「墓じまい」は本当に急ぐべきなのでしょうか？―流行の前に考えたいこと―　（ショート法話676）

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). Recently, a post by "Curry Monk" on X (formerly Twitter) became a hot topic, with the topic "Appealing for the importance of graves and questioning the increase in grave closures" trending. X's management summarized the content as follows: "Without rejecting the idea of ​​closing a grave, and while respecting the circumstances, the article describes visiting graves as a pilgrimage to remember one's ancestors' roots. (omitted) Reactions have been mixed, with some praising the importance of family ties and others citing the practical burden, and concerns about the financial strain on temples have also been raised. It's realistic to discuss this with family and consider options such as perpetual memorial services." In my own words, the article summarizes the idea that "visiting a grave is a pilgrimage to a sacred place for that family. By visiting the land connected to one's ancestors, one can remember 'where one comes from.' Once a grave is closed, it cannot be undone. Therefore, there is no need to rush into closing graves that can be preserved." I deeply sympathize with this idea. I also sometimes receive inquiries at the temple from people who want to close their graves. Of course, if there is no one to maintain the grave and there are unavoidable circumstances, we will close it. However, even if there is someone in the next generation to maintain the grave, many people rush into closing it because they don't want to burden their children. To those people, I tell them, "There's no need to rush now. You can discuss it with your family and decide when you can no longer maintain the grave in the future." For a long time, television and newspapers repeatedly featured "grave closure" as if it were a sign of the times. As a result, the anxiety that "not closing the grave will burden my children" became a major factor, and I feel that many people ended up disposing of graves that could have been preserved. However, nowadays, we hear many voices expressing a desire to cherish "family ties" and "connections with ancestors." Isn't this a very significant change? Of course, those who have reasons to close a grave should make that choice. The problem is making a decision based solely on vague anxieties like "everyone else is doing it" or "it will be a burden." Once a grave is closed, that place can never be restored to its original state. When we pray at a grave, we remember "where we came from." We don't live alone. We inherited life from our ancestors and live supported by many people. And the choices we make today will be passed down to future generations. However, in modern times, because "the individual" is valued more than "family," and "the present" more than "the past," we tend to lose sight of "what we inherited from the deceased and what we will pass on to the next generation." When we pray at a grave, we can reflect on "what the deceased would think," and turn our hearts not only to ourselves, but also to the vast connection of life that encompasses our ancestors and descendants. Commemorating the deceased is not just for the deceased. It is also a way for us, who tend to only see the "present," to touch upon the vast flow of life that continues from the past to the future, what Buddhism calls "immeasurable life." That is why graves will continue to be a place for us to remember the connection of life. Twitter: https://twitter.com/hokkaidozenkoji?s=06 Zenkoji Temple Blog: http://blog.livedoor.jp/zenkojinamu/