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Seicho-No-Ie News

New Year’s Celebration Shown at Four Sites through Internet Connection

Two-Way Transmission between Headquarters and Main Temple, and the Transmission also Includes Uji Temple and Kawaguchiko Spiritual Training Center

On January 1, 2012, as the first attempt, the Seicho-No-Ie Headquarters and the Main Temple were connected via the Internet for two-way transmission of the New Year’s Celebration at the Headquarters and the Ryugu Sumiyoshi Hongu New Year’s Gratitude Ceremony and Holy Missioners’ Holy Spirit Installment Ceremony at the Main Temple. They were also transmitted to the Uji Temple and the Kawaguchiko Spiritual Training Center, where the New Year spiritual training seminars were being held. The same programs were shown simultaneously at these four sites.

At the Seicho-No-Ie Headquarters, the New Year’s Celebration began at 10:00 a.m. After a deep bow to the Imperial Palace and the singing of the national anthem, Rev. Kazuo Isobe, Chairman and CEO of Seicho-No-Ie, gave a New Year’s message. This was followed by the singing of a Seicho-No-Ie song, “Ima Kokoni Aratani Umare” (Born Anew Here). From 10:16 a.m. there was a transmission from the Main Temple of the New Year’s Gratitude Ceremony for about 15 minutes. Shown on the large screen in the Headquarters’ Hall were a sacred dance “Mikuni Kiyome no Mai” (Land Purification Dance), Holy Missioners’ Holy Spirit Installment Ceremony, and court music, “Ettenraku.”

At the Holy Missioners’ Holy Spirit Installment Ceremony it showed for the first time how the holy tablets bearing the names of the new holy missioners were carried from the treasure box to the Hongu (main shrine).

After this the President gave the New Year’s Message, which was followed by the singing of a Seicho-No-Ie song, “Inochi Hashira no Uta” (Song of Life as the Pillar). The Ceremony ended at 10:58.

The New Year Gratitude Ceremony at the Main Temple was attended by 185 people. They also attended the New Year’s ceremony by watching it on the screen on the stage of the Shutsu Ryugu Kensai worship hall.

Ms. Norie Tsuji, who came from Fukuoka City, commented, “For more than 20 years I have been spending the New Year’s Day at the Main Temple. This year, for the first time I heard the President’s New Year’s message and saw the enshrining of the Holy Missioners’ souls. I felt a new sense of upliftment. The Internet is wonderful in that it enables many people to share experiences and thoughts, not to mention the fact that the individual can watch images.”

About 500 people at the New Year Spiritual Training Seminars at the Uji Temple and 100 at the Kawaguchiko Spiritual Training Center also watched the ceremony on the screens at their respective halls.

Mr. Tomonori Matsui, a participant from Hamamatsu City at the New Year Spiritual Training Seminar at the Uji Temple, commented, “While being at the Uji Temple, I was able to share the experience of listening to the President’s message, watching the programs and singing the national anthem with those at the Headquarters and the Main Temple. It gave me joy and a sense of being together. I hope that the transmission is held every year, since I would like my child to see it as well.”

Mr. Hideaki Tsukamoto, a participant from Nerima Ward, Tokyo at the New Year Spiritual Training Seminar at the Fuji Kawaguchiko Spiritual Training Center, commented, “I was able to listen to the President’s message real time. It was as if listening to Shakyamuni’s lecture. It was wonderful. The story of the Year of the Dragon made me want to make this year one of great leap. I was also glad to see the sacred dance at the Main Temple, because I have never been there.”

This attempt was a good “test case” for considering the way in which various events can be held after the Headquarters moves to the “Office in the Forest.” It can be said that the positive reaction of the attendees proved its effectiveness.