New Year Message by rev. Kamino Kusumoto

Greeting the New Year Cerebration of the 21st Century
By Rev. Kamino Kusumoto,
Director in Charge of Seicho-No-Ie Uji TempleRev. Seicho Taniguchi taught us as follows entitled "Japan in 21st Century" in his book, Kanki e no Michi (The Path for Joy).

"We greet each other by exchanging the words "Happy New Year" on New Year's day. This will be in common among everyone regardless of age. Then, why we cerebrate New Year? There would be various answers to this question. One would say, "because we feel as if we were reborn on New Year." Another would say, "because in old days people used to say it is the beginning of the year as if new sprout comes out." Because it is a birth of new life, it is a matter for congratulation. The birth of new baby is a matter for congratulation, too. Anyway, it is a happy and joyous event for good things come to appear in this life. (comitted)

The true creation always comes from the true existence in deep inside. Therefore, we should expand the numbers of people who visualize virtually not horizontally the true existence of kingdom of God by their (mind) eyes. The true existence is the True Image, which is perfect and harmonious, absolute perfection, and never dies nor disappears. This world is the true world where all good things exist and infinite ideas in full of infinite health, abilities and power. Therefore, we need to practice to visualize this.

This "Shinsokan" is the important practice more than anything else. It is of no great consequence whether we are promoted or become rich. The good creation will surely be born if we practice Shinsokan properly and filled with bright hope and true faith. Then we will give full play to our originality, without copying someone else, and original invention, development, research, and work will be created. Hence, the significant and attractive people will be showing up one after another."

Rev. Seicho Taniguchi teaches us that the New Year is a matter for cerebration because new good things that has not shown up yet. The good things come from the world of True Image and by properly practicing Shinsokan the good creation will be surely born.

It is truly a wonderful start to greet the 21st century by taking the spiritual training seminar together with our ancestors under the divine guidance of the guardian spiritual images of the universal God enshrined in the Main shrine.

My first experience at Tobitakyu Spiritual Training Center on New Year's day in 1949 when I practiced Shinsokan in their prayer room was a start of my 50 year service at the training center.

Every year, we practice Shinsokan at 12:00 a.m. on New Year's day at Main Temple and dedicate our prayers at each shrine. Then we begin the start of New Year by the first laughing practice. It has become a tradition of Uji Temple. Many Seicho-No-Ie members wish to come to Uji Temple or Seicho-No-Ie Main Temple in Nagasaki prefecture to cerebrate New Year's Day. We receive a lot of people from neighbor prefectures but we always welcome people from other places, too.

During the New Year Spiritual Training Seminar, Rev. Yoshimitsu Tsuchiya will give a lecture on his experience that his bladder cancer was healed. In our 14th testimonial leaflet, there were 6 people whose cancers were healed. In our 15th testimonial leaflet, there were 18 people whose cancers were healed. One of them was Rev. Tsuchiya's testimony. I hope your will enjoy reading them. Also, I recently received a thank you letter from Mr. Junichi Fujimoto. He is also the one whose bladder cancer was healed. His testimony is also published in our Uji Newsletter. He was healed through realizing the truth, "Man is a Child of God and has no sickness." It is wonderful for his sickness was healed but it is rather supremely wonderful for him to realize the truth of "Man is a Child of God" in his long life. Propagating the realization of the Truth is the true Humanity Enlightenment Movement. Let us dedicate prayer to support "the Will of the Lord of Seicho-No-Ie to pacify this phenomenal world in divine order in cooperation with both phenomenal and spiritual worlds" to receive divine guidance and determine to propagate the Humanity Enlightenment Movement together with our ancestors.

The Nyu Ryugu Yusaiden (The Shrine of Divine Healing) is a sacred place to practice Shinsokan to keep our mind in peace and become one with God. Practicing Shinsokan here deepens our realization of Man is a Child of God.

<Translation from Uji Dayori (Uji Newsletter) January 1, 2001 issue>