A prayer meeting is a Buddhist event in which prayers are made. What is the prayer meeting at Shokoji Temple? It is a meeting where one looks inward and chants the Nembutsu.
This may seem like a pointless thing to say, but praying does not necessarily mean your wish will come true. This is because humans are imperfect (ordinary people) and the world is one in which things do not always go as we want them to.
That is why we "practice introspection to make our wishes come true." By facing the Buddha or a deceased loved one, regulating your breathing, calming your mind, and thinking about important and essential things, you can stabilize your thoughts even a little. By continuing to do this, you will be much more likely to get closer to the state you desire. Even if you find yourself in an unexpected situation or a difficult situation, if you practice introspection, you will be more likely to be able to deal with it appropriately.
And what's even more important is to have the conviction that your wish will come true. Having conviction makes it easier to visualize your wish coming true.
That's why I say with confidence that if you participate in the prayer service at Shokoji Temple, your wishes will definitely come true.
And the most important thing is to chant the Nembutsu. This series of events is just one part of the way of life called "living your life to the fullest." Each one is not something to compare with the others and discuss its merits or demerits. Whatever form it takes, we simply live our "life to the fullest" and then die. And in the end, we go to the Pure Land. The ticket to go to the Pure Land is to chant the Nembutsu. That is why we chant the Nembutsu.
Before starting the prayer service, we all had tea. The tea leaves we used were donated by the temple's parishioners. We all simply thanked them for the tea we received. The person who donated the tea must have been grateful that everyone was able to drink it.
It doesn't matter what other people think about this activity, because it is ultimately a part of the introspection activity where the participants face themselves.
After the ceremony, we all planted red spider lily bulbs. We faced plants, faced "life," and faced ourselves, and tried to stabilize our thoughts. We chanted the Nembutsu during the ceremony, but we forgot to chant the Nembutsu after planting the bulbs. Let's chant together next time.
We have also attached a video, so please take a look.
YouTube:(1) Reiwa 7 Shokoji Temple Prayer Meeting – YouTube
(2) Reiwa 7 Shokoji Temple Prayer Meeting – YouTube
Instagram:【Official】Shokoji Temple (@shokoji_official) • Instagram photos and videos
【Official】Shokoji Temple (@shokoji_official) • Instagram photos and videos
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