates for the annual 538. The term “ullambana” may be the Ullambana Sutra, the Buddha taught Ullambana Ceremony. Some places (like related to the following Sanskrit words: that, at the end of the summer retreat, Tokyo) observe it in July, but other places “avalambana,” that means “hanging A setup of the Segaki altar at a meeting of the offerings should be made to the Sangha. observe it in August, which is closer to upside down,” perhaps the fate of some Nichiren Buddhist Sangha in Oakland, California. The merit generated by that offering is the dates of the lunar calendar. hungry ghosts; or “odana” that means “cooked rice,” which is then combined become a hungry ghost in three days. with the Chinese word for “bowl”; or The Buddha then provided Ananda “ullapana,” that means “rescuing.” with a dharani, or protective spell, that Closely connected to the Ullambana would empower a meal offering capable is the Offerings for the Hungry Ghosts of satisfying all the hungry ghosts. Ceremony (called Segaki-e in Japanese). In other schools of Buddhism, the This ceremony is also called the “Food recitation of the Lotus Sutra is not a Offering” (Seijiki) or Ceremony for particular feature of either the Ullam- the Spirits in the Dark and in the bana or the Hungry Ghost service. Light (Meiyo-e). It is usually held in However, in his treatise The Opening of conjunction with the Ullambana, though the Eyes (Kaimoku-sho), Nichiren Shonin it may also be observed apart from it at said, “The statement in some other sutras other times. In this ceremony, offerings that anyone can attain Buddhahood is are made particularly for the sake of all not confirmed in reality. When a woman hungry ghosts but also to alleviate the became a buddha in the Lotus Sutra, a suffering of all beings in the six worlds. mother’s attainment of Buddhahood This ceremony is based on the Sutra of was assured. When Devadatta, an evil the Buddha’s Explanation of the Dharani man, became a buddha, a father’s attain- for Saving the Torch-Mouthed Hungry ment of Buddhahood was guaranteed. Ghosts that was translated into Chinese This sutra is the Classic of Filial Piety by Amoghavajra (705-774). According of Buddhism.” Therefore, in Nichiren to the sutra, the torch-mouthed hungry Shu, the recitation of the Lotus Sutra ghosts, whose flaming mouths turned and the Odaimoku are key features of food into ash before they could eat these services, as it is our conviction it, threatened the Buddha’s attendant that the merit of chanting them enables The Torch-Mouthed Hungry Ghost threatening Ananda. Ananda. They told him that if he couldn’t the attainment of Buddhahood by all find a way to feed them all, he would sentient beings. 2 Nichiren Shu News No. 233, August 1, 2019 GREATGREAT FIGURESFIGURES WHOWHO HADHAD FAITHFAITH ININ NICHIRENNICHIREN SHUSHU (7) NIHON FUKUSHI UNIVERSITY ESTABLISHED BY REV. SHUGAKU SUZUKI By Rev. Sensho Komukai to establish a university to train Prefecture. The university specializes leaders who could be engaged in in social welfare education. Since that Rev. Shugaku Suzuki (1902-1962) was social welfare. In 1957, he established time, more than 60,000 students have born in Aichi Prefecture. His parents a four-year university called Nihon graduated from the university, pursuing operated a business in the wholesale Fukushi University in Nagoya in Aichi various careers in social welfare. confectionery trade. He took over the family business and had considerable success in the bakery business. However, he never felt happy, repeatedly asking himself, “For what reason was I born? Am I going to die with my heart unfulfilled? What is happiness which we can’t buy with money?” When he was 23, his uncle introduced him to a lady named Tatsuko Sugiyama Buddhahood, and everyone is entitled to who had established a Buddhist aid attain real happiness. The Buddha shows society that worked to provide social all of us the right path to awakening welfare services based on faith in the and tries to make our Buddha-nature Lotus Sutra. When he confided his blossom.” As Suzuki treated every child anxieties to Tatsuko, she answered, without discrimination, he was respected “If you want to be satisfied with your and trusted by everyone. life, you will need to sow the seeds of When World War II ended in 1945, Main Building of Nihon Fukushi University in Aichi Prefecture. happiness through the teachings of the there were more than 120,000 children Lotus Sutra. The best way is to bring up who were orphaned by the war through- orphaned children and help them to have out Japan, but orphanages only had the a happy life. I am carrying a heavy load, capacity for 20,000 children. REVEREND KANNO PREACHES (58) and I’d like you to help carry the burden. Suzuki took many parentless children Can you do this for me?” Her request was under his wing, but over 100,000 war made in such a serious manner that he orphans were left unattended. To “ Nichiren was born as a son was sure it would be a great mission, so overcome this miserable situation, of a family of chandala he decided to accept her offer. Suzuki made every effort to develop in the Province of Awa. He was appointed to operate a farm better social welfare services for these in an offender rehabilitation facility, poor children.