The 25th-Year Memorial Service for Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi
Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi Gives An Address
Sundial Way of Life is Unchanging Seicho-No-Ie Way of Life
The 25th-Year Memorial Service for Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi was held on June 17 at the Taniguchi Family Monument at the Seicho-No-Ie Main Temple in Nagasaki Prefecture. Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi, President of Seicho-No-Ie, addressed the 860 attendees.
Rev. Taniguchi noted that this year marks a milestone of a quarter century since the passing of Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi and spoke of his emotion about the passage of so much time.
The President stated that during these many years the world has undergone much change and with it Seicho-No-Ie also changed, although what does not change has not changed. He said that he wished to affirm the unchanging part of the Seicho-No-Ie teaching, while remembering Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi.
Rev. Taniguchi next touched upon the fact that Seicho-No-Ie is promoting the practice the sundial way of life and explained that the sundial way of life is to recognize the bright side of life and our movement is to spread it. He said that the first issue of the Seicho-No-Ie magazine published in 1930 clearly states this as the “Seicho-No-Ie way of life” and that the Seicho-No-Ie Movement began with the sundial way of life.
The President pointed to the fact that although 80 years have passed from 1930, the year Seicho-No-Ie was founded, to the present 2010, we tend to forget how things were at the mid-point. He then introduced the Aratani Umareru tameno Kowa (Lectures to Guide You to Rebirth, published by Nippon Kyobunsha Co., Ltd.), which includes Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi’s lectures broadcast on the radio at the mid-point of about 40 years ago. Reading the book helps to know what kind of lectures Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi was giving around 1975-1985.
Rev. Taniguchi also introduced Shinko no Kagaku (Science of Faith, published by Nippon Kyobunsha Co., Ltd., currently out of stock), the book which Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi used as his text for his radio lectures. It is a unique book in that it was co-authored with Fenwicke Holmes, an American New Thought thinker.
New Thought is a thought movement that spread in the U.S.A., which taught a similar teaching to the Seicho-No-Ie teaching, man is a child of God. Fenwicke Holmes is a brother of Earnest Holmes, the founder of a New Thought group, the Church of Religious Science. The President gave a detailed explanation of the background which led to the publication of the Shinko no Kagaku.
Rev. Taniguchi explained that the Shinko no Kagaku was first written by Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi for Americans and then translated into English by a professor at a Japanese university. Fenwicke Holmes later reviewed its English and made some changes, and during the process he was carried away and added his personal experiences and religious theory. Subsequently, Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi further reviewed the Japanese translation of the final English manuscript. That was how the Shinko no Kagaku was completed.
The President made a point that the Shinko no Kagaku includes the “Truth that is beyond the cultural boundary.” He introduced a section from the Arata ni Umareru tameno Kowa, where the Shinko no Kagaku is quoted: beauty is in the mind of the viewer; there is a great difference between a person who sees the bright side of life and who does not. He explained that the book writes about the wonderfulness of practicing the sundial way of life. He said that this is Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi’s only book that was a collaboration between Japan and the U.S.A. The President said that in view of the fact that this book was written about 40 years ago to spread the teaching to the entire world, our current Movement is not engaged in a strange activity. He stressed that it is important to continue from now on to promote the “way of life that sees the bright side of things,” which is Seicho-No-Ie’s essential teaching.
Rev. Taniguchi next noted that although we are at a turning point in civilization from the fossil fuel to natural energy, the transition is not going smoothly, causing some confusion in economy and politics. Since the mass media reports mainly dark happenings, Seicho-No-Ie needs to spread bright thoughts more strongly than ever before. The President asked each member to practice the sundial way of life and disseminate it to many people.
In concluding his lecture, the President called upon the attendees to recognize and record, in the areas of their speciality, the good and bright sides of life, as well as the truth, goodness and beauty, which are the attributes of the True-Image World and join hands in furthering the movement to spread the bright and cheerful thinking more widely.
The Memorial Service started at 10:00 a.m. The President of Seicho-No-Ie served as the Chief Priest. After the purification rite, Invocation, offerings and the reading of the supplication, sacred branches were offered by Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi, President of Seicho-No-Ie, and Mrs. Junko Taniguchi, President of Seicho-No-Ie White Dove Association. It was followed by the offering of a sacred branch by the Head Priest. Then, while the attendees read the Holy Sutra, Nectarean Shower of Holy Doctrines, sacred branches were offered by Rev. Kotaro Miura, Chief of the Missionary Council; and Rev. Kazuo Isobe, Chairman and CEO of Seicho-No-Ie. The attendees burned incense and expressed their gratitude to Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi. The removing of the offerings and the Affirmation of Perfect Peace and Harmony followed. The Memorial Service came to an end with the President’s address.