The importance of practicing the Truth in our daily life
I am writing this article in the airplane, on my way to Vancouver from Toronto, on June 17th. Today in the morning, the maintenance technician came to the Toronto Centre and stayed longer than I expected. Due to that, I could not make the 45-minute prior departure deadline for check-in and lost the 5 p.m. flight. So I had to take the 6 p.m. flight instead. I am grateful for having the availability of flights from Toronto to Vancouver on hourly basis. In this way, we all have unexpected events in this phenomenal world. Through these unexpected experiences, we are given opportunities to see the bright side of things and circumstances.
28 years ago, on this exact date June 17th, Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi passed away. Thus, today on June 17th Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi’s 28th Years Memorial Service is held at the Seicho-No-Ie Main Temple in Nagasaki and other centers. In Canada, at Toronto Centre and Vancouver Centre, this memorial service was held yesterday, on Sunday June 16th. 10 people participated in Toronto, and I was told that 25 participants were present in Vancouver. Since I would conduct and give a lecture at Toronto Centre on the same day that the memorial service would be held in Vancouver, I made a video message the previous day the Vancouver members to see during the memorial service. This video message can also be found on my Youtube Channel at
http://www.youtube.com/user/alohamahaloyoshi .
In the video message I shared the first words exchanged by Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi and Rev. Seicho Taniguchi in their first encounter. Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi asked whether Rev. Seicho Taniguchi went to the battlefield during Second World War and Rev. Seicho said “No.” Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi then replied "It was good; you did not kill anyone.", and reaffirmed the same idea many years later. On Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi’s last lecture in May 1985, he told us to spread to others the highest level ethic of “Do not kill.”
On Saturday, June 15th we also had, in more than 15 years, in Toronto, the first Japanese ‘Truth Realization Seminar’ with 10 participants. In May we had the Truth Realization Seminar in English with two people new to Seicho-No-Ie teachings, and seven people in total. So far we have had two Truth Realization Seminars. In this August in Toronto, we are going to have the second Truth Realization Seminar in Japanese.
Furthermore, on June 22nd, we are going to have One Day Truth Realization Seminar in Japanese in Vancouver from the early morning at 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. and, in the following months, many other substantial events are planned. From now on, I hope to conduct as many Truth Realization Seminars as possible.
Of course, we should tailor some activities for new members, such as the Sunday Services. However, we should plan new activities, such as the Truth Realization Seminars for those who would like to deepen the study of Seicho-No-Ie teachings. That is because Seicho-No-Ie Centres are not merely a place, but are the so called “Life’s Purification Centre,” in which we manifest our True Image as children of God. Through the conduction of the Truth Realization Seminar or Spiritual Training Seminar, the study and practice of the Truth with all members together, the centre will fulfill its purification missions.
During the Truth Realization Seminars and Spiritual Training Seminars, we have the opportunity to also wash dishes together after the meals. This is a wonderful act. During the Spiritual Training Seminar, without distinguishing the lecturer from the participant, we work together and practice "Acts of Gratitude" and various “Religious Ceremonies,” such as the "Shinsokan Meditation for Mutual Prayer" and the “Mind Purification Ceremony”. Through the conjoint practice of the teachings, we understand the hard to grasp teachings by ourselves through the hands-on activities.
Seicho-No-Ie also deals with environmental issues. The teachings embrace the practice of the Truth in our daily life by the awareness that “Man is a child of God.
In the book “Learning from Nature” by Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi, it is shown an email by Mr. T, one of the Seicho-No-Ie members, asking Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi to talk more about the Truth instead of environmental issues. Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi replies Mr. T quoting Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi’s words. Below is an excerpt of Rev. Masanobu’s book.
Mr. T says in an email that the environmental and gene-related issues are "after all, the phenomenal world." However, if we don't practice our faith in our daily life, the religion would have no meanings. This is preached in the koan "Joshu washes dishes" in the seventh chapter of "Gateless Gate (Mumonkan)". considered the book number one of Zen Buddhism. I would like to quote the commentary on it by Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi, founder of Seicho-No-Ie below:
One day, one of the new-comer Zen Monk came before Joshu and asked: "Please teach me regarding enlightenment."
"Have you eaten your rice porridge?" asked Joshu.
"Yes, I have," replied the monk.
"Then you had better wash your bowl," said Joshu.
This bowl is a dish. The monk was asked "Wash your dishes".
Then, the monk for the first time "reflected upon himself." He did not yet reach enlightenment, because he had not washed his dishes. Therefore, "He had the chance to reflect upon himself."
(Masaharu Taniguchi “Truth in our daily life- Gateless Gate and Holy Bible” pp. 8-9)
Then Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi wrote the importance of knowing the True Image and applying it in the phenomenal world by quoting Rev. Masaharu Taniguchi’s article as follows:
You must know that the “torch” is the “fire.” It is false to think that we can distinguish “torch” from “fire” by saying “torch is torch, and fire is fire.” The torch is one representation of fire. Fire is the “Main Body” of “the torch.” “The torch” is the phenomenon of “fire.” (…) It seems it is not such an important matter by saying “Being enlightened, Being enlightened” but if the enlightenment does not appear in our daily life, it is as if there is no fire in the flame, so it is a worthless "torch".
(Ibid, p. 11)
After this quote, Rev. Masanobu Taniguchi wrote as follows:
One might think that a religious teacher should preach nobler matters, such as “God” and “Buddha,” whereas the world's common sense should be used to deal with day-by-day phenomenal matters.
However, this mentality is just as same as saying “Since torch and fire are different, you should talk more about fire.” Even though you understand “fire” abstractly, if you cannot use any “torch,” you cannot say you truly understand what a “fire” is. Who in the world would believe in a person who preaches “Buddha’s life resides in food”, but does not wash the dishes?
Masanobu Taniguchi “Learning from Nature” (Imakoso Shizen Kara Manabou)
In conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude to the people who work at the kitchen for not including “meat” in our meals. This is the practice of the Truth “Man is a child of God” and “Thou Shall Not Kill.” Since we know that eating meat pushes forward the environmental disruption, not serving meat at the Centre during our activities is the use of torch by knowing the essential meaning of "fire."
Furthermore, we defined our Movement Policy in Canada which can be found in this newsletter, for this and next years. This policy also corresponds to applying the Humanity Enlightenment Movement-International Peace by Faith Movement in the phenomenal world by knowing the True Image. In other words, it is as using the “torch” knowing the meaning of “fire.” Please read it carefully.
I would like to end my article by expressing my gratitude towards your daily contribution and cooperation to the Humanity Enlightenment Movement.
Thank you very much.
June 17th, 2013.
Yoshiharu Taka
Chief of Toronto Missionary Area
Resident Ordained Minister in Canada
Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/alohamahaloyoshi
SEICHO-NO-IE