Vol. 24# 6
Rev. Kametaro Nakayama - My mother’s peaceful death - continued from May
While I was attending the headquarters, my mother passed away on December 8, 1947, at the age of 67.
One day, my mother said to me, “Even though I lost everything in my possession as a result of the war, it was truly a blessing to be able to return to the sacred grounds.
My mother also said, “You may have to go somewhere else due to work commitments, but I would like to die in the sacred place beside Konko-sama. I would rather die in my sleep than be bedridden and be a burden to your wife.”
As we grow older, everyone wishes for an easy death, but in my mother's case, an easy death itself was not her wish. Her heartfelt wish was not to burden my wife to care for her bedridden mother-in-law.
I was on duty on the evening of December 7, so I went home early to have dinner. My mother had been feeling a bit sick with a cold, but she felt better with blessings and said, “Tomorrow, I'm going to plant onions.” She had bought a lot of onion seedlings from the farmers.
The next morning, when I returned home from my night shift, my mother, who is always an early riser, was not awake, so I called out “Grandma, Grandma'' but she didn't reply.
After a sudden thought, I gently placed my cheek against her cheek only to find it cold.
I mediated to Konkosama regarding the doctor who said, “She suffered a heart attack while asleep between 3:00 and 3:30 a.m. Moreover, before the heart attack occurred, she may have had a dream. I think she died before her big smile disappeared."
I was so flustered that I didn’t really look at her face, so when I looked at her again, I saw that she looked extremely peaceful with no signs of suffering at all. Her hands were clasped across her chest and her legs stretched straight.
As I saw her smiling, noble figure, I felt my mother could not have been happier to have received infinite blessings through her lifetime of faith, and she was able to close the volatile chapter of her life by Konkosama’s side. That day she had the honor of receiving the title of a Konkokyo minister from Konkosama.
I felt very sorry that I was unable to leave a legacy for my mother, who had worked harder than anyone else, but when I thought about it later, I realized that this was her wish. This made me realize that it would not be right for me to mourn or be sad.
The above is a brief story of my mother's hardships and the story of my own life, in which I was nurtured through my mother's faith.
In particular, I believe all mothers would understand my mother’s difficult journey in life, and even though her health declined continuously, she was saved by her faith and supported by Kami. Through earnest maternal love, she held and nurtured me, her single-legged son, in her warm arms, a behavior connected to and provided to us by Kami.
I have truly been kept alive by my mother's love and the virtue of her faith, the guidance and prayers of my seniors and teachers, and by the blessings and divine virtues of society.
To be continued in next issue
Exercises for the Mind/Heart/Spirit
002 Let's cherish the little things!
I was being harassed and nagged, and my laundry was turned inside out. Do little things get you angry? Looking at the flip side, I feel very happy when I receive a small word of gratitude or an act of consideration. The little things are actually a big deal.
Konko Church of Gardena and Los Angeles Announcements
Morning Service and Shinto-kai meeting
On Sunday, June 2, we will be holding a morning prayer at 9 a.m. After praying, let’s clean the inside and outside of the church. The Shinto-Kai meeting will follow the cleanup. If you are interested, please join us.
June Monthly Service
On Sunday, June 9, from 10:00 a.m., we will be holding the Monthly Service at the Gardena Church Mediation Hall. After the service and lunch, a study session on the From Farmer to Founder- biography of Konko Daijin will be held from 12:00-1:00 p.m. All participants are asked to bring their book.
Gardena Church Work Committee Study Group
The GCWC will meet on Sunday, June 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to work on Farmer to Founder discussion questions. Please contact Rev. Uzunoe if you are interested in joining this group.
Obituaries
It is with great sadness that we inform you that Yasuko Yoshida passed away on April 30th. Her funeral will be held on Monday, June 17th at 10am. Please continue to pray for peace of mind for Yasuko's spirit and peace of mind for her family.
Announcements from Konko Churches of North America
The Office of Konko Churches of North America (KCNA) would like to invite you to the 2024 KCNA Conference to be held at the University of Santa Barbara, CA from July 26 (Fri) - July 28 (Sun). The conference location will be the same as the 2023 KCNA Conference.
Konko Youth Camp | July 23 ~ 26 |
Young Adult Seminar | July 24 ~ 26 |
Family Camp | July 24 ~ 26 |
Spirituality Bridge | July 25 ~ 26 |
Conference | July 26 ~ 28 |
This year’s theme is “Re-Awaken our relationship through showing Kami’s workings and love in our daily faith to ensure it is passed down.”
There will be a presentation of brief past and present history of the Konko churches in North America outlining how Konkokyo was propagated in North America. A table with Konkokyo published books and materials will be set up for your review.
File below includes Invitation, Poster, Santa Barbara Airbus Schedule and Fare, Registration Form, and Notarized Child Guardian Consent Form.
For further information, please contact us at kcnaoffice@konkofaith.org. We welcome you, your family, and friends to Santa Barbara and enjoy your conference!
Also below are preconference event invitations, flyers, and applications.
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