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Nichiren Shu News Published by the Head Office of Nichiren-Shu Buddhism & NOPPA Nichiren Shu News Published by the Head Office of Nichiren-shu Buddhism & NOPPA No. 183 April 1, 2011 1 Odaimoku Kechien Campaign Phase Two Kicks Off Rev. Kanjo Bassett Kechien Campaign Phase One was temples now. That is where it all starts. as well. There are volunteer activities Missionary Department, Shumuin about “Spreading Seeds” encapsulated The next step is connecting this with local sangha can do such as earthquake in the phrase ‘Tangyo Raihai’ translated activities that help create a peaceful society. relief, or have a temple be a community as “I Bow to the Buddha in You.” Phase A peaceful society isn’t just having peace welfare center as they do in Japan which Two builds on the spirit of Tangyo Raihai and security, it also means having a peaceful all are in the spirit of practicing the and is expressed in the slogan ‘Inochi Ni heart and body. If you look at just having Bodhisattva way expounded by the Buddha. Gassho’, ‘Praying to Life’ and focuses on peace, even in present day Japan bad things I’d also like to put out the call for creating and nurturing a peaceful society. happen, the economy has problems, so ‘Terakoya’, educational activities (Terakoya Rev. Koga explained: “The heart of it’s important to have a peaceful mind were schools run by Buddhist temples in ‘Praying to Life’ comes from the spirit of to create the pure land of the Buddha the Edo period). Temples should be a place Tangyo Raihai, the very act of bowing and expressed in Chapter 16 of the Lotus Sutra, of worship, study and practice. In addition saying ‘I respect you deeply’ in the manner of “In reality this world of mine is peaceful.” to worship and practice, a local temple can Never-Despising Bodhisattva. An important In a peaceful society, life if respected, also sponsor cultural activities in the spirit of point of Chapter 20 in the Lotus Sutra is people respect each other and reach out to calligraphy or tea ceremony classes taught that Never-Despising Bodhisattva says to one another. Some say modern Japanese in Japanese temples. Temple priests can go every single person, ‘you will become a society is a society where everybody is cut out in their community and teach. Teaching Buddha.’ It is not the case of saying you will off from one another, but a healthy peaceful in the spirit of the Buddha and his teachings. become a Buddha to one being then telling society builds strong human relationships. We hope that all the different Nichiren another he will not. All beings become This is something we want to carry Shu sangha around the world can come Jyofukyo Bosatsu Buddhas: men and women, Buddhists out in Japan and internationally. Doing so together in the spirit of solidarity through Never-Despising Bodhisattva and non-Buddhists, people from different means having local activities, have people the simple actions of Gassho Raihai. The first four-year phase of the cultures, everyone will equally become a come together and we want the sangha in Odaimoku Kechien Campaign concludes Buddha. The way to bring this about is the Hawaii, the Americas, Europe and Asia to this March. Phase two kicks off on April simple act of putting palms together and rise to the occasion. Each country has it’s 1 and will run until March 2015. This bowing, ‘I Bow to the Buddha in You.’ own culture and circumstances and local second phase coincides with the 800th What does this have to do with the activities should reflect that. We hope that anniversary of Nichiren Shonin’s birthday. overseas missions? It all starts with the local sangha do have activities that reach We talked with Rev. Ryokou Koga, simple act of Gassho Raihai, putting out to those in less fortunate circumstances. Director of the Nichiren Shu Missionary palms together and bowing. It makes no Japan might seem like a peaceful country Department regarding the purpose difference if it is a priest or a layperson. It but there are political problems, economic and philosophy behind the next phase. all starts with the simple act. In Japan this problems and so on, and you can see the Rev. Ryokou Koga Rev. Koga said that Odaimoku is a movement we are doing in the local same thing in America and other countries Director Missionary Department would be wonderful to continue this kind of tree that had come from Gaya in India. Study Tour in Sri Lanka activity and blessed the participants for their Everyone on the tour was amazed good health. After the hard work, everyone and awed at the history and traditions By Rev. Kosei Uchida Temple (Ven. Attidye Punnaranthana, looked satisfied with their accomplishments of Sri Lanka. We were able to share Missionary Department, Shumuin resident minister), which is located 15 and their faces beamed with content. many things as Buddhists and were kilometers south of Colombo in an