After the June monthly memorial service
There may be times when you want to hold memorial services for a stupa, open and close the eyes of a memorial tablet, or hold other types of memorial services apart from a memorial service. To meet such wishes, Shokoji Temple holds a "Monthly Memorial Service" once a month.
The "Monthly Memorial Service" is a joint memorial service, so those who wish to attend will gather together to perform the service. On the other hand, we can also accommodate those who wish to just hold the memorial service without participating.
In addition, this memorial service is not necessarily only for parishioners. We will also respond to the requests of the general public.
The various memorial services, including those held at the Monthly Memorial Service, are ceremonies aimed at facing the person being memorialized, reflecting on themselves, and chanting the Nembutsu so that the person will live a peaceful and happy life from now on, and will be welcomed into the Pure Land at the end. Therefore, it is very important to be present when a memorial service is held.
We can offer a wide range of memorial services, including memorial services for stupas, memorial services for memorial tablets, memorial services for needles, and memorial services for dolls. Although the appearances of these services are not uniform, the underlying theme for all of these services is the heart (soul) of the person who cherished them. Through memorial services, we come face to face with ourselves.
Today, we performed the soul removal ceremony for the old memorial tablet and the eye-opening ceremony for the new memorial tablet. We also held a memorial service for the stupa.
The head of the family who performed the memorial service for the memorial tablets had some tablets with the names of years from the Edo period engraved on them. The head of the family himself does not know the face or accomplishments of the person in question. Nevertheless, it is so romantic to be able to trace the family lineage back to that time. I cannot help but pay my respects to the family that has protected and passed it down for generations.
So, what exactly is this mortuary tablet that is so treasured? It is the deceased person themselves. By facing the mortuary tablet of the deceased, one can reflect on themselves, reaffirm what is important and essential, and enrich the quality of their future life, even if only a little. At that time, one must recite the Nembutsu prayer, with the aim of welcoming the deceased to the Pure Land where they await.
For those of us who lead busy lives, it is very important to spend time quietly reflecting in front of various mortuary tablets and other sacred objects. We believe that spending this time, which may seem like a detour at first glance, will ultimately improve the quality of the time that follows and allow us to live each day more energetically.
If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend you attend.
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