2017 New Year’s Greeting from Gomonshu Kojun Ohtani

The Gomonshu is the spiritual head of our denomination based in Kyoto, Japan. The current Gomonshu is His Eminence Monshu Kojun Ohtani, the 25th-generation descendant of Shinran Shonin to head the Hongwanji. Here is his New Year’s message.

 
Gomonshu Kojun Ohtani

New Year’s Greeting

At the beginning of this New Year, I would like to extend my warmest greetings to you.

This past year, we have been observing the ceremony known as The Commemoration on the Accession of the Jodo Shinshu Tradition since last October. This service will be continuing until the end of May over 10 sessions and a total of 80 days. The participation of the many delegates from both domestic and overseas districts has revitalized the atmosphere of all of our temple activities, and for that I am truly happy and grateful to each and every one of you.

Through holding the service together with you fellow Nembutsu followers, I am able to personally experience how the Jodo Shinshu teaching has not only been passed down to us over the span of nearly 800 years, but also how it has been delivered to many regions of the world beyond national borders. I believe that we have the Jodo Shinshu teaching today precisely because it served as the spiritual foundation for all of the preceding Nembutsu followers.

Shinran Shonin revealed his understanding of the Dharma known today as Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. It is a teaching for those of us who constantly struggle with various worries and hardships in life. Let us continue to listen to the teaching and share our own appreciation of the Dharma with family and friends in the hope that we can follow the Nembutsu path together with them.

January 1, 2017

OHTANI Kojun Monshu Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha

Gomonshu Kojun Ohtani

年頭の辞

新しい年のはじめにあたり、ご挨拶申し上げます。 本願寺では、昨年10月1日より本年5月31日まで10期80日にわたって伝灯奉告法要をお勤めしています。海外からの皆さまも含め、たいへん多くの方々にご参拝・ご協力いただき、法要をお勤めできていますことは、まことに有難く、感謝申し上げたいと思います。 皆さまとともに伝灯奉告法要をお勤めして、浄土真宗のみ教えが800年近くの時を経て私たちに伝えられ、また、日本だけでなく世界各地に伝わっていることを改めて実感しています。それぞれの時代の中にあって、浄土真宗のみ教えが一人一人の方の生きていく依りどころ、支えであったから、今日まで絶えることなく受け継がれてきたと思います。 親鸞聖人は、さまざまな出来事に悩み苦しむ私たちのために、浄土真宗のみ教えをお示しくださいました。本年も浄土真宗のみ教えを聞き、ご家族の方などご縁のある方々にお伝えいただき、南無阿弥陀仏とお念仏申す日々をともに過ごさせていただきましょう。

2017年1月1日

浄土真宗本願寺派 門主 大谷光淳