504 experiences of chanting the daimoku 10,000 times: Yesterday, we had a customer come to our store from Tokyo in the morning and from Tochigi Prefecture in the afternoon. We had a great time listening to all kinds of stories.
Posted by 島幸弘
Soka Buddhist altar specialty stores are becoming a rare sight.
Last night the temperature suddenly dropped so much that I had to change clothes in the middle of the night, so this morning I showed up wearing a jacket over short sleeves. Yesterday morning, a lovely couple from Tokyo came to see our furniture-style altars, where they could place their parents' permanent deity, and chose from two of them. They seemed to like it very much and were very satisfied.
Recently, there are fewer and fewer Soka Buddhist altar specialty stores even in Tokyo, and there are no longer any places to ask questions about Buddhist altars. Even though the customer came all the way from Tokyo to our store, we were able to provide a wide range of services and we were able to respond to their concerns, which we received positive feedback from them.
During the signing of the contract, we talked about faith, which made the time even more fulfilling. Thank you very much for coming all the way from Tokyo to our store.
The Soka Buddhist altar store in Tochigi Prefecture has disappeared.
In the afternoon, four people from Tochigi Prefecture came to our store, one of whom is a regular customer of our store. They came to us about their Soka Buddhist altar, and we also had the cover of the main image replaced, which greatly changed the way they focused on the main image during their morning service. They were so grateful that they came to our store with their family and the local women's group.
Apparently, he came with me because he wanted to see a wonderful Buddhist altar store and Shima-san. He made a reservation in advance to come to the store, so I was really looking forward to it.
Is it true that Soka Buddhist altar specialty stores are an "endangered species"?
It may be a bit of an exaggeration to say that Soka Buddhist altar specialty stores are an "endangered species," but there is something about them that I feel firsthand in my daily life.
There are almost no independent stores left across the country. Only a few remain, but the rest are large companies.
Despite these circumstances, I continue to post daily on YouTube about the Soka Buddhist altar and my own faith.
If anything, I think there are more things I've realized about my own faith than there is about the Buddhist altar!
Is Shima-san an extremely rare natural monument?
As expected, everyone was impressed by the Kuku Zushi. In the midst of all this, a regular customer started explaining to me about the greatness of the Kuku Zushi... This happened while I was replying to the customer on the computer.
Mr. N is like a store manager now!! Everyone burst out laughing.
The five of us sat at a table, not a Buddhist altar cafe, and talked about the beginning of Zadankai at the Buddhist altar shop, this month's roundtable discussion, recent challenges, and confirmation of Ikeda Sensei's guidance in the new edition of the Nichiren Daishonin Gosho. There was no end to the topics, and time was running out. There were some stories that everyone was hearing for the first time.
Every day, I listen to the concerns of Soka Gakkai members all over the country about their problems with their Soka Buddhist altars, and I provide support to our customers in dealing with these issues. The most common issue is "disposing of the Buddhist altar." Most of the simple stories are about reducing the number of Soka Gakkai members, such as wanting to sell a used Buddhist altar because it's in good condition, parents having passed away, moving into a nursing home, or living together.
I would like to sell a Soka Buddhist altar, and about five people come by every day wanting me to buy it.
This is the reality. Worldwide kosen-rufu is progressing, and I personally feel this when I look at the members of SGI.
However, what about in Japan, the home of the sport? I am also a member of a local organization.
There is no doubt that we are now in a downsizing system. That is why I believe that now is the time to go back to the origins of the wonderful faith of Soka Gakkai and to check whether I am living my life based on the Daimoku, the Gosho, and the guidance of President Ikeda. Is faith the same as life?
Am I a natural treasure?
On April 23rd of last year, I thought to myself, "If I don't chant the daimoku, I won't understand this faith and I won't get results," so I decided to chant the daimoku several times a day, and today I uploaded it to YouTube every day, marking the 504th time.
Furthermore, on the morning of November 18th of last year, he decided to further practice his faith by reciting the entire New Edition of the Gosho of Nichiren Daishonin, saying, "I have mastered the basic flow of the Daimoku, now it's time to focus on the Gosho!" This was also uploaded to YouTube, and he has now finished reciting up to the Contemplation Honzon Sho.
At this point, I received a phone call from a senior believer who asked, "Are you reading the Gosho alone?" "Why alone?" I asked, "Why don't you read it with someone? If we wish for the happiness of ourselves and others, isn't it important to read and recite the Gosho with someone?
It is good to chant the daimoku and recite and recite the Gosho, but when you think about it in terms of the happiness of yourself and others, it may be the right action, but can it contribute to kosen-rufu?
When I thought about it, I realized that I couldn't continue like this.
For over seven years now, our family has been practicing morning devotions and chanting the daimoku, as well as reciting Ikeda Sensei's "Our Gift to You," and three years ago, my son-in-law began reciting "Words of the Family Name."
On September 21st, we started streaming on YouTube "Gosho as a Family: Reading Together the Gosho for Happiness of Ourselves and Others."
I will do what I can to walk the path of attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime with sincerity and honesty. I may become a "natural monument." And this action will create a circle of actions for the happiness of myself and others in the local community. I hope it spreads.
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