27th-Year Memorial Service for Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi at the Seicho-No-Ie Main Temple
Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi Gives an Address and Stresses that There Is No Dark Side in Life
The 27th-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 626 attendees.
Rev. Taniguchi began his address by referring to the message he gave at last year’s memorial service: if we open our mind’s eye, heaven exists everywhere. He said that through the practice of the Sundial Way of Life by drawing picture envelopes and writing poems he is finding out that some of the things he did not notice until now are actually wonderful.
The President explained about the Bodhisattva Who Reflects the Sounds of the World at this year’s National Leaders’ Seminars and in his blog. He subsequently wrote a long poem entitled “Song in Praise of the Bodhisattva Who Reflects the Sounds of the World.” Rev. Taniguchi announced that that poem and the “Song in Praise of Nature” (total of two poems) will be published in the form of a sutra.
Rev. Taniguchi next introduced the teaching, “See the bright side of life and do not see the dark side.” He pointed out that in our actual life, it is often difficult to know what is the dark side and what is the bright side. Illness is generally believed to be darkness. However, Rev. Seicho Taniguchi was introduced to Seicho-No-Ie when he was hospitalized with tuberculosis and borrowed a copy of the Seimei no Jisso (Truth of Life) from a soldier, a roommate in the hospital room. The President emphasized that this example shows that there is no dark side in life and that an opportunity for a bright life is hidden even in what seems to be darkness. Mentioning that the soldier later left Seicho-No-Ie, Rev. Taniguchi noted that not everyone that has been touched by opportunity can be led to the bright life.
From Shinpan Komyo Hogo (Words of Light, New Edition) the President next quoted the portion which says that a thought and behavior are interrelated. He said that it is the individual’s choice that determines which direction to move forward, given such interrelation. There are people like Rev. Seicho Taniguchi, who moved forward on the right path, while there are others like the soldier, who went elsewhere. Even then, the soldier’s life cannot be said to be a failure. Rev. Taniguchi said that the soldier whose act was instrumental in bringing about the present Seicho-No-Ie movement can be called a Bodhisattva Who Reflects the Sounds of the World.
Rev. Taniguchi stressed that even when our movement seems to have darkness, we should know that bright light exists and make the choice that is only brightness. He asked the attendees to practice the three important religious practices in order to decide if our choice is the most appropriate for Seicho-No-Ie and live in a way that leads straight to brightness.
The Memorial Service started at 10:00 a.m., with the President presiding as the Chief Priest. After the purification rite, Invocation, offerings and the reading of the supplication, sacred branches were offered by the President, Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi; and Mrs. Junko Taniguchi, the President of the 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. Kazutomi Otsuka, the Chief of the Missionary Council; and Rev. Kazuo Isobe, the Chairman and CEO of Seicho-No-Ie. The attendees burned incense and expressed their gratitude to Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi. The removal of the offerings and the Affirmation of Perfect Peace and Harmony followed. The Memorial Service came to an end with Rev. Taniguchi’s address.