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Report on the 88th London Eza - Hoonko Otorikoshi 2009 |
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This year’s Hoonko Otorikoshi Eza was held at Three Wheels on Sunday 5th October 2009. Attending alongside guests from all over Britain were four Dharma-friends from Shogyoji Temple in Japan. Reverend Kemmyo Taira Sato introduced this most important event in the Shin Buddhist calendar as a ceremony which commemorates the death of Shinran Shonin, the founder of Shin Buddhism, in which the samgha express their thanks for his having taught the truth of Amida’s Vow “to save all sentient beings without any form of discrimination.” The main talks given during this Eza that each described, in the light of their own experience, three individual’s journeys to the awakening of faith in Amida Buddha.
Firstly Mr K spoke in eloquent and profoundly moving terms of how he came to be living at the Gyosen (Ferryboat) Taya of Three Wheels. This was a story which began in his childhood and unfolded during his lifetime of spiritual practice, including twenty-five years in the Church. Expressing his deepest feelings of thankfulness, Mr K told of how he wanted to live his life with “heartfelt gratitude” towards his parents, sister, wife and family, Christian friends, Dharma friends and “many, many others past, present and future.” Through having awakened to truth of his existence, surrounded by the Light of all of these many Buddhas, Mr K vowed to live his life: “Joyfully and happily, pronouncing the nembutsu right up to the end, giving my life to others, walking and living with them in gratitude.”
Mr Izumi Ida, a Dharma-friend and trustee of Three Wheels who lives in the Toho Taya of Shogyoji gave the next talk which he began by giving an overview of the wonderful spiritual developments that had recently occurred at Three Wheels, including the arrival of Mr K, which had been watched with keen interest and encouragement by everyone in the temple samgha in Japan. The establishment in London of the taya movement, first established by Rennyo Shonin in fifteenth century Japan was Mr Ida described “an epoch making event”. Mr Ida concluded by declaring that he “Would like to fly back to Japan with my pockets filled with the lively air of the London taya and report to my Japanese Dharma friends on the joy I felt visiting Three Wheels on this special occasion.”
Following Mr Ida’s talk, Reverend Sato read a letter sent by Mr Andy B, a Dharma-friend living in the Midlands who was unable to attend today’s ceremony. Reflecting on his relationship to his Christian parents and his own Shin Buddhist faith, Andy wrote that: “I have been feeling so grateful for Shinran Shonin's life and legacy which alone of all the many teachings helped me to discover the reality of grace, and the horizontal dimension of religious experience in which the finite and infinite become one. In addition during this period of introspection I have discovered, to my joy and surprise, that Shinran Shonin's words have acted like a key to unlock the treasure house of spiritual guidance which my parents bequeathed to me through their own faith.”
The last of the three main talks was given by a student and resident of Three Wheels, Mr Shogo Sakimura, who had recently undertaken an introspection session at Shogyoji. In a talk that was by turns both humorous and serious but always sincerely honest in the telling, Mr Sakimura expressed his gratitude to everyone who had encouraged him to go forward and undertake this very important session of spiritual training at Shogyoji, especially Reverend Kemmyo Sato, Reverend Keimei Takehara and his own father. During the session Shogo discovered that his name was actually given to him by the Head Priest of Shogyoji and meant to “turn and face the Buddha with gratitude”. The significance of this realisation allowed Shogo to discover the gravity of all that had been done for him by others. Everything, right down to the clothes on his back, had been given to him through the efforts of others. Although this may, Shogo related, seem to be a rather simple observation, it awoke him to the deepest truth of life.
Mr and Mrs Ishii who are also residents of the Taya in Japan, expressed their joy and gratitude on attending the Three Wheels Otorikoshi Eza now for the fifth time. Mr Ishii spoke of how thorough the untiring and everlasting efforts of Professor John White a real samgha had become established in London. Mrs Ishii related how she felt through hearing the talks given this afternoon “how blessed she was to be living among the temple taya community.”
Mr Duncan Kennedy who has for a long time been attending Reverend Sato’s meetings to study the Tannisho, the Shoshinge and the Letters of Rennyo, described being at this Otorikoshi meeting as being like a “taste of the Pure Land” in which he felt like he was sitting surrounded by “Bodhisattvas everywhere”.
Reverend Kemmyo Sato announced the long awaited news that his translation and commentary on The Tannisho was now very close to publication. Reverend Sato recalled how Professor White insisted to him that western people should have a clear understanding of the main Shin Buddhist texts including those used during the daily morning and evening services. To that achieve that end Reverend Sato had been translating for the past nine years the Letters of Rennyo Shonin and had also completed a translation and commentary of the Shoshinge by Shinran Shonin that was currently being edited by Dharma-friends.
Reverend Sato was also able to make the welcome announcement that Reverend Kenshin Ishii would be giving a talk in English at the next London Eza to be held in December. This was, he said, a great development as Reverend Ishii had only been living in London for the past three years and during that time had been practicing and developing his skills in speaking English to the point where he was now able to be the main speaker at a London Eza.
The last words fell to Professor John White who remarked on the considerable importance to the English speaking world of the publication of Reverend Sato’s translation and study of the Tannisho. It will, Professor White continued, a really great day when the book is published but despite that he would not “putting down his whip yet” and would be continuing to encourage Reverend Sato in his vital work of translating Shin Buddhist texts into English.
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