真言律宗　蓮華院誕生寺

2012年11月21日大日乃光２０２６号-2
『みらいのために良き縁を創る奥之院開創三十五年大祭』

未来の信者さん」と　御本尊様のご縁を結ぶ
 
Linking Future Generation of Followers & Weaving the Thread between them and the Bodhisattva
 
お寺と学校の違いは、中心となる御本尊様がおられるか否かが決定的な違いですが、それ以外にもお寺はその地域にあって、宗教的な役割をしっかりと果たしているか否かが最も大切な事だと思います。
 
Obviously, the critical difference between a temple and a school is whether the central figure of a Bodhisattva is placed at the centre of the institution or not. Other than that, a temple’s worth is also being tested by its act rooted in its religious belief – in other words, whether it is truly making a difference in the best interest of the community which it is meant to serve.
 
当山のような〝信者寺〟は檀家さんのためにあるお寺と違って、全国の信者さんだけでなく、これから御縁を結び、いつの日か信者さんになられる無限の多くの方々のためにあるのです。その意味で、今現在どのようなお寺の形と内容を整えるべきかを常に考えておくのが、当山のような信者寺、祈祷寺には欠かせない事であると思っております。
 
Our templar monastery sets itself apart from a typical temple which only serves the needs of people who need a caretaker for their graves. We exist through the bonds we establish with not only the dead but also those who are alive. We are here to promote new relationships with countless people who have yet to find us, as well as, of course, those of you who already are members. If our foresight serves us right, that means we must continuously act to improve our facilities as well as our abilities to cope with a larger family of members, which, to me, is a paramount task for a templar monastery of our nature.
 
日々の祈り、日々の修行で　自身を高め、御縁を拡げる
Daily Prayers and daily ascetic practices lead to ascension of oneself and our relationships   
 
南大門の再建が昨年終わり、当山の中興への道筋は一応終わりました。そんな中で、次なる使命が何であるかを、皇円大菩薩様に虚心にお伺いする日々を一年以上送ってきた中で、こんな事を感じる日々を送っています。
 
Nandaimon, or the Great South Gate, has undergone its reconstruction and this was completed last year. With this our restoration projects have for now come to a completion. Amidst all this, for over a year now, I have been praying for the directives from our revered Bodhisattva Ko-en in earnest search of the next mission and have, of late, began to foster a feeling which I shall now share with you.  
 
「未来のために良き種を蒔く」これは私個人の思いであると共に、当山の貫主としても「未来の信者となる人々のために、今何をしなければならないのか？」ということを常々考えていくと、自分自身がより高い佛教的な境地に身を置く
事、その境地を更に深め、高めていく事が何と言っても大事な事であると思います。そこから全てが始まると思えば、日々の祈り、日々の修行は何をおいても気合を入れるべき私の使命です。
 
“Seeding the best seeds for the future” has been a personal mission that I have committed myself to undertake. As the chief person heading our monastery this translates as “That which I now must commit myself to doing, in the best interests of the followers to come.” In so doing, I must level up in the endeavour to mastering the height of the teachings of Lord Buddha. This is the utmost task for myself in my current role. If so, then my daily prayers and daily ascetic practices will also need to be leveled up. Yes, this is my mission for now.
 
しかしそれと同時に衆生済度のために、再びこの現世に御霊告を以て、開山上人様を通じて示現された皇円大菩薩様の御意志は何なのか？　私に託された先代、 先々代の御意志は何なのか？ を真摯に受け止めながら、「未来のために良き縁を創る」ことに日々励んでいます。
 
However, without being content at the thought, I continue to carry out my tasks of salvation of the peoples of the present world. In conducting the work of salvation I never fail to ask myself these questions; “What is the Will that has apparently been handed down by the Great Bodhisattva Ko-en via the voices of the founder of our monastery?” “What is it that the former chief priests whom once sat in my position wished for me to bring about in real life?” I take these issues with my utmost sincerity in order to identify the just solutions. The path to this is most succinctly depicted in this phrase; “Building the right relationships for the future”. Not a day of mine passes without turning my thoughts to these questions.
 
この三ヶ月ほどの間に、出張する日が増えています。その先々で新たなご縁が広がっています。具体的な事は一ヶ月後に必要な事柄から少しずつお伝えしていきます。
 
In the past three months or so, I have been travelling up and down the country. These travels give me immense pleasure as they inevitably lead to new relationships. Detailed stories of this nature, I shall share with you, step at a time, as deemed necessary.
 
今は自分自身の内証（心の境地）を充実させ、御本尊様からの霊波をしっかりと
受け止める時期だと思っております。
 
For the time being, my priority is in developing my inner world of spiritual attainment so as not to miss every bit of soulful directives from the Bodhisattva himself.
 
来たる大祭を、一人でも多くの信者の方々が良き御縁、良き巡り会い、良き御利益を頂いてもらえるような大祭にすべく、全ての弟子と全職員の力を結集して、全国の信者の皆さんをお迎えしたいと念じております。
 
I sincerely hope that the upcoming Annual Autumn Festival will lead to wonderful discoveries of relationships of new and old, splendid meetings of likeminded souls, many a win-win solutions and the rest. All of us, the stakeholders of the monastery, followers and staff alike, shall unite behind the task of welcoming all the well wishers from around the country and beyond every boundary.
 
合 掌
In solemn prayer, I remain.