Memorial Service for Rev. Seicho Taniguchi, President of Seicho-No-Ie, Held on December 17 at Tobitakyu Spiritual Training Center
In Memory of His Love for Harmony and Freedom
On December 17, 2008, 50 days after his death, the Memorial Service for the Late Rev. Seicho Taniguchi, President of Seicho-No-Ie, was held in the worship hall of the Tobitakyu Spiritual Training Center in Chofu City, Tokyo. It was a cold and rainy winter day. Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi, Acting President of Seicho-No-Ie, served as the Chief Priest. Mrs. Emiko Taniguchi, President of the White Dove Association, was the Chief Mourner. Mrs. Junko Taniguchi, Vice President of the White Dove Association, was also present. The Memorial Service started at 1:00 p.m. and lasted for about two hours.
A total of 1,134 people attended the Service, including Seicho-No-Ie Missionary Councilors, Associate Missionary Councilors, Senior Ministers, Auditors, Bishops of Missionary Headquarters, Managing Directors of Spiritual Training Centers directly administered by the Headquarters, Seven Representatives of Missionary Area’s Propagation Activities, officers of affiliated organizations, guests, and followers from neighboring Missionary Areas. They all expressed their deep gratitude to Rev. Seicho Taniguchi for his lifelong dedication to the promulgation of the teachings and renewed their determination to promote the Movement even more vigorously to repay for his love-filled guidance.
The Memorial Service was transmitted live via Internet to a total of 69 sites, including Missionary Areas across Japan, the Spiritual Training Centers directly administered by the Headquarters, and the Republic of China Missionary Headquarters.
The Memorial Service began with the purification rite, Invocation, and offerings. Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi next read the ceremonial statement and the Divine Message of the Return of the Soul to the Spiritual World.
This was followed by the offering of sacred branches by Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi, Mrs. Emiko Taniguchi, Mrs. Junko Taniguchi, Rev. Kotaro Miura (Chief of the Missionary Council, who served as the Head Priest), and Rev. Kazuo Isobe (Chairman and CEO). Then, Rev. Isobe gave a message in the capacity of the Head of the Memorial Service Committee.
Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi next gave a message entitled, “In Memory of Rev. Seicho Taniguchi, President of Seicho-No-Ie.”
Rev. Taniguchi began his message by touching upon Rev. Seicho Taniguchi’s posthumous name, Jisso Muso Komyogu Guzei Tsudatsu Daijii Daiseishi (literally, Great Compassionate Holy Master in the True Image Palace of Formless Light, Who Realized the Universal Vow of Bodhisattva). He explained that the name signifies his life which was devoted to his pledge of spreading the teachings with deep and merciful love.
Rev. Taniguchi next introduced a 1983 interview, in which Rev. Seicho Taniguchi talked about his view on music: Rev. Seicho Taniguchi sought harmony of diverse things similar to musical chords as the image of the God-created perfect world. The Acting President said that the ideal of the Seicho-No-Ie Movement is that the people’s freely expressed diversity becomes manifested in a harmonious way.
Rev. Taniguchi also mentioned that Rev. Seicho Taniguchi did not insist that he become the third-generation Seicho-No-Ie President and allowed him to study freely—even study overseas. He was grateful for this. Rev. Taniguchi stressed that the Seicho-No-Ie Movement aims to help manifest every true existence of the God-created perfect world, and not to impose a fixed way of life and confine people to a certain standard but that it is a movement to liberate their soul.
This was followed by the eulogies by Rev. Jun Kurokoji (former Chairman and CEO of Seicho-No-Ie) and Rev. Yoshiko Teshigawara (Bishop of the United States Missionary Headquarters, Vice Chief of the Missionary Council), who spoke on behalf of the domestic and overseas followers, respectively.
Then, after the introduction of condolatory telegrams, attendees solemnly offered incense while they read the Holy Sutra, Nectarean Shower of Holy Doctrines. This was followed by the removal of the offerings, the Affirmation of Perfect Peace and Harmony, and the Chief Mourner’s message by Mrs. Emiko Taniguchi.
In her message, Mrs. Taniguchi introduced memorable episodes: Rev. Seicho Taniguchi put his daily 5:00 a.m. practice of Shinsokan first, so that even after he started recuperating from his illness, an alarm clock was the first thing that he wanted; and they played a game of capping verses.
Mrs. Taniguchi pointed to the fact Rev. Seicho Taniguchi taught that the body is nonexistent and that life is eternal, and said, “Today is not a day of farewell to Rev. Seicho Taniguchi, I ask you to make it the day to move forward with energetic activities for the Movement.”
At the end of the Service, there was a singing by the Seicho-No-Ie Choir of Holy Songs written and composed by Rev. Seicho Taniguchi, who greatly loved music, “Towani” (Eternally) and “Koku no Sanka” (In Prasie of the Void.) Then, all the attendees sang “Kiyomarite” (Purified) written by Rev. Seicho Taniguchi. The Memorial Service ended in a deeply moving atmosphere that purified the attendees and the entire hall.