Fall Festival
Rev.Masanobu Taniguchi Stresses that the Sundial Way of Life and the Teaching of Indestructible Life Should BeUpheld as If Two Axles of A Car
At the Seicho-No-Ie Main Temple, the 33rd Ryugu Sumiyoshi Hongu Fall Festival and the 30th Ryugu Sumiyoshi Reigu Fall Festival were held on November 21. On the following day (November 22), a ceremony to commemorate the birth of Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi was held. Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi, President of Seicho-No-Ie, served as the Chief Priest at these ceremonies. Mrs. Junko Taniguchi, President of Seicho-No-Ie White Dove Association, was also present.
On November 22, Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi addressed the 867 attendees for 15 minutes in the worship hall in his capacity as the Superintendent.
Rev. Taniguchi began his address by touching upon the fact that Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi loved the natural surroundings at the Main Temple. He said that the Main Temple is full of beautiful nature and that one gets a sense of oneness with nature.
He next introduced, from Seicho no Hi o Kazashite (Holding the Flame of Growth High, a memorial photograph publication), a portion of Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi’s last lecture delivered at the May 26, 1985 Group/Worship Spiritual Training Seminar.
In that lecture, Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi taught that man is Buddha of Infinite Life and a branch of the one Grand Life. The President noted that the teaching, man is indestructible, is very important to Seicho-No-Ie.
The President stated that only the fact that life is eternal cannot be cause for human happiness. For example, to those who believe that man, a “child of sin, is an ordinary man deep in sin and evil”, it means that they have to atone their sin eternally, and therefore, eternal life can invite suffering.
Rev. Taniguchi next referred to a section from his recently-published book, Shokan Zakkan, Part 17 (Random Thoughts, Part 17), which includes a question raised at his Public Lecture: “Doesn’t the teaching of eternal life lead to the spirit of Muslim terrorist organizations and Japan’s Suicide Unit in World War II, which did not fear death because of their belief that they gain happiness in their next lives?
While quoting from his answer to that question, the President taught that despite the fact that the teaching of “eternal life” can lead to many good teachings, it can also lead to “negligence of the earthly life and belittling of other people,” when life is viewed negatively. Since Seicho-No-Ie views the earthly life positively as “a stage to express man’s True Image as a child of God, it never leads to jidhadist terrorism or negligence of the earthly life.
Rev. Taniguchi went on to stress the fact that Seicho-No-Ie has always taught the Sundial Way of Life from the time when Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi launched the Movement.
Pointing out that today the economy is said to be worsening, the President noted the fact that the economy in the early part of the Showa Era was in an even worse condition and the Japanese Army was stationed in China. In such a dark age Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi founded Seicho-No-Ie and maintained in the first issue of the Seicho-No-Ie monthly magazine, “Let us live by laughing merrily.” The President stated that Seicho-No-Ie’s fundamental teaching is about the Sundial Way of Life and affirmation of earthly life.
He next stressed that the practice of the Sundial Way of Life and the realization of a lifestyle that is one with nature is a movement to succeed and expand Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi’s spirit.
The President concluded his address by saying that what we face now is not adversity but an opportunity to express our Divinity and Buddhahood and he asked the attendees to promote our Movement by using the two teachings, the Sundial Way of Life and indestructible life, as if two axles of a car.
The Ceremony began at 10:00 a.m. After the singing of the national anthem, there was a message by Rev. Kazuo Isobe, Chairman and CEO of Seicho-No-Ie. Then on behalf of the followers, Mr. Yoshihisa Yano, head of Oita Missionary Area Brotherhood Association, and Rev. Yuji Otsuka, Ordained Minister stationed in Europe, gave congratulatory messages. After Rev. Taniguchi’s lecture there was a presentation of Headquarters awards. The Ceremony ended at 11:50 a.m.