Vol. 24# 1
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Many things have happened last year. There were times of laughter, anger, happiness, tears, fluttering hearts, and Kami-centered hearts. Nonetheless, we have received great blessings through Konko Daijin’s Mediation.
2024 is the year of the dragon. There are rising and descending dragons. Those of us who have faith in Konko Daijin must be able to receive blessings through the manifestation of the workings of the Divine Parent . Whether the dragon is descending or ascending, we will be able to receive divine blessings and express our gratitude. Kami has promised, “If you pray with sincerity, your wish will be granted.” This year as well, whether we cry or laugh, whether we are angry or happy, let's continue to seek the mediation of Konko Daijin, work together with Kami, strive to manifest a heart of Kami, and express our deep gratitude to Kami.
New Year trivia
At the beginning of the year, it is common to prepare an altar with sacred ropes for the Toshigami, the guardian deity of the New Year. People pray for a good harvest, and offer traditional foods such as rice cake, dried persimmons, oranges, Sea Bream fish, yellowtail tuna, and kelp. Then events are held to predict the quality of the harvest and the weather as well as offer prayers for the agriculture, safety of each family's business, and the prosperity of their families. Various traditions and methods of celebration were passed down and followed depending on the region and each family.
In Otani village, early in the morning on the first day of the year, visits were made to the guardian deity at the village shrines, village headman, and the daimyo estate. The morning was celebrated with rice porridge and steamed rice for lunch. This was a time when barley rice was only eaten. The custom was to sing a celebratory song and leave a rooted part of the pine tree as a good luck charm at night. On the second day, visits were made to the Tendaishu Jakkoin Zenshouji temple to give the chief priest a New Year's greeting. This is also the day to begin new things. For example, children will begin to write things like New Year's resolutions. Nothing is done on the third day. Then everyone goes back to work on the fourth day.
A note
Some say that the current newsletters are too rigid and uninteresting in their content, focusing on interpretations and doctrines of Konko Daijin's teachings. A long time ago, I introduced several articles about Rev. Kametaro Nakayama's faith stories in these newsletters. I remembered that Mr. Ted Oka once said, ``I was looking forward to Rev. Kametaro Nakayama's faith stories.'' Therefore, starting this year, I would like to introduce ``Love your destiny and make use of your destiny'' by Kametaro Nakayama, a man who faced hardships and was blessed with gratitude.
I would like to share with you some valuable experiences from people's life that show how we have all been blessed with faith.
I have been kept alive thanks to my mother’s heart
by Rev. Kametaro Nakayama
Once upon a time, I was so unhappy that I thought there was no one in this world as unhappy as me. I even attempted suicide, but thanks to my mother's love and faith, I was blessed with happiness. Now I feel that there is no one else in this world who is as happy as I am.
I would like to share how I was able to receive happiness even though I had been in a bad situation for a while.
My hometown is Nakasho Village, Tsukubo District, Okayama Prefecture (currently Nakasho, Kurashiki City). Shortly after I was born, my parents moved to Akita Prefecture.
My father worked as a mining assistant at the Tsubaki Mine in Akita Prefecture, but in August 1902, when I was four years old, methane gas exploded inside the mine and he passed away. My mother, who lost her husband at the age of twenty-nine, cared for my older sister and I who were toddlers at the time and my elderly grandmother. Although she was lost and without a home at one point, she never showed tears in front of others. My mother took us to Kokura in Kyushu and used my father's condolence money to start a small business and, although she was barely making ends meet, she looked forward to our growth.
During the spring when I was 5-years-old, I begged my mother for a rice-flour mochi that was sold at a local sweet shop. However, my mother said "The mochi they sell doesn't taste good because it doesn't have a lot of bean paste. If I have mugwort, I will make you a delicious one."
I went out with my elder sister and babysitter. Since we were in the downtown area of the town, there were no mugworts to be found anywhere, so we went inside Kokura Station and picked mugworts by the railroad tracks at the freight yard. Just then, a replacement freight car rushed toward me, but as I tried to run away, my brand-new right wooden sandal got stuck in the tracks.
Even as a child, I felt it was dangerous and frightening, but the moment I reached out with both hands to take the new sandal I lost consciousness.
By the time I woke up, I had already been loaded onto a stretcher and taken to the hospital. My mother, who came running with the news that I had been hit by a train, gently took off my blanket and found that both of my hands were missing and thought “Both hands are missing.'' She couldn't bear it anymore. Furthermore, when my mother took away all the blankets and saw that my right leg was missing, she fainted on the spot, and for three days and three nights, she was unable to take care of me as she was unconscious. She was so distraught that she had to get a nurse to take care of herself.
My mother was so strong that when her husband, whom she depended on, died, she did not shed a single tear in front of others. When I think about why she was so upset upon my injuries, I believe this was an expression of her maternal love.
No matter how strong the love between husband and wife may be, they are originally strangers. On the other hand, the same blood flows between the mother and child, and when the child is in the womb, they are connected by the same blood vessels. I believe that the blood ties that exist between mother and child, maternal love, bond them together in a very special way.
To be continued in next issue
Notices for Los Angeles and Gardena Churches
New Year’s Day Service
The New Year’s Day service for Los Angeles and Gardena Churches will be held on Monday, January 1 at 9 a.m. Let us pray for good health and prosperity for the new year and attend this service with gratitude as we greet Kami and friends on the first day of the year.
First Monthly Service and New Year’s Party
The Monthly Service and New Year’s Party will be held on Sunday, January 14 at 10 a.m. Come join us for the potluck and White Elephant Gift Exchange. Please bring a dish and gift that you would like to share with others. We look forward to seeing you there.
Gardena Church Work Committee Workshop
The GCWC will be meeting on Sunday, January 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We will be discussing From Farmer to Founder The Life of Konko Daijin. Please let Rev. Uzunoe know if you would like to attend.
Obituaries
Mr. Tadashi Hamano, Debbie Hamano's father, passed away on December 7. He was 94 years old. The burial ceremony was held on December 19 at Evergreen Cemetery.
1/08/1929 ~ 12/07/2023
Mrs. Hatsuko Torigoe, Shinto-sodai of Konko Church of Los Angeles, passed away on December 10. She was 88 years old. Her Celebration of Life will be held on January 6 at 11:00 am at the Gardena Church Service Hall.
1/21/1934 ~12/10/2023
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