December 2021
SACRED WORDS
“Strive to carry out the two ways of practice and learning. Without practice and learning, Buddhism will cease to exist. Endeavor yourself and cause others to practice these two ways of practice and learning which stem from faith. If possible, spread even a word or a phrase of the sutra to others.”
Nichiren’s Words, “Shoho Jisso Sho”
聖語
「行学の二道に励みなさい。修行と学問を怠ると仏法は滅んでしまいます。自ら行い、他人にも行学を勧めなさい。行学は信心から始まります。力があらなら、たとえ一言でも一句でも良いから人に伝えなさい。」
日蓮大聖人『諸法実相鈔』
EVEN YOU CAN BECOME A NICHIREN SHU MINISTER
Bishop Shokai Kanai
This will be my third-year anniversary since I was installed as the Head Priest of Nichiren Sect Mission of Hawaii. But do you recall my installation message on December 9, 2018?
I said, “My goal at this temple is to educate and raise Dharma teachers, lay-leaders, substitutes of Nichiren Shu priests, part-time ministers, and full-time ministers. These Dharma teachers should be American born especially people born and raised in Hawaii.”
Since my installation, Shami Shougou (Mr. Kalei Kini) vowed to be trained as a priest on February 16, 2020. He missed DOCHO-KOFU (official recognition ceremony to be held at Mt. Kiyosumi), twice already because of COVID-19 travel restrictions. Since he retired in December 2020, he has come to this temple every morning, chants together with me, and helps to keep our temple clean and neat for everyone.
There is another person who will be fully retired at the end of this year. Ms. Claire Ariyoshi will take the oath to be trained as an assistant minister on January 22, 2022. Another candidate will be Mr. Mikio Tomioka who is an immigrant from Japan and has lived in Hawaii for many years. Both have been training to assist me together with Shougou Kini since 2019.
So, if you are interested in becoming a priest, a part-time minister is someone who has a steady job and a steady income, so they are not dependent on the salary from a temple or a mission. In other words, you will be a minister on the weekend but still keep your job during the week. Or you may be a retiree looking for a more meaningful life other than traveling or watching the grandkids - so you too can be a minister serving the temple on a part time basis.
But, if you would like to dedicate your life and become a full-time minister, it takes a minimum of five to six years of training and education, many travels to Japan, and the rigorous completion of Shingyo Dojo (the official 35-day training at Mt. Minobu).
Now, I am looking for a college student or a college graduate who wishes to become a Nichiren Shu priest and I am hoping that our temple directors will invest in such a candidate financially after the 800 Year Anniversary of Nichiren Shonin’s Birthday. This young candidate needs to overcome many hardships physically, mentally, and financially. They must go to a Japanese language school in Japan for one year and must be trained at a temple like Minobusan Kuonji Temple in Japan for three or four years. They may also take the TOKUDO (oath to become a Nichiren Shu priest) on January 22, 2022. So, if you know of a young candidate, please notify me by the end of this year, so I can order the white and black robes together among other things. And good news for females – they do not need to cut their hair!
“I am committed to educate and train all of you, little by little. That is my goal at Nichiren Mission of Hawaii.” - Bishop Shokai Kanai
ハワイ育ちの日蓮宗僧侶、
志願者募集！
金井勝海
ハワイ日蓮宗別院主任に就任してから、もう丸３年になります。就任メッセージで次のような内容を述べさせていただきました。
「この別院での私の目標は信徒リーダー、布教師の補佐ができる人、フルタイムの僧侶養成です。ハワイ生まれでハワイ育ちの人を望んでいます。パートタイムの僧侶補佐とは、仕事を引退し自由な時間があり、定期的に収入がある人です。何故ならば、別院以外のミッションでは、僧侶に十分な給料を払えないからです。
僧侶志願者を教育しようと張りきっていましたが、２０２０年３月からコロナ疫病蔓延によりお寺での集会や行事は中止となってしまいました。不運を好転させるZOOMで勉強会や読経会日曜礼拝を行った結果、オアフ島のメンバーだけでなく、マウイ島、ハワイ島、さらには本土や日本からも参加があり、今も順調に継続しています。
沙弥カレイ勝仰は２０２０年２月に得度式をすませ、正式に日蓮宗僧侶となる入門式（度牒交付）に出席しようとしましたが、パンデミックの為日本へ行くことができません。しかし、彼と同じ時期（２０１９年）から朝の読経に参加し「法華経要品」の読経演習をしていた有吉クレア夫人と富岡美樹男氏が来年１月２２日に得度を決意してくださいました。得度をすませた後３月末には清澄寺で行われる度牒公式には３人で出席できる事を願っています。
さて、フルタイムの僧侶になるにはいろいろな過程と修行と勉強が必要です。またハワイと日本を何度も往復しなければなりません。それは大変ですので、日本語をある程度取得するために日本に１年間留学し、その後は身延山久遠寺かどこかのお寺に住み込み、身延山大学に通いながら修行をするのが一番確かで立派な僧侶になれるでしょう。（私も６年間高輪承教寺で修行を致しました。）最近では、女性にも広く門を開く為、女性は有髪で良いことになりました。
現在大学に在籍中か既に卒業した青年男女で「ハワイの人々の為に日蓮宗僧侶に志願したい方」は今年末までに金井勝海に相談して下さい。 来年１月２２日の得度式に間に合うよう白衣と黒衣を注文しなければなりません。
日蓮大聖人ご降誕８００年を記念して、別院ではハワイ生まれハワイ育ちの日蓮宗僧侶育成の為の基金設立をお願い致します。