area During the three-day tour, the participants happy that Nichiren Shu was involved in The seventh Nichiren Shu study called Mt. Lavinia. Participating in the daily received lectures on Sri Lankan Buddhism, international cooperative activities. (Tr. S.S.) tour was held from Saturday, February activities of a Sri Lankan temple was a good experienced meditation and were able 12 ~ 19, in the Democratic Socialist opportunity to think of how Buddhism in to exchange ideas with the members of Republic of Sri Lanka. This program Japan could get involved in society, what is the the temple. A lady who had practiced is conducted by Nichiren Shu in order difference between Sri Lankan Buddhism meditation for the first time said she would to find and educate capable people and Japanese Buddhism, and what steps to like to try it after she returned to Japan. to help international cooperative take for the future of Nichiren Buddhism. Also during the tour, we were able activities and overseas propagation. These were some reasons why Sri Lanka see the Gangaramaya Navam Perahera In the past, study tours have been held was selected as the place for the study tour. Festival (held on the day of the full moon in Laos and India. This time, the tour On the morning of the first day, a dedication in February) at the Gangaramaya Temple was made possible with the cooperation ceremony for the statue of the Buddha was in Colombo. Elephants and village folk in of NPO Japan Rouyaku Center, led by held. We joined in a parade carrying the their traditional costumes paraded through Rev. Bunko Ono, Myohokesha, Gumma Buddha to the upper part of the tower where the streets accompanied by the dynamic Prefecture and assisted by Rev. Junji it was to be enshrined. The temple premise drum sounds and dancing. We were also Fujii, Honzuiji, Kyoto. Participants were was crowded with followers, onlookers and able to see Anuradhapura and Dambulla, composed of temple members and there wasn’t enough space for everyone to both of which are world heritages. We were Stupa being constructed friends, totaling seven men and women. attend the dedication ceremony. All this also able to see the oldest, sacred Bodhi We were assisted by Ven. Yalagamuwe took place in a small temple in an equally Dhammissara Thero, Vice-president of small town. Ven. Venbeble Pannnalankara Udarata Amarapura Nikaya of Sri Lanka. Thero, President of Udarata Amarapura Praying for a Quick Recovery The tour was held at Piyarathanaramaya Nikaya, attended the ceremony along with Nichiren Shu would like to express their deepest sympathy to the Vice-president Ven. Dhammissara Thero. earthquake victims of the New Zealand earthquake that hit Christ After the grand ceremony, we helped Church on Tuesday, February 22, 2011, and the Tohoku Pacific build a stupa under the strong sun of Sri Earthquake that devastated the coastal areas from northern Japan all Lanka with the temperature soaring over 30 the way down to the Kanto Area on Friday, March 11, 2011. degrees Celsius. We worked on moving a We would like to pray for all of you so that you can return to mound of dirt, carrying it to the designated a normal life as quickly as possible. Though aftershocks are still place with a wheelbarrow several times. prevalent in northern Japan, we hope that you can find safety and Everything was done manually and the some peace of mind. participants were covered with sweat and dirt. The Sri Lankan priests were amazed and Chief Administrator much obliged and grateful for all the work Nichiren Shu Shobin Watanabe the participants did for the preparation of Participants carrying dirt to the site building a stupa. The priests also said that it 2 No.183, April 1, 2011 Nichiren Shu News Buddhism and International Society By Rev. Kanshu Naito, Ph.D Buddhism and America (2) Netherlands founded craftsmen belonged. They had not only to reform the Anglican Church those days. New Netherland religious enthusiasm but also strong Under the oppressive regime of It is just since the 17th century that near the Hudson economic desires, and were likely to James I, Puritans broke up into the American Continent was strongly River. Although regard the new land as very charming two communions: one of them is recognized in world history, though it has one of the trading and of great value. The origin of Presbyterians that would stay in the existed since the days of antiquity. It was places developing Puritanism in England is traced back to country and endeavor to reform the discovered in the Age of Discovery while there was called the Age of the Reformation in the 16th Church and the other is Separatists that the European countries ventured to seek New Amsterdam, century when the Anglican Church desired another world to achieve their new Oriental routes, for which Portugal England captured was established by King Henry VIII, ideal.
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