家に「仏壇がある」ということ。―感謝の心が育つ暮らし―（ショート法話670）

This is a short Dharma talk by Chief Priest Mizuaki Okubo of Zenkoji Temple, a Jodo-shu Seizan Zenrinji sect temple in Horomukai, Iwamizawa City, Hokkaido. #Buddhism #JodoSect #SeizanSect #DharmaTalk #Sutras #Nembutsu #Hokkaido #Iwamizawa #Horomukai *Zenkoji Temple receives an annual maintenance fee of 10,000 yen and a donation of 5,000 yen or more for the Ten Nights Memorial Service from its parishioners. *At Zenkoji Temple, even if you leave your parish after becoming a parishioner, there is no "disaffiliation fee" required, as with many other temples. *Goshuin (temple stamps) are available at any time (reservations required). The other day, while attending a meeting, someone asked, "We have a columbarium at the temple, so we've decided not to have a Buddhist altar at home. Is that alright?" So, I thought about the idea of ​​"not having a Buddhist altar at home." Of course, there are people who don't currently own a Buddhist altar. In the past, it was customary to install both a Shinto altar and a Buddhist altar when building a house. However, many people now have a Shinto altar but their Buddhist altar remains at their parents' house. Ideally, even if you have a Buddhist altar at your parents' house, you should also install one in your own home. Even if you don't go that far, if you inherit the Buddhist altar from your parents' house, you should properly install it in your own home. Of course, if the Buddhist altar at your parents' house is too large, you could have it cremated and purchase a smaller one to install in your own home. Those who currently have a Buddhist altar at home probably offer water and rice to it every morning. Or, if you receive a gift or souvenir from a neighbor, you probably offer it to the altar before consuming it yourself. Having a Buddhist altar at home means that you pray to Buddha and your ancestors every day, and that you naturally come into contact with Buddha and your ancestors at various points in your life. When a child is born, when they start elementary school, when your grandfather recovers from illness, when your father's work goes well... At these milestones in life, at every life event, or rather, in our daily lives, we pray to Buddha and those who have passed away. How grateful we should be for the "happiness" we have now. How grateful we should be for being here right now. It's certainly not due to my own efforts alone. Surely, Buddha and our ancestors are protecting us. That's why we can't help but pray. We feel "happiness" in our current state, and realize that it's something incredibly "unbelievable," something that couldn't be achieved through our own efforts alone, which is why we "can't help but pray" to Buddha and those who have passed away. If you feel that your current situation is "happy," and that it's "something you couldn't have achieved on your own, something that rarely happens," then you perceive happiness as something incredibly "precious," unlike someone who thinks, "This is just how things are." For example, regarding "getting married, having children, and watching those children grow up," there's a difference in how people perceive happiness between someone who thinks, "It's natural to have children after getting married," and someone who thinks, "How fortunate it is to have children after getting married! It's not just our own effort; a greater force is involved, it's something that rarely happens." Similarly, having a Buddhist altar at home increases opportunities to offer prayers, and in various aspects of daily life, it increases opportunities to express gratitude to Buddha and those who have passed away. I'm certainly not saying you should "buy a Buddhist altar right now." However, if you ever find yourself in a position to inherit or prepare one, having a Buddhist altar will increase the opportunities to pray. Having places to offer prayers close to our daily lives naturally helps to organize our lives into a lifestyle of offering prayers. Twitter: https://twitter.com/hokkaidozenkoji?s=06 Zenkoji Temple Blog: http://blog.livedoor.jp/zenkojinamu/