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Home > News Release > SNI-Online 201210-01

Seicho-No-Ie News

Fall Memorial Service

Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi Gives an Address and Stresses that Human Life Is a Stage to Express Goodness

Souls of 186 People Newly Memorialized

The Fall Memorial Service for Deceased Distinguished Propagators was held on September 22, the fall equinox day, 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 was also present. The souls of 186 people, who devoted themselves to the Humanity Enlightenment Movement in their lifetime, were newly memorialized.

At the end of the Memorial Service, Rev. Taniguchi gave an address. He pointed out that the good that came about from the Great East Japan Earthquake was the fact that many foreigners visited Japan and were impressed by how the Japanese people were bearing the burden of the disaster while maintaining social order and that they disseminated the news overseas. He mentioned that even Chinese reporters were among them, and he talked about the current relationship between Japan and China. Rev. Taniguchi stressed that it is important to visualize the True Image behind the ever-changing phenomenal world and carry out activities to manifest the True Image.

Rev. Taniguchi next said that the relationship between individuals sometimes lacks harmony also but that it is merely an act on a theatrical stage. He said that death offers an opportunity to look back on our life and realize that there is no evil in the world and that the role of an evil actor was to guide the protagonist. He asked the attendees to disseminate this teaching and move forward hand in hand.

The Memorial Service was attended by 360 people, including Seicho-No-Ie Missionary Councilors, officers of affiliated organizations, and the family members of the deceased propagators. The Service began at 10:00 a.m. After the purification rite and the Invocation, Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi read the supplication and offered a sacred branch. This was followed by the summoning of the souls.

The Head Priest next read the words of the Fall Memorial Service, which was followed by the offering of a sacred branch by Mrs. Junko Taniguchi. Then, while the attendees read the Holy Sutra, Nectarean Shower of Holy Doctrines, sacred braches were offered by Seicho-No-Ie missionary councilors, officers of affiliated corganizations and the newly bereaved family members. Attendees burned incense. Mr. Tadao Touzawa, the second son of the late Kimi Touzawa (formerly Regional Lecturer) of the Toyama Missionary Area, gave words of appreciation on behalf of the bereaved families.

The number of the souls memorialized since the founding of Seicho-No-Ie totals 12,833.