Pray for Peaceful Repose of Deceased Forerunners and Ask for Their Protection
The Souls of 193 People Memorialized at the Spring Memorial Service
On March 21, the Spring Memorial Service for Deceased Distinguished Propagators was held at the Seicho-No-Ie Headquarters in Harajuku, Tokyo. Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi, President of Seicho-No-Ie, served as the Chief Priest. Mrs. Junko Taniguchi, President of Seicho-No-Ie White Dove Association, was also present. The souls of 193 people, who dedicated their lives to the Seicho-No-Ie Movement, were newly memorialized.
At the end of the Memorial Service Rev. Taniguchi gave a message. He began by mentioning the fact that among the newly memorialized was Mr. Haruhiko Yoshida, formerly the Chairman and CEO of Seicho-No-Ie and the Chief of Seicho-No-Ie Missionary Council, and introduced in detail the positions he held in Seicho-No-Ie. The President first met Mr. Yoshida in 1985, when he was transferred to the Seicho-No-Ie Headquarters from Sekai Seiten Fukyu Kyokai Co. Ltd. as his superior. Subsequently, Mr. Yoshida held important positions in the “Movement’s Two-Pillar System” and the International Peace by Faith Movement. Rev. Taniguchi made a point that Mr. Yoshida was a very important force in carrying forward today’s Movement as his right-hand man.
The President also praised the other people whose souls were newly memorialized as wonderful Holy Missioners who promoted the Enlightenment Movement in their communities. He asked the attendees to remember the fact that the deceased forerunners are also working with them from the spirit world and to promote the Movement by helping and supporting one another.
Rev. Taniguchi next pointed out that modern-day people are having trouble, living in harmony with nature and that many problems have arisen.
Many people died in the recent Great Earthquake of Eastern Japan and there might have been people who faced a disruption in their activity for the Enlightenment Movement on earth. Rev. Taniguchi said that at the Memorial Service he believed that their souls were with our forerunners and he read the Holy Sutra with gratitude to them.
Rev. Taniguchi introduced the fact that he announced the “Prayer to Visualize Grand Harmony Between Nature and Man” soon after the recent massive earthquake. He read a portion of the Prayer to pray that those who died rest in peace and make the day an opportunity to push forward the Movement.
In concluding his message, the President stressed that he hopes we will greatly promote our Movement as we move to realize grand harmony between nature and man, while receiving protection from those who moved on to the spiritual world.
The Memorial Service started at 10:00 a.m. and was attended by 338 people, including Seicho-No-Ie Missionary Councilors, officers of affiliated organizations and the families of the deceased. After the purification rite and the Invocation, Rev. Taniguchi read the supplication and offered a sacred branch. This was followed by the summoning of the souls. The Head Priest then read the words of the Spring Memorial Service, which was followed by the offering of a sacred branch by Mrs. Junko Taniguchi. While the attendees read the Holy Sutra, Nectarean Shower of Holy Doctrines, sacred branches were offered by Seicho-No-Ie Missionary Councilors, officers of affiliated organizations and the newly bereaved family members. Attendees burned incense. Mrs. Kimiko Yoshida, the wife of the late Mr. Haruhiko Yoshida, former Seicho-No-Ie Chairman and CEO and the Chief of Seicho-No-Ie Missionary Council, gave words of appreciation. The number of the souls memorialized since the founding of Seicho-No-Ie totals 12,244.