February 2020
Sacred Words
I, Nichiren, was born in the first year of Jou-Ou, the Year of the Horse at Tojo Ward, Nagasa County, Awa Province. It was 2071 years after Sakyamuni Buddha passed away.
Letter to Lord Hakii (written on Oct 7, 1282)
Nichiren Dai’Shonin’s Birthday Celebration and Tokudo Ceremony
By Shokai Kanai
February 16th is Nichiren Dai’Shonin’s birthday. He was born as a fisherman’s son in Awa, Kominato located on the outskirts of present-day Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture in 1222. At the age 11, he entered the nearby Kiyosumi Temple and at 15, he received Tokudo or “Bestowing the Priesthood Precept” and Received a new name, Rencho.
Later, he prayed and vowed, “Let me be the wisest man in Japan!” to Kokuzo or Wisdom Bodhisattva. He lasted for 21 days. This began his quest in studying all sutras to find the one that “could save all people in Mappo Era (the period of more than 2,000 years after the disappearance of Sakyamuni Buddha).” He concluded that, “it is only the Lotus Sutra that is the most important teaching among all the other sutras.” Thus, he preached that anyone can be saved if they advocated the sutra and chant the title of the sutra, “Namu Myoho Renge Kyo.” It was Nichiren Dai’Shonin who endured many difficulties and sufferings for the sake of the people in the Mappo Era, so he accepted many repeated persecutions joyfully. Through his many brave encounters, he brought happiness and peace to us in the 21st century.
In celebration of this holy birthday, two senior teachers from Japan will come to teach us Shomyo (Hymns) and how to perform a Tokudo Ceremony for us from February 14th to 16th. On the evening of the 14th, we will have a DOJO-GE and BU-SO hymn class. Anyone can attend. On the morning of the 15th, we will practice for the Tokudo Ceremony. Then on the 16th we will celebrate our founder’s birth. This will be more like a rehearsal for the 800th Anniversary of Nichiren Dai’Shonin’s Birth, which will be held on May 16, 2021.
On this auspicious occasion, Kalei Kini, 63 who has been serving as a member of Betsuin for more that a decade, will receive Tokudo by his own will. The ceremony begins with him taking an oath, clipping his hair and changing into monk’s robes. We then continue with Nichiren Shonin’s Birthday Ceremony.
The Tokudo Ceremony is a vow to “keep the precets as a Nichiren sect monk and let the person receive training in becoming a priest.” After this, he must attend another ceremony at Kiyosumi Temple where Nichiren Shonin received his Tokudo, which will recognize him as an official apprentice, allowed to be trained and eventually become a priest after finishing the 35 days SHINGYO DOJO at Kuonji Temple, Minobu in later years.
As this service will also be a rehearsal for next year’s big ceremony at the Prince Hotel Waikiki. All Nichiren Shu members in Hawaii are welcome to attend this service at Nichiren Mission of Hawaii on February 16th.