Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi Gives a Message at the New Year’s Celebration
Let’s Return to the Starting Point of the Teaching and Make a Fresh Start
On January 1, 2013 the New Year’s Celebration was held at the Seicho-No-Ie Headquarters in Harajuku, Tokyo.
As was the case last year, the 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 New Year’s Gratitude Ceremony at the Main Temple, that included the performance of the sacred dance, “Mikuni Kiyome no Mai” (Land Purification Dance) and the court music, “Etenraku” at the Holy Missioners’ Holy Spirit Installment Ceremony. They were also simultaneously transmitted to the Uji Temple and the Fuji Kawaguchiko Spiritual Training Center, where the New Year Spiritual Training Seminars were being held. The attendees looked very happy to view them on the screen.
Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi, President of Seicho-No-Ie, gave a New Year’s Message to the 566 attendees at the New Year’s Celebration held at the Headquarters for 17 minutes in his capacity as the Superintendent.
Rev. Taniguchi first noted that it was his last time to give a New Year’s Message at the Headquarters in Harajuku and that the Headquarters will be in Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture on New Year’s Day next year. Mentioning that this year’s simultaneous transmission is like a rehearsal for the operations after the Headquarters’ move to Yamanashi Prefecture, the President said that the attendees should have a high expectation for the new operations using image transmission via the Internet.
In connection with the “Year of the Snake,” the President next touched upon humanity’s impressions of the snake. There are negative impressions, such as the snake depicted in the Genesis in the Bible or “Yamatano Orochi” in the Japanese mythology. However, there are also positive views of the snake: the symbol of the “universal energy” or “wisdom.” In the Greek mythology, the snake is crawling on the stick held by the god of medicine as the symbol of healing and rebirth. Rev. Taniguchi said that historically the snake has been viewed as being either good or bad, depending upon the human convenience.
Rev. Taniguchi also introduced the fact that in Seicho-No-Ie Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi considered the snake to be a symbol of materialism that has attachment to material things, because its entire body touches the ground. He also mentioned that Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi was born in the Year of the Snake.
The President spoke of his experience from his childhood with humor. He was sometimes scolded by Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi for bothering him while he was writing articles. He said that he understood the reason, when he found out that he was born in the Year of Rabbit and Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi in the Year of Snake. The President said that despite the fact animals are God’s creations, each existing on earth with an important role, human beings whimsically judge them good or bad, prompting the fitting phenomena to manifest in the physical world.
The President noted that if Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi were alive, he would turn 120 this year and have his milestone “Kanreki” (sixtieth birthday) for the second time. He pointed out that “Kanreki” means “rebirth,” as the snake does. He said that this year is one of fresh start in these senses and stressed that the Headquarters’ move to the “Office in the Forest” is a symbolic event.
Rev. Taniguchi next turned to the article carried on the front page of the January 1, 2013 issue of the Seishimei Newspaper, which is entitled, “Let’s Return to the ‘Divine Message of Grand Harmony.’” He stressed that now is the time not only to “change” but also return to the “starting point.”
In explaining why the “Divine Message of Grand Harmony” is the most important of all Seicho-No-Ie Divine Messages, Rev. Taniguchi cited the following three reasons: (1) it is placed at the beginning of the Holy Sutra, Nectarean Shower of Holy Doctrines, (2) it appears at the beginning of all the Seimei no Jisso series (Truth of Life, published by Nippon Kyobunsha, Co. Ltd.), and (3) the Seicho-No-Ie Constitution lists the “Divine Message of Grand Harmony” in its entirety, without any omission, under the chapter, “Teachings.”
The President said that man’s coexistence with nature is the greatest issue that faces humanity in the 21st century and made a point that the key to solving this issue lies in the “Divine Message of Grand Harmony.” To live the spirit of the Divine Message is to return to the starting point of the teaching, as well as to promote a new Movement.
He went on to read a portion of the “Prayer to Be Grateful for Rebirth,” the first prayer in the Holy Sutra, Recitation on the Truth, whose content explains the “Divine Message of Grand Harmony.”
At the conclusion of his address, Rev. Taniguchi stated that the time to only talk about spiritual theory is over. He stressed that we must practice the way of life for human beings to grow with nature in our actual business operations and daily life, acquire know-how, make improvements and find a way to specifically express and make use of the starting point of the teaching, the spirit of “grand harmony” and make contribution to society.
At the Seicho-No-Ie Headquarters the New Year’s Celebration started 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. It was followed by the singing of a Seicho-No-Ie song, “Ima Kokoni Aratani Umare” (Born Anew Here and Now). Then there was a transmission of the New Year’s Gratitude Ceremony from the Main Temple. It was followed by the address by Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi and the singing of a Seicho-No-Ie song, “Inochi Hashira no Uta” (Song of Life Pillar). The Celebration came to an end at 10:56